What can I do with Spinach?

[JennyPenny23]

I have stacks of spinach growing in my garden. I have never used it to cook with before (and don't like it raw) but would love to make the most of it and get the kids eating it.

I am not the best cook in the world but will give things a try if they arn't too fancy! I have 2 fussy toddlers so nothing too "interesting" lol.

Any ideas?

Put it in a tiny bit of water in a saucepan with the lid on and cook until soft (not very long, length depends on degree of softness required). Pour olive oil and squeeze lemon juice over it, salt and pepper if wish.

Make spanokopitta with frozen filo pastry (you can make little samosa like triangles which kids like).

Spinach and nutmeg soup. V nice and blended so no "eurgh" complaints.

Add to vegetable soups (unblended).

Fry onions, garlic, courgette, pepper, tofu (or meat), add spinach at end and allow to wilt, add to pasta mixed with pesto.

Thus endeth my spinach repetoire.

I always add it to the veg: about 2 mins before it's done.

or stir it through pasta.

ooh, and i put it on my home-made pizzas, above the tomato puree but below the cheese.
(not cooked, justlayer the leaves on)

you can use it in salads, raw, just as it is.

spinach is great!

wilt and mix with left over mash and some flour so mixture holds together. Get your little ones to roll in to ball ish shapes. Drop in boiling water...might be best if you do that bit...hehe! In about thirty secs they float to top and this means they are ready. Chuck any pasta sauce/butter and cheese on them. Spinach gnocci, yum.

sorry, should have said squeeze any moisture out of the spinach before you add to spuds!
Think you can make a sort of pesto out of it too but haven't tried this...

make a fruit smoothie, and add a handful. You will hardly taste it, so great for the kids to eat it without knowing!

Also add it to pasta, mix some tomato pesto into it, or a home made tomato sauce.

chop and add to mash, cover and steam for about 5 mins to wilt.

make aloo gobi with it (potatoes and spinach curry, thats the right one yes?) and serve as main or as side dish for a curry

Make cream of spinach soup

Saag paneer. Awesome cheese and spinach curry. You can buy Paneer in Sainsburys

I love it just cooked for a few minutes in a pan with a bi of lemon juice, salt & pepper and knob of butter. Or make a pasta bake with pasta, ragu-type jar of sauce, feta &/or ricotta, and spinach (no need to cook it first just mix in before baking).

Spinach raspberry salad w/ thinly sliced red onion, add to pasta, use for spanakopita, great in a quiche w/ onion/cheese/ham, use on pizza....also v. easy to chop up and hide in spaghetti or other sauces, adds lots of nutrients.

My DH loves it so much that we use it instead of several lettuce varieties - he even puts it on his burgers! DS likes it chopped in scrambled eggs.

If you have a glut, you can wilt it in butter or olive oil in batches & freeze it.

Pavlov, sorry but am a pedant- think gobi is cauli. Spinach is saag or palak. Any curry is nice with a load of spinach thrown in. Make a veg curry then about 5 mins before serving, stir a load of spinach in. Crack eggs into the curry to poach, cook for a couple ofmins then serve. Yum.

Also lovely in stir fries/ thai food. I love spinach, me.

i just boil it slightly then eat it like that, it's loverly, son likes it like that too

I put it in my lentil and bacon stew (stir in at the last minute). Also works in chorizo and chick pea or sausage and bean stew.

Also, stir into any cheesy/creamy sauces for pasta.

Main thing is not to overcook it - it should be just wilted and a clean looking green, not that blackish green it goes when overdone.

how are you at making pancakes? spinach goes well in them with any kind of cheese (I like goat or blue)

Me and DS1 had scrambled eggs with spinach for lunch - tis lovely!

Wilt the spinach, mix it with a tin of tomatoes, a tub of soft cheese, some nutmeg, salt, pepper and garlic and use it to make either lasagna or canneloni.

MAke spinach quiche. Fry an onion until soft, add chopped spinach until wilted. Remove from heat, stir in 2 chopped tomatoes and a small tub of natural cottage cheese. Mix well, beat in 2 eggs and season. Pour into a pastry case and bake for about 30-40 minutes until set and browned.

Spinach omelette: fry a chopped onion until soft with some garlic, add chopped spinach and wilt. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Pour over 6 beaten eggs. Cook gently until almost set then scatter a little grated cheese on top and brown under the grill. Serve in wedges with tomato and onion salad and crusty bread.

Spinach and butter bean soup.: fry 1 chopped onion and 1 chopped leek in a little oil and butter until soft with some garlic. Add a bunch of spinach, chopped and wilt. Add 2 pints veg stock and some nutmeg. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Add a large tin of butter beans and simmer another 10 minutes. Blend and stir through a little cream.

Creamed spinach. Wilt chopped spinach then mix into a savoury white sauce flavoured with onion and nutmeg.

Bubble and squeak.
Bombay potatoes with potatoes, onions, tomatoes and curry spices.
Mermaid soup: veg stock, chopped spinach, noodles, fishy shapes toast to float on top.
Use it in salad.
Mix with strawberries, red onion, tomatoes and pine nuts with a raspberry vinaigrette.

baked chicken with rice and spinach: chop spinach and an onion and mix with 1 cup rice. Add 2 cups of hot chicken stock and put in a casserole dish. Season with nutmeg and black pepper. Lay 4 chicken legs on the top and put the lid on. Bake until the chicken is cooked and the rice has absorbed all the liquid and is tender.

Make a creamy pasta sauce by frying an onion and some garlic in butter until soft. Add 2 chopped tomatoes and cook until saucy. Stir in a bunch of chopped spinach and cook until wilted. Stir in 5 or 6 tablespoons flour and some nutmeg, salt and pepper. Gradually stir in a pint of milk. Bring to the boil, stirring and simmer until thickened. Add double cream until you have the consistency you want.

Make savoury muffins using spinach and sundried tomatoes.

THere are tons of things that you can do with spinach, really. I grow it every year, along with chard and turnip and mustard greens. They are all pretty much interchangeable in all the recipes. They just need slightly different cooking times etc.