It's All About Nutrition!

Spinach Facts and Recipes

Spinach is a native plant of Persia and was introduced to China in the 7th century.

Spinach is a member of the goose-foot family and is closely related to beets and chard.

Spinach is of the highest quality when eaten fresh. It loses nutritional properties every day after picking. Refrigeration can slow the deterioration but even doing that does not prevent half of the major nutrients from being lost by the eighth day after harvest.

There are advantages to both cooking spinach and eating it raw. While cooking spinach reduces Vitamin C and folate levels, it boosts beta-carotein and lutein bioavailability at the same time. Lightly steaming spinach will help preserve nutrients. Best option is to maybe alternate both cooked and raw.

There are many different varieties of spinach, these are some of the main types:

Savoy (Dark green, crinkly and curly leaves. Commonly found in supermarkets.)

Flat/smooth leaf spinach (Most commonly used for canned and processed spinach products.)

Semi-savoy (Hybrid variety with slightly crinkled leaves. It has the same texture as savoy, but is esier to clean.)

Baby spinach leaves are soft and tender in texture and are flat, spade-shaped . Unlike mature spinach varieties that generally require blanching to mellow the bitter taste, baby spinach has a very clean and mild flavor. Unlike other spinach varieties baby spinach is not gritty or sandy and the stems do not need to be removed.

Spinach Recipes

Spinach And Pasta Salad Recipe

Ingredients
9 ounce package linguine
7 ounce package pesto with basil
5 cups shredded fresh spinach leaves
1 cup chopped fresh tomato
1 cup halved thinly sliced red onion
1/4 cup pine nuts toasted
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions
1.Cook linguine according to package directions then rinse and drain.
2.Combine pasta, spinach, tomato, onion and pine nuts in large bowl.
3.Combine pesto, lemon juice and salt in small bowl then add to pasta and toss well.
4.Serve immediately or refrigerate.

grouprecipes.com

Spinach and Cheese Recipe

Ingredients:
3 medium eggs, beaten.
20 oz of frozen chopped spinach.
4 oz of cheddar cheese, grated.
1 cup of cottage cheese.
¼ cup of butter, softened.
2 teaspoons of flour.
Salt and pepper.

Preparation Instructions:
Cook the spinach as directed on its packaging, then drain.
Mix the spinach, cottage cheese, cheddar, butter, eggs, flour, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix throughly.
Spoon into a greased baking dish and Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 50-60 minutes.

spinachrecipes.org

Spinach Dip Recipe

1 cup safflower mayonnaise
1 bunch freesh spinach, chopped
1 cup chopped green onion
1 cup plain non-fat yogurt
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2-3 drops Tabasco auce
ground pepper to taste
1 cup chopped fresh parsley

Put mayonnaise in a blender; add spinach and green onion.
Blend for 2-3 minutes.
Spoon into medium size bowl; fold in the yogurt and remaining ingredients, except parsley.
Chill
Just before serving, add parsley.

cooks.com

• how many varieties of spinach

Spinach Recipe

Chicken Florentine
Serves 4

Each serving equals 3/4 cup of fruit or vegetables
(source: Produce for Better Health Foundation).

Ingredients

4 cups firmly packed baby spinach leaves, washed with stems removed, or 1 (10 oz) package frozen, chopped spinach
1 tsp dried thyme leaves, crushed or 2 tsp fresh
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
½ cup finely chopped onion
1 Tbsp flour
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
4 grilled or roasted skinless chicken breasts, shredded or chopped
2 lemons, to yield 2 Tbsp grated lemon peel and 4 lemon wedges for garnish

Place spinach in a large skillet over medium heat. Cover and cook until fresh spinach is wilted or frozen spinach is heated through. Spinach should have a dark, rich green color. Do not overcook, or the spinach will change color. Remove spinach, and drain well.

In the same skillet, heat thyme with oil, garlic, and onion. Sauté until onion is transparent. Stir in flour until it disappears. Add broth and stir continuously until a thickened sauce is formed. Return chopped spinach to sauce and mix well. Heat and adjust seasonings, if desired.

Stir half the chicken into sauce. To serve, spoon equal amounts in four small casseroles. Top each with equal portions of remaining chicken and ½ Tbsp grated lemon peel. Place in preheated 300° F oven for 10 minutes. Serve piping hot with a lemon wedge.

Nutritional analysis per serving: Calories 220, Fat 7g, Saturated Fat 1.5g, Calories From Fat 29%, Carbohydrates 8g, Cholesterol 75mg, Fiber 3g, Sodium 150mg.