Spinach: Not as much iron, but just as much taste as we thought
I'm Popeye the Sailor Man,I'm Popeye the Sailor Man.
I'm strong to the finich,
Cause I eats me spinach.
I'm Popeye the Sailor Man.
Popeye the Sailor Man has a strong affinity for spinach. He’d rip the top of the can open, pour the green veggie down his gullet and, in an instant, become physically stronger. Spinach, we assume, is so high in iron that it could give Popeye instant strength.
It turns out that spinach is about 10 times less rich in iron than people thought in 1933 when the first Popeye cartoon was introduced. Apparently, the iron content of the vegetable was mistakenly reported higher when researcher, Dr. E. von Wolf, misplaced a decimal point in his calculations.
It’s not that spinach is bad for you. It’s just not as good as we once thought. In fact, it really has about the same amount of iron as a lot of other vegetables, and even less than others. Cooked broccoli and cauliflower, for example, have almost double the iron content of spinach.
Still, it tastes good and has been used in Asian recipes since ancient times. Primitive forms of spinach are found in Nepal, where the plant was first domesticated. It was really not know outside of the Indian subcontinent until the early Muslim conquests when it was spread throughout the Muslim world, including Spain.
This Indian-inspired recipe is so easy to put together when you want something just a little warm and savory. It’s not spicy, but the flavors just dance across your tongue. It’s a very simple recipe and it can be a hearty main dish served with a crusty bread (such as the Cuban Bread featured on this blog on 08/30/09) or as an easy side dish to your favorite meal.
Spinach and Potato Stir Fry
Popeye the Sailor Man has a strong affinity for spinach. He’d rip the top of the can open, pour the green veggie down his gullet and, in an instant, become physically stronger. Spinach, we assume, is so high in iron that it could give Popeye instant strength.
It turns out that spinach is about 10 times less rich in iron than people thought in 1933 when the first Popeye cartoon was introduced. Apparently, the iron content of the vegetable was mistakenly reported higher when researcher, Dr. E. von Wolf, misplaced a decimal point in his calculations.
It’s not that spinach is bad for you. It’s just not as good as we once thought. In fact, it really has about the same amount of iron as a lot of other vegetables, and even less than others. Cooked broccoli and cauliflower, for example, have almost double the iron content of spinach.
Still, it tastes good and has been used in Asian recipes since ancient times. Primitive forms of spinach are found in Nepal, where the plant was first domesticated. It was really not know outside of the Indian subcontinent until the early Muslim conquests when it was spread throughout the Muslim world, including Spain.
This Indian-inspired recipe is so easy to put together when you want something just a little warm and savory. It’s not spicy, but the flavors just dance across your tongue. It’s a very simple recipe and it can be a hearty main dish served with a crusty bread (such as the Cuban Bread featured on this blog on 08/30/09) or as an easy side dish to your favorite meal.
Spinach and Potato Stir Fry
1 pound fresh spinach
1 large potato, sliced very thin
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and chopped into tiny pieces
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon Kosher salt
1 tablespoon Sesame oil
· Heat the frying pan on high heat and put in the Sesame oil and spread it over the whole surface.
· Put in the ginger. Fry quickly, pushing it around the pan for about 1 minute. Remove.
· Put in the potatoes. Again, fry it quickly and push it around the pan. Fry for about 2 minutes until the potatoes are just beginning to brown.
· Add the spinach. It will begin to wilt and crisp immediately so watch it carefully. As soon as the edges of the leaves are a little crispy, pull it out. Put the ginger back in the pan you arrange the spinach on the serving plate and then top the spinach with the other two ingredients. Add the salt and pepper.
1 large potato, sliced very thin
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and chopped into tiny pieces
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon Kosher salt
1 tablespoon Sesame oil
· Heat the frying pan on high heat and put in the Sesame oil and spread it over the whole surface.
· Put in the ginger. Fry quickly, pushing it around the pan for about 1 minute. Remove.
· Put in the potatoes. Again, fry it quickly and push it around the pan. Fry for about 2 minutes until the potatoes are just beginning to brown.
· Add the spinach. It will begin to wilt and crisp immediately so watch it carefully. As soon as the edges of the leaves are a little crispy, pull it out. Put the ginger back in the pan you arrange the spinach on the serving plate and then top the spinach with the other two ingredients. Add the salt and pepper.
