Spinach-Rice Salad.

Spinach-Rice Salad

Ingredients

1 pound fresh spinach
1 large onion, chopped finely
1/4 to 1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup long grained rice, washed
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 to 1 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions

Wash spinach and cut coarsely.  In a large pot saute onions in olive oil until softened.  Add rice and stir to coat.  Add spinach, parsley, salt, pepper and boiling water.  Cover and simmer 15 minutes.  Add lemon juice and if needed, add a tiny bit more water, cover and simmer another 5 minutes or until rice is tender.  Add more lemon juice to taste.

Nutrition of Spinach-Health Benefits

Spinach is best available during winter months. In the markets, buy fresh leaves featuring dark-green color, vitality and crispiness.

• Spinach is store house for many phyto-nutrients that have health promotional and disease prevention properties.
• Very low in calories and fats (100 g of raw leaves provide just 23 calories). It contains a good amount of soluble dietary fiber, no wonder green spinach is one of the finest vegetable sources recommended in cholesterol controlling and weight reduction programs!
• Fresh leaves are rich source of several vital anti-oxidant vitamins like vitamin A, vitamin C, and flavonoid poly phenolic antioxidants such as lutein, zea-xanthin and beta-carotene. Together these compounds help act as protective scavengers against oxygen-derived free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that play a healing role in aging and various disease processes.
• Zea-xanthin, an important dietary carotenoid, is selectively absorbed into the retinal macula lutea in the eyes where it is thought to provide antioxidant and protective light-filtering functions.
• Spinach leaves are an excellent source of vitamin K. 100 g of fresh greens provides 402% of daily vitamin-K requirements. Vitamin K plays a vital role in strengthening the bone mass by promoting osteotrophic (bone building) activity in the bone. Additionally, it also has established role in patients with Alzheimer's disease by limiting neuronal damage in the brain.
• 100 g of farm fresh spinach has 47% of daily recommended levels of vitamin C. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant, which helps the body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful oxygen-free radicals.
• It is also rich source of omega-3 fatty acids.