What kind of spinach. What benefits will spinach bring to the body and in what cases is it harmful? spinach for weight loss

Spinach is an amazing herbaceous plant that belongs to vegetable crops.

At the same time, spinach has wonderful medicinal properties, and lovers of dishes from green leaves always feel great.

Even in ancient Persia, they knew about a wide range of beneficial properties of spinach for the body. Medieval Europe also appreciated spinach, and in France it grows wherever possible.

The vegetable grows quickly under the rays of the sun in loose soil, and even at home on the windowsill in a flower pot you can sow its seeds and eat young green leaves in three weeks.

What is useful for men and women?

It is difficult to name vegetables comparable to the huge amount of nutrients contained in spinach. Its tender leaves are rich in:

protein
carbohydrates;
beta-carotene;
saturated and unsaturated fatty and organic acids;
vitamins A, B, C, K, E, PP, H;
fiber;
starch;
sugars;
choline;
a large set of microelements necessary for a person.

Amazing Fact: during heat treatment, the vitamins in the leaves are practically not destroyed. This is a very rare property among vegetables. Of course, a leaf of raw spinach is much healthier, but fans of green spring borscht with spinach will rejoice at this good news.

Spinach promotes recovery from diseases caused by the use of animal food and intoxication of the body. Removing toxins and harmful substances, spinach simultaneously saturates the tissues with the necessary substances contained in it.

Fiber improves the stability of the digestive system, which contributes to natural weight loss. Iron deficiency anemia also does not threaten fans of green leaves, which deliver oxygen to cells, improving the body's metabolism.

Spinach has a very valuable quality - it is able to block the growth of tumors by suppressing their circulatory system. But the cardiovascular system of the body is strengthened when it is eaten.

Doctors often prescribe spinach dishes to cancer patients during the recovery period after radiation therapy. The powerful complex of antioxidants contained in spinach contributes to a quick recovery and return to normal life.

Spinach inhibits the development and stops bleeding gums. It is an excellent assistant in the activity of the heart muscle, normalizes blood pressure, restores the body when exhausted and is indispensable for enterocolitis.

Spinach leaves will be of great benefit in the diet of men: they contribute to increased potency due to the content of proteins and tocopherol. Women will appreciate the healing properties of green leaves with a broken cycle, infertility and frequent miscarriages.

Frequent consumption of easily available spinach dishes will stop retinal detachment, fully replacing expensive artificial vitamins with lutein. Green leaves contain more beta-carotene and beneficial substances for vision than the essential carrot.

People who are under constant stress and suffer from insomnia, spinach is also necessary in the diet, as it takes part in the production of hormones. The iodine contained in the leaves is necessary for strengthening the nervous system and the full functioning of the pancreas.

It is difficult to list all the medicinal properties of spinach that are used in traditional medicine. It brings significant relief to people suffering from epilepsy and will reduce the manifestations of the disease.

With a dry cough (in the article you will find recipes for folk expectorants) and during asthma attacks, fresh spinach leaf juice will greatly alleviate the condition. During the winter epidemics, spinach fans are not afraid of the flu. Spinach juice successfully treats inflamed tonsils.

Due to the large amount of vitamin K, the manifestations of osteoporosis decrease and the calcium content in bone tissues increases. For children, a mixture of almond oil with spinach leaf juice is very useful to prevent the development of rickets and accelerate bone growth.

A compress of crushed leaves will relieve abscesses, eczema and tumors from insect bites due to the content of zinc and iodine. For those living and working in nuclear production and in regions contaminated with radiation, spinach is vital. It softens the effect of radiation and saves the lives of those affected by radiation sickness.

Any French woman knows that rubbing her face with a fresh spinach leaf is necessary to smooth out wrinkles and for a healthy complexion, without traces of inflammation and acne.

This is facilitated by the high content of vitamins A and E in the leaves. Spinach masks renew the skin and make it velvety. The high content of beta-carotene in spinach helps the body's cells stay young longer.

Nutritional value and calories

Over the centuries of eating spinach, people have come up with many culinary recipes with it. It is added to ordinary salads, omelettes, pie fillings and fish and meat dishes, cottage cheese and soups, spices are made and canned.

The gastronomic benefits of the green leaves of the plant are very high. Due to its high protein content, spinach is very nutritious, while 100 grams of leaves contain only 23 kilocalories. You will not have to starve during a diet and fasting if you add green leaf dishes to your diet.

One hundred grams of spinach contains:

92% water;
2.8% proteins - almost like in legumes;
1.9% carbohydrates;
0.1% starch;
1.4% dietary fiber;
0.3% fat;
0.1% organic acids;
0.1% unsaturated acids;
1.8% disaccharides and monosaccharides;
1.7% ash;
0.1% saturated fatty acids.

Thanks to this rich composition, spinach helps to speed up metabolism and provides additional energy to the body.

Is there any harm and contraindications?

Greens lovers should be aware of the possible dangers of spinach in order to fully use its beneficial qualities.

If a person already has some diseases, spinach can be harmful.

Overgrown leaves contain an excess of oxalic acid, which in case of kidney disease will create an additional acidic environment in the body. For diseases of the bladder, stomach ulcers, rheumatism, gout and arthritis, the use of a green vegetable is also undesirable.

But the young leaves of the plant contain almost no oxalic acid in the composition and will not harm when consumed in a small amount.

Methods of application in traditional medicine and for weight loss

In Rus', spinach has always been used as an effective remedy.

An aqueous infusion of the leaves is taken for constipation, diseases of the throat and lungs, atherosclerosis, for neurotic disorders and to relieve epilepsy attacks.

Spinach reduces the risk of developing cancer and will replace the use of folic acid tablets.

Recipes for treatment:

With spasms of the stomach and large intestine, painful colic and 4 times a day you need to drink an infusion of spinach. Boil one tablespoon of chopped stems and leaves for 10 minutes in 100 ml of water and leave for 40 minutes.
From atherosclerosis infusion of leaves is drunk up to 4 months, combined with taking hawthorn tincture and making a 10-day break infusion of spinach leaves.
For insect bites put gruel from the leaves on the inflamed area for two hours.
For eczema boil the leaves in olive oil and apply on the affected areas for several hours.
At 4 days to take chopped spinach with a little cinnamon.
For nervous overload take twice a week 50-60 ml of a mixture of spinach juice and carrot juice.
For diseases of the stomach and intestines, to cleanse the body of toxins take half a glass of juice of young leaves three times a day.
Anemia, thyroid disease and before breakfast and dinner, drink half a glass of a mixture of beet, carrot and spinach juices.
With convulsions boil and finely cut the leaves, add a little vegetable oil and take twice a day for a tablespoon.
In diet food the leaves are boiled, cooled and the broth is filtered and taken before meals, 50 ml each.

Spinach diet promotes weight loss and helps to cleanse the body. Such a diet improves the condition of blood vessels and the heart, preventing diseases of the digestive system.

The neutral taste of spinach allows it to be used in many dishes. Dough, scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes and desserts take on an emerald hue when crushed leaves are added. Cottage cheese with spinach for breakfast will saturate and energize for the whole day.

