SPINACH NEEDS MORE RESPECT

 

                                Spinach needs more respect

 

          One of the least favorite childhood memories of most people is being told to ‘eat your spinach’.  Old cookbooks are filled with recipes for creamed spinach, which tried to improve its image. There was even a comic strip character, Popeye the Sailor Man, who downed cans of spinach before and after each heroic deed, but his diet never caught on.

          Then came the dietary recognition of the value of green leafy vegetables and suddenly kale was the new darling of every chef. We also suddenly became aware of the nutritional benefits of Swiss chard, Romaine, Bok choi and even collards. And yet, spinach should remain on the top of that list with only 7 calories/cup, containing high amounts of carotenoids, iron, potassium, calcium and vitamins like C, B and K. It is a fast grower in home gardens and is available year-round in stores, making it easy to include in a variety of recipes. Its delicate texture allows it to be served both raw and quickly cooked.

                                     Hearty spinach-red pepper salad

          Dressing, mix in a small jar: ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, 1 ½ tbsp. Dijon mustard, 1 tbsp. finely grated Parmesan, ¼ tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. pepper and 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil. Shake the jar to mix the dressing for use and store the remainder in refrigerator.

          In a large bowl assemble: 6 oz. baby spinach, 1 red bell pepper seeded and diced, 2 chopped scallions, ¼ cup dried cranberries, ¼ cup shredded aged Asiago (or Parmesan) cheese, ¼ cup toasted pecan pieces. Just before serving, toss with 2 tbsp. dressing and sprinkle each serving with additional cheese.

                                              Creamy Avgolemono soup

          Bring 5-6 cups of chicken broth to boil in a 4 qt. pot. Stir in ½ cup orzo pasta and cook for 8 minutes. (To make it GF, substitute 1/3 cup white rice for the orzo and cook for 15 minutes.) In the meantime, whisk 2 eggs in a small bowl with ¼ cup plus 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice, ½ tsp. lemon pepper and 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce. Remove 1 cup of hot broth from the pot and gradually whisk into the egg-lemon juice mix.  Add

3 cups baby spinach to the cooking soup and turn heat down to simmer. When spinach is wilted, slowly whisk in the egg-lemon-broth mix into the cooking soup. Continue to slowly whisk the soup without boiling until creamy and thickened. Serve hot.

                                Spinach-goat cheese-sundried tomato quiche

          Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a large pan and sauté 3 cups of spinach leaves and 2 cloves of garlic until wilted, most of the liquid is evaporated and set aside.

          Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a 9-inch pie with a pre-made rolled crust, pat sown and crimp the edges. Line curst bottom with aluminum foil weighted down with pastry weights or dried beans and baker for 10 minutes. In a large bowl beat 4 eggs with an electric mixer, 1 cup milk, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp. pepper, ½ cup loose chopped fresh dill and 8 oz. crumbled goat cheese. Remove beater and thoroughly fold in ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes cut in julienne and the spinach. Pour the filling in the pre-baked crust, return to the oven and continue baking for an additional 40 minutes until the custard is set. Cool slightly and cut in wedges to serve. It makes great leftovers to store in the refrigerator and eat at room temperature.

          The pithy humorist Ogden Nash is supposed to have noted in the last century: “Parsley is scarcely within an inch of being spinach” as an insult to both greens. However, modern cooks are finding interesting ways to serve spinach in a variety of delectable dishes that provide solid nutritional value.

 (I. Winicov Harrington lives in coastal Maine and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day:” and “Uncharted Journey from Riga”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)