A step by step recipe on how to cook fresh spinach for a side dish. Spinach: recipes for cooking simple dishes with spinach with photos

Spinach is called the king of vegetables - because of its usefulness and ability to enrich even the most flavors.

Both frozen and fresh herbs look great in tarte fillings, ravioli, and the creamy sauce is just the perfect addition to traditional pasta.

So, today on our table is frozen spinach and a recipe for stewed greens with cream with step by step photos.

And immediately good news: I just love the easy, nutritious meals that you can build from everything that is in the refrigerator.

Our pasta in a creamy spinach sauce will be just that.

Frozen spinach - recipe for a side dish

Let's start with the ingredients:

1. 1 package frozen spinach (400 g)
2. 3 small onions
3. 200 g cream of any fat content
4. 30 g butter
5. 250 g pasta (enough for a full meal for three people)
6. Salt, pepper, nutmeg to taste

Step 1:

Spinach is not specifically defrosted. Just put it on a plate and do other components.

Step 2:

Melt the butter in a frying pan. Chop the onion in half rings and fry until golden.

Step 3:

We also send pieces of spinach there. Cover with a lid and simmer for 10 minutes.

Step 4:

Pour in the cream in a thin stream. Let's simmer a little.

Salt, pepper, add spices. I chose nutmeg, but basil, dill, fennel, parsley and citrus zest go great with spinach greens.

As an additional dressing, to make the taste more sour, you can use a couple of tablespoons of lime or lemon juice.

Step 5:

After another five minutes, turn off the finished dish. This is how cooked spinach in a creamy sauce looks like:

Step 6:

Now it remains to put the pasta on a plate and decorate the dish beautifully, because food should bring ecstasy not only to our taste buds, but also to bring up aesthetic beauty.

If desired, you can diversify the serving of soft cream cheese with balls - it will give a few more flavors.

Tip: If you don't want the pasta to deposit on the sides, choose only a product made from durum wheat. This pasta is cooked for ten or more minutes. The bigger, the better.

Enjoy your meal! And traditionally a few words about why spinach is so cool and why it needs to be eaten in large quantities at any time of the year.

5+ health benefits of spinach

1. It has four times the recommended amount of vitamin K (and you will also find vitamins A and C, calcium, iron, beta-carotene, the list goes on and on)
2. For the ability to cleanse the body and have a good effect on the work of the digestive tract, the French called him a "broom for the stomach"
3. Imagine, despite 20 calories per 100 grams, it is nutritious, stimulates satiety and fights cholesterol.
4. Prevents the formation of cancer cells
5. Most greens are grown in China, and in the USA they even make cartoons about him and erect monuments - the pirate Popeye, having eaten spinach, literally acquired heroic strength
6. 90% water and ideal for vitamin vegetable smoothies
7. Persia is considered the birthplace of the vegetable (from Persian the word "spinach" literally translates as "green hand")

Frozen spinach - 5+ recipes with photos

pkhali

Those who have been to Georgia know that pkhali, light with spices, is prepared there literally from everything.

Cabbage, eggplant, nettle, grape leaves, broccoli, are used.

Thanks to proper processing, almost all useful substances are preserved in the dish, and a small list of ingredients makes it also cheap.

You can put on pkhali and frozen spinach.

For the recipe, we take:

1. 500 g frozen vegetable
2. 50 g walnuts
3. 2 garlic cloves
4. Half a teaspoon of wine vinegar
5. Dry adjika on the tip of a knife
6. Two stalks of green onions
7. Half a bunch of basil, dill and cilantro
8. A piece of chili pepper for spicy lovers

Cook spinach for five minutes in salted water, discard in a colander, let drain and squeeze.

Finely chop greens and garlic.

Grind walnuts in a blender or crush with a rolling pin.

We combine the ingredients in a deep bowl, season with adjika and vinegar, salt.

Tip: By the way, in ancient times, spinach juice was used as ink. So any dish you add it to will automatically acquire a green tint.

French tart with cheese and spinach

We use many products in our diet every day: these are meat, fish, bread, water, fruits and vegetables that are familiar to everyone. Many people cannot imagine their diet without potatoes, cabbage, beets, carrots and legumes, and in the summer season without cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes. But there are some vegetables that we know very little about and very rarely or do not include in our diet at all. I'm talking about spinach.

