Tasty. Easy. Healthy.

If you are in a generation younger than me you probably don’t even know who Popeye is. He was a cartoon hero who went from a weakling underdog to a buffed hero by devouring a can of spinach. While I am not going to advise you to eat canned spinach, nor promise that you will have guns of steel from adding more of this leafy green to your diet, I am going to recommend you enjoy it at least one to two times a week.

Spinach is such a nutrient-dense food that it is a shame to not be enjoying it. The amount of Vitamins K and C are almost double the daily recommendation in just one cup of cooked spinach! It is also packed with iron, fiber and antioxidants.

An easy way to enjoy spinach is using the baby organic leaves alone or tossed in to a salad.

A simple recipe using spinach:

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon soy
1 teaspoon honey
4 cups baby spinach
½ cucumber peeled, cut in half lengthwise then into ¼  inch  thick slices
¼  avocado cut into ½ inch cubes
½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons sesame seeds (optional)
Pinch Celtic salt

Directions:
Stir soy, vinegar and honey together in a large bowl. Toss in spinach, cucumbers and avocado. If using, finish with sesame seeds. Check taste for salt.

If you choose to cook spinach for even just one minute you actually are able to absorb a higher level of iron. Also, you will tend to consume more-when spinach is cooked it wilts down allowing you to eat more. One cup cooked is about the equivalent of 3-4 cups of raw spinach.

For quick cooked spinach, bring a pot of water to a boil and add at least 4 cups of cleaned baby spinach. After one minute, remove the spinach and either rinse with cool water and use for a chilled salad or serve immediately.

If you are going to chill the spinach, you can dress it with a splash of rice wine vinegar, a few drops of toasted sesame seed oil and a pinch of salt for a nice Asian flavor.

You can squeeze fresh Meyer lemon (or regular lemon) onto the warm spinach and drizzle lightly with extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt to enjoy with chicken or fish. You can plate the spinach and serve your chicken or fish on the bed of the spinach for a delicious, nutritious and healthy dinner.

Until next time, stay fresh and delicious!

~ Chef Domenica