What fruit pair well with spinach?

Question

What fruit pair well with spinach? This is for a cold spinach-based salad rather than cooked spinach, but I'd be interested in warm spinach too.

Answer

You might consider citrus or other tart fruit with citrus -- mandarin oranges segments are fairly common to pair with spinich; even if you didn't use whole fruit, consider making a vinagrette using orange juice.

I've also seen recipes for spinich salads with strawberries or cranberries; I've also had a pineappe and avocado salad before that might work well with spinish instead of romaine.

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What is the most efficient way to squeeze water out of cooked spinach?

Question

I'm cooking a bunch of spinach for making a spinach and ricotta filling. I need to get as much water as possible out of the spinach, and I'd prefer not to make a big mess in the process. In the past, I've wrapped a few handfuls at a time in a towel and squeezed out the liquid. This leaves me with a messy, green stained towel and requires a lot of twisting that doesn't seem maximally effective.

Answer

The important part is to work in small batches. I just use my hands -- grab a handful, squeeze, set it aside, grab another handful, etc.

Most things that you'd be tempted to use just have too large of holes, and let lots of spinach bits through, (and I admit, I miss some spinach as I start getting towards the end and it's mostly water), or they've got too small of holes that it's serious effort to use, and you have to work in small batches anyway.

So, if nothing else, my way leaves you with only your hands to wash, and no extra gear to buy.

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Why do frozen greens get fibrous and tough in the microwave?

Question

When I microwave frozen spinach or amaranth greens to cook them, they sometimes get tough and fibrous. There doesn't seem to be a consistent pattern in when this happens, so I can't figure out how to avoid it.

So I ask you: why do frozen greens get tough and fibrous when cooked in the microwave, and how can I avoid it?

Answer

Microwave ovens cook primarily by spinning water molecules. Frozen water is less susceptible to this affect. I would guess that with certain vegetables, as frozen water turns to a liquid, it is quickly heated to the point that it boils and evaporates. The heating is less even than cooking frozen vegetables in a pot and leads to areas that are somewhat dehydrated and fibrous.

Try cooking your frozen vegetables in a container with a lose cover and additional water. This will allow them to cook or steam from the the outside in much like in a pot.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dielectric_heating

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