Spinach is a vegetable that has few calories and a lot of nutrients, so much so that it is considered a superfood.
In addition to being a great ally against anemia because it is rich in iron, it is a great source of vitamins A and C, vitamins from the B complex, vitamin K, phosphorus and potassium and benefits eye health.
Because it is incredibly versatile, this vegetable can be consumed in several ways: in salads, soups, creams, hot dishes, juices, etc. Here are 10 spinach recipes and learn how they can benefit your health!
1. Sauteed spinach
Believe me, even Popeye's mouth would be watering with this spinach recipe! In it spinach is the main star. Because it is, as mentioned before, rich in several nutrients, it acts in the fight against anemia and also strengthens the immune system. Garlic comes in as a flavor ingredient, but it's worth remembering that it helps increase the body's immunity!
Ingredients:
– 01 bunch of spinach;
– 01 clove of garlic;
– 01 tablespoon of olive oil;
– Salt to taste.
Preparation: separate the spinach leaves and wash them under running water. Dry them with a salad spinner (if you don't have one, you can use a paper towel to dry, but be careful not to leave any pieces of paper). Peel the garlic and chop to your liking. Drizzle a skillet (large, preferably) with oil and turn on medium heat. Fry the garlic until golden and add the spinach leaves. Season with salt to taste and let it cook for about 2 minutes. Attention: be careful with the time! If you let the spinach overcook, the leaves will turn dark and the flavor will be bitter.
Follow up tip: this stew can accompany a chicken fillet or any meat of your choice.
2. Spinach cake with ricotta
Unlike the dumpling recipes you see out there, this spinach recipe is special! Oat flour, used to give texture and bind, has a type of fiber that regulates blood glucose and helps the body to reduce fat absorption, in addition to having a great taste!
Ingredients:
– 01 and 1/2 cups of sauteed spinach leaves (as in recipe 1);
– 1/2 cup of ricotta tea;
- 01 egg;
– 1/2 cup of oat flour tea;
– 1/2 large onion, grated (or finely chopped);
– Salt to taste;
– Black pepper to taste.
Preparation: in a bowl, mix the spinach, ricotta and season. Then add the oatmeal and egg, mixing all the ingredients by hand. Make medium balls and put in the oven. Let it bake for approximately 15 minutes with the oven at 180º. You can serve it with a mustard sauce or any other sauce you like.
Follow up tip: the dumplings can be served with a quinoa tomato salad!
3. Pasta with broccoli and spinach pesto
This dish is essential and suitable for those who don't like the famous basil pesto! Whole grain pasta is rich in complex carbohydrates, which provide satiety and produce energy in the body. In addition to being rich in vitamins and nutrients, broccoli helps fight free radicals, helps fight heart disease and has antioxidant properties. We still have cashew nut in the recipe, which is rich in fats that lower the level of bad cholesterol in the blood. A great recipe, which, in addition to being tasty, can give your metabolism a "up"!
Ingredients:
– 500g of integral dough;
– 250g of chopped spinach;
– 120g of cooked broccoli (American);
– 01 tablespoon of cashew nuts;
– 50g of Parmesan cheese;
– 1 cup of olive oil;
– Salt to taste.
Preparation: cook the pasta to your preference. In a blender, place the spinach, broccoli, olive oil and Parmesan cheese and process until a uniform cream is formed. If you find that the consistency of the cream is too thick, gradually add more oil until it reaches the point of your preference. Serve the pesto with the pasta and enjoy!
Follow up tip: pesto can be accompanied by breadsticks or be the seasoning of a salad!
4. Spinach and white cheese omelet
How about getting away from the classic omelet recipe? In addition to the benefits of spinach, eggs are an excellent source of protein, preventing premature aging and being a super nutritious food. White cheese, in turn, is rich in vitamins, calcium and also in proteins (remembering that it has a low calorie content).
Ingredients:
– 1/2 cup of boiled spinach tea;
- 02 eggs;
– 50g of finely chopped white cheese;
– 01 tablespoon of butter;
– Salt to taste.
Preparation: In a bowl, beat the eggs for approximately 2 minutes. Then add the spinach, white cheese and salt, mixing well. In a skillet, add the butter and let it heat up. Pour the mixture, lower the heat and cover the skillet with a lid.
Important: do not touch! Cook until the edge of the omelet is golden and the center is set. Then, turn the omelet with a spatula and carefully, until golden on the other side. Remove from heat and enjoy!
Follow up tip: the omelet can be served with different types of salad and also with brown rice (or other rice of your choice).
5. Gluten-free spinach pancake
This recipe is for a delicious flourless pancake! That's right! The egg enters as a star and makes the recipe extremely rich in protein, helping to strengthen bones!
Ingredients for the dough:
– 01 whole egg;
– 01 egg white;
– 1/2 cup of boiled spinach tea;
– Salt to taste.
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Preparation: Beat the eggs, spinach and salt in a blender or in a mixer. Grease a frying pan with butter and distribute the dough (put a little so that the dough is very thin). Cover the pan and let it brown, then turn the pancake to brown the other side.
Follow-up tips: you can fill the pancake with turkey breast, light cheese and add chives for a special touch! The pancake can still be covered with any cream of your choice!
6. Functional Spinach Quiche (with Chickpeas)
Simple, vegetarian, lactose-free, gluten-free and incredibly tasty recipe! The great ally of spinach in this dish is chickpeas, which provides many benefits for both physical and mental health! This legume is known as the "grain of happiness" because it causes a great effect of well-being to those who consume it. In addition, it is also rich in several vitamins, folic acid, calcium, phosphorus and proteins.