Spinach is one of the richest green vegetables. Its useful properties have long been highly appreciated in the West, but for some reason they are not treated with due attention in our country. Even a small amount of this product in the daily diet will significantly improve the quality of life.

We also suggest watching an interesting video on the topic of the article:

Not everyone on the table will see spinach, the benefits and harms of which have long been proven by scientists. This vegetable crop, which recently appeared in our country, is difficult to compare in popularity with carrots, beets or cucumbers. However, due to the unique chemical composition, the plant is able to get rid of many diseases, and only old overripe leaves, in which oxalic acid accumulates, pose a health hazard.

Persia is considered the birthplace of this leafy vegetable, but the plant can grow in any region with a temperate climate. Spinach loves loose soil and plenty of sun, and can produce up to five crops a year. You can grow a culture at home on the windowsill by placing pots with seedlings on the southern windows.

Spinach leaves contain many substances necessary for the body. This unique plant is used not only in cooking, but also in medicine, cosmetology, and the perfume industry.

Spinach Composition

Spinach green leaves contain such a rich supply of vitamins and minerals that is rarely found in other vegetables: vitamins B, D, C, P, PP, K, trace elements, organic acids, proteins and carotene.

100 g of the product contains: 91.4 g of water, 2.9 g of protein, 0.4 g of fat, 3.6 g of carbohydrates, 0.4 g of monosaccharides. The calorie content is 23 kcal per 100 g. Due to this unique composition and low calorie content, the plant is included in various weight loss diets.

And tocopherol (vitamin E) prevent early withering of the body. The plant is very useful for women, as it contributes to the proper formation of the fetus during pregnancy and prevents premature birth.

Greens are rich in calcium, which has a positive effect on the skeletal system, strengthens tooth enamel. Iron is responsible for the normal state of the blood. With its help, the level of hemoglobin increases, the number of red blood cells increases, and the risk of anemia is eliminated. A large amount of iodine found in the leaves of the plant helps to better absorb useful substances.

Spinach contains vitamin A, which is necessary for the body to prevent rickets, so the vegetable is recommended to be included in the diet for physically underdeveloped children and people who have had serious illnesses.

Saponins, which are contained in the leaves of this culture, have a positive effect on the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, activate peristalsis, and remove toxins from the body.

Almost all B vitamins are found in spinach, and in large quantities. For example, vitamin B9 - 194 mcg per 100 g of the product, which is 1/2 of the daily requirement. The leafy vegetable does not lag behind in terms of the content of vitamin C. There are 28.1 mg of this useful substance in 100 g. To fully saturate your body with vitamin C, you need to eat 300 g of green leaves per day.

Among the trace elements, manganese, potassium and magnesium provide a special value to the product.

Healing properties

The undeniable benefits of spinach for the human body are due to the rich chemical composition of green leaves and allows it to be used in folk and traditional medicine.

Here is an incomplete list of diseases that a leaf vegetable will help get rid of.

The antioxidants present in spinach prevent the development of cancer and actively fight against already formed malignant cells. Spinach must be included in the diet of patients suffering from this disease.
The plant improves immunity, strengthens the walls of blood vessels, and normalizes the functioning of the heart muscle.
Spinach is indispensable for the health of the organs of vision. The cells of the plant contain lutein, which accumulates in the retina of the eye and prevents the development of dystrophy. Thanks to this useful element, age-related visual impairment manifests itself later, and fatigue during work associated with eye strain is reduced. By eating 350 g of a healing vegetable per week, you can restore the quality of vision and maintain the beauty of the eyes.
Spinach leaves improve digestion and normalize the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract as a whole. If you constantly include dishes prepared from this vegetable in the menu, or eat the plant fresh, you can permanently get rid of constipation.
Eating vegetables regularly can help prevent anemia and relieve asthma symptoms.
Spinach calms the nervous system, improves mental abilities, which are declining as a result of age-related changes.
The plant must be present in the menu of patients with diabetes, as it contains substances that can regulate blood sugar levels.

The uniqueness of the leafy vegetable also lies in the fact that during heat treatment, freezing or canning, its medicinal properties are fully preserved. Thus, it is clear that spinach, the benefits and harms of which can hardly be overestimated, is able to prevent and cure many diseases.

spinach in medicine

In some diseases, spinach leaves are prescribed as a medicine. For example, this vegetable is indispensable during rehabilitation after radiation therapy for cancer. It contains a set of antioxidants that help the patient remove harmful substances from the body and return to normal life.

With periodontal disease and other diseases of the teeth and gums, spinach juice is useful, which is used as a mouthwash. After treatment with this medicinal plant, gum bleeding decreases, teeth become stronger.

A leafy vegetable is prescribed for patients with hypertension, as it is a powerful tool that normalizes blood pressure.

benefits of spinach for men

For the normal functioning of the male reproductive system, it is necessary to include a unique spinach vegetable in the diet. Fatty polyunsaturated acids and folates present in the composition of the plant increase potency, improve blood supply to the penis, and zinc stimulates the production of testosterone.

The benefits are especially noticeable for middle-aged men, when erection worsens, libido decreases, sperm is produced in insufficient quantities. As a result of a lack of zinc in adult men, there is a risk of prostatitis, and in young men there is insufficient development of the genital organs. The medicinal plant spinach will cope with all these ailments.

In addition, thanks to vitamin E, without which the normal functioning of the prostate gland is impossible, the body rejuvenates and the hormonal background stabilizes.

spinach for weight loss

Young spinach leaves contain a lot of useful substances and few calories, so this plant is indispensable for people who are on a diet and want to lose a few extra pounds without harming their health.

The main thing for spinach is freshness! Leaves should be stored no more than 48 hours in a dark, cool place.

The plant has a neutral taste and is easily combined with many other products: cheese, vegetables. When spinach is added to traditional dishes, they acquire a pleasant greenish color, become more juicy and healthy.

It's incredibly easy to make a leafy vegetable salad. It is enough to simply wash the greens and season with oil or other seasoning. The beneficial properties of the plant are preserved after heat treatment, so it can be used to prepare side dishes for meat and fish. It is necessary to put the leaves in a pot of water and bring to a wilt, avoiding a boil.

Cream cheese mixed with spinach and served for breakfast will provide energy for the upcoming work day.

Spinach for beauty

The leaves of a young plant are used for masks that cleanse and refresh the skin of the face. A simple cooking technology and the presence of the necessary components at hand allows you to prepare DIY care products at home, and there are almost no contraindications for their use.

Here, for example, is a recipe for a face mask for acne. One tablespoon of crushed leaves is mixed with 1 egg white. The mask is applied to the face and washed off after 15 minutes.

To prepare a refreshing face mask, you need to take 3 tbsp. l. chopped leaves, pour milk and boil over low heat for about 5 minutes. After the gruel has cooled down a bit, apply on the face for 15 minutes.

benefits of spinach juice

The juice squeezed from the leaves of the plant contains a lot of manganese, which has a positive effect on metabolism, the functioning of the thyroid gland and the brain, and improves bone composition. Natural medicine helps prevent the appearance of malignant tumors, improves immunity, strengthens eyesight and teeth.

