Warm Spinach Salad

Picture a bunch of fresh spinach, lush green with water droplets on it. Overflowing with nutrients like minerals, vitamins, fiber and protein. Sounds appealing? Try this line with your kids. They'll most probably scamper the minute they hear the word spinach! I have some warm spinach salad recipes that you can try to coax your kids to eat, and help them get over their spinach phobia!

...with Roasted Chicken
What you will need

• Fresh spinach cut into small pieces - 8 cups
• Roasted chicken (cubed) - 1 ½ cup
• Bacon - 6 slices
• Zucchini (cut into strips) - 2
• Green onions - ⅓ cup
• Cider vinegar - ¼ cup
• Sugar - 1 tablespoon
• Dijon mustard - 1 teaspoon
• Flour - 1 tablespoon
• Water - ½ cup
• Celery seed - ½ teaspoon

Instructions

• Place the bacon on medium heat in a skillet and cook till it turns crisp.
• Drain it and make crumbs of the bacon.
• Put the chicken, zucchini and green onions in the skillet after removing the oil from it.
• Cook it for about 3 minutes or until the onions are tender.
• In the meantime, spread out the spinach in the serving platter.
• Place the chicken, bacon and onion mixture on the spinach.
• Take the water and vinegar in the skillet and heat.
• When heated, add the flour, mustard, sugar and celery seeds to it and stir till the mixture is thick.
• Pour it on the salad and toss the salad and serve!

...with Eggs and Artichokes
What you will need

• Eggs - 3
• Baby spinach (washed and dried) - ¾ pounds
• Extra virgin olive oil - 5 tablespoons
• Red wine vinegar - 1 tablespoon
• Balsamic vinegar - 1 tablespoon
• Salt and pepper - to taste
• Brined artichokes - 1 can
• Gruyere cheese - ⅓ cup

Instructions

• Hard boil the eggs and peel them when cooled.
• Mix the red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper in a bowl.
• Cut the artichokes after draining them.
• Cook the vinegar mixture, oil and artichokes in a pan on medium heat till warm.
• While the mixture heats, spread the baby spinach in a bowl.
• Then put the artichokes mixture on the spinach.
• Toss it well.
• Garnish the salad with crudely cut pieces of the boiled egg.
• Grate the gruyere cheese on the salad and serve!

...with Nuts and Cheese
What you will need

• Pine nuts - 1 tablespoon
• Baby Spinach (washed and dried) - 8 cups
• Extra virgin olive oil - 1 tablespoon
• Lemon Juice
• Feta cheese (crumbled) - 2 tablespoons
• Golden raisins or cranberries (dried) - 2 tablespoons
• Red onions (minced) - 2 tablespoons

Instructions

• Heat the pine nuts, while stirring occasionally, until they are golden brown.
• Heat the spinach in a microwave, with a plastic wrap on the tray, for about a minute or until it is wilted.
• Till then, mix the olive oil, lemon juice and sugar.
• Add the cheese, raisins and red onions to this mixture.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Pour this dressing over the wilted spinach and garnish it with the pine nuts.

...with White Beans
What you will need

• Spinach (fresh and torn) - 4 cups
• Onion (sliced) 1
• Minced garlic - 1 tablespoon
• Navy beans (rinsed and drained) - 3 ½ cups
• Diced tomatoes - 3 cups
• Fresh thyme (chopped) - 1 tablespoon
• Turkey bacon (cooked, drained and crumbled) - 2 slices
• Olive oil - 1 cup
• Red wine vinegar - 4 tablespoons
• Salt and pepper - to taste

Instructions

• Cook the onion and garlic in the olive oil till they are tender.
• Add the beans to the mixture.
• Drain the tomatoes and retain ⅓ cup liquid.
• Add the tomatoes, the retained liquid and the thyme to the onion garlic mixture.
• Cook for about 2 minutes on medium heat.
• Add half the spinach and stir the mixture till the spinach is wilted.
• Add the remaining spinach and the bacon.
• Place the mixture on the serving platter and sprinkle the vinegar on it.
• Add salt and pepper to season.

Test these recipes for warm spinach salad on your children. They'll love it and might just give a whole new meaning to Sammy Lerner's "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."