Sesame Spinach
This super quick spinach recipe is deliciously simple. Nutrient-packed, this vegan spinach recipe is the perfect side dish. Pair it with rice, tofu, salmon, grilled chicken, or steak. The sesame neutralises the bitterness of the spinach. This is my take on the many versions of Japanese classic side of spinach with sesame that I have eaten over the years.
The mighty spinach has long been lauded for its health benefits - how else did Popeye get so strong? (Although I sudder to imagine what his spinach in a can tasted like). Aswell as being an outstanding vegetable source of iron, spinach is the top vegetable source of potassium (Vitamin K) and packed with Vitamins A, C and the all important B vitamins or folic acid which are so essential for human health and fetal development.
This recipe has a second health hero: sesame. Sesame has been cultivated since ancient times, in fact the name sesame is one of the few words passed down to us from ancient Egyptian when it was called sesemt*. Today, sesame is used in many forms the world over; as seeds sprinkled on burger buns in the US, sesame oil in Chinese stir fries, or tahina in a Middle Eastern hummus. Sesame is very popular in Japan where it is associated with health and longevity. Studies have shown that sesame oil can inhibit human colon cancer growth in vitro, lower blood pressure, decrease lipid peroxidation, and increase antioxidant status in hypertensive patients*.
I cook quite a lot of Asian food, so I always have a jar of roasted sesame seeds in the store cupboard to sprinkle on rice, etc. You can roast sesame seeds on a low heat for 5-10 minutes and store them for several months in a dark dry place.
Ingredients
250g of spinach
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 teaspoon soy sauce ( I use Kikkoman Tamari because it is gluten-free)
A half teaspoon of light flavoured oil
Method
Toast the sesame seeds on a low heat
Grind the sesame seeds into a powder using a spice grinder or food processor. I use a Cuisinart spice grinder.
Gently wilt the spinach in a pan with a couple of drops of oil. Toss so as not let the leaves go brown or mushy.
Take a scissors or knife and chop up the wilted spinach, stir in the soy sauce and then press to release excess liquid.
Stir through the ground sesame seeds and place in a serving dish. Serve warm.
Hello, World!
References
The Oxford Companion to Food, 1998, Alan Davidson
Nuts and Seeds in Health and Disease Prevention 2011. Chapter 122 - Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) Seeds in Food, Nutrition, and Health 2011, Pages 1029-1036 MohamedElleuch, DorotheaBedigian, AdelZitoun,