Popeye was really on to something. Spinach is a versatile veggie that can easily be consumed raw in a salad, steamed, in dips, omelets, lasagna & more! This leafy green can also be incorporated into a smoothie giving your breakfast an extra dose of nourishing goodness, and with minimal impact on flavor. Spinach really is a super food. Packed full of vitamin K, carotenes (cancer protectors!), vitamin C & folic acid, spinach gives you a good bang for your buck!
This alkaline green contains twice as much iron as other greens, but is high in purines & oxalates, so should be avoided by those with gout or kidney stones. Oxalic acid interferes with calcium absorption in the body, however when the leaves are cooked the calcium is approximately twice as bioavailable.
Green Beans, Potatoes and Spinach in Coconut Curry from www.treehugger.com
- 1/3 cup cooking oil
- 2 1/2 cups pureed tomatoes
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tbsp ground black mustard seeds
- 1 tbsp crushed cayenne pepper (this amount will make it quite spicy, so cut back if you don’t want your curry so hot)
- 1 cup water
- 1 lb potatoes, unpeeled, and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1/2 lb green beans, trimmed and cut in 1 inch pieces
- 1/2 cups coconut milk
- 1/2 lb fresh spinach, washed and chopped
1. Place oil and tomatoes in a medium pot on medium-high heat and cook for 1 minute. Add salt, turmeric, mustard seeds and cayenne, stir and saute for 3 to 4 minutes or until oil glistens in the bubbles of the boiling tomatoes. Stir in water and potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 10 minutes.
2. Remove the lid and stir in the green beans. Cover and cook an additional 5 to 8 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked through. Stir in coconut milk and increase heat to medium. Bring to a boil, then stir in spinach, cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 1 minute, or until spinach wilts into the curry. Serve immediately.