Doctors advise drinking spinach juice once a day before breakfast. This is a reliable way to cleanse the body and replenish energy reserves for the whole day.

Leaf vegetable juice is used to get rid of hemorrhoids. To prepare the medicine, half a glass of juice is mixed with 100 g of almond oil and throughout the day they drink the resulting drink in 1 tbsp. spoon.

Spinach juice will help restore strength after a serious illness or operation. To prepare a healing drink, you need to combine 1 glass of red wine and 50 ml of juice. Drink the medicine should be 1 time per day for a week, 2 tbsp. l.

Spinach harm

The composition of this plant contains a large amount of oxalic acid, therefore, in some, both the benefits and harms to human health require attention. In people with urolithiasis, excessive consumption of leafy vegetables can increase the formation of stones in the urinary tract.

Those suffering from thyroid dysfunction should also not get carried away with spinach, as the plant contains plant estrogens, which can lead to a deficiency of thyroxine, one of the main thyroid hormones.

Basically, oxalic acid accumulates in old overgrown plants. Therefore, only young leaves should be eaten. In addition, when buying spinach on the market, one should be interested in exactly where the vegetable was grown and by what technology. If nitrogen fertilizers were used, then nitrates will accumulate in the leaves, which, during heat treatment, can turn into nitrites that are harmful to the body.

In some foreign countries, it can be found on the tables all year round. Moreover, it goes well with various products. We have so far this green vegetable is not so popular. How best to eat it and what delicious, very healthy and very simple recipes exist can be found in the article.

Popularity in the world

According to history, spinach was brought to Europe from Persia several centuries ago. His active cultivation began to engage in Spain. Basically, the culture was cultivated on monastic lands, since the leaves of the plant were particularly nutritious and could be consumed during fasting.

The same Spaniards brought spinach to America. But, here he gained unprecedented popularity only in the middle of the twentieth century after the release of the cartoon about the brave sailor Papaya, who gained unprecedented strength after eating a green vegetable.

Culture came to Russia two centuries ago. In some works of Russian classics of that time, one can often find a description of dishes with spinach served at the table in noble families.

Spinach is very popular in many countries

Now the spinach industry is flourishing in China. The United States ranks second in the world in the production and consumption of green vegetables.

plant description

Spinach is an amaranth annual. The time from germination to leaf maturity takes him only a month.
On a low stem (60-80 cm), large, triangular-shaped leaves alternately. They get smaller towards the top.
Small green flowers are collected in paniculate inflorescences. Pollination of the plant occurs through the air, with the help of the wind, so getting seeds on your own is not difficult.

Attention! Spinach is a perishable product. You need to buy only dense, crisp leaves that do not have any spots.

The nutritional value of vegetables

iron;
calcium;
magnesium;
vitamins A, C, E, folic acid.
cellulose.

Spinach is good for human health

It has antioxidant properties, improves the functioning of the digestive tract. Dishes with it are good to include in the menu for obesity. But studies have shown that not all of these substances can be completely absorbed in the human body. Therefore, opinions about the high nutritional value of the vegetable differ.

How is spinach used?

Spinach leaves are consumed raw, boiled in water and steamed, stewed. By itself, the vegetable does not differ in any pronounced quality, but other products, when combined with it, acquire a special taste. Due to the fact that the bright green color does not disappear during heat treatment, spinach is added to various sauces, and is also used as food coloring.

Fresh leaves are a wonderful ingredient for various salads. It goes well with other vegetables, meat and fish products. In some countries pies and meatloaf stuffed with spinach are traditional.

For storage, the leaves of the plant are frozen. They are pressed or rolled into balls, after which they are placed in the freezer.

Spinach Recipes

Vegetable milk soup. For the soup you will need:

spinach leaves;
sprouts (preferably Brussels sprouts);
peas;
garlic;
greenery;

Milk soup with spinach

milk;
butter and vegetable (preferably olive) oil;
flour;
slices of bread;
spices, salt.

The soup is quite easy to make.

Onions are fried in a cauldron until golden brown.
Add a few tablespoons of flour and fry a little more.
Pour in milk.
Fall asleep chopped spinach. Add spices and salt.
The rest of the vegetables are fried in a pan.
The croutons are fried separately.
Fried slices of bread are laid out in a deep plate, on top of vegetables. All this is poured with milk with onions and spinach.

Salad with chicken liver. For the salad you will need:

chicken liver;
lettuce and spinach;
quail eggs;
lemon and orange juice;
spices, salt;
olive oil.

Liver with spinach leaves

Salad preparation.

Chop shallots and marinate in lemon juice.
Hard-boil the eggs (no more than 5 minutes), remove the shell, chop coarsely.
Fry the liver over high heat with the addition of spices. Salt. Cut into pieces.
Arrange spinach and lettuce on a platter. On top of pieces of liver and eggs. Drizzle everything with orange juice and olive oil.

Puff pastry pie. For the pie you need to take:

puff pastry;
feta cheese or cheese;
spinach leaves;
green onion feathers;
dill;
eggs;
olive oil;
salt, spices.

spinach

Cooking a pie.

Spinach leaves are boiled in water for several minutes, after which they are discarded in a colander.
Eggs are beaten with salt and spices. Mixed with spinach and dill.
The cheese is broken with a fork until smooth and mixed with herbs and eggs.
Grease a baking sheet with oil and cover its bottom with a sheet of dough.
Distribute the filling on top.
Everything is covered with another sheet of puff pastry.
Bake for 40 minutes at medium temperature.

This cake can be eaten both hot and cold.

Fish casserole with spinach. For this dish you will need:

sea fish fillet;
tomatoes;
butter;
hard cheese;
garlic;
herbs, salt, spices.

Fish casserole with spinach

For the sauce you need to take:

milk;
hard cheese;
spices;
flour.

Sauce preparation.

The flour is browned in butter.
Milk is poured in a stream. Heat up to a boil.
Add spices.

Preparing the casserole.

Spinach is sautéed in oil until soft.
Tomatoes and garlic are fried in a pan and spread on the bottom of the mold.
The fillet is cut into pieces and spread in a thick layer on the tomatoes.
The fish is covered with spinach and poured with sauce.
Sprinkle with cheese on top.
Place in the oven for 40 minutes. Temperature 180°C.

Advice. The casserole can be prepared a little differently, for example, adding potatoes, rice, etc. to it.

Chicken roulade with spinach and green onions. To prepare the roll you will need:

chicken fillet;
eggs;
cheese;
green onions;
spices (preferably curry);
olive oil;
soy sauce;
sesame.

Chicken roll with spinach

How to cook a roll.

Spinach is a source of vitamin C, iron, calcium and magnesium. Alas, ascorbic acid is destroyed during heat treatment, so if you include spinach in your diet for vitamin C, eat the leaves fresh. Keep in mind that spinach will not last more than eight days in the refrigerator, by the end of which it will lose most of its vitamins.

