A simple and delicious spinach side dish

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Prepared by: Aelita

06/07/2013 Cooking time: 10 min

Creamed spinach side dish is a light and vibrant addition to meat and chicken. Plus, it's very original! I recommend this simple spinach side dish recipe to lovers of summer vegetable dishes.

Spring in a plate

Spinach has a negative calorie content and at the same time, due to its high fiber content, it quickly creates a feeling of fullness. It is also rich in vitamins A, group B, C, E, K, as well as potassium, sodium, phosphorus, iron, calcium, selenium and zinc. What's not the ideal ingredient for a light spring salad?

Ingredients:

• beets - 2 pcs.
• eggs - 2 pcs.
• spinach – 150 g
• sunflower seeds - 1 tbsp. l.
• flaxseed - 1 tsp.
• olive oil - 2 tbsp. l.
• fresh thyme - 4-5 sprigs
• lemon juice - 1 tsp.
• salt - to taste

Boil the eggs hard in advance. Peel the beets and cut them into thin slices using a grater. Sprinkle them with 1 tbsp. l. olive oil, lemon juice, put thyme sprigs on top, leave to marinate for half an hour. The beets will need to be stirred once. Then put it in the oven at 180°C for 15–20 minutes.

Wash the spinach thoroughly, dry it and cover the dish with leaves. Place slices of baked beets and sliced ​​eggs on top. Salt to taste, sprinkle with the remaining olive oil, sprinkle with flax and sunflower seeds. An excellent vitamin salad is ready!

Elixir of Slimness

It’s not for nothing that the French call spinach a whisk for the stomach. Thanks to the abundance of fiber, it “sweeps” all food debris out of the body. In addition, spinach improves intestinal motility. All this allows you to more effectively part with extra pounds. If you are actively losing weight for the summer, a spinach smoothie will make your task easier.

Ingredients:

• spinach – 150 g
• avocado - 1 pc.
• banana - 1 pc.
• filtered water - at your discretion
• grated fresh ginger - 1 tsp.
• honey - to taste
• lemon juice - optional

Peel the avocado and banana, cut into large pieces, and place in a blender bowl. We tear clean spinach with our hands and send it to the vegetables. Pour in a little water and beat all the ingredients until smooth. You can sweeten this cocktail with honey. And lemon juice will add expressive sourness. If the drink turns out to be thick, dilute it with water. Serve the green smoothie in a tall glass, garnished with fresh spinach leaves.

A vegetarian's dream

Spinach contains a large amount of iron and quite a lot of vegetable protein. That's why vegetarians love him. In addition, this leafy vegetable is indispensable for anemia, anemia, exhaustion and increased excitability of the nervous system. So spinach cutlets will benefit many.

Ingredients:

• zucchini - 2 pcs.
• chickpeas - 150 g
• fresh spinach - 150 g
• egg - 2 pcs.
• garlic - 1 clove
• ground oat bran - 80 g
• salt, black pepper - to taste
• vegetable oil for frying

Soak the chickpeas in water overnight in advance, then add fresh water and cook until tender. Beat half the chickpeas in a blender into a puree. Grate the zucchini and carefully squeeze out the excess liquid. Wash the spinach, dry it and finely chop it. Combine it with zucchini, chickpea grains and chickpea puree. Add bran, eggs, pressed garlic, salt and pepper, mix the resulting mass well. Heat a frying pan with oil, form cutlets with a spoon and fry until golden brown on both sides. You can serve these cutlets with brown rice, green beans or baked potatoes.

Soup for sharp vision

Spinach is a godsend for those who spend a lot of time at the computer. It relieves tension in the eye muscles and tones them. The abundance of lutein in spinach leaves prevents the development of retinal degeneration and protects the lens from clouding and other age-related changes. These reasons are quite enough to make creamy spinach soup.

Ingredients:

• spinach - 400 g
• onion - 1 pc.
• potatoes - 3-4 pcs.
• garlic - 2-3 cloves
• water - 400 ml
• cream 10% - 250 ml
• vegetable oil - 2 tbsp. l.
• parsley - 1 small bunch
• salt, black pepper - to taste
• homemade croutons for serving

Heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan and sauté the chopped onion until transparent. Pour in the diced potatoes, fry with onions for 5 minutes, then add water and cook over low heat until tender. Meanwhile, chop the spinach and parsley. When the potatoes are boiled, add all the greens and cook on the fire for a couple more minutes. Then, using an immersion blender, turn the contents of the pan into a smooth, thick mass. Pour in the heated cream, add salt and spices. Stirring constantly with a wooden spatula, bring the soup to a boil and let simmer for another minute. Before serving, add croutons to each bowl of cream soup.

