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• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Preparing the spinach
• Part 2 of 3: Preparing the spinach
• Part 3 of 3: Eating the spinach raw

Spinach is a green leafy vegetable that contains a lot of iron. Spinach isn't just for Popeye - everyone can enjoy it, heated or raw. You can use spinach in a salad or smoothie, you can stir-fry it, or make a sauce with cream. There are many things you can do with this simple and tasty vegetable!

To step

Part 1 of 3: Preparing the spinach

1. Select tasty spinach. Run your hands through the container of spinach at the supermarket or greengrocer and only pick up dark green, fresh leaves. Leave yellowish, broken or otherwise damaged leaves. If you select the right spinach leaves, you can be sure that it is still nice and fresh when you start processing it. In the supermarket it is often already without stems in a plastic bag. Then check carefully whether the leaves are still nice and fresh.
   • Some types of spinach have smooth leaves that are easier to clean.
   • Wild spinach can withstand the cold better. The leaves are wrinkled, making it difficult to clean.
   • Baby spinach is common spinach that is picked after 15-20 days, normally spinach is not harvested until after 45-60 days. Baby spinach is very tasty in salads, mature spinach is better for heating.
2. Place the spinach in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. This way you can keep it for 3-5 days. If the spinach was already in a bag at the time of purchase, you must close it tightly after opening to keep it fresh. If you are not going to use it right away, you don't have to do anything with it yet. You don't wash it until you start using it.
3. Remove the stems. If there are still thick stems on the leaves, you can remove them with a knife or kitchen scissors. You can eat the stems, but they are quite chewy and the taste can be unpleasant. The leaves will taste better with the stems removed.
4. Clean the leaves under running water to remove the sand and dirt. There is often a lot of sand between the leaves, which is not good in your mouth. If you buy spinach in a bag, it is often already washed and clean, although you can safely wash it again. You can wash the spinach in the following way:
   • Separate the leaves
   • Run your hand along the grain to remove the leaf from the stem. This is optional. Some people just eat the stalk.
   • Put the leaves in a container of water, stir it a little through the water and drain the water.
   • Repeat until all debris has been removed.
5. Dry the spinach. The spinach must be thoroughly dry before heating it, unless you are going to cook it. Place the leaves in a colander and let it drain for ten minutes, or dab it gently with some kitchen paper. Be careful not to bruise the leaves when drying. When it is dry, you should start preparing it as soon as possible.

Part 2 of 3: Preparing the spinach

1. Boil the spinach. One of the easiest ways to prepare spinach is to cook it. You can cook it and eat it like that, or you can process it in a cream sauce afterwards. This is what you need to do to cook spinach:
   • Place the spinach in a large pot of boiling water.
   • Cook the spinach for 3-5 minutes.
   • Drain it.
   • Put the spinach in ice water to stop the cooking process and give it a nice green color (optional). Drain again.
   • Put the spinach in a nice bowl and drizzle some tasty olive oil over it.
   • Season with salt and pepper.
2. Stir fry the spinach. Stir-frying or sautéing is a common way to prepare spinach. All you need, besides spinach, is some olive oil, two cloves of garlic (optional), and salt and pepper. How to stir fry spinach:
   • Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat.
   • Put the garlic in the pan and mix well with the oil.
   • Add half of the spinach before the garlic turns brown, fry this portion of spinach for one minute. Use tongs to stir the spinach.
   • Add the rest of the spinach and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes.
   • Turn off the heat and season with salt and pepper.
3. Prepare the spinach with cream. Cream goes very well with spinach. You can eat this dish alone, but it pairs well with beef or chicken or any other protein source of your choice. You will need the following ingredients: 650 grams of spinach, 115 grams of butter, 80 grams of flour, 1/2 sliced ​​onion, 3 finely chopped garlic cloves, 500 ml of milk, salt and pepper. This is how you prepare spinach with cream:
   • Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed pan.
   • Add the flour to the butter and mix the two ingredients well.
   • Leave the butter and flour in the pan for 5 minutes, over medium heat.
   • Add the onion and garlic and saute the mixture for 1 minute.
   • Add the milk and let it simmer for 5 minutes while stirring constantly.
   • Stir fry the spinach in a separate pan. Follow the stir-fry instructions (but without the garlic).
   • Season the sauce with salt and pepper and add the spinach.
   • Mix the spinach and the sauce well.
4. Prepare spinach from the oven. Oven baked spinach is another way to make spinach into a rich and hearty dish. You will need these ingredients: 1/2 finely chopped onion, 30 grams of butter, 2 bags of spinach, 115 ml of whipped cream, 80 ml of milk, 60 grams of grated Parmesan cheese, 30 grams of breadcrumbs or breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. You prepare the spinach as follows:
   • Fry the onion in the butter until the onion is soft.
   • Add the spinach, milk and cream.
   • Remove the pan from the heat.
   • Stir 40 grams of Parmesan cheese into the mixture and add the breadcrumbs and salt and pepper to taste.
   • Spoon the mixture into a small greased baking dish.
   • Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese over the mixture.
   • Place the oven dish in a preheated oven at 175 ° C for 40-45 minutes.

Part 3 of 3: Eating the spinach raw

1. Make a spinach and strawberry salad. This salad is easy to make and very nutritious, and you don't need to heat the spinach. You only need the following ingredients: 1 bag of spinach, 10 fresh strawberries, 40 grams of almond shavings, 1/2 finely chopped red onion, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, 25 grams of sugar, salt and pepper to taste. This is how you make this delicious salad:
   • Finely chop the onion.
   • Cut the strawberries into quarters.
   • Toss the onion, strawberries, almonds and spinach together in a container.
   • Make a dressing by mixing 60 ml balsamic vinegar, 60 ml olive oil, 25 grams sugar and salt and pepper.
   • Pour the dressing over the salad and you're done.
2. Make a spinach salad with figs and feta. This sweet salad is ideal for a warm summer afternoon, for a picnic, or as a side dish. Put the following ingredients in a bowl: 1 bag of spinach, 50 grams of crumbled or chopped feta, 10-15 figs in quarters, 60 grams of pecans and some grapes. Add a simple balsamic vinegar dressing, or a yummy raspberry vinaigrette if you want to go crazy, and you're done - without cooking!
3. Make a spinach smoothie. Spinach can add a delicious flavor to a fruit or vegetable smoothie. All you have to do is add some spinach to the rest of your smoothie ingredients and then turn on the blender. Here are the ingredients for a delicious pear and spinach smoothie:
   • 350 ml of water or coconut milk.
   • 350 grams of spinach
   • 1 finely chopped ripe pear
   • 15 ml of lemon juice
   • A little grated ginger
   • 5 grams of ground flaxseed
   • 7 grams of honey
4. Ready.