But iron, calcium and magnesium practically do not suffer during cooking. Moreover, under the influence of temperature, phytic acid, which is also found in spinach, is destroyed, so the absorption of minerals even increases.

Spinach salad for breakfast

What you need (for 2 servings):

3 generous handfuls of baby spinach
1 cup cooked and chilled bulgur
Thin slices of sweet apple
2 tbsp. l. dried cranberries
2 tbsp. l. almond petals

For sauce:

2 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp. l. olive oil
A pinch of ground ginger
A pinch of salt

What to do:

1. In a bowl, combine baby spinach, bulgur (can be prepared the day before), apple, dried cranberries and almond flakes.

2. In another bowl, mix apple cider vinegar, olive oil, a pinch of ground ginger and a pinch of salt.

3. Pour the resulting sauce into the salad and mix.

Green pilaf with spinach and onions

What you need (for 3 servings):

250–300 g rice
300 g spinach
60 g butter
Large bunch of green onions
3 garlic cloves
2 tbsp. l. olive oil
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
A pinch of sea salt

What to do:

1. Cut green onions.

2. Peel the garlic and chop coarsely.

3. Heat olive oil and 30 g butter in a heavy saucepan and simmer the onion over low heat for about 2 minutes.

4. When the onion becomes soft, add garlic, then spinach, mix everything and simmer for about a minute.

5. Pour rice, mix everything again, pepper, salt and pour cold water so that it covers the rice with two fingers. Cover with a lid and cook over low heat for 15 minutes.

6. At the end, add the remaining butter and mix everything again.

Spinach pie

What you need (for 8 servings):

500g baby spinach - washed leaves only, no stems
120 g green onions, without tips and roots
30 g dill without stems
30 g arugula without stalks (can be replaced with lettuce, but add a little mustard)
200 g feta, crumbled into small pieces (can be replaced with cheese or feta)
5 layers of puff pastry without yeast (ideally phyllo dough)
2 eggs
1 st. l. butter, melted
A few drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice
Freshly grated nutmeg
Freshly ground black pepper
Sea salt
Sesame seeds

What to do:

1. Preheat the oven to 150°C. Crack the eggs into a bowl (two thirds for the filling, the rest for greasing the pastry).

2. Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan and blanch the onion by immersing it in water for a couple of minutes to soften the taste. Rinse with cold water, then dry.

3. Blanch the spinach in the same pot by immersing it in boiling water for a few seconds - it should wilt but remain bright green.

4. Put the spinach and onion on a clean towel and blot well.

5. Finely chop the spinach, onion and other herbs, mix them with eggs and feta. Drizzle lemon juice into the mixture, season with nutmeg, pepper and salt.

6. Lubricate a container with a diameter of about 18 cm with oil and put a layer of dough inside. Lubricate the dough with oil and place another layer on top (crosswise). The ends of the dough should form sides.

7. Lay out part of the filling and cover with the third layer of dough on top - so that it lies crosswise with respect to the previous one. Lubricate the upper layer with oil, put the filling; repeat the steps with the remaining dough and filling. The top layer of the pie is the filling.

8. Wrap the ends of the dough to cover the filling, brush first with the egg, then with the rest of the oil.

9. Sprinkle the cake with sesame seeds and bake for 45 minutes (if the cake burns on top, cover with foil).

In our area, spinach is not as popular as, for example, in the West or in Asia, but in vain ... This is a very useful plant, which in the East is called the "king of vegetables."

It was not for nothing that in the Middle Ages it was served to the table of the nobility, and even for royalty. It is known, for example, that in England a virtuoso cook was specially kept at the royal court to prepare a variety of salads from this green vegetable. And they say that when serving, they stirred the salad only with white gloves, thereby emphasizing the significance of the dish.

We also had trained chefs who prepared dishes with him, but mostly for foreign guests and foreign delegations.

And for some reason, it didn’t really take root with us. It is rarely seen on the shelves of shops and markets. Although you can grow it during the summer several times. It grows very quickly, and it is possible to harvest several crops from just one bed over the summer.

And how many different delicious dishes you can cook from it. And not only tasty, but also useful. After all, spinach is a champion in its nutritional value, it contains more than 10 vitamins, up to 34% protein, as well as a lot of iron, calcium, potassium and phosphorus salts, and you can’t list everything.

Dishes can be prepared with fresh and frozen spinach. And in the West, it is also canned, juiced and dried, then added to dishes dried and powdered.

And you can cook almost everything from it: these are numerous soups, cabbage soup, cold drinks, as with him alone, beet tops, cabbage; you can cook salads and snacks, both raw and stewed (such salads are very popular in Italy and Spain); and what a delicious puree from it, or; Have you ever tried cutlets from this vegetable? So they are prepared in Sweden, for example. No?! And casseroles, omelettes, like in England? Also no?!

Well, probably pies - did you bake with him? World-famous Greek, for example.

And such delicious desserts as puddings and soufflés, which are prepared in America.

Yes, the geography of this leafy vegetable of the amaranth family is great. Just like the dishes that you can cook with it.

Let's quickly start describing the recipes and cooking. After all, the first crop of this green vegetable has already grown in the beds. It's time to take it off, cook various goodies, freeze the leftovers. And free the bed and plant a second crop. I manage to harvest three or four crops per summer from one bed, although our region is not at all warm.

And I’ll make all sorts of goodies out of it, and freeze it, and dry it, so that it’s enough for the whole winter.

Today, all recipes will be from fresh vegetables. But all of them can be prepared in the winter from frozen, and even from canned food, which in the West can be bought at any supermarket. But we have to preserve it ourselves. So take note of the recipes. Suitable for both summer and winter.

Appetizer with cucumbers and herbs

We will need:

spinach - 500 gr
onion - 2 pcs
cucumbers - 3 - 4 pcs
dill - 0.5 bunch
lemon juice - 1 tbsp. spoon
vegetable oil - 3 - 4 tbsp. spoons
sugar - to taste
radish - for decoration

Cooking:

1. Sort the spinach, remove the yellowed and damaged leaves and cut off the rough petioles. Rinse thoroughly in several waters, and then rinse under running water.

Let the water drain and dry. Then finely chop the leaves.

2. Chop the onion. If it is very bitter, then you can pour it with water slightly acidified with vinegar. Let stand for 10-15 minutes, then drain the water. Onions in this case will turn out as if slightly pickled. This will greatly improve the taste of the salad.

3. Add the onion to the spinach, and if you didn't use vinegar for the marinade, then add lemon juice. To do this, simply squeeze it with your hands into the total mass. You will need about half a lemon.

4. Grind the dill and also add to the already chopped ingredients.

5. Pour in sugar, about a teaspoon, but in general to taste, and pour in vegetable oil. If there is olive, then it will be very good. Mix everything and let it brew a little, 10 minutes will be enough.

For another option, you can also use sour cream.

6. Cut the cucumbers into two halves, remove the core and fill with the prepared salad mass.

If she stays, then she can be eaten simply and without cucumbers.

