Spinach

[CiaoForNiao]

I've recently been diagnosed as low in folic acid (among other things). I've heard that spinach is a good source of this, which is handy as I've got a big bag of frozen spinach that I bought before in a fit of "I'm going to eat healthier" and then never used because I don't actually know what to do with it. Can I just stir a couple of frozen balls into say bolognese? Or curry? Can I mix it into some mash?
Or are there any amazing recipes I should be making? (I'm also low carb)

Thanks.

Spanakopita. Eat the filling and leave the phyllo dough to one side.

Malfatti - www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/malfatti

Is it frozen leaf spinach (comes in little square blocks) or the other sort? Regardless, I would thaw it (fridge/microwave) first, and drain as much as possible before using, so it's not too wet. Then use tons of it in any recipe requiring spinach ... or just sauté with butter, garlic and black pepper as a side dish. Delicious.

This week I've added it to curry, a potato taco filling and a pasta bake. I have the chopped version of frozen spinach and to be honest, you can't really taste it, it just adds some extra veg. I do like whole leaf spinach but DH isn't a fan. I don't think it would work in mash without being defrosted first but anything hot with a sauce would defrost it for you.

Steakhouse style spinach gratin www.olivemagazine.com/recipes/vegetarian/steakhouse-style-spinach-gratin/ served with steamed or pan fried fish

Thanks everyone.

@RedRosie I'm not sure. I'll have a look when I dig it out of the freezer.
@MilduraS I would defrost it before putting it in mash. Probably should have made that clear

Luckily everyone in my house (even super fussy DS1) eats spinach so that makes it easier.

Creamed spinach is amazing as is spinach and paneer curry.

I add it to banana smoothies because you can't taste it.
I also mix it with cabbage so the kids don't click on that they're eating it.

I love spinach. It goes tremendously well with nutmeg and lemon juice. Makes a lovely smooth soup with leeks sauted in butter, then add vegetable or chicken stock, spinach and diced potatoes, cook till all veg is soft, then blend till smooth. Season with grated nutmeg and plenty of pepper, and check it's got enough salt. Squeeze in some lemon juice just before serving. Would be perfectly fine to make this without potatoes. You could use cauliflower instead for a bit of extra body, but spinach and leeks alone would make a good soup as long as you don't add too much stock.

We love this curry
under500calories.com/recipe/b962a-coconut-prawn-curry-recipe-hairy-dieters

Throw some into a smoothie. Blueberry and spinach is the best.

A lot of pasta dishes don't have much veg, so I often stir some in towards the end of cooking, or add it to a pasta bake.

This is a delicious spinach curry recipe and very simple

www.glutenfreealchemist.com/saag-paneer-recipe-indian-spinach-cheese-curry/

I make a filling for pancakes (you can use ready made for speed) which is red onion and mushrooms fried together, when done wilt in some spinach. Spread over pancake, sprinkle on crumbled feta. Then either pile pancakes into a stack and cut into wedges or roll them up and eat individually.

Frozen whole leaf spinach is nicer than the chopped stuff - seems to have more flavour and you don't lose as much of it when squeezing out the water. I sometimes mix it with some creme fraiche, bit of nutmeg and some salt and pepper as well as chucking it into lots of other things.

I quick cook 70g in the microwave and add it to my daily nutriblast ( frozen spinach needs to be cooked before eaten), 140g of frozen fruit. half always berries. Wild blueberries are great for this, if you can get them. You can also get frozen organic peach and mango pieces at Ocado. I add some kefir and linwoods flax mix, top up with water and blitz.

I buy both, the chopped is good chucked into dishes where its more of an add in to get extra veg, also good for egg dishes such as omelette or frittata or pancakes.
The whole leaf is for when I'm making an actual spinach dish.

How do you guys get the water out of frozen spinach ?

I usually thaw it, can be left on side or soak in water or in microwave. I tend to sauté it to get the moisture out of it before I do anything, but that’s just me. I usually add any seasoning I fancy.

Favourite spinach recipes, all easy

Scrambled eggs, add sautéed spinach with any other veg of choice, sprinkle with feta. I could eat this daily.

Pasta, add some bacon, again any other veg and sautéed spinach and pine nuts. Quick easy meal.

Cannelloni, mix defrosted spinach, sautéed or not, with ricotta or cottage cheese, any other veg, I like mushrooms & courgette chopped very small, seasoning, basil, oregano etc… mix and fill cannelloni shells, cover with tinned tomatoes/pasta sauce what ever you prefer & sprinkle cheese on top before baking.

Buy ready made puff pasty or flaky, cut unto squares, mix sautéed spinach, feta & roast pumpkin together with seasoning, nutmeg is very good with pumpkin and spinach. Spoon into centre of pastry, seal, sprinkle seasame seeds or poppy seeds on top and bake, you got yummy pasties

It’s also good just as a side like any other veg, nice with eggs Benedict or mixed in stews, curries, casseroles.

Peas are also a good source of folic acid I believe

Add it to curries, soups, stews and casseroles.

Add it to omelettes, quiches or side dishes.

One of my favourite easy/cheap dinners is chorizo, spinach and butter bean stew. Extra nice if you’ve got crusty bread on the side.

Have it steamed with loads of butter and plenty of salt and pepper.

Chicken florentine! It’s basically chicken breasts, seared to seal, baked in a cheese and spinach sauce (as in basic cheese roux sauce and spinach). It’s amazing!

Poached eggs florentine is a delicious lunch or light dinner, serve on toasted muffins if you’re hungry, or just with bread & butter fingers to dip in the egg,

Grate some nutmeg over the spinach just before serving to intensify the flavour.

Fish, especially salmon, goes well with spinach, and for a quick sauce for fish, blitz baby leaf spinach with plain yoghurt and a little lemon juice, it’s a variation on the classic watercress sauce.

Spinach goes well with pasta too, add spinach leaves to pasta primavera, lovely!

Loads of great recipes here but yes, you can just add a handful of frozen lumps to your spag Bol / curry / casserole of any type, and they’ll warm through and be all nice and spinachy in no time. It’s particularly good with curry. And I like defrosting it in the microwave, squeezing out the water, and putting under poached eggs.

Make your own pesto. Add 3 big handfuls to some basil, olive oil, parsley, sunflower seeds, pine nuts, chopped garlic , chopped onion and lemon. Blend. Delish and no cooking. We eat it with pasta and chicken.

Ooo thanks again. Some of these sound lovely. Especially the chicken Florentine. I'm trying to avoid pasta and bread (low carbing) but can replace them with something else. And of course have them occasionally.

@AliceMcK peas you say? Fab! They are my go to veg. Mainly because they are so cheap!