Spinach

Not too long ago, I enjoyed my favorite steakhouse side, creamed spinach, with a reliable hunk of aged meat at the House of Prime Rib. I hadn't had the dish in a while, and when I took my first bite I instantly remembered what it felt like to have "spinach teeth" — a gritty, uncomfortable sensation that one experiences after eating spinach. Why, I wondered, does spinach leave your teeth feeling rough?For starters, spinach grows best in sandy soil, so the grittiness may very well come from actual sand if it's not been thoroughly washed. But on top of this, the plant's leaves contain a high amount of oxalic acid crystals, which spread onto the teeth during the chewing process, resulting in a chalky sensation in the mouth. Spinach teeth may be enhanced when the vegetable is eaten with iron-rich substances like milk, which explains why the phenomenon is so detectable with creamed spinach.

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Start your day off with this smoothie recipe from FitSugar reader AllieNic, who shared it in our Healthy Recipe group.

The sun is out; the breeze is warm — it’s definitely Summer out there! My favorite breakfast on a warm Summer morning is a nice, brain-freeze-inducing smoothie packed with spinach and berries. There’s just something about getting a green veggie in the a.m. that makes my day 100 percent better!

Summer Solstice Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 2 handfuls of raw spinach
• 1/2 cup frozen blackberries
• 1/2 cup frozen raspberries
• 1/2 frozen banana
• 1-2 cups So Delicious unsweetened coconut milk

Check out the rest of this post on my healthy living blog, Frisky Lemon Nutrition

Have a great recipe to share? Don't forget to post it in our Healthy Recipe group. It might end up on the FitSugar home page.

I love salad spinners. They're one of my favorite kitchen tools, but sadly, I don't own one. I have to wash greens, like spinach and arugula, the old-fashioned way. Here's how it's done:

1. Place a large handful of greens in a colander. Rinse well with water.
2. Roll out a long sheet of paper towels and place on a clean kitchen surface. Alternately, spread out a clean dish towel.
3. Lay the greens in a single layer on top of the towels. Cover with another layer of paper towels or another dish towel. Repeat, creating layers of greens and towels, until all the greens are washed. Use immediately.

Do you have a tip for washing vegetables? Share it with us below!

This year, several friends and I started an informal dinner party club. Each month, we take turns hosting; the hostess makes the entrée, and everyone else is assigned a supplementary dish like a salad, appetizer, or dessert. Most recently, I was assigned the appetizer to go with a baked cheese and sausage ziti.

What to serve, I pondered, with a hearty pasta and a rich frozen dessert? The answer turned out to be a hot, creamy spinach dip, made healthier with the addition of reduced-fat sour cream and a greater proportion of spinach. Light yet indulgent, it was a nice, green start to what would be a filling meal. I can't wait to serve it again during March Madness playoffs. Want a killer app that's at once both sinful and guiltless? Just keep reading.

During the work week, I try to eat a veggie-packed salad for lunch everyday. Yesterday's was so delicious, I snapped a photo and decided to share the recipe with you. It's a spinach salad with roasted red peppers, garbanzo beans, and sautéed eggplant.

The thing that makes it especially flavorful is the vinaigrette — it's a mixture of sherry vinegar, Dijon mustard, and smoky harissa. Although you may have to hunt down the harissa (or you could make your own), this salad is worth it.

Since I like to have something crunchy at all my meals, I enjoyed a handful of toasted almonds on the side. For a more substantial meal like dinner, offer the salad with chicken or fish. Ready for the recipe? Read more.

Taco night is a regular thing in my house since they are an easy weeknight dinner. However, I've gotten bored eating the same filling, so I started exploring more authentic options on Rick Bayless's website. The first one to catch my eye was this quick chicken recipe with a variety of greens including chard, spinach, and arugula — all topped with Mexican sour cream and freshly roasted poblanos. The recipe only calls for two chicken breasts, but the onions, greens, and poblanos bulk up the filling. There was plenty for my party of four and a little left over. I topped the tacos with chopped scallions and a squeeze of lime juice; next time I'll add cilantro. Spice up your taco night with this scrumptious soft taco filling and use the leftovers for amazing quesadillas or enchiladas. Get the recipe and see how the quesadilla turned out by reading more.

When it's cold out, I crave hot soups, but sometimes, a crunchy salad with a warm component can be just as gratifying. Take this easy lunch salad for example. It's got piles of healthy spinach, salty almonds, and roasted pears. Instead of tossing in croutons and blue cheese, this delicious combination is served alongside the salad in fresh-from-the-oven toasts. I had planned on using dried cranberries for a pop of color but didn't have any in the pantry — feel free to add them in! If you dislike blue cheese, use goat cheese instead. Get the easy recipe.

YumSugar member Tara Sharp shared this cold-weather recipe for spinach soup in the Kitchen Goddess cooking group.In this chilly January weather, nothing warms me up more than my favorite spinach soup recipe, located on the back of Ronzoni's acini di pepe box. I grew up with my mom making it, and now that I'm re-creating it, I like to tweak it each time depending on my mood and what I have on hand. One of my favorite switch-ups is to swap the tiny pasta balls for pastina, which is little stars. In the photo above, I used pastina and a larger egg pasta star; it's really up to you what kind you use. I also used less broth than usual. Remember, everything is adaptable, so have fun with it! See the recipe below.