I love the versatility of spinach. It can be used in sweet or savory dishes from breakfast to dinner. It’s a really easy veggie to add to your diet. Like many other veggies, spinach is a rich source of:
- Fiber
- Vitamins (Vitamin A, K, E, and Bs)
- Minerals (Iron, Calcium, Potassium, and Magnesium)
Spinach has also been studied for many health benefits associated with cancer, blood pressure, eyes, and more. Some of these benefits are linked to the phytonutrients found in spinach. Such as:
- Quercetin is anti-inflammatory
- Nitrates may help with blood pressure
- Kaempferol is an antioxidant
- Lutein and Zeaxanthin may improve eye and skin health
While these studies aren’t conclusive, they point to the potential benefits of adding spinach into your diet. Now will one food “fix” the issues listed above, not likely. But it can be part of a pattern that has been shown to improve health. It’s also fairly inexpensive and easy to utilize in a variety of ways. Below are a few of my favorite ways to add spinach.
Winter Pesto
Ingredients
- 1/2 head garlic
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 6 cups spinach
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt more or less to taste
Instructions
- Add the ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container.
Creamy Bean and Spinach Taquitos
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil
- 4 cups spinach
- 1 cup black beans
- 1/4 cup salsa verde
- 1/4 cup Greek yogurt, plain
- 2 cups cheese, shredded
- 4 flour toritllas
Instructions
- In a skillet, heat the avocado oil, add spinach and cook until wilted.
- Add in black beans, salsa verde and greek yogurt and mix together.
- Divide between 4 tortillas.
- Add ½ cup shredded cheese to each taquito, roll up and place on a greased cookie sheet.
- Spray lightly with olive oil cooking spray and bake at 375 for 10 minutes or until golden and crispy.
Saag
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 white onion, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt more or less to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper more or less to taste
- 1 teaspoon ginger powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 8 cups spinach
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Heat the butter in a skillet until it starts to brown and smell sweet. Add in the onions and cook until the onions are tender and turning translucent.
- Add spices and spinach and cook on low until spinach is wilted and decreased significantly in size.
- Add the spinach mixture to a blender (or use an immersion blender) with the heavy cream and blend (doesn’t need to be super smooth, just enough to break up the spinach).
- Add back into the pan, if you used a blender, and continue to heat until thicken.
- If you are adding a protein, this would be the time to add a cooked protein option. Serve warm with rice, naan, or quinoa.
Mexican Pumpkin Quinoa Bake
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or other oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups pumpkin, diced
- 1/2 red onion
- 1 tablespoon fajita seasoning
- 3 cups spinach or other dark leafy green
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 1 can kidney beans
- 1/4 cup Mexican cheese blend
Instructions
- Saute in the oil, onion, garlic, pumpkin, and fajita seasoning until onions are translucent and the pumpkin is tender and starting to crisp. You can test tenderness by piercing with a fork.
- Add in spinach and continue to cook until spinach is wilted and cooked down.
- In a 7X11 pan add beans and quinoa stir in the pumpkin mixture until well combined. Top with cheese.
- Broil on low until the cheese is melted and serve warm.
Pumpkin Breakfast Hash
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 red onion, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup fresh pumpkin, cubed
- 1/8 teaspoon sage
- 2 cups spinach
- 2 eggs, cooked to your liking
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet and saute the onion, garlic, pumpkin, and sage until onions are translucent and the pumpkin is tender and starting to crisp. You can test tenderness by piercing with a fork.
- Add in spinach, salt, and pepper and continue to cook until spinach is wilted and cooked down.
- Cook 2 eggs to your liking and add to the skillet. Enjoy warm!