Spinach and Apple Recipe

I love spinach! It’s so delicious and mommy says it’s packed full of nutrients too. Spinach is an excellent source of iron which is important for breastfed babies. We are born with around six months worth of iron reserves. It’s important to start an iron rich diet of solid foods no later than six months of age. Spinach is a great start. Here is my favourite way to eat it.

Ingredients:

3 medium sized apples

1 large bunch of spinach

Preparation:

Preheat steamer to high heat.

Wash the apples thoroughly and remove all traces of core and seeds. Cut the apples into cubes or wedges. Place the apple pieces in the steamer and reduce the temperature to medium heat. Cook until the apples begin to get tender which should take around 15 minutes.

Some babies get upset stomachs from apple peels. Remove the peels if you’re not sure how your baby’s tummy reacts to them. It is also a good idea to peel the apples if your baby prefers food of a smoother consistency. You can peel the apples before steaming with a knife or peeler. You can also remove the peels after steaming and cooling by picking the peel off the softened fruit.

Spinach is usually grown in sandy soil and the leaves tend to trap much of it. All bits of sand need to be removed before cooking. Place the leaves in a large bowl and fill the bowl with cool water. Move the leaves around to dislodge any sand, drain away the water, and repeat. Refill the bowl with fresh water, dislodge any last traces of sand, and scoop floating leaves from the top, leaving any remaining sand at the bottom of the bowl.

Remove any tough parts of the stems from the leaves. Give the spinach leaves one last rinse in cool running water, and place them on a plate lined with paper towel. Use the paper towel to lightly toss the leaves until mostly dry. Once the apples have begun to get tender, reduce the heat to medium-low and put the spinach leaves on top of the apples. Steam for another 5 minutes or until the spinach begins to wilt.

Remove the spinach and apples from the steamer and place them on a plate lined with fresh paper towel. Using the paper towel, roll the apples and spinach back and forth to dry. Then roll them right off the paper towel and directly onto the plate. Set aside to cool until lukewarm or room temperature. Place the apples and spinach in a food processor and puree until smooth.

Store leftover puree in the freezer in meal sized portions. Cooked spinach doesn’t keep well in the fridge. You can keep the finished puree in the fridge for about a day. Remember that pureed produce will lose nutritional value quickly due to oxidation but freeing the puree will preserve most of the nutrients.