Serve at the table as a cold appetizer.

Spring salad with sorrel

We will need:

spinach - 500 gr
sorrel - 200 gr
green onions - 100 gr
young stalks of garlic - 2 - 3 pieces
boiled egg - 2 pcs
olives - 3 - 4 pieces
lemon juice - 1 tbsp. spoon
vegetable oil - 2 - 3 tbsp. spoons
ground red pepper - a pinch
salt - to taste

Cooking:

1. Sort the spinach and sorrel, remove the spoiled leaves, cut off the rough stalk and rinse thoroughly first in a bowl, and then under running water.

Let the water drain, if necessary, dry with a towel. Then finely chop.

2. Also chop the green onion and garlic stalks. Use them only when young, when the stem has not yet become too fibrous. Otherwise, the salad will turn out tough.

3. Cut one egg into strips and add it to the total mass. Cut another egg for decoration, either in the same straw, or in circles, or quarters.

4. Salt and pepper the salad, mix.

5. Mix oil, preferably olive oil, and lemon juice, and pour dressing over salad mass. Stir and let stand for 10 minutes.

6. Put the mass on a flat plate in the form of a slide, or in a deep salad bowl. Garnish with chopped egg and olives.

Georgian-style spinach appetizer with nuts

We will need:

spinach - 500 gr
onion - 200 gr
garlic - 2 cloves
cilantro - 0.5 bunch (10 - 12 branches)
parsley - 0.5 bunch
walnuts, peeled - 0.5 cups
pomegranate juice (or wine vinegar) - 1 tbsp. spoon
salt, pepper to taste

Cooking:

1. Sort the leaves and remove the spoiled ones. If the leaves are already large, then they will need to cut off the stems that have already become rough. Rinse thoroughly first by filling them with water in a bowl, and then also under running water.

2. Transfer the leaves to a saucepan, add cilantro (leave 2 sprigs), pour 1 glass of water and cook for 10 minutes.

When the time is up, put the greens in a colander and drain the broth. Then squeeze lightly and chop finely.

3. Grind the walnuts, but not into crumbs. You can roll them with a rolling pin on a towel.

4. Chop the garlic, finely chop the remaining cilantro and parsley.

5. Crush garlic, cilantro together with salt and pepper, pour wine vinegar or pomegranate juice, let stand for 10 minutes. Then add nuts and onions, mix.

6. Combine all components into a total mass, mix. Place in salad bowl and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Serve at the table and eat with pleasure!

And for a special occasion, or for the arrival of guests, the dish can be decorated in such a beautiful way. Guests will be delighted!

If you use pomegranate juice for dressing, you can also decorate the dish with pomegranate seeds. With them, the salad will look more positive and beautiful.

Greens appetizer with sour milk

Thus, spinach is cooked in Georgia, and matsoni is used for this. That is, sour milk or curdled milk fermented at home.

And the dish is obtained at the same time, both as a cold appetizer and as an analogue of cold soup.

We will need:

spinach - 500 gr
cilantro - bunch
garlic - 2 cloves
sour milk - 2 cups
salt, pepper - to taste

Cooking:

1. Boil spinach until tender in lightly salted water. Drain the water, squeeze the leaves and chop.

2. Finely chop the garlic, and chop the cilantro, grind everything into a gruel, add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Pour sour milk in advance into a colander lined with gauze so that all whey is glassed. Beat it lightly with a mixer and combine with garlic puree and chopped spinach.

4. Serve to the table and eat with pleasure.

This recipe can be slightly modified. In this form, it will be a little more satisfying, since you need to add oil and an onion to the composition of the products, which should be cut and fried in oil, preferably ghee.

Boil the leaves of the vegetable, drain the water, finely chop and add to the onion, then simmer all together on the fire.

Then remove from heat, cool, add chopped herbs. Put on a dish and pour over the squeezed sour milk.

Green cabbage soup with egg

We will need:

spinach - 250 gr
sorrel - 150 gr
onion - 1 pc.
potatoes - 3 - 4 pcs
melted butter - 25 gr (1 tablespoon)
boiled egg - 1 pc.
sour cream - for serving
parsley - 0.5 bunch
salt, pepper - to taste
bay leaf - 1 - 2 pcs

Cooking:

1. Sort spinach and sorrel, remove damaged leaves. Then rinse thoroughly and let each separately. Then grind.

It is necessary to simmer separately because sorrel contains oxalic acid, which will make tender spinach rough and tough. If you put it in different dishes, and then combine it together, the green vegetable will retain all its useful taste.

2. Sauté the onion in butter until soft.

3. Put sliced potatoes into boiling water. After 10 minutes, add the fried onion and chopped parsley.

4. Then add the grated green mass and cook for 5 - 7 minutes.

5. Add salt, pepper and bay leaf. Let it boil and cook for 3 minutes.

6. Pour into plates. Garnish with a chopped egg (you can cut it into quarters or rounds) and flavor with sour cream.

Serve and eat healthy.

These soups can be eaten both hot and cold. If you plan to eat them cold, then replace the ghee with vegetable oil in the recipe.

Although it should be said that a cold vegetable is more difficult for the stomach to digest.

Milk soup with spinach and croutons

We will need:

spinach - 500 gr
cream (milk) - 1 cup
flour - 2 tbsp. spoons
melted butter (or butter) - 2 - 3 tbsp. spoons
parsley - 0.5 bunch
salt, pepper - to taste
boiled egg - 2 pcs
croutons - for serving

Cooking:

1. Sort spinach, remove damaged and yellow leaves. Rinse first in a bowl of water, changing it several times. And then wash under running water so that there is no earth left.

Cut the petioles if the leaves are already large enough.

2. Put the water on the fire and bring it to a boil. Put the prepared spinach and boil until tender, for 3-5 minutes. Immediately throw it into a colander and let the water drain. Save the decoction. Then squeeze out excess water and chop finely.

3. Spasser the flour in butter, then dilute with a small amount of the remaining broth. Mix until lumps disappear.

4. Transfer the browning into a saucepan and pour 1 glass of broth, let it boil and add spinach. Bring to a boil again and pour in the cream or milk. Add decoction if needed.

Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and turn off immediately.

5. Serve with chopped fresh parsley, half an egg and croutons. Eat for health!

You can make your own croutons by cutting bread or a loaf into cubes and placing them in a preheated oven. At the same time, you can sprinkle them with chopped garlic. It will taste even better.

In fact, there are a lot of recipes for soups with this product. I decided in today's article to limit myself to only two recipes, and in the next article I will pay more attention to soups. So, if you want to know a lot of delicious and interesting recipes, read them in the next article.

And I will move on to the next category of dishes.

Spinach puree

We have already prepared, and today a new recipe. It is also very tasty.

We will need:

spinach - 300 gr
fat cream - 1 tbsp. spoon
butter - 1 teaspoon
sugar - 1 teaspoon
salt, pepper - to taste
nutmeg - pinch

For sauce:

melted butter - 1 teaspoon
flour - 1 teaspoon
milk - 2 - 3 tbsp. spoons

Cooking:

1. Boil the sorted and washed spinach in salted water for 5-6 minutes. Drain the broth through a sieve, and squeeze the leaves. Then grind the mass into a puree, again using a sieve.