These green leaves are very useful and, due to their neutral taste, they can be added to almost any dish: to meat and fish - spinach will give them softness and a delicate flavor, as a filling in strudel, pancakes and pies, in soups - they are quick to prepare. , satisfying and useful.

Spinach stewed in cream with leeks

Kitchenware: stove, cutting board and knife, frying pan and wooden spatula, portioned plates - 2 pcs.

Ingredients

Choosing the Right Ingredients

• Spinach must be fresh.
  Important! Few people know that if you store spinach for more than 48 hours not in the refrigerator, then toxic compounds are formed in its leaves and it is no longer possible to use it raw or in ready-made dishes - this is fraught with poisoning. Ready-made spinach dishes are also not stored for a long time, it is better to eat them immediately after cooking. So what should you pay attention to when choosing spinach?
• Notice the color of the leaves. They should be a rich green color, a bright color indicates that you have a fresh product in front of you. 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 from pests, such spinach cannot be taken. Withered or wrinkled greens are also not worth buying.
• Fresh spinach smells good, but if you don’t smell it at all or feel unpleasant, then most likely such greens have been lying for several days, and you should not take it. If you hear a slight crunch when pressing the edge of the leaf, then the product is fresh and was plucked 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. Overripe greens do not need to be taken, it contains a lot of bitterness.

Step by step cooking

Training

• Sort 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 will not need it), and cut the white part into thin half rings.
• Peel 2 cloves of garlic and finely chop or run through a garlic press.

Cooking garnish

Recipe video

Cooking a delicious and healthy side dish in just 20 minutes is real. Watch the video and get ready.

How to serve and with what

This easy-to-make dish pairs well with whole boiled and mashed potatoes, rice and pasta, meats and poultry. It can be served with buckwheat, see how tasty 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 to serve with bacon. This dish can be used as a filling for pancakes.

Fried spinach with egg

Time for preparing: 30 minutes.
Servings: 2.
The calorie content is: 95.9 kcal per 100 g
Kitchenware: large saucepan, slotted spoon, colander, knife, cutting board, frying pan and spatula, plates (2 pcs.) for serving the finished dish.

Ingredients

Cooking sequence

1. Sort and wash 600 g of spinach leaves.
2. Blanch them in a large pot of boiling water, about 3-5 minutes.
   
   
3. Remove with a slotted spoon into a colander and let the water drain, you can squeeze it out a little.
   
   
4. Peel the onion and cut it into small cubes.
   
   
5. Fry the onion in a pan in vegetable oil until golden brown.
   
   
6. Add spinach to the fried onions and sauté for 1-2 minutes.
   
   
7. Crack 2 eggs into the skillet.
   
   
8. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir the whole dish and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
   
   
9. Serve with a slice of tomato and bread.

Recipe video

This recipe belongs to Armenian cuisine. Its preparation will not take much time, but the benefits of this dish will be huge, especially for people who lead an active lifestyle. If you want to feed your household with a delicious, vitamin breakfast, watch the video of cooking fried spinach with an egg.

Spinach with Greek rice

Servings: 4
Time for preparing: 50-60 minutes.
Kitchenware: wooden cutting board, knife, grater, deep frying pan, wooden spatula, bowl and serving plates.

Ingredients

Step by step cooking

1. Peel the onion and cut into small cubes.
2. A bunch of fresh herbs: Rinse thyme or green onion, dry and finely chop.
3. Peel 2 garlic cloves and cut into slices.
4. Put a large and deep frying pan on the fire, and when it heats up, add 80 ml of vegetable oil.
   
   
5. Fry chopped onion in oil.
   
   
6. Add chopped herbs (3 tablespoons) and garlic and fry for 1-2 minutes.
   
   
7. Add 250 g of washed rice to the pan and mix well with a wooden spatula to coat the rice with oil.
   
   
8. Pour 100 ml of dry wine into the rice and, stirring, wait 1-2 minutes until all the alcohol has evaporated.
   
   
9. When there is no liquid left in the pan (there will be one oil), pour 1 liter of clean water over the rice and, if desired, add a bouillon cube.
   
   
10. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 15-20 minutes.
    
    
11. While the rice is cooking, sort the spinach, wash and dry it. Place in a dry bowl and season with salt, stir to release the juice.
    
