Sauteed Spinach – Food And Mood Creations

This sauteed spinach is a versatile side dish that works for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Furthermore, spinach is filled with beneficial nutrients. Best of all, sauteed spinach is delicious, and it cooks in 7 minutes. 

What Does Spinach Do To Your Body

Spinach is a nutritional superstar. Spinach contains flavonoids that contain anticancer, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory potential. Spinach is also: 

• beneficial for skin care
• helps manage blood pressure
• boosts eyesight 
• helps maintain strong muscles 
• prevents macular degeneration and hemophilia associated with age
• helps control the buildup of fats, cholesterol, and other deposits in the arteries
• helps prevent neurological disorders, heart attacks, and cataracts

Do I Need To Wash Spinach

Whether you need to wash spinach depends on who you ask. Most food safety experts do not recommend washing bagged spinach. 

Washing spinach at home will not remove bacteria if it survives the washing process. Additionally, you may unknowingly expose the spinach. If your sink or water supply is contaminated, the spinach will become infected when you wash it. 

Still, some food safety experts believe you should wash spinach before using it. 

How Do You Make Sautéed Spinach Not Bitter

Spinach can be a little bitter. But you can disguise the bitter flavor with a bit of seasoning. I seasoned the spinach with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder to mask the bitter taste. 

Too much salt can give the spinach a salty taste, so less is more when it comes to sauteed spinach.

Another way to disguise the bitterness of spinach is by using fresh lemon juice. Add a squeeze of lemon juice to the spinach once it’s done, and it will add a bright flavor to the spinach. 

Tips For Making Sauteed Spinach

• Fresh spinach is best for sauteed spinach. While you can technically use frozen spinach, I do not recommend it. Frozen spinach is cut into small pieces and filled with thick stems. You can use frozen spinach for stuffed chicken breasts or other stuffed dishes. 
• One pound seems like a massive amount of spinach. However, like other leafy greens like kale and collard greens, spinach wilts as it cooks. So if you are making spinach for more than 4 people, you may need to add more spinach. 
• Use a large deep skillet when making spinach. The deep skillet allows you to add all the spinach to the pan at once. I used a regular skillet and had to wait for the spinach to cook down before adding more. 
• Sometimes spinach can become soggy if it’s not cooked correctly. Sauteeing spinach over high heat for a short time allows the water to cook off. This prevents the spinach from becoming soggy.
• Yes, you can make sauteed spinach in advance. However, sauteed spinach tastes better when you serve it immediately after it’s been cooked. 
• You can use leftover sauteed spinach for soups, savory muffins, egg white muffins, or as a stuffing for chicken breast. 

How To Store Sauteed Spinach 

Let the leftover sauteed spinach cool completely. Place it into an airtight container. Store the sauteed spinach in the fridge for 3 days. 

You can also freeze sauteed spinach, but the spinach may become waterlogged. Place the sauteed spinach in an airtight freezer-safe container. It will last for 3 months in the freezer. 

To reheat the spinach, heat it on the stove in a skillet over medium-low heat for a few minutes until it is warm. You can also reheat the spinach in the microwave for 1-2 minutes until it is heated through. If you want to reheat frozen spinach, it’s best to thaw it in the fridge overnight. Once it’s defrosted, you can reheat the spinach on the stove or in the microwave. 

What To Serve Sauteed Spinach With 

You can serve any savory dish with sauteed spinach. You use sauteed spinach as a side dish for lemon paprika chicken or quinoa zucchini lime salad. 

You can add sauteed spinach to a blackened chicken rice bowl or a roasted veggie quinoa bowl. 

References:

Abu Al-Qumboz, Mohammed N. and Abu-Naser, Samy S., Spinach Expert System: Diseases and Symptoms (March 2019). International Journal of Academic Information Systems Research (IJAISR), 3(3), 16-22, March 2019, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3369032

Singh J., Jayaprakasha, G. K., and Patil S.B. (2018)Extraction, Identification, and Potential Health Benefits of Spinach Flavonoids: A Review. ACS Symposium SeriesVol. 1286. DOI: 10.1021/bk-2018-1286.ch006

Abu Al-Qumboz, M. N. & Samy S. Abu-Naser S. S, (2019). Spinach Expert System: Diseases and Symptoms International Journal of Academic Information Systems Research (IJAISR), 3(3), 16-22, March 2019. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3369032

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