2. Prepare the sauce. To do this, spasser the flour in butter in a small frying pan and dilute with milk until the lumps disappear.

3. Add butter to the puree and heat the mixture over low heat.

4. Then add the prepared sauce, cream, sugar, salt and pepper to taste, as well as a pinch of chopped nutmeg. It will give the puree a light nutty flavor.

Puree can be served as a side dish for meat dishes. You can also eat it as an independent dish. Especially when dieting. It can be given to children, such puree is very useful for a growing organism.

spinach cutlets

We will need:

spinach - 1 kg
egg - 2 pcs
flour - 3 tbsp. spoons
parsley - 0.5 bunch (3 - 4 tablespoons chopped)
salt - to taste
ground red pepper - a pinch

Cooking:

1. Sort the spinach, remove the spoiled and yellow leaves, cut the petioles. Rinse thoroughly to remove sand and dirt.

2. Pour boiling water over, let stand for 2 minutes, then drain the water, throwing the leaves into a colander. After there is no water left, lightly squeeze the leaves and chop finely.

3. Add fresh eggs, flour, salt and pepper, and parsley. Mix, form cutlets from the resulting mass.

4. Fry on both sides in vegetable oil until golden brown.

5. Serve with potatoes. A delicious and healthy dinner is ready, it is a must to eat it - with pleasure!

Spinach in milk sauce with nuts and croutons

We will need:

spinach - 300 gr
vegetable oil - incomplete art. spoon
walnuts - 30 gr (handful)
milk sauce - 75 gr (3 tablespoons)
onion - 0.5 pcs
sugar - 1 teaspoon without top
salt - to taste
parsley - for serving
croutons - for serving

For milk sauce:

melted butter - 1.5 tbsp. spoons
flour - 1.5 tsp
milk - 4-5 tbsp. spoons

Cooking:

1. Prepare milk sauce in a small skillet. To do this, spasser the flour in melted butter. If you do not have such butter, then use butter. Then add milk, bring to a boil, breaking up lumps until a homogeneous consistency is obtained.

2. Add crushed nuts, salt to taste and sugar to the finished sauce, mix.

3. In a separate small frying pan, sauté the onion, cut into small cubes, in oil.

4. Sort the spinach, removing damaged and yellow leaves. Rinse thoroughly in a bowl of water and then under running water. And simmer in a small amount (0.5 cups) of boiling water for 3-4 minutes.

5. Mix the onion with poached spinach and milk sauce with nuts.

6. Cook at a very low boil for 10 minutes.

7. Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley and croutons.

Green spinach, nuts, milk sauce… M…m…mmm! Real jam!

Florentine casserole

As you may have guessed, this dish belongs to Italian cuisine. And today we will cook it in our kitchen.

We will need:

spinach - 1 kg
butter or ghee -2 - 3 tbsp. spoons
egg - 4 pcs
rice - 1.5 cups
lean ham - 150 gr
cheese - 50 gr
nutmeg (powder) - a pinch
salt, pepper - to taste

Cooking:

1. Rinse the rice, pour in three glasses of water and cook until tender. Salt the water to taste to make the cooked rice salty.

2. Boil one egg, then peel and chop finely.

3. Sort the spinach, remove damaged and unfit for consumption leaves, then rinse. If the leaves are large, then remove the petioles.

4. Transfer to a saucepan, pour a little water and simmer in it for 5 minutes.

5. Drain the broth through a colander. And cut the leaves quite large, while squeezing them is not necessary.

6. Add to them 1 tbsp. a spoonful of butter, a chopped egg, pepper and salt to taste and a pinch of nutmeg, leave a little.

7. Coarsely chop the ham. Cheese grate on a medium grater.

8. Mix rice with ham and cheese

9. Lubricate the refractory form with oil and put in it the first layer of rice with ham and cheese. Smooth and oil.

10. Put spinach in the next layer. Also smooth out.

11. In the middle, make a small indentation and drive three raw eggs into it. Sprinkle with pepper and the remaining nutmeg.

12. Lubricate the entire surface of the spinach with the remaining oil and place in an oven preheated to 180 degrees. Bake 20 minutes.

The dish is ready, you can serve and eat with pleasure.

Pasta casserole

Casseroles and omelettes are a special topic. By understanding how this is done, you can cook just countless options. And there is nothing difficult in understanding! And now you will understand it yourself.

We will need:

spinach - 1 kg
eggs - 5 pcs
sugar - 50 gr (2.5 tablespoons with a slide)
noodles - 200 gr
butter - 2 tbsp. spoons
lemon - 0.5 pcs
salt - to taste

Cooking:

1. Sort the leaves, remove coarse petioles and rinse thoroughly.

2. Boil a small amount of water and place prepared leaves in it. Cook for 5-6 minutes, then drain the broth and squeeze well. Then pass through a meat grinder.

3. Remove the zest from half a lemon, and squeeze the lemon itself to obtain juice. Mix puree with zest and lemon juice, add a pinch of salt and all the sugar. Mix.

4. Beat in the eggs and mix again, beat with a blender into a homogeneous mass.

5. Boil the noodles in salted water until cooked, drain the water, and rinse the noodles with hot water.

6. Mix the resulting puree with the finished noodles, adding butter to the total mass. Transfer to a mold greased with oil.

7. Put in an oven preheated to 180 degrees and bake until done.

You can also bake in a frying pan with a lid. Readiness can be determined by when all the eggs are baked and the mass becomes homogeneous and dense.

Casserole with spinach and cheese on baked milk

Spinach and feta cheese are two very compatible products that people like to combine in dishes in the Balkans.

We will need:

spinach - 500 gr
melted butter - 1 tbsp. spoon
onion - 1 pc (small head)
cheese - 50 gr
egg - 1 pc.
flour - 1 teaspoon
milk - 0.5 cups
salt, pepper - to taste

Cooking:

1. Sort the leaves, remove the petioles if necessary and rinse thoroughly. Let the water drain, then chop fairly large.

2. Cut the onion into small cubes and fry in melted butter. As soon as it becomes soft and golden, add chopped leaves. Simmer everything together until the water has completely evaporated. Then fry over low heat for another 2 - 3 minutes, while stirring occasionally so that the mass does not burn.

3. Grate the cheese and divide into two equal parts.

4. Put the fried mass into a refractory form in which we will cook the casserole. Mix it with half of the grated cheese. You can do it right in the form.

5. In a separate bowl, mix milk with flour, use a mixer for this to break up all the lumps. Then add the egg and salt to taste. You can add some pepper if you wish.

6. Pour spinach with the resulting liquid mass and sprinkle with the remaining cheese on top.

7. Bake in an oven preheated to 180 degrees until cooked.

Cut into portions and serve with fresh vegetables.

