Know the Terrific Benefits of Hot or Cold Spinach

This fairly mild green plant has amazing versatility.  Raw spinach is the basis of  many wonderful cold salads.  Spinach is also included in many cooked meals, from breakfast dishes with eggs to a variety of wonderful dinner recipes where it blends well with an array of flavors and foods.  Fresh spinach, quickly sautéd with olive oil and garlic, is a classic Italian dish and is seen as an appetizer in some Italian restaurants.  Spinach provides an astonishing amount of nutrients, including  phytonutrients, water-soluble vitamins, and fat-soluble vitamins.  Some of these nutrients are more available to us when eaten raw and some when eaten cooked.  So should you eat it raw or cooked?  Look at this great Vegetarian Times article, Nutrition Face-Off: Raw vs. Cooked Spinach.   My husband and I  like our spinach just sautéd lightly in olive oil and garlic.  Watch here for a very impromptu spinach sauté.  Click on the picture below for a great vegetable dish whether you sauté the vegetables or not.