I’m strong to the finish ‘cause I eats my spinach’
Because I had 1kg of fresh spinach in the fridge and didn't know what to do with it, I was thinking to re-do the recipe I tried with my mom this winter. I had no appetite for a Romanian like spinach food with polenta (again), so luckily I remembered about this delicious spinach roll with tofu filling.
Was Popeye so strong from spinach?
As we talked about tofu here, before I give you this recipe, I want to get in first in a few technical details about spinach .
Frunzele verzi sunt considerate a fi cele mai sănătoase alimente de pe planetă, conținând cele mai multe substanțe nutritive per calorie. Spanacul este o sursă excelentă de fibre, proteine, vitamine (A, C, E, K, B1, B2, B3, B6) și minerale (calciu, fier, magneziu, zinc, potasiu, cupru, mangan).
A study made by Harvard University found that there is a close link between greens and longevity, by providing the best protection against chronic diseases. Guess what's their secret? A pigment that gives greens the color to the leaves ... namely chlorophyll . It was discovered that DNA damage by a carcinogen can be neutralized by chlorophyll.
When activated by sunlight (as light penetrates through the skin), chlorophyll leads to the regeneration of a powerful antioxidant: coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), very important for proper functioning of the body.
Also, did you know that when you eat spinach, or greens, in general, you actually consume the whole rainbow of pigments that give color to other vegetables and fruits ? Well, they are masked by the strong green color of the leaves given by chlorophyll, but pigments - or antioxidants - yellow, or orange are hidden behind the green.
For a better absorption of nutrients from green leaves, it was found that it is preferable to combine them with a source of fat (nuts, seeds, avocados). So, if you are used to eating salads, add a handful of nuts, seeds or avocado to it.
Contraindication:
Due to the large quantity of oxalates, spinach is not recommended to be consumed in large proportions (> one serving per day). Thus, spinach should be eaten, besides a source of fats, with a calcium-rich food (like sesame, which is also high in fat) , to reduce the effects of oxalic acid. Also, boiled spinach reduces its oxalate volume by half.
If you have kidney problems (sand or kidney stones), I advise you to replace spinach with green leaves that are poorer in oxalates : kale cabbage, arugula, beet leaves, green salad, and green vegetables: broccoli, asparagus, brussels sprouts, andive. Why am I telling you this? Oxalates are organic acids found in plants that are known for causing kidney stones . They are also called antimineral substances because they can reduce the absorption of calcium found in spinach and other foods that contain them.
Ingredients:
Spinach dough
- 300g boiled spinach (aprox 800g fresh)
- 70ml nuts milk or water
- juice from half a lemon
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 200g flour
- 60ml olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
Tofu filling
- 1 box of simple tofu (aprox 200g)
- 100ml soy cream
- 1 red bell pepper
- a bunch of dill
- optional: salt if tofu is not already salty
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 140 degrees C and line a large tray with baking paper.
2. Boil the spinach and mix with the vegetable milk in a blender. Mix baking powder with lemon juice and add it over the composition, mixing well.
3. Turn off the blender and add the flour, mixing slowly. The oil and salt follow.
4. Put the composition in the tray, spread it well with a knife on the entire surface and bake for 20 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.
5. In the meantime, we are preparing the filling. Drain well the tofu, absorbing with the towel the extra liquid. Mix the tofu, the vegetable cream and the salt (optional) in a blender. Chopped dill and chopped peppers are added at the end, mixing the composition with a spatula.
6. Remove the dough from the oven when done (try it with a toothpick, it must come out clean) and roll it on the baking paper. After it has cooled, we unpack it and add the tofu filling. Roll it again and put in the fridge.
This way, we managed to prepare in only 40 minutes a healthy and very nutritious dish, rich in protein, which can be eaten in the evening, for dinner, with a large salad to fill in the plate.
Sources:
- https://nutritionfacts.org/video/kidney-stones-and-spinach-chard-and-beet-greens-dont-eat-too-much/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2645045/pdf/nihms76819.pdf
- https://nutritionfacts.org/video/eating-green-to-prevent-cancer/
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/oxalate-good-or-bad#section6
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/spinach#bottom-line
Lavinia Dinca
Nutritionist
English 
Română