Chikhirtma with green onions and tomatoes

This dish is prepared in the Caucasus. And it is called chikhirtma. In Azerbaijan, it is prepared with tomatoes, and in Georgia without them. But both there and there they are served with yogurt (sour milk).

We will need:

spinach - 600 gr
green onions - 60 gr
tomatoes - 2 pcs
egg - 4 pcs
melted butter - 3 tbsp. spoons
sour milk (yoghurt) - 1 cup
parsley
salt, pepper - to taste

Cooking:

1. Sort the leaves, remove damaged ones. Rinse thoroughly and boil in salted water for 5-6 minutes. Then throw the leaves in a colander, let the water drain, cool a little. Then coarsely chop and squeeze again.

2. Peel, wash and chop green onions.

3. Wash the tomatoes and cut into halves.

4. Saute tomatoes and green onions in oil, then add spinach to them. Salt, add ground pepper to taste. Chop the parsley and add it.

5. Transfer the mass into a refractory form. Smooth it out and pour lightly beaten eggs, which are also salted to taste.

6. Bake in the oven at 180 degrees until done.

Serve directly on the table. Serve sour milk separately. Cut into portions, arrange on plates and pour over the matsoni.

Spinach moussaka with potatoes

As you know, people like to cook moussaka in Greece. And they cook it in many different versions, so in all of them it turns out to be very attractive and tasty.

We will need:

spinach - 500 gr
potatoes - 700 - 800 gr
cheese - 250 gr
milk - 0.5 cups
egg - 2 - 3 pcs
butter - 4 - 5 tbsp. spoons
salt, ground black pepper - to taste

Cooking:

1. Boil potatoes in salted water until tender, then mash with a fork or a wooden masher.

2. Sort the leaves, rinse and boil in salted water for 5 minutes. Then drain the broth, and cut the leaves not very large.

3. Cheese grated, we need about half a glass of grated product. Mix it with crushed leaves. And if you want, you can add black pepper. Mix well so that all the ingredients are evenly distributed.

4. Grease a baking sheet or baking dish with oil and lay out half of the mashed potatoes.

5. Put the whole spinach mass on top. And put the rest of the potatoes on top again.

6. Mix milk, eggs and butter and pour the mixture over the top layer.

7. Put in an oven preheated to 180 degrees and bake until golden brown.

When serving, cut into portions and arrange on plates. Serve with fresh vegetables and, if desired, with sour cream.

Polish spinach ravioli

And you can try such a dish in Poland, where they also like to cook this green and healthy vegetable.

We need for the test:

flour - 250 gr (a little more than one and a half glasses)
egg - 0.5 pcs
salt - to taste

For minced meat:

spinach - 1 kg
onion - 1 pc.
hard cheese - 30 + 30 gr
crackers - 2.5 tbsp. spoons
tomato sauce - 1.5 cups
vegetable oil - 1 tbsp. spoon
pork - 150 gr
salt, ground black pepper - to taste

Cooking:

1. Cut the onion into small cubes and fry in butter until soft.

2. Sort the leaves, remove damaged and yellow specimens, and rinse thoroughly in several waters.

3. Boil in lightly salted water for 5 minutes, drain and squeeze. Then pass through a meat grinder along with onions fried by that time.

4. Fry the mixture in butter with the addition of breadcrumbs, either breaded store-bought or crushed on their own will do. Add grated cheese to the roasting mass. Season with salt and pepper to taste. The finished mass should turn out to be quite dense and without any presence of liquid in it.

5. Chop the meat into very small pieces and fry in oil. At the end of frying, salt, add 4 tbsp. spoons of boiling water and simmer under the lid until tender.

6. If the pieces turned out to be large enough, then after frying, cut them even smaller and season with tomato sauce. Boil down until the sauce thickens.

7. Prepare the dough, as for dumplings. Let stand a little. Then roll into small circles and stuff with minced meat, make ravioli.

8. Boil dumplings in salted water until tender.

9. Arrange ready-made ravioli in portioned forms or pots, pour tomato sauce with meat.

10. Sprinkle with grated cheese and bake in the oven until golden brown.

11. Garnish the finished dish with fresh herbs when serving.

Green pancakes with red caviar

But such a truly royal treat can also be prepared from this vegetable. The dish is not only useful, but also very beautiful.

After watching this video, you will see how easy and simple it is to cook it yourself.

Well, how? Did you like the recipe? Then rather collect spinach in the garden and bake such beautiful ones, and I assure you delicious pancakes.

Imagine how happy all your household members will be if you serve them such a dish for breakfast. And if before that they didn’t want to hear such a word as spinach, now they’ll definitely taste it and ask for something to cook from it themselves.

Bannitsa in Bulgarian

Now we are moving smoothly to Bulgaria, and preparing a dish from their menu, this is the world-famous bannitsa. And a similar dish, but with a different name, is also prepared in Turkey (unfortunately I forgot the name). Those who flew to Turkey by plane have probably tried it. It is often served there for breakfast. Naturally, if you are flying with Turkish Airlines.

The name of the dish in different sources varies, somewhere it is written with two letters "n", and somewhere with one.

We need for the test:

flour - 2 - 2.5 cups
sour cream - 1 tbsp. spoon
egg - 1 pc.
soda - on the tip of a knife
salt - 0.5 tsp

For minced meat:

spinach - 1 kg
grated cheese - 100 gr
butter or ghee - 2 - 3 tbsp. spoons
egg - 3 - 4 pcs
onion - 1 pc.
dill, parsley - half a bunch
salt - to taste

To lubricate sheets:

ghee or fat - 1 cup

Cooking:

1. Knead the dough from the indicated products. You can see how to do this in the video below. And although in this recipe cottage cheese is used instead of the filling, we will not take this into account (especially in today's case, in accordance with our topic of the article). Although take note of this filling, as the bannitsa also turns out to be very tasty with it.

Bannitsa can also be prepared from ready-made filo dough. Buying it is not so easy, but it is possible. For example, I buy it in the Metro chain of stores.

2. Sort the leaves, rinse thoroughly and cut. Lightly salt and simmer in a pan until soft, adding a little water.

3. Throw the finished chopped leaves into a colander and drain all the liquid.

4. Add chopped onion and grated cheese. As well as chopped parsley and dill along with butter and eggs. Mix the mass until smooth. Mince is ready.

5. Adjust the number of layers in the cake yourself. Their number can vary from two to 7. For example, I like it more when there are many layers. Therefore, if you also give preference to this, then take a not very large, but deeper form.

6. Lubricate the form with oil and lay out the first, largest layer so that it hangs from the sides of the form. Brush generously with lukewarm melted butter.

7. Lay out part of the filling. Then cover it with the next layer of dough and brush with oil again. Next, a layer of filling and so on, until both the dough and the filling are finished.

8. The last layer of dough, which covered the filling layer, is also generously greased with butter or sour cream. This will keep the top from burning and will bake beautifully.

9. Bake for 40 - 50 minutes until the dish is ready and a beautiful golden crust appears on its surface.

10. Cut into portions and serve with sour cream or just like that. Who loves more.

But I must tell you that the dish is delicious. Even when it is served on the plane already warmed up. And if you cook it yourself, you can’t describe it in words at all.

