Tag Archives: spinach

Buttered Spinach

Posted in Main Courses, Vegetables by

Spinach is one of the most nutritious vegetables you can eat, especially if you have it raw or slightly wilted, maybe in a salad or made into a spinach pesto. But sometimes you just want to splurge with your vegetables and dress them up a little. That’s what this recipe does, thanks to a generous amount of butter and some seasoning. You could even consider this to be comfort food that you can (kind of, at least) feel good about eating.

You’ll need spinach leaves, butter, salt, and onion powder.

Put some water in a pot, maybe an inch and a half or so. Fill the pot with roughly chopped spinach leaves. Put over high heat and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer, pressing down the leaves and stirring them gently with a wooden spoon as you go, just until the leaves have fully boiled down. Turn off the heat. Keeping the spinach in the pot, drain the spinach over the sink by pressing out all the water with the spoon. Quickly put in a generous amount of butter, salt to taste, and a little bit of onion powder. Stir until the butter is melted, then serve.

Couscous with Spinach, Golden Raisins, and Pine Nuts

Posted in Main Courses, Pasta & Rice Dishes, Vegetables by

Here is another wonderfully easy and delicious dish, with bursts of sweet, crunchy, and savory. It would taste wonderful alongside seasoned sausages, chicken with a creamy sauce, or crispy baked fish — which is how we had it tonight, together with broccoli.

IMAG2259Serves 4

200g (7 oz.) fresh spinach
2 Tbsp. golden raisins (sultanas)
1/2 Tbsp. canola oil
2 Tbsp. pine nuts (pine kernels)
1/2 chicken stock cube
200g (7 oz.) couscous
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Wash the spinach and place it immediately in a large pot over high heat. Remove from heat when the spinach is just wilted. (The water from washing it is all you need to wilt the leaves.)

Separately, heat 1 1/2 cups water and stir in the golden raisins. Stir and leave for a few minutes.

Heat the canola oil in a pan and stir-fry the pine nuts for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until golden. Remove the pine nuts with a slotted spoon, then set aside.

Boil 1 cup of water and drop the bouillon cube in to dissolve. Place the couscous, raisins, and pine nuts in a bowl, stir in the stock, and add the olive oil and lemon juice. Stir well and cover, then leave for 10 to 15 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed.

While you are waiting, finely chop the wilted spinach. When the couscous is done, mix in the spinach and add salt and pepper, if you feel it needs it. Serve right away.

Three-Ingredient Tortellini Soup

Posted in Soups & Chilis by

Serves 4 (or 3 hungry people)

This recipe may be the easiest one I’ve yet posted. All you need are:
6 cups chicken broth
3/4 lbs. spinach and cheese tortellini, fresh or frozen
2 cups roughly chopped fresh spinach, loosely packed

Bring the chicken broth to a boil, then cook the tortellini according to package directions, Reduce the heat to medium and add the spinach. Cook another 1 or 2 minutes, then take off the heat and serve with black pepper and grated Parmesan cheese.

See? A wonderful easy meal.

Quinoa Avocado Salad with Spinach

Posted in Salads & Dressings by

This salad turned out so well and was so delicious that I could imagine it being served in a restaurant. It’s easy to make and full of healthy goodness.

3/4 cup uncooked white quinoa
1 1/2 cups water
Bag of fresh spinach leaves
2 plum tomatoes
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
2 ripe avocados

In a small saucepan, combine quinoa and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until water is absorbed. Place quinoa in a medium bowl and place in refrigerator to cool.

Take a handful or two of spinach and shred it until you have about 1/2 cup. Finely chop the tomatoes and place with the spinach in a small bowl. Add the feta and mix.

In another small bowl, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and whisk with a fork. Peel, halve, and pit the avocados, then slice them and set aside.

Prepare the plates by laying down a bed of spinach, then arrange the avocado slices in a sunshine pattern. Take the quinoa out of the refrigerator and add the spinach-tomato-feta mixture. Whisk the lemon juice and olive oil mixture once more and add to the quinoa, then divide quinoa mixture evenly among the plates.

Makes 4 servings. Keeps well for a next-day lunch.