Long known for its healthful attributes, this nutrient-rich leafy green contains no less than four Foundation Supplements. Thanks to its high levels of magnesium, manganese, silicon, and Vitamin K, spinach is a bone-smart alkalizing powerhouse. (You only need to worry about its oxalate content if you’ve had kidney stones in the past.)
The list of additional valuable nutrients is long – from vitamin C to several B vitamins, vitamin A, iron and anti-inflammatory phytonutrients. But let’s face it, spinach can get boring, so I set out to explore new ideas so you can enjoy it with a creative twist.
Here are the 6 tastiest and easiest ways to use spinach any time of the day – or night – and they are all pH balanced as well.
Tip: I recommend you use organic spinach, especially since it’s included in the EWG’s “dirty dozen” list.
Note: all recipes are for individual servings.
Now let’s get started!
#1 – Salad Haters Salad
In a bowl, toss 2 handfuls of baby spinach with 1/2 cup of cooked chickpeas and one large cubed pear (or apple, if you prefer). Mix in one cup of cooked quinoa, sprinkle some walnuts and a little fresh ground pepper. Enjoy with your favorite dressing.
#2 – Green Dream Smoothie
Blend one banana with 1 cup of spinach leaves and 1 cup of almond milk (or your favorite alkalizing milk substitute).
#3 – Quick Quesadilla
Make your own spinach quesadilla wrap in a jiffy!
Ingredients
1 teaspoon extra-light olive oil
1/4 small onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups spinach
1 8-inch wrap or flour tortilla
1 egg
1 tablespoon plain unsweetened yogurt
Oregano, sea salt, and pepper, to taste
Directions
1. In a medium-sized pan heat the oil and cook the onion until soft. Stir in the garlic, cooking a minute or two more until soft.
2. Mix in the spinach and cook until wilted, more or less for 2 minutes. Drain well and place in a bowl to cool a little.
3. In another small bowl, whisk together the egg and the yogurt. Add to the cooled spinach and mix until combined.
4. Heat the wrap or tortilla in the pan over low heat, so it softens a little. Turn the heat to medium and pour the egg-spinach mixture over half of the wrap, fold the other half over and cook on one side until the egg begins to firm up, 3-4 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side for 2 to 3 minutes, until the egg is fully cooked. Cut into wedges and enjoy.
#4 – Strawberry Fields Salad
In a bowl, mix 1 1/2 cups baby spinach, 1/2 cup arugula, 3/4 cup cooked chicken (cubed or sliced thin) and 1/2 cup sliced strawberries. Throw in some sliced almonds for crunch and pour your favorite dressing.
#5 – Fast n’ Flavorful
Use a large pan for this easy dish.
Ingredients
1 teaspoon extra-light olive oil
1/2 small onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon ginger, grated
1/2 cup of asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 cup of spinach
Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
1 handful of toasted almonds, chopped up a bit
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped (optional)
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Directions
1. Heat the olive oil and add the asparagus, onion, ginger, sea salt and pepper and stir fry for about a minute.
2. Add the garlic and spinach. Stir-fry for another minute, or until the spinach wilts.
3. Pour in the lime zest and juice and. Cook for another 10-20 seconds, stirring all the while.
4. Remove from heat and stir in the basil and sprinkle with almonds.
#6 – Easy Detox Soup
Feel free to adjust the amount of water you use in this recipe. This soup tastes delicious, thick or thin.
Ingredients
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 clove of garlic, chopped
1 cup fresh broccoli, cut up
1 cup spinach leaves
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 teaspoon parsley, chopped (if fresh)
Water, as needed to achieve desired consistency
Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste
Lemon or lime juice
Directions
1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil and stir in the garlic.
2. Add the spinach, broccoli, celery, and parsley, and stir until the spinach wilts.
3. Add enough water to cover the vegetables, and bring to a high simmer. Cover the pot and reduce heat.
4. Cook for 15 minutes or until vegetables soften.
5. Use a blender to puree the soup, and add a squeeze of lemon or lime juice.
Do you have other creative ways to use spinach? I’d love to hear them! Share them with the community by leaving a comment below.
Enjoy in good health!