So get ready!

Spinach, or Swiss pie

The geography of cooking dishes from our today's green vegetable is very extensive. Here in Switzerland there is also such a dish. In fact, this is a spinach pie, in any case, that's what we call it.

We need for the test:

flour - 1.5 cups (240 - 250 gr)
ghee - 2 tbsp. spoons
vegetable oil - 1 tbsp. spoon
salt - a pinch

For minced meat:

spinach - 1 kg
vegetable oil - 2 tbsp. spoons
bacon - 100 gr
onion - 2 pcs
flour - 1 tbsp. spoon
yolk - 2 pcs
sour cream - 100 gr
salt, pepper - to taste

Cooking:

1. Sift the premium flour, add salt and slightly warmed vegetable oil. Knead the dough with a little water. Let it lie down a little and roll it into a layer the size of a baking sheet, but so that the edges hang down from it.

2. Lubricate the baking sheet with oil and put the dough on it.

3. Sort the leaves, rinse thoroughly and pour boiling water over. Let it rest a bit to make it soft. Then put in a colander and let the liquid drain. Then chop and put in a pan with heated oil.

4. Cut the bacon into cubes. Likewise, but cut the onion smaller. Add to the spinach mass, then pour in the flour, lightly fry and turn off the heat.

5. When the mass has cooled down a bit, add two beaten yolks and nutmeg, as well as sour cream, salt and black pepper to taste.

6. Mix the mixture thoroughly so that all the ingredients are evenly mixed and put on a layer of dough laid out on a baking sheet.

7. Pull the edges of the dough slightly and fold over to get the cake in its traditional shape.

8. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and put the spinach in it. It will bake for 35-40 minutes.

Serve such a pie should be cut into pieces, you can with sour cream. It is delicious both hot and cold.

Cottage cheese pudding with spinach

And I classify the following two recipes as desserts, even if they are not very sweet. But they have painfully “dessert” names.

And this recipe is taken from the well-known book "On Tasty and Healthy Food". So, as we can see, already in those days in cookbooks there were recipes for such a rare product related to American cuisine.

We will need:

spinach - 150 gr
cottage cheese - 200 gr
sour cream - 100 gr
grated hard cheese - 30 gr
egg - 1 pc.
butter - 2 tbsp. spoon
sugar - 1 tbsp. spoon
salt - a pinch
ground crackers - 1 tbsp. spoon
semolina - 1 tbsp. spoon

Cooking:

1. To make the pudding tender and airy, the cottage cheese should be rubbed through a sieve.

2. Divide the egg into protein and yolk. Add the yolk to the curd mass and pour in the melted butter.

3. Add salt, sugar and semolina. And beat with a wooden spatula. Set aside and let stand for a while to allow all the ingredients to dissolve.

4. Finely chop the fresh spinach and add to the curd mass.

5. In a separate bowl, beat the protein into a steep foam. Put it in the resulting mass and mix from the bottom up with a wooden spatula.

6. Grease a small form with butter and sprinkle with crushed breadcrumbs. Then put the resulting mass into it. Tap the mold on the table to release air bubbles.

7. Lubricate liberally with sour cream, its layer should be about 1 - 2 mm. And sprinkle with cheese grated on a fine grater on top. It’s good to sprinkle with a small amount of melted butter.

8. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees and bake the pudding until a beautiful golden crust is obtained.

Put the finished pudding out of the mold and serve with fruit sauce or sour cream.

spinach soufflé

We will need:

spinach - 200 gr
butter - 50 gr
milk - 1 glass
flour - 1 tbsp. spoon
egg - 2 pcs
ground crackers - 1 tbsp. spoon
grated cheese - 1 tbsp. spoon
sour cream - 50 gr
ground nutmeg - pinch
salt - a pinch

Cooking:

1. Prepare a thick milk sauce. To do this, heat the oil in a frying pan and add flour to it, fry everything together for a minute or two with continuous stirring over very low heat.

2. Add salt and nutmeg, stir and pour in the milk. Stir until lumps disappear. Warm milk, stirring constantly. The mixture should thicken.

3. Divide the eggs into whites and yolks. Enter the yolks raw into the milk sauce. And beat the whites into a strong foam.

4. Sort the leaves, rinse and dry. Then finely chop. Add them to milk sauce.

5. Immediately before baking, add whipped proteins and mix them from the bottom up with a wooden spatula.

6. Grease a small mold with butter and sprinkle it with breadcrumbs. Transfer the resulting mass. Shake lightly and knock on the table a couple of times so that no air bubbles remain.

7. Brush with sour cream and sprinkle with cheese on top. Then drizzle with melted butter.

8. Bake in an oven preheated to 180 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes.

Serve with fresh sour cream. Eat with pleasure!

How to cook spinach dishes

all green leafy vegetables, to which our today's hero belongs, must be washed in plenty of water. To begin with, it is recommended to soak the leaves in water so that all the blades of grass, sand and clay are soaked. And then rinse under running water.
it should be washed immediately before cooking. Washed leaves are stored worse and rot faster.
at room temperature, fresh leaves are stored for no more than a day. But they can be frozen and dried, and then cooked from them.
in many dishes, leafy vegetables are minimally cooked, which preserves most of the vitamins.
When the food is heated, the vitamins preserved during the primary processing are completely destroyed. You can eat dishes, but they already have practically no useful substances. Therefore, it is better to cook them for one meal.
if fresh spinach is passed through a meat grinder, then during this procedure it completely loses vitamin C. Therefore, it is better to chop the leaves with a knife.
when cooking, it will retain its bright natural color better if you cook it in a large amount of strongly boiling water in an open pan for no more than 5 to 7 minutes. But you should know that at the same time it loses up to 70% of vitamin C.

if a dish is prepared from spinach and sorrel, then they cannot be allowed together. Sorrel contains a large amount of oxalic acid, and when they are stewed together, the leaves of the first lose their taste, become rough and tough. In addition, its color also becomes ugly and dark.
although most of the dishes from this leafy vegetable are vegetarian, they are best served hot. When cold, they are difficult to digest in the stomach.
if you want to tint mashed potatoes, butter, cream with natural paint, then use fresh spinach juice for this. It is an excellent natural dye. So, for example, in Italy, with its help, they give a pleasant emerald color to pasta and lasagne sheets. And today we saw how you can cook the most wonderful beautiful pancakes.

Here are some simple tips for the proper preparation and storage of our vegetable.

It's time to finish the article, and in conclusion I would like to draw a conclusion with which, I think, you will agree. Spinach dishes are not only healthy and healthy, but also delicious. It would be wrong to consider it a boring second-class vegetable.

After all, do not forget that it was served at the table for royalty. So, for example, it is known that the Queen of France, an Italian by birth, Catherine de Medici did not sit at the table if there was not at least one dish with his presence on it.

Well, why are we worse! Let's cook and enjoy!

Bon appetit everyone!