Spinach has come a long way. From mushed, green, ‘yuck’ that an entire animating company had to create a wise-cracking, corn cob smoking, sailor in order to have children want to eat it, to ‘chic’, calcium rich, fiber-filled, anti-oxidant powerhouse that it is today. It features in vogue salads and baby mixes at restaurants and Whole Foods and green markets all across the land. So it’s no surprise that it has transformed from giant, sandy leaves straight from the farm which needed much washing, to tender, tiny, tasty, baby leaves cleanly packaged in plastic.
More than nutrition, I love spinach for it’s versatility. It’s mineral, earthy, simplicity lends it to many dishes where spicier stand-outs like arugula, and mizuna and radicchio may become divas. Speaking of these, they also pair well all together to bring harmony to any salad. Spinach can be served hot and wilted and comforting, or raw, cool, and crisp with your favorite salad ingredients. As a substitute for lettuce on sandwiches or an ingredient in a smoothie. Some examples of ingredients I love to pair with spinach are:
Garlic, curry, ginger, sesame seeds, pine nuts, sunflower seeds, cardamom, nutmeg, Parmesan cheese, tofu, chick peas, eggs, chicken, fish, shrimp, lobster, cantaloupe, blueberries, strawberries, bitter greens, scallops, asparagus, cheese of all kind, it loves spices and herbs. And so on and so forth. Playing a minor role, support, or starring spinach is easy to prepare. Raw is easy, just make sure it’s clean, and most supermarkets carry packaged spinach that is pre-washed. If you still want to clean it when you get home an easy way to was all greens is to sanitize your kitchen sink and rinse. Plug the drain and fill it 3/4 full. Dump your greens into the water and swish around gently allowing dirt or sediment to fall to the bottom of the sink, and the clean greens to stay on the surface. If you have a salad spinner use it to dry the leaves, or if you don’t own one, you can use a colander to drain the greens. You will have to wait until they air dry or gently scrunch them with a clean dish towel, or paper towels. Be careful not to bruise the greens with this method as they are tender. A great method of adding carrots into a spinach salad, or any salad for that matter, is to use the peeler to continue to peel off long, thin strips of carrot which will curl off into your salad and add height and texture. They will be more tender as well and easier to eat.
Spinach and Scallops
2 lbs of fresh spinach, stemmed and washed, not dried
1 lb of bay scallops
3 large cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed with the broad side of a knife
¼ cup of dry white wine
2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon of olive oil
Kosher salt, to taste
1 teaspoon of grated lemon zest
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Pat dry the scallops in a paper towel, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large non-stick saute pan, over medium heat. When the oil begins to shimmer and you can smell it add the scallops and brown on both sides for about 2 minutes each depending on size. Remove from the pan and turn the heat down to med-low. Add the garlic and lemon zest and cook for 20 seconds, stirring continuously. Add the wine and lemon juice and reduce until almost dry. Add the scallops back in and the spinach and toss occasionally until wilted, season to taste with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Poppy seed Salmon Strawberry Salad
1 bag baby spinach
4 6 ounce salmon fillets, skin off
4 teaspoon poppy seeds
4 ounces chevre, crumbled lightly (use your choice)
1 pint of fresh, ripe strawberries, tops off and quartered
1 1/2 cups red grapes
1 small, crisp red onion, halved and sliced thinly
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard or whole grained
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Heat a non stick saute pan that can go into the oven as well, with olive oil to medium. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on each salmon fillet. In a bowl full of the poppy seeds, coat each salmon fillet on the top side in the seeds and place that side down into the pan and sear until a little crisp, about 2 minutes. Flip with a fish spatula and cook 2 minutes on the other side and pop into a preheated oven set to 375 or 400, for about 5 more minutes. Remove from the pan and add the red onions and cook until soft. Add the garlic and cook for a minute but not browning, add the sherry vinegar and white wine and parsley. Let everything begin to simmer and add the Dijon or whole grained mustard and stir well. Whisk in the olive oil and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Turn off the heat and toss ingredients, except the salmon, together with the warm dressing. Sprinkle the Chevre in and spoon out portions of salad and top with the warm salmon.
Now this can be done with chicken too, but I would recommend using a baking sheet with nonstick spray and slicing the chicken into strips, and sprinkling the chicken in the poppy seeds. All the flavors just come together so nicely this way. You can use blueberries instead of grapes if you like as well. Sesame seeds instead of poppy seeds can also be substituted.
Mean Green Smoothie
1 cup spinach, raw
1 cup cubed pineapple
1/2 small avocado
1/2 cup no sugar vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup ice
1/4 cup soy milk
3 teaspoons Splenda
Put all ingredients in a blender and puree until a smooth consistency is achieved. This should serve about 4 people, and is delicious.
Since moving to Boston, I have been continually pleased by the farm fresh produce available here. Daily markets in the middle of the city and neighborhoods create a movement up here. Towards slow foods, sustainability, and heirloom varieties of vegetables, fruits and even poultry and meat.