Cooking tips and tricks

• Spinach leaves contain a lot of water, so if you want to saute it, don't add any liquid other than oil to the pan.
• It cannot be cooked for a long time, otherwise it will lose its beneficial properties.
• Spinach tastes bland, so when preparing dishes from it, especially the first ones, sorrel is added to it.
• Spinach dishes are perfectly “revived” by juice and lemon zest or lemon dressing, which is prepared as follows: add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and stir.
• Side dishes made from spinach, and vegetables in general, go well with all types of meat. I recommend learning how to prepare a side dish of zucchini; it will complement the taste of the meat, emphasize the degree of its roasting and help it quickly digest. Another very tasty and satisfying side dish is beans. I advise you to see how to deliciously cook red beans as a side dish and pamper your loved ones.

Spinach and side dishes made from it should definitely be present in your diet. It is easily absorbed by the body, and a small portion is enough to replenish the body with minerals and vitamins. It is very easy and quick to prepare. Have you already prepared spinach according to my recipes? Write down what worked for you and what didn’t.

Italy in shades of green

Spinach is recognized as the most common ingredient in the cuisines of different nations. His true fans are the Italians. They prepare a variety of sauces based on it. Not a single salad, bruschetta or lasagna can do without it. The juice of the leaves colors pasta or ravioli a soft green color. We suggest trying delicious spaghetti with spinach and parmesan.

Ingredients:

• spaghetti - 300 g
• spinach - 100 g
• butter - 100 g
• flour - 4 tbsp. l.
• milk - 500 ml
• yolk - 2 pcs.
• parmesan - 100 g
• salt, black pepper - to taste
• nutmeg - on the tip of a knife

In advance, set the spaghetti to cook in salted water until al dente. While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a frying pan and stir in the flour. Add warm milk little by little, stirring constantly with a spatula. Whisk the yolks with salt and pepper and pour into the pan. Pour in two thirds of the grated cheese and chopped spinach. Simmer the sauce over low heat for 2-3 minutes. Now you can add the spaghetti - mix it well with the sauce and let sit for another minute. Before serving, sprinkle the pasta with grated cheese and decorate with spinach leaves.

Spinach stewed in cream with leeks

Kitchen utensils: stove, cutting board and knife, frying pan and wooden spatula, portion plates - 2 pcs.

Ingredients

Choosing the right ingredients

• Spinach must be fresh. Important! Few people know that if spinach is not stored in the refrigerator for longer than 48 hours, then toxic compounds are formed in its leaves and it can no longer be consumed raw or in prepared dishes - this is fraught with poisoning. Ready-made spinach dishes also do not store for a long time; it is better to eat them immediately after cooking. So what should you pay attention to when choosing spinach?
• Pay attention to the color of the leaves. They should be a rich green color; a bright color indicates that this is a fresh product. There should be no defects on the greens - the leaves should be smooth, elastic and juicy, and if there are yellow, brown or black spots, then these are signs of damage to the leaves by insects or traces of treatment with plant protection products against pests, such spinach should not be taken. Withered or wrinkled greens are also not worth buying.
• Fresh spinach smells nice, but if you don’t hear the smell at all or feel an unpleasant smell, then most likely such greens have been lying around for several days and you shouldn’t take them. If you press the edge of the leaf and hear a slight crunch, then the product is fresh and was picked no more than 12 hours ago.
• Pay attention to the thickness of the stems of the leaves; if they are wide and fleshy, then the greens are overripe. There is no need to take overripe greens; they contain a lot of bitterness.

Step-by-step preparation

Preparation

• Sort out the spinach leaves (300 g), rinse them with running water and let it drain.
• Wash the leek (1 stalk), cut off the green part (we won’t need it), and cut the white part into thin half rings.
• Peel 2 cloves of garlic and finely chop it or put it through a garlic press.

Preparing the side dish

1. Place the frying pan over medium heat and melt 15 g of butter in it. Add 30 ml of olive oil to it and fry the leek half rings and garlic until soft.

2. Add whole spinach leaves to the pan.

3. Stirring constantly, gently simmer the spinach. Salt and pepper to taste.
4. When the spinach has reduced in volume, add 40 ml of cream.