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A D V E R T I S E M E NT
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March 7, 2013
We drink our greens. We blend baby kale, spinach, parsley with carrots, celery, turmeric, ginger, apple and that counts for our vegetables. So, a meat/meat substitute plus the drink is our dinner. If you want, add another vegetable like baked potatoes (I often do because I am Irish & will eat potatoes in any form), baked sweet potatoes, or beets (pressure cooker or baked). Homebaked bread using ground up flax seed is another treat!
March 7, 2013
when spinach is cooked, even slightly it becomes oxalic acid which is very dangerous for bone health and for health in general. It causes Gout, etc.
I am therefore surprised at all your recipes. Only raw spinach as a salad is of benefit.
January 31, 2013
I heat a little butter or olive oil in a skillet, add some diced onions, and when the onions are almost tender, add a handful of fresh spinach. When the spinach cooks until tender, I add some eggs and feta cheese. This is a great breakfast or brunch idea, and diced tomatoes might also be good in it. Another way I use spinach is, i heat a can of spinach with some diced onion, add one or more eggs, and cook until the eggs are done. This can be done on the stove or in the microwave. When the eggs have been thoroughly cooked, I add some Parmesan cheese on top, and pepper to tast. This is similar to a spinach souffle.
January 28, 2013
Your spinach recipes sound delicious. I plan to try all of them!
January 28, 2013
I have recently purchased the Save Our Bones Program. And recently I have been reading about the concept of soaking grains and beans and nuts to help break down the phytic acid, making it less acidic and more alkaline. Would using soaked grains and the products made from soaked grains be more alkalizing to the body? Is sourdough bread alkalizing to the body when eaten?
January 26, 2013
Thanks Vivian. I ate alot organic spinish, olmost every day. The problem is that with lupus medicine I don’t want to ate, If kyou don’t have hungre, you don’t want to cook, so I take insure, or some thing like that. some days I go aut to buy some things, maybe is not good for me. I don’t ate red meat, most chiken, some time, . It’s es better no ate any kind of meat, for lupus, The best is fruts and Salads, but I agot tirer of that. They said, don’t ate any kind of meat, Not dairy products, not egs. etc etc. I am ating nuts…. Some time I go three times at weck to acuatic arobis, It’ was to cool here and I have asma broquil… Sti I’m sick. Mjm.
January 20, 2013
One of my favourite dips (or topping for pasta) is to put an avocado (or two) into a blender – add a few large handfuls of baby spinach, olive oil, lemon, 2-3 garlic cloves & salt, plus some basil leaves. Whizz until smooth. Yum!
January 13, 2013
thank you so much for all the recipes
January 13, 2013
Thanks Vivian, for the recip. I love Spinich, Some time I made smothies, I made salads with letters, aple, tomatos, etc.et I love salads, Some days I don’t ate to much, becase the Medicine for lupus, made me sick. I joint now to arthritis Fundation, and I hope this New Year I will feeling Better. Thanks. Thankyou honney. You are very nice. Maria J.Mckenney
January 13, 2013
Thanks, nice recipes.
January 12, 2013
Detox fantastic good nutrients.Thank you for the huge amount of work you do.
January 12, 2013
Hi, We quite often layer spinach with the pasta when we make lasagne
Best wishes Micky
January 11, 2013
If you cook the spinach, the oxalates will not prevent the uptake of calcium. Raw spinach is not a good idea.
January 21, 2013
HI.
I’m confused.
I’ve heard for years that raw anything is good and raw spinach is fabulous. You’re saying that’s not the case?
Please confirm and clarify.
January 11, 2013
Thank you once again to you Vivienne others in the community.
January 11, 2013
Thank you so much for sharing all this wonderful information
I always look forward to all your great recipes.
January 11, 2013
Popeye’s Ice Cream
¾ cup half and half or coconut milk
2/3 cup powdered milk
2 cups spinache
1 ½ tbsp vanilla
2 ½ cups ice cubes
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend medium speed for 20 seconds, then high speed for 25 seconds until smooth
Makes 3 ¾ cups
January 11, 2013
Donna, that’s a unique way to eat spinach! Thanks for the neat recipe. This might be a great way to get kids to eat their spinach…:)
January 10, 2013
Here is an easy way to prepare spinach. Steam or boil spinach for a couple of minutes. Drain and when reasonably cool squeeze out the water and cut into 1 to2 inches pieces. Arrange neatly on a dish and add soy sauce to taste and sprinkle on top with toasted sesame seeds or dried bonito flakes. These are dried tuna that is shaved. This is a very common Japanese dish.