    
12. When the rice is almost done, lightly squeeze the spinach and add it to the rice.
    
    
13. After boiling, cook for about 5 more minutes.
14. Wash the lemon well, grate the zest from it and squeeze the juice. Add juice and zest to the pan. Salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with chopped fresh dill if desired.
    
    
15. Serve in portions: on a plate with a slice of white bread, feta cheese and a glass of dry white wine. In Greece, where this dish comes from, it is considered the main dish, but it can also be served as a side dish.
    
    

Recipe video

Want to cook a delicious, hearty and inexpensive Greek dish? Then watch the video, cook and enjoy.

• Spinach leaves contain a lot of water, so if you want to sauté 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 fresh, so when preparing dishes from it, especially the first ones, sorrel is added to it.
• The juice and zest of a lemon or lemon dressing, which is prepared as follows, is excellent for spinach dishes: add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and mix.
• Side dishes of spinach, and vegetables in general, go well with all types of meat. I recommend learning how to cook, it will complement the taste of meat, emphasize the degree of its roasting and help rapid absorption. Another very tasty and satisfying side dish is beans, I advise you to see how to cook deliciously and pamper your loved ones.

Spinach and side dishes from it must 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 fast to cook. Have you cooked spinach according to my recipes yet? Write down what worked for you and what didn't.

Spinach has long been one of the most popular vegetables in America and Europe. But in Russia, for some reason, they are rather skeptical about him. Spinach really does not have a particularly bright taste, and it cannot be stored for a long time. But on the other hand, the benefits that bring to our bodyspinach dishes, is colossal. Healthy nutrition experts have recognized spinach as the most useful vegetable product produced in Russia. And therefore, it must be introduced into the family diet, especially if there are children in the family.

spinach properties

Let's start with the rich composition of this green vegetable. Spinach contains a lot of vegetable protein. It also contains carbohydrates, fiber, organic, saturated, unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins A, B, C, E, H, K, PP, beta-carotene, calcium, copper, zinc, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, magnesium and other useful items. It is very important that vitamins A and C, which are abundant in spinach, are preserved during heat treatment. And this means that everythingSpinach dishes are healthy. In addition, spinach, which in itself stimulates the pancreas and salivary glands, is perfectly absorbed by the body. So, it must certainly be eaten by young children and pregnant women who need vitamins and minerals the most.

This vegetable not only supplies our body with useful substances, but also actively removes it from it, normalizing intestinal activity, improving metabolism and increasing vitality. The iron contained in spinach activates the production and supply of cells with oxygen, preventing and additionally strengthening blood vessels. And the iodine present in spinach has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the thyroid gland.

• anemia
• hypertension
• diseases of the nervous system
• diabetes
• exhaustion
• gastritis
• enterocolitis
• constipation
• tumors and radiation sickness
• constant stress
• diseases of the teeth and gums
• poor eyesight and severe eye fatigue when working at a computer
• asthma
• dry cough

raw spinach in the form of a paste is used to treat burns, and fresh leaves are applied to the site of an insect bite to reduce inflammation and swelling. In addition, having a laxative, diuretic and tonic effect, spinach promotes weight loss, while normalizing carbohydrate metabolism and reducing the calorie content of meals. Spinach juice is very useful for our body. It can be drunk on an empty stomach to stimulate the work of all organs and systems (especially the liver and kidneys), as well as in the evening to remove it. It is especially valuable for children who are actively growing and developing.

Spinach Recipes

Spinach can be eaten fresh, boiled, baked, as a salad, appetizer, dip, or pie filling. Combining this vegetable with meat and fish, we improve the absorption of proteins in our body. Therefore, spinach is a great side dish. But many people like to eat spinach as a meal on its own.

Before use, fresh spinach is stewed a little in boiling water or in a frying pan with butter until the leaves become soft. BUT frozen spin a thawed and squeezed, or added directly cold during the preparation of soup or mashed potatoes.

spinach salad

Spinach salads are very light and tasty. It's completely easy to cook them. Spinach leaves should be thoroughly washed, dried and finely chopped. And then we connect the fantasy. For example, you can make a spinach and tomato salad. To do this, you will need 200 g of fresh spinach, 2-3 sliced ​​tomatoes, 2 sliced ​​boiled eggs, 3-4 tbsp. spoons of sour cream, lemon juice, pepper and salt to taste.

If you want something sweeter, take 200g spinach, 200g lettuce, 2 diced boiled eggs, 100g canned corn and 100g canned pineapple. To make a sweet sauce, take some pineapple juice, add some cornstarch diluted in water, and cook over low heat until it thickens. The sauce is then cooled and added to the salad. It turns out a very interesting dish that many girls like.

Spinach puree

And men will surely like this recipe, as they serve mashed spinach with meat or fish. To prepare it, you need to take: 2 cups poached spinach (you can also take frozen), 2/3 cup cream or milk, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of flour, 2 tbsp. tablespoons of butter, a little nutmeg, pepper and salt.

We heat the butter in a frying pan, add a spoonful of flour, a little nutmeg and cook for 1-2 minutes over low heat, stirring constantly. Then add the cream and cook the sauce for a few more minutes until it thickens. As soon as the sauce acquires the desired consistency, add spinach to it, salt, pepper, mix and heat for a few more minutes. Puree is ready. If desired, you can add grated cheese or paprika to it.

spinach soup

Spinach soups can be different. For example, it can be a regular green soup, similar to cabbage soup, which is cooked in meat broth with the addition of potatoes, onions, rice and boiled eggs. You can also make a puree soup by grinding stewed spinach, boiled potatoes, onions and spices in a blender with the addition of broth. If you add cream, you get cream soup. Spinach soup is not difficult to make. Delicate bright leaves add flavor and color to any dish. Therefore, almost all the experiments of the hostesses end successfully.

Spinach pie

Spinach pies are prepared on the basis of puff, yeast and shortcrust pastry. Before adding to the pie, spinach leaves are poached, and also mixed with butter, spices, onions, garlic, grated cheese, sour cream and other ingredients to taste. Spinach pies are very juicy and not too high in calories. Be sure to try cooking something with spinach, and this green vegetable will become a regular guest on your table.

Spinach is an extremely popular salad vegetable. Its tender, crunchy, dark green leaves are one of the favorite ingredients of chefs all over the planet. Spinach is a highly nutritious food that is low in calories but very high in vitamins. So what to cook with spinach? What is its use? Who can he harm?

What are the benefits of spinach?

Spinach is an excellent source of antioxidants, folic acid, magnesium and bone-strengthening vitamin K. One hundred grams of boiled or stewed leaves contain the daily requirement of vitamin K. Spinach leaves are a high-fiber food and an excellent source of vitamin C. It contains twice as much fiber as any other green. Like any dark green vegetable, spinach is an excellent source of beta-carotene. It is also a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids. Regular consumption of it helps prevent osteoporosis (weak bones). In addition, it is believed that spinach will protect the body from cardiovascular disease, colon and prostate cancer.

Who can be harmed by spinach?

Spinach is not recommended for people with certain diseases. People who have problems with joints, kidneys, gallbladder should be careful. Spinach contains oxalic acid, which can crystallize in the joints, bile and urinary tracts of some people. Spinach is not recommended for people with thyroid dysfunction. Many may experience an allergic reaction to it.

Studies have shown that its regular use can slow down age-related changes in brain function. Spinach contains carotenoids that will protect your eyes from age-related cataracts.

Spinach can be eaten fresh, boiled or stewed. Fresh leaves should be a bright dark green color. Do not eat yellowed or withered.

Spinach is a great addition to any salad. But from it you can cook separate dishes. Usually, before use, it is boiled in salted water or stewed in a pan with a small amount of water.

The volume of spinach leaves decreases significantly during the cooking process.

How to Cook Spinach in the Microwave

This is generally a great cooking method, because it retains the nutritional value of the vegetable, and takes little time and effort. In this case, you can not add water. Simply place the spinach leaves in a cup, leave it in the microwave for 3-5 minutes. Stir them two or three times during this time.

Chopped boiled or steamed spinach leaves are a great addition to soufflés or omelettes. It is often used as a filler for stuffing everything from pasta and vermicelli to chicken breasts.

Stewing spinach leaves in butter or olive oil will give a different taste to the dishes in which they are added.

How to keep the vibrant green color of spinach leaves?

Blanch it: Place the leaves in a colander and lower it into a pot of boiling salted water. Repeat this 5-6 times within 1-2 minutes. Then soak the leaves in cold water. Blanched leaves will shrink in volume but remain bright green.

