# Spinach Leaves



## cook4us (Aug 27, 2007)

I have a tons of spinach leaves that I have leftover from using them for salad....any suggestions?


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## Katie H (Aug 27, 2007)

Rinse them off, drain them a bit and put the still-wet leaves in a skillet and steam them (using the water clinging on the leaves) until they wilt.  Remove from the heat.  Then stir in some olive oil a little minced garlic, little salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Add some lemon juice or cider vinegar and some feta cheese crumbles.  If you want to gild the lily, add some bacon bits, too.  Serve as a warm side dish.


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## bandonjan (Aug 27, 2007)

Saute them in a little butter, salt and pepper,
and enjoy, simple but good. Also use them
on your sandwiches instead of lettuce. Can
also use your left over sauted spinach in
scrambled eggs or anything "florentine". I
imagine you can blanch and freeze, haven't
tried it myself.


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## Chef_Jimmy (Aug 27, 2007)

Wow, where to start!

simple and easy and very lovely is dropped dry into a deep fryer for 30-45 seconds and hit with some cajun seasoning. This is a great side to any fish dish.

Use in any salad. I also like them in fish quesadillas.......Fresh spinach, diced tomato, mozz cheese and seared _______________<--(any white fish)

Also, saute with EVOO, garlic, parm and a shot of fish sauce*(if you have it)


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## Uncle Bob (Aug 27, 2007)

Chef Jimmy said:
			
		

> simple and easy and very lovely is dropped dry into a deep fryer for 30-45 seconds and hit with some cajun seasoning. This is a great side to any fish dish.


 
Thanks for reminding me of this....It's been a while!!


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## BreezyCooking (Aug 27, 2007)

Rinse, add to a pan with a couple of pats of butter & stir until wilted.  Add some chopped garlic, salt, & freshly ground pepper to taste; then finish with a couple of dollops of heavy cream.  Heart attack on a plate, but delicious - lol!!!


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## Dina (Aug 27, 2007)

Spinach wraps, dips, egg rolls, scrambled eggs.......


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## jpmcgrew (Aug 27, 2007)

Dont forget what seems like tons will cook down to a tiny amount.


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## buckytom (Aug 28, 2007)

wilt, then chop and blend with goat cheese, cream cheese, or laughing cow soft cheese. use this mixture to stuff chicken breasts or pork chops.

or use the mixture to make a dip by adding blanched artichoke hearts, bacon bits, and some milk or cream.


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## Rom (Aug 28, 2007)

spinach and ricotta cannelloni?


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## Loprraine (Aug 28, 2007)

Spanakopita, quiches, pasta dishes.


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## cook4us (Aug 28, 2007)

Chef_Jimmy said:


> Wow, where to start!
> 
> simple and easy and very lovely is dropped dry into a deep fryer for 30-45 seconds and hit with some cajun seasoning. This is a great side to any fish dish.
> 
> ...



These sound good, could really add a crisp to any dish. The only thing...was is cajun seasoning? lol.....also thanks everyone for the replies!


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## Chef_Jimmy (Aug 29, 2007)

Cajun seasoning is usually a mix or spices like salt,pepper, garlic powder and cayenne pepper (this is basic) I buy mine. Emeril's Essence is a good cajun seasoning i also like Luzianne (sp? like the tea)


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## Andy M. (Nov 5, 2007)

Katie E said:


> Rinse them off, drain them a bit and put the still-wet leaves in a skillet and steam them (using the water clinging on the leaves) until they wilt. Remove from the heat. Then stir in some olive oil a little minced garlic, little salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add some lemon juice or cider vinegar and some feta cheese crumbles. If you want to gild the lily, add some bacon bits, too. Serve as a warm side dish.


 

...or use this delicious concoction to stuff a couple of pork chops!


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## Caine (Nov 5, 2007)

Just do a Google search for *FLORENTINE RECIPES*.  You'll be so busy reading apinach recipes, you'll probably forget to start dinner!


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## BreezyCooking (Nov 5, 2007)

Yup - Caine is right.  In fact, I frequently use cooked spinach tossed with some crumbled feta cheese as a bed for sauteed flounder or chicken cutlets.  For a more vegetarian outlook, it also makes a great bed for some poached eggs lightly coated with a nice swiss or gruyere cheese sauce.