5. Simmer for a few more minutes until the moisture evaporates, then remove the pan from the heat - the dish is ready.

Recipe video

It’s possible to prepare a tasty and healthy side dish in just 20 minutes. Watch the video and cook.

How to serve and with what

This easy-to-prepare dish goes well with whole boiled and mashed potatoes, rice and pasta, meat and poultry. It can be served with buckwheat, look at how delicious it is to cook buckwheat as a side dish, and with any porridge, even pearl barley, which can be deliciously cooked as a side dish. Good served with bacon. This dish can be used as a filling for pancakes.

Quiche for fish gourmets

To get the full benefits of spinach, it is important to choose it wisely. When you buy it fresh, make sure that there are no limp or yellowed leaves in the bunch. The larger and greener they are, the more nutrients there are. And remember, spinach can be stored in the refrigerator for no longer than 7 days. If you don't plan to eat it during this time, freeze it for later. Or make quiche with red fish.

Ingredients:

Dough:

• flour - 250 g
• butter - 125 g
• egg - 2 pcs.
• ice water - 5 tbsp. l.
• salt - 1 tsp.

Filling:

• lightly salted salmon - 180 g
• asparagus - 7–8 stalks
• spinach – 70 g
• hard cheese - 60 g
• green onions - 3-4 feathers

Fill:

• cream - 150 ml
• sour cream - 1 tbsp. l.
• egg - 3 pcs.
• salt, black pepper, nutmeg - to taste

Sift the flour, add the diced butter, eggs, salt and ice water. Knead the dough, roll it into a ball, put it in the refrigerator for half an hour. Then we compact the dough into a round shape with sides, prick it with a fork and fill it with dry beans. Bake the base at 200°C for about 15–20 minutes.

At this time, remove the skin and hard fragments from the asparagus and chop into pieces. Finely chop the spinach, cut the fish into slices, and grate the cheese. Whisk the filling of eggs, cream and sour cream, season with salt and spices. Evenly place salmon, asparagus and spinach into the browned base, sprinkle everything with grated cheese. Pour the filling on top and put it in the oven again at 180°C for 15 minutes. This pie can be served either hot or cold.

A simple and delicious spinach side dish

What do you know about spinach? For example, I associate it with benefits for the body and the sailor Popeye. True, until recently I used it only for salads with fresh vegetables and herbs. I was attracted by the fact that spinach (unlike cilantro, for example) does not have a pronounced taste, but gives the salad a pleasant color and freshness. Recently, I accidentally attended a master class by a chef at one of the popular restaurants in our city. The main theme was cutting and preparing fish dishes. While the fish was marinating, the chef shared with us a recipe for a simple and quick spinach side dish. By the way, it is ideal not only for fish, but also for meat dishes. Ingredients:

• spinach
• garlic
• olive oil
• If desired, you can add Parmesan and pine nuts

Degree of difficulty:
very simple
Cooking time:
15 minutes (including time to heat the water) Put a saucepan with water on the fire, then start with the spinach. Despite the winter, it is sold in many supermarkets at a very affordable price. I paid about 30 rubles for a large bunch. (13 UAH).

Wash the greens and get rid of the roots. Leave the stems, they will give the side dish the desired structure.

There is no need to cut or tear the spinach. We put a whole bunch of greens into boiling water, but keep it in the water for just a little bit, literally one or two minutes.

We take the spinach out of the water; the chef used special tongs for this, which can be used to squeeze out the water. But this can be done with an ordinary spoon. Place the spinach in a heated frying pan with a little olive oil. Add a clove of garlic, chopped into large pieces.

Garlic can be introduced into the dish in two ways: either lightly fry and remove before adding the spinach to the pan, or place it in the pan along with the spinach. There is no difference, I like the second option better.

Again, we will need literally 2-3 minutes. All this time we periodically stir our greens in the frying pan; if desired, you can add a little salt.

That's it, the side dish is ready! As neutral as spinach seemed to me in a salad, it has such a rich and at the same time unobtrusive taste after heat treatment in combination with garlic and olive oil. And if you add a little grated Parmesan, you’ll get a great addition to pasta. The cook also advised adding some pine nuts, I’ll definitely try it when the opportunity arises.

As you can see, everything is really simple. Try it and see that this dish is not only simple, but also delicious!

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