Spinach Squares {Classic Appetizer Recipe} (2024)

FAQs

How do you use frozen spinach? ›

Defrosted frozen spinach can be added to any recipe that calls for leafy greens. "Once defrosted, squeeze out excess water, and add to fritter batters, smoothies, soups, stew, a pot of creamy beans, or my favorite, as a lasagna layer," Bruning says.

This sautéed spinach recipe is a delicious side dish for any meal. Pair it with a pasta like fettuccine Alfredo or homemade mac and cheese, with a hearty soup like black bean soup or chili, or with a simply cooked protein like crispy sesame tofu. You can also add sautéed spinach to larger dishes and recipes.

BAD COMBO #2: Spinach and Dairy Products

If you're on a vegetarian diet or are a menopausal woman or just want to make sure you're absorbing calcium well, you'll want to avoid mixing dairy with oxalate-dense foods like spinach, beets, collards, leeks and parsley.

Spinach is only one of three vegetables we recommend boiling to free up acids and allow them to leach into the boiling water; this brings out a sweeter taste from the spinach.

Cooked spinach should not be reheated because it contains high levels of nitrates, which can turn into harmful nitrites when reheated. These nitrites can potentially cause health issues, especially for young children and pregnant women.

Too much of anything is going to be a bad thing. But when it comes in spinach, you have to eat quite a lot of it to any serious damage. It is recommended by nutritionists that you eat maximum 2 cups of spinach per day; eating any more over a long period time could incur health complications.

Spinach. The leafy green is packed with nutrients, but you'll absorb more calcium and iron if you eat it cooked. The reason: Spinach is loaded with oxalic acid, which blocks the absorption of iron and calcium but breaks down under high temperatures.

In the case of soup, no. A little extra water never hurt a broth. But when it comes to pretty much everything else—be it eggs, quesadillas, or skillet pizza—moisture is the enemy, so you're going to want to let the spinach thaw.

So when you defrost your frozen spinach, it has already been wilted down and cooked to some degree. The best way to defrost frozen spinach is to warm it in the microwave for a few minutes or warm it over low heat on the stove in pot and strain excess water with a mesh sieve or colander.

Blanching spinach before freezing helps preserve the colour and taste for longer as it delays the enzymatic process that leads to decay, however, it's not so good at retaining the nutrients. Blanching spinach before freezing also means that it will last a lot longer in the freezer, for up to a year.

What does eating spinach everyday do to your body? ›

Spinach is rich in several minerals your body needs, including potassium. Eating foods that are high in potassium can help lower your blood pressure. Spinach is an excellent source of lutein, an antioxidant known to protect against age-related eye diseases such as macular degeneration and cataracts.

Florentine or à la Florentine is a term from classic French cuisine that refers to dishes that typically include a base of cooked spinach, a protein component and Mornay sauce. Chicken Florentine is the most popular version.

To aid in iron absorption add vitamin C, such as a squeeze of lemon juice over your sauteed spinach or eat your spinach with other vitamin C rich foods like bell peppers or citrus fruits.

Spinach is a green leafy vegetable that we all know to be really healthy, due to the presence of high levels of antioxidants in it. However, the best way to eat spinach is not after blanching or boiling it, but rather adding it to your smoothies or juicing it, says a new study.

The good news is that cooking spinach drastically reduces the amount of oxalic acid found in one serving. According to Food Revolution Network, “Steaming spinach has been shown to cut the oxalic acid by 5-53%. Steaming also allows the spinach to retain its folate content, a B-vitamin that helps your body produce DNA.”