spinach rice with pine nuts

Spinach rice with pine nuts is a very simple and quick dish to prepare with just a few ingredients that you should always have at home.

Fresh or cooked spinach: You can use frozen spinach instead of fresh spinach. In general, fresh products are always preferable, especially for raw food dishes. This is partly for reasons of taste, and partly because of the potential contamination of frozen products. For many, the decision is a question of cost. Since the leaves are very sensitive, transport is quite expensive, which makes the price of fresh spinach much higher than processed (frozen) spinach.

There are also 'fresh', packaged spinach leaves in plastic bags. However, the industry has to treat them heavily to ensure they last longer, as germs multiply quickly under the plastic. Vitamins also last less time than in really fresh spinach.

Recommended consumption of spinach: You should not store raw or cooked spinach at room temperature for long periods (around a week). Spinach contains a lot of nitrate, which bacteria convert into harmful nitrite. This can cause problems, especially for children, as it impairs the transport of oxygen in the body and the effects depend on both the amount consumed and body weight. Furthermore, the presence of certain amino acids can convert existing nitrites into carcinogenic nitrosamines when heated at the same time. Since fish products in particular contain many of the amino acids required for this, you should refrain from consuming them at the same time, even if the increased formation of nitrosamines is not comparable to the harmful effects of charred food.

Preserving spinach: Spinach can be preserved for up to 10 months by blanching, cooling in ice water and then freezing.

Alternative to pine nuts: You can also replace the pine nuts with sunflower seeds, pine nuts or nuts. Walnuts or macadamias are particularly suitable here. Almonds would also be a good substitute. You should chop these larger nuts with a suitable knife before preparing.