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## Bilby (Nov 5, 2007)

Make a salmon lasagne and use the spinach leaves as a layer against the salmon. No need to precook or tear unless on the tough side. 

Add to just cooked pasta with sliced olives, halved cherry tomatoes, and either salmon/crab or chorizio or similar. Add preferred flavourings like garlic and stir through some cream prior to serving.  If the leaves are large tear, if small use whole. I also sometimes add halved cherry bocconcini balls to the mix as well.  Of course, top with grated cheese.

Get whole squid and stuff with spinach and ricotta mix, put into a baking dish and top with chunky tomato sauce and cheese and bake until squid is tender.

Fill with savoury beef mince and bake in a hot oven.  Can top with cheese, cream or tomatoes, or whatever you prefer.

Stirfry in oyster sauce.


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## pacanis (Dec 6, 2007)

I found this thread doing a search for blanching spinach and am glad I did. I will be trying some of the recipes I've just read, including frying it. That sounds really good.
So, to ask what the original poster did, also, _can_ you blanch spinach? Or does it cook so fast you end up cooking it instead? Would it be good to freeze after cooking it?
Of course the store had a 2 for 1 sale and I'm a sucker for those sales. I've got a bunch of aspparagus to blanch, too.


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## Andy M. (Dec 6, 2007)

Blanching is partially cooking.  You are correct, you cannot practically blanch spinach.  You just cook it.


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## pacanis (Dec 6, 2007)

So then could I freeze it after it's completely cooked?
Or am I better off eating a lot of spinach in the next week


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## Andy M. (Dec 6, 2007)

Yes it will freeze fine.


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## pacanis (Dec 6, 2007)

Thank you, Andy.


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## Bilby (Dec 6, 2007)

When you defrost it though, just make sure you squeeze out the moisture.


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## Katie H (Dec 6, 2007)

Bilby said:


> When you defrost it though, just make sure you squeeze out the moisture.



I use  my potato  ricer to squeeze  the liquid  out of  spinach.  Works  beautifully.


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## Bilby (Dec 7, 2007)

Ha ha!! I just use the back of a spoon on a saucer!! Don't own those new fangled things (LOL!!!!) like potato ricers!! LOL


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## pacanis (Dec 8, 2007)

Katie E said:


> Rinse them off, drain them a bit and put the still-wet leaves in a skillet and steam them (using the water clinging on the leaves) until they wilt. Remove from the heat. Then stir in some olive oil a little minced garlic, little salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add some lemon juice or cider vinegar and some feta cheese crumbles. If you want to gild the lily, add some bacon bits, too. Serve as a warm side dish.


 
In light of the non-stick article Andy just posted, should I assume this should only be done in a SS or aluminum skillet, not a non-stick surface?
Or can you put the spinach in a non-stick and then bring up to temp?  Still, not much surface area would be covered.....
I'm just wondering when I should leave that new non-stick "everyday" pan I got alone and reach for a SS one if all I want to do is steam something like spinach.

Thanks in advance...... and probably afterwards, too


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## Cordel (Dec 8, 2007)

I think you could do this in non-stick, since it is done at a fairly low temperature.  Best to use ss when you want to pre-heat the pan, then add oil, and cook at high temperature.  If you pre-heat, then add oil, nothing sticks to the pan, but you can't do it with non-stick.


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## pacanis (Dec 8, 2007)

Thanks, Cordel.
I guess the word "steam" had me thinking this was done at a higher temp.


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## Jeff G. (Dec 8, 2007)

Wilted spinach...

fry up a few strips of bacon and crumble add some chopped GREEN onion tothe grease pluss a little sugar, cider vinegar and water(strong vinegar/bacon flavor).  Place the the leaves in a bowl.  When the mixture is boiling hot pour over the leaves then using a pot lid, smash the greens down and let the lid set on the leaves for a few minutes...   You won't have any problem eating a large bunch of leaves all at once with this one.


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## Bilby (Dec 9, 2007)

We do similar to Jeff G but we get a bowl of fresh baby spinach leaves, cook up bacon pieces in a fry pan, toss in some bread cubes for croutons and pour everything incl the fat into the salad leaves and toss with some crumbled feta.  Throw in some cherry tomato halves as well and you have a meal in a bowl.


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