Frugal Veggies: Spinach

If you look at the latest diet fads, there is very little agreement about best way to eat.  Some say low carb, others say low fat, some no wheat, others no meat. However, most general dietary recommendations agree that consuming more fruits and vegetables would be good for most people.  In addition, the benefits of leafy greens are particularly touted, with high nutritonal benefit to calorie ratios.  Among leafy greens, spinach is the easiest and often most accessible to prepare, and frozen spinach is a good low cost way to have some spinach year round. I like to have both fresh baby spinach and frozen spinach available.   I use the frozen in cooked dishes, such as the spinach and artichoke frittata, scrambled tofu,  or spinach dip when texture doesn’t matter as much, and I like the pre-washed large bags of fresh baby spinach for the convenience and use it in a range of salads, smoothies and cooked dishes.

Although I like salads, I’ve found that it’s hard to eat a lot more vegetables if you’re only eating salad.  My vegetable consumption has increased dramatically by finding ways that didn’t require so much extensive chewing.  For spinach, there are two great alternatives to raw salads: smoothies and cooked spinach.  If you’ve not tried green smoothies, you should try one and not let the bright green color shock you.  To me, the green smoothie tastes like a fruit shake. It’s a great breakfast on the run, and you can add a scoop of protein powder for a full meal.  For the simple sauteed spinach, the key is not to overcook the leaves so that they stay bright green and aren’t mushy.  The addition of shredded cabbage is optional, but adds a great contrast texture.  I sometimes add a can of drained chickpeas to the pan before adding the spinach for the wonderful, healthy combination of beans and greens.

Fruity Green Smoothie
makes 1 large or 2 small smoothies

1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup orange juice
3 handfuls of baby spinach (or 3/4 cup of frozen)
1 cup frozen fruit (I like strawberries and mangoes)
1/2 avocado
1/2 ripe banana (optional, I don’t like bananas in this)
about 1/2 cup water or ice cubes

Place the ingredients in a blender or vita-mix in order shown (heavy fruits help to pack down the spinach leaves). Add enough water so the blender blades can move smoothly.  Pulse a few times to break up the larger chunks, and then blend until smooth (about 1-2 minutes).  Serve immediately.

Simple Sauteed Spinach
(this makes barely enough for 2 servings in our household)

1 10 oz. pkg baby spinach leaves, washed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T olive oil
salt and red pepper to taste
1/2 cup shredded green cabbage, optional
1 lemon, grate peel and then cut into wedges

In a large skillet or wok (it shrinks a lot), on high, add the olive oil and saute garlic for 30 seconds. Add spinach leaves several handfuls at a time and use tongs to turn the leaves over.  When all leaves are incorporated into the pan, remove from the heat (this should take no more than 4 minutes).  Season with salt, red pepper and about a teaspoon of grated lemon peel.  After the spinach has cooled slightly incorporate the cabbage.  Serve w/ lemon wedges on the side to squeeze over the spinach.

the frugal fruits and veggies series is in the newly indexed recipes section
more frugal tips and personal finance articles are indexed under top posts

see additional tips at Frugal Friday, Ultimate Recipe Swap, and Food Renegade