January 10, 2013
Thanks you very much.I have got creative idea for healthy food.
Monira
January 10, 2013
These are both old tricks but still delicious…use spinach in omelets
and/or fritatas….in almost any combination. Thanks for all you do!
January 10, 2013
Would love to know about the 15 min. bellybulge trick. I can’t see the video. Is it available in printed form. I could use it to lose the belly fat I am stuck with.
January 10, 2013
Thanks I like green of all kinds and I do like spinach and thanks for all the recipes
January 10, 2013
Vivian always seems to send some advice just when I need it and find the
ideas so helpful. Cant wait to try some of those spinach recipes to help
with my alkiline need to improve. Thank you so much for all this Vivian.
January 10, 2013
I love spinach, Vivian! Fantastic recipes with this veggie!!! Thank you!
“Mickey”
January 10, 2013
I steam spinach with sweet basil and have it with other veges. Beautiful flavor.
January 10, 2013
Thanks por the spinich, I ate a lot of this…..
January 10, 2013
Thanks
Shula
January 10, 2013
Whenever we want pizza (which isn’t very often)we top a basic cheese pizza with fresh spinach and mushrooms. Thanks for the 6 savvy ways, Vivian. And thanks to Roxanne also. All nice ideas.
January 10, 2013
I have been avoiding spinach because I thought the oxalates interfere with or prevent calcium absorption. I read that spinach is rich in calcium but that the oxalates prevent you from getting any of it!
January 11, 2013
Hi PM,
“You only need to worry about its oxalate content if you’ve had kidney stones in the past.”
I understand your concerns, which is why I mentioned oxalates in the first paragraph of the post.
It is true that oxalates bind to calcium and diminish its bioavailability. That’s where a varied diet and taking the right calcium supplements play an important role.
January 10, 2013
what are your takes on black rice…good or bad?
January 10, 2013
After sauteing spinach in a little olive oil (or lightly steaming it), you can add it on top of many dishes such as brown rice with vegetables cooked in the same olive oil before cooking the spinach or merely steaming them. Or perhaps the base starch could be rice pasta with vegetables such as onions, carrots, celery, cauliflower, asparagus, brussel sprouts etc.(no mushy ones like potatoes, zuccini or squash). It works best for me when I choose vegetables in 3 or 4 colors (white, yellow, red or green). Then add the seasonings you enjoy. I happen to like salt, black pepper, dill weed, curry and turmeric. You may need a few more drops of olive oil to finish.
If you are making spaghetti as the base, add lightly sauted (in olive oil) fresh tomatoes, onions and garlic on top of the sauted spinach.
January 10, 2013
Vivian,
You should set up your website so that the recipes could be printed. Of course without all the advertising showing would be the best.
January 10, 2013
Mona, here are some suggestions for printing the recipes. Just select (highlight) the text you want to print, copy it (Ctrl C), paste it on a Word or Pages document (if you have a Mac), save it (Ctrl S), and then print it like a regular document.
I hope this works for you!
January 10, 2013
I don’t have a working printer, so I highlight, right click, copy and send it to myself in an email. Then I have set up “folders” along side my email and just drag them into the folder.
Thanks Vivian for all the great recipes and for the knowledge you give us. Much appreciated. Lynn
January 10, 2013
this works for me.
January 10, 2013
I enjoy lots of spinach! For breakfast saute it in non-stick pan in a little olive oil until wilted, then push it aside and break an egg or two into the pan and cook. Dish the spinach up and put the egg on top. You may put a little grated cheese on top, too. Or for a change, saute onions, mushrooms, red peppers first.
Drop fresh spinach in soups as they finish cooking. An Asian soup with chicken broth, soy sauce, ginger, sliced green onions, bits of shrimp, chicken and/or ham topped with spinach. Enjoy!
January 10, 2013
Thank you for those suggestions, Roxanne!
January 10, 2013
thank you,Ita.
January 10, 2013
Dear Vivian,
Years ago before I had a problem, I remember hearing that spinach is a no go food as it leaches calcium and that it should be replaces by chard. Any idea where this came from or do you think its an “old wife’s tale”?
January 10, 2013
Thank you so much.
It’s nice to have some more creative ways to use spinach apart from just putting it in salads. Julie