Ingredients for the dough:
– 01 cup and a half of cooked chickpea tea;
- 01 teaspoon of salt;
– 02 tablespoons of olive oil.
Ingredients for the filling:
– 03 egg whites;
– 02 whole eggs;
– 01 cup of chopped spinach tea;
– 01 cup of crushed or crushed ricotta tea;
– 01 cup of chopped palm heart tea;
– 01 teaspoon of salt.
Preparation: add all the dough ingredients to the blender and blend until the dough is uniform. Then cover a mold with the dough. In a bowl, mix all the stuffing ingredients and pour over the dough. Bake in the oven (180 - 200 degrees) for approximately 30 minutes.
Follow-up tips: Quiche can be a great option for lunch, breakfast or dinner! For breakfast you can eat it while drinking a green juice; for lunch or dinner it can be accompanied by a carrot or boiled beet salad.
Extra Tip: If you don't know how to cook chickpeas, know that it's very simple. Soak it in water the night before the day you plan to make the recipe and then cook it in a pressure cooker for about 30 minutes!
7. Spinafre detox soup
Surely you know the word “detox”! Many recipes are called detox, as their main objective is to detoxify the body, and this spinach soup option is a great choice to nourish your body and, at the same time, cleanse it of all toxins from certain foods. All ingredients have important properties for the body: onion has anti-inflammatory action, extra virgin olive oil has acids that help to reduce cholesterol levels, golden flaxseed has omega 3, which reduces cholesterol and triglycerides, sea salt has iodine, which helps in the maintenance of cellular metabolism, sweet potato is rich in vitamin A and cashew nut prevents cardiovascular diseases.
Ingredients:
– 01 bunch of spinach;
– 01 onion (white or purple);
– 01 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil;
– 01 tablespoon of cashew nuts (toasted);
– 03 tablespoons of golden flaxseed;
– 02 cups of water tea;
– Sea salt to taste.
Preparation: wash the spinach well and separate only the leaves (you can use the stalk in other recipes). In a container, add 5 tablespoons of water along with the flaxseed. Let it rest for half an hour, until a gel forms. In a pan, put the olive oil, the chopped onion (or sliced). On low heat, let the onion cook and add the peeled sweet potato cut as you prefer and the spinach. Add the 2 cups of water and let it cook until the sweet potato is very soft. In a blender, place the entire contents of the pan and the flaxseed gel and blend for about 3 minutes. Then return the soup to the pot and season with salt. Enjoy your food!
Follow-up tips: this soup can be accompanied by a protein such as fish or grilled chicken!
8. Low carb spinach cream
Another option for those looking for light, nutritious and low-calorie meals. Low carb is a style of diet that reduces carbohydrate consumption and encourages consumption of other foods for energy. In this recipe, we use chayote, which is rich in vitamin B2 and iron, being together with spinach a great ally against anemia; zucchini, which has anti-inflammatory action and regulates blood sugar; and chicken, which is a meat rich in vitamin B3, which helps in the dilation of blood vessels and the respiratory system.
Ingredients:
– 01 handful of cooked spinach (approximately 120 grams);
– 03 nipples;
– 02 zucchinis;
– 01 chicken fillet;
– 01 clove of garlic;
– 01 chopped onion;
– Olive oil and salt to taste.
Preparation: In a pan over low heat, place the oil, garlic and onion. Add the chicken and saute. Then add the chayote and zucchini (both cut into cubes) to the pan. Add water until it covers the ingredients. Let it cook for about 15 minutes. Once the vegetables are cooked, remove the chicken and add the cooked spinach. In a blender, blend the broth and ingredients until they have a creamy consistency. Note: the chicken was used only as a flavor ingredient!
Follow-up tips: you can eat the cream with the chicken used in the recipe or with boiled eggs!
9. Spaghetti with spinach and cherry tomatoes
A light and nutritious recipe! Pasta is a source of energy because of carbohydrates. Spinach… well, you already know. Cherry tomatoes, in turn, help prevent cataracts, as they are rich in vitamin A and also help to reduce fluid retention, as they have diuretic properties!
Ingredients:
– 150g of spaghetti;
– 300g of cherry tomatoes;
– 01 spinach sauce;
– 01 clove of minced garlic;
– 1/2 chopped onion;
– 01 Sicilian lemon;
– Salt to taste.
Preparation: cook the pasta the way you prefer. In a frying pan, add the oil, onion and garlic and let it fry a little. Then add the cherry tomatoes, lemon juice, spinach leaves and salt. When the ingredients are cooked (not too much, as the spinach can become bitter), add the pasta (still in the skillet) and stir for about 10 seconds to mix. Turn off the heat and enjoy!
Follow-up tips: you can accompany the pasta with a grilled chicken fillet or with a fried egg (if the yolk is soft, the dish is even more amazing).
10. Spinach with ricotta paste
A light option that can go into several recipes! Ricotta is rich in calcium and is a source of vitamins and minerals that are very important for the functioning of the body!
Ingredients:
– 01 cup of boiled spinach;
– 250g of ricotta;
– 1/3 cup of olive oil;
– 03 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese;
– Salt to taste.
Preparation: in a food processor or blender, add all the ingredients and process until it becomes a thick paste. If necessary, add more oil and be very careful with the use of salt!
Accompanying tips: the paste can be served with breadsticks, bread and even as an ingredient for a pasta!
These 10 super spinach recipes are delicious and extremely nutritious! Do what you like best and invite your friends over for dinner!
