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The Ins And Outs of Cooking Spinach
Whether cooking spinach or eating it raw, it's important to learn how to clean and prep this yummy veggie. Why? Because although spinach is one of those vegetables that we all seem to despise as kids, somewhere along the way we fall in love with it.
The spinach season runs from March-May and again from September-October. Although you can usually find it all year round, it's at its best and prettiest during these months.
How To Select Spinach
Ready for a nutritional quickie? Visit Vegweb.com to read my article Byte of Spinach!
Step 1: Choose organic spinach whenever possible since it is a card-carrying memeber of The Dirty Dozen that must be purchased organic due to its high pesticide content.
"But organics are dirty. Ewwww!"
Please remember, this is a GOOD THING! So many of us have gotten used to buying totally clean and perfectly sanitary produce. Believe it or not, that commercial produce you've been purchasing that looks so pretty is in all actuality weak and sad due to the poisonous pesticides and herbicides it has grown up with
Plus, organics are ALIVE and filled with nutrients, which is your purpose to eating in the first place, right? Don't worry, we'll clean that spinach to perfection.
When choosing Spinach, be sure to examine the leaves -- they should be large and full. Avoid bunches that have leaves that are riddled with tears and holes, which could suggest it is out of season, or has been mishandled.
How To Clean and Prep Spinach
Step 2: Fill a bowl (or a Salad Spinner, as I have done here) with clean, filtered water and add 2-3 Tablespoons of Lemon Juice, or any other edible acid, such as Vinegar. This will help to clean your Spinach more thoroughly. Don't skip this step -- it's very important as the acidic properties will help to kill any little critters that may be in your LIVE NUTRIENT PACKED spinach.
Step 3: Pinch off the leaves at the top of the stem. Discard stems.
Step 4: Soak the leaves in the water/lemon juice mixture for at least 5 minutes.
Step 5: Drain.
Step 6: Rinse. This veggie has a reputation for being fairly dirty, so you will most likely have to rinse and drain a couple more times until the water is clear.
Step 7: Spin dry. If you don't have a Salad Spinner, I highly recommend you get one as it will become indispensable to you.
Otherwise, you can drain thoroughly and lay out on paper towels to air dry. Or simply use it immediately.
Now you can begin the short process of cooking spinach or you can use it raw. However, you may want to chop it first. Here's a simple way to accomplish this.
Step 8: To chop: It's easier to chop the Spinach when it's gathered in a bit of a roll. So just grab a handful and roll it together -- it doesn't have to be perfect! Run the knife through the length of the roll of Spinach. This will cut the roll in half the long way.
Step 9: Next, make cuts into the Spinach along the width for bite-sized pieces.
Create your very own vegan spinach recipe with some of your favorite ingredients from this list of foods that match perfectly with spinach.
Allspice Bacon, meat-free (I like Fakin' Bacon. Eat sparingly; this is not a health food) Bell Peppers, especially red Bragg’s Liquid Aminos Brown rice syrup Butter, non-dairy (I like Earth Balance) Cardamom Carrots Cheese, non-dairy Chili peppers (such as jalapeno) Chives Cream, non-dairy Cumin Curry Extra-virgin olive oil Garlic Ginger Horseradish Leeks Lemon Lemongrass Mint Mushrooms Mustard Nutmeg Nuts (especially almonds, walnuts and pine nuts) Olives Onions, all Oranges Pepper, black Raisins Seeds (especially pumpkin) Sour Cream, non-dairy Soy Sucanat (or other dry sweetener) Tarragon Tomatoes Vinegar (especially red and wine) Yogurt, dairy-free
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Disclaimer: The entire contents of this website are based upon the opinions of Patty "Sassy" Knutson, unless otherwise noted. The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional or nutritionist and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Patty "Sassy" Knutson, who encourages you to make your own health care and nutrition decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional.