Popeye was Right: Eat your Spinach!

Sneaking spinach in so your kids don't even notice

I’m embarrassed to even write this and it’s going to soooo date me, but when I was a kid, we were told to eat spinach so that we could be strong like Popeye, the one eyed sailor. Who can forget how he would always carry a can of spinach, squeeze a stream of the green stuff into his mouth and then his biceps would bulge? Or give his girlfriend, Olive Oyl, a spinach bouquet?

When my daughters were younger, I was always looking for ways to make veggies taste flavorful and fun. Spinach was a versatile option. I could get it into their diet sometimes without them ever realizing or noticing! Here are some simple ways in which I would sneak it in! And if I’m being really honest with myself, it was also a way for me to be a little more excited about spinach…

Ramen Noodle with Miso Pesto

I can’t take credit for this one but it’s favorite in my household. I got this recipe from Bon Appetit but I do add a few extra things and change the measurements slightly that I think give it a little extra jazz. I ADORE the color of this dish!

Ingredients (Serves 2)

• 2 cups baby spinach

• 1 cup cilantro

• ½ cup scallions

• 1 tbsp white miso paste

• 1 tsp garlic paste (or 1 clove garlic)

• 1 tsp ginger paste (or 1 inch cube of ginger)

• ½ cup grapeseed or canola oil

• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil

• Juice of half a lemon

• Salt to taste

• 10 oz packet of ramen or yakisoba noodle (best is fresh if you can find it. I usually get it from my local Asian grocery store, but now many grocery stores carry it where they have their tofu section or in their international aisle)

• 1 tbsp of butter

• 1 tsp white sesame seeds

1. Combine the first 10 ingredients in a blender or food processor into a nice green pesto-like paste:

2. Cook and drain ~10 oz of ramen noodle or yakisoba noodle per the package instructions.

3. In a pan over medium heat, add the noodle and spinach miso pesto and combine. Add 1 tbsp of butter and melt and combine it together until noodles are coated in the sauce.

4. When serving, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

Spinach Artichoke Puff

If spanakopita, spinach-artichoke dip, and palak paneer had a baby, this is what it would taste like!

Ingredients (9 puffs)

• 1 packet of frozen puff pastry

• 4 tbsp of butter (half stick)

• 1 tbsp of garlic paste (or 5-6 garlic cloves chopped fine)

• 6 oz artichoke hearts (I usually buy in a jar or can)

• 10 oz chopped spinach (I usually buy a frozen packet of finely chopped spinach)

• 8 oz of cream cheese

• ½ cup of grated parmesan cheese

• 2 tbsp of butter melted OR egg wash (1 egg + 1tbsp water whisked together)

1. Thaw out frozen puff pastry.

2. Preheat oven to 400℉.

3. In a pan on medium heat, melt half stick of butter. Add garlic paste or chopped garlic.

4. Add drained artichoke hearts but make sure to chop them up more than just quartered (usually how they come in the jar). Sauté for about a minute.

5. Add chopped spinach. If using frozen, microwave for 2-3 minutes, and drain all the extra water before adding it to the pan. Sauté for another minute. It’s important in this step to make sure that any additional water evaporates and it’s not swimming in water.

6. Add cream cheese but in small chunks. Sauté and melt the cream cheese into the spinach mixture. Once melted, turn the heat off.

7. Add grated parmesan cheese to the mixture and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

8. Roll out one layer of the puff pastry to about a 9” x 9” square. Before rolling it, sprinkle some flour on your rolling surface - otherwise, the pastry could stick. Cut into 9 squares each about 3” x 3 “.

9. Place about 1 tbsp of the spinach artichoke mixture into the middle of a square. Fold over the diagonal and press down on the edges of the triangle. Use a fork to press the edges down and create a pattern. Brush the top with melted butter or egg wash.

10. Bake in the oven for about 20-25 minutes - until the pastry is puffed and golden brown.

Spinach and Butternut Squash Sauté with Pancetta

If you’re a vegetarian or don’t eat pork, you can leave out the pancetta, but if you’re on the fence, please do try it - it’s really what gives it a magical taste! This is great as a side but also can be tossed with pasta as I did here. If you want to have it as a side, leave out adding the pasta water and pasta as the last step!

Ingredients (Serves 2- 4)

• 8 oz of penne pasta

• ½ cup of diced pancetta

• 1 tsp red chili flakes

• 1 tsp of garlic paste or 1 garlic clove, finely chopped

• 1/4 cup white wine

• 16 oz packet butternut squash, cubed

• 3 cups of fresh baby spinach

• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1. Cook pasta per directions to al dente. Save ½ cup of the pasta water.

2. In a pan on medium heat, add diced pancetta. I can usually find it already in diced form in my supermarket. Add red chili flakes and sauté until pancetta is nice and brown. Add garlic.

3. Deglaze with white wine.

4. Add butternut squash and continue to sauté until it gets brown and a little soft.

5. Add baby spinach. Cook down until wilted.

6. Add salt and pepper to taste.

7. At this point, if you want to use as a side, take off the heat and add some grated parmesan cheese on top.

8. If you want to make it a one pot meal, add the pasta water and then the cooked pasta. Mix everything until incorporated. Take off the heat and add ½ cup of grated parmesan.