If you are not going to cook anything from spinach yet, then dry the leaves with a paper towel, put them in a bag or plastic container, put them in the refrigerator. The leaves processed in this way will perfectly retain their nutritional properties for 3-5 days.

Spinach leaves can be used in salads. Fresh or boiled, they go well with mushrooms, eggs, onions, garlic. Spinach is very tasty with sour cream, mayonnaise, natural yogurt, grated cheese, especially with Parmesan. Dishes with it are often seasoned with grated nutmeg, mint, cumin, ground pepper, pine nuts - this only enriches its taste.

Finely chopped spinach to a paste-like state is added to cocktails, juices - this gives them a cheerful bright green color.

It should be washed very carefully, as sand, earth have the ability to linger in the folds or bulges of the leaves. Even the spinach that you buy packaged in supermarkets needs to be at least rinsed under running water. Do not leave it in water for a long time, as this will lead to a loss of nutrients. Spinach frozen in briquettes, of course, is not washed. But after defrosting, excess moisture should be squeezed out.

The leaves of some spinach varieties have rather thick petioles that should be removed before cooking any dish.

Previously, I did not like spinach at all and endured it exclusively in Georgian pkhali, where the specific taste of spinach is clogged with garlic, cilantro and aromatic spices.

Once in Tbilisi I was invited to visit. While the young owner, a passionate fan of cooking, was spinning and conjuring in the kitchen, my friends and I walked along the long balcony, contemplated the panoramas of the city and chatted about this and that.

In half an hour, appetizers, salads and a huge dish of stewed spinach appeared on the table, as if on a tablecloth. I used to grimaced to myself, but followed my indisputable rule - when you are on a journey, always try everything that smells of you.

And yes, that spinach turned out to be special and very tasty. The owner of the house asked me to guess the recipe. Onions, garlic, a few drops of lemon juice and… cloves. Which, by the way, I don't particularly complain about either. Cloves "merged" with the rest of the ingredients and linked them into a very delicate, slightly spicy and incredibly harmonious taste. Since that evening, spinach has been on my list of favorite foods.

Since then, I have seen many recipes for this stewed greens. Basically, it is “seasoned” with nutmeg, but I have never seen cloves in this dish. Therefore, this Georgian recipe is special.

Friends! On November 27, I'm giving a master class on vegetable cuisine with raw chocolatier Zhanna Fadeeva. I invite you to spend a cozy, interesting and tasty evening or give friends or relatives a nice gift) The menu is amazing, only from whole, unrefined plant products. And you will find pleasant surprises and a bonus!

What will we cook:
1) Fragrant mushroom cream soup with coconut milk, thyme and croutons with garlic and herbs.
2) Real, tender Italian risotto from baked pumpkin with baby spinach and "cheese" crumbs. This is my favorite dish, I will tell you a lot of interesting things)
3) Universal chocolate cupcakes with raisins and cocoa nibs. This block is led by Zhanna, she will tell you how easy it is to change the taste of this dessert using various toppings and toppings.

The cost of participation in the master class is 4400 rubles.
Come with friends and family! When ordering from 2 tickets, the cost of participation is 3900 rubles.

The rest of the details and ordering a place at the master class are at this link.

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 400 gr fresh spinach
• 1 bulb
• 2 garlic cloves
• cloves - 5 pcs
• juice of 1/4 lemon
• salt to taste
• 1 st. l. unflavored refined vegetable oil for frying

Cooking time: 20 minutes

• 5-10 minutes to prepare
• 15 minutes to prepare

Approximate calories per serving:

• 100 kcal

Recipe:

My spinach and cut off (or tear off) the roots - everything else goes to the dish.

Culinary hack. Sometimes spinach is very dirty, so I advise you to wash it in a bowl. When there is no earth left at the bottom, it means that it is clean.

Pour the oil into a frying pan and put it on the stove to heat up. The fire should be medium (6 division out of 12 on my stove).

Wash the onion and garlic and cut them into large cubes.

Put the onion in the pan and fry it for 4 minutes.

Add the garlic and cloves and fry them with the onion, stirring occasionally, until they give off a flavor. This usually happens within 1 minute.

Now add spinach. If it looks like it's about to fall out of the pan, that's fine. Spinach loses its volume very quickly.

Simmer the spinach for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. When it looks like this