Return of the Mystery Box!

Training: Weights / Body Balance

Well it seems my little blog has been quite reflective and a little melancholy of late. While I am not complaining, I believe it is time to get back to some good ol' regular BBB posts.

And what better way to do that than with the help of an old friend.

The Mystery Box!

I found my little black box of inspiration when I was unpacking over the weekend, and could not wait to draw out an ingredient.

And what a perfect ingredient it was!

Spinach!

Did you know? Spinach is native to Central and South West Asia. It has a high nutritional value, being rich in antioxidants, vitamin A and folic acid (although its apparent high iron content was later discovered to be incorrect). It is reported that when Catherine de'Medici became Queen of France in 1533, she insisted that spinach be served at every meal because she loved it so much.

I wonder if she also loved green monsters?

I am sure that you are well aware of my love for spinach - particularly seeing as it appears so frequently on this blog. Smoothies, salads, curries, savoury loaves, lasagne, risotto ... you name it ...  this versatile ingredient has made an appearance in all!

If you follow me on twitter, you would know that I went out for dinner last night. While my main meal was quite tasty, it was the warm spinach and chickpea salad that was served on the side that had me drooling. It was filled with spices, had the most wonderful aroma, and left me wondering if I could recreate something similar at home.

And, with spinach drawn from the Mystery Box, there really was no right time like the present!

Using a can of cannellini beans (I was out of chickpeas) as my base, I sautéed them in olive oil, spices, garlic and pepper.

Next came a whole bag of baby spinach.

Yes - a WHOLE bag!

It will seem like a lot when you first add it to the pan, but after no time at all it had wilted to almost nothing.

Covered and simmered for 10 minutes.

Such an easy, yet tasty, warm salad.

The aromas from the spices made our house smell wonderful also.

And not to mention that it went from idea to table in just under 15 minutes!

Gotta love that!

Served alongside a veggie burger and some leftover tamari rice salad,  to create a balanced dinner.

This salad will most certainly be making more appearances in the BBB household…. I just know it :)

Spicy Spinach and Bean Salad (GF)

This is an easy salad that is best served warm. You could use whatever spices you have on hand, although the cumin and nutmeg combination works really well to create a delicate yet flavoursome salad.

• 1 can beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 tbs ground cumin
• 1 tbs ground nutmeg
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bag of baby spinach leaves
• pepper to taste

1. Heat oil in a large frypan over a medium heat.
2. Add the beans, spices and garlic, and cook stirring for 2 minutes until the spices are aromatic.
3. Add the spinach, and continue stirring until wilted.
4. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes or until the beans are soft.

What about you? What is your favourite way to use spinach?

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It seems that Mother Nature is not happy with Australia at the moment. Between the Queensland, NSW and Victorian floods, and the fires in South Australia, you would think she would want to take a break. Sadly, for our Northern Queensland neighbours, this is not the case, and they are bracing for what appears to be a mighty cyclone. My thoughts are with all that are affected, and I am deeply hoping that the storm abates as it draws closer to land.

Happy Baking :)