The Joys of Vegetables Part VIII: Spinach

It is not strange when one says spinach - the first things that comes to mind is:

I'm Popeye the Sailor Man,

I'm Popeye the Sailor Man.

I'm strong to the finich

Cause I eats me spinach.

I'm Popeye the Sailor Man.

The Daily Telegraph reported that “Popeye was right: spinach really does boost your muscles”. The newspaper said that eating 300g of spinach “reduced the amount of oxygen needed to power muscles by as much as five per cent when exercising”. “Overall, although this study does not conclusively prove that eating spinach can make you strong like Popeye, vegetables and fruit contain important nutrients and fibre and should form a substantial part of a healthy diet.”  Click Here To Read More!

When it comes to dark leafy veggies, then spinach is the powerhouse selection or should I at least say Popeye’s selection. Dark leafy green veggies such as Kale, Swiss Chard and Spinach contains a wide variety of disease fighting phytochemicals as well as huge amounts of Vitamin C, bone building and blood clotting Vitamin K, Beta Carotene and Fibre. Because of the chrolophyll these vegetable contains they may even prevent the damaging effects that convert healthy cells into cancerous ones.

Spinach is such a versatile little vegetable and can be used in many dishes from being raw in salads or cooked as a side dish. Even pureed it forms the base of numerous sauces, or mixtures for stuffing’s.

Did you Know…

2 cups of raw spinach (104 Kilojoules) contains Beta Carotene (protects against Cancer and Muscular Degeneration); Folate (to protect against Anaemia and Birth Defects; Lutein and Zeaxanthin; (prevents Colon Cancer) and Vitamin C (prevents Osteoarthritis and Strokes)?

At the Market:

Spinach is normally sold at the market in bunches, or in bags all year round. Swiss chard is actually a member of the beetroot family.

The leaves of the spinach needs to be crisps and springy in texture. Colour must be clear green. Avoid leaves that have insect damage, wilted, and bruised or yellow spots. Choose stems that are thinner than thicker ones as this indicates younger leaves. Use your nose! The leaves must have a fresh sweet smell and not a musty smell.

At Home:

Storing: Keep spinach in the crisp section of your refrigerator. Loose bunches store in a plastic bag.

Preparing for meals:

Curly leaves needs to be careful washed in order to get rid of the sand and grit in which it has grown in. Trim off the stems and place the leaves in a bowl or sink of cool water. Stir the leaves about with your hands and then remove them. The sand and grit should be at the bottom of the sink/bowl. Repeat process until the sink/bowl is free from sand and grit. Dry leaves in a salad spinner or on paper towels.

Basic cooking of spinach:

Whole leaves can be blanched for 2 minutes before stir frying or sautéing in a drizzle of oil and stock. Spinach can also be steamed. Chopped spinach cooks much quicker than whole leaves.

Did you know…

…The iron and calcium that is found in plant foods are not easily absorbed by the body? Spinach contains chemicals called Oxalic acids which binds with iron and calcium and reduces their absorption? Solution: Vitamin C!! To improve the iron absorption and to ensure that you get all the benefits serve it with Vitamin C. Try adding a good glug of lemon/orange juice to the spinach while it is cooking, or serve it with something very tomatoey.

Fresh Ideas:

Puree steamed spinach with some fresh garlic and plain yoghurt, top with spring onions and serve cold as a summer soup.

For a quick pasta sauce, puree steamed spinach with parsley and lemon juice.

For a salad dressing puree steamed spinach, good hand full of parsley and basil, garlic clove or two, season with salt and pepper. Slowly add olive oil and lemon juice while blending/pureeing.