It turns out that Popeye was right, spinach does build muscle. Recent research at Rutgers University has demonstrated the muscle building effects of spinach both in muscle tissue in a Petri dish and in living rats. The researchers extracted a pure substance known as a phytoecdysteroid from spinach and used it in the lab where they observed effects from 20% faster muscle growth, improved strength, protective effects on the liver, kidneys and the brain and it does this without “Androgenic” effects of other steroids.
To be clear the researchers are looking at the possibility of creating a pharmaceutical from spinach that will be used to treat specific illnesses. The way the researchers prepared the spinach extract and the way we prepare spinach to eat might result in a substantially different “dose” of the active ingredient. Spinach is such a delicious food that it does not need to contain anabolic steroids to get us to eat it. Spinach is also a nutritional powerhouse that is low in carbs and so can be enjoyed freely. Spinach is also a natural in a low carb diet because it goes so well with fats. How about a wilted spinach salad with hot bacon dressing for example. This recipe is rich and delicious. Unlike many creamed spinach recipes this one contains no flour as a thickener. It relies on heavy cream, cheese and butter to get the job done.
Ingredients:
2 lbs fresh spinach
2 oz chopped onion
4 cloves garlic chopped
2 Tbsp butter
2 oz shredded white cheddar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup shaved Parmesan
Wilt the spinach in a dry heavy gauge wok or large heavy gauge frying pan. The spinach will reduce in volume dramatically and give up a lot of moisture. We used fresh but frozen would be a reasonable substitute. Drain the spinach in a seive or colander to get rid of as much moisture as possible. Remove all moisture from pan and sweat the garlic and onions in the butter until tender. Do not brown the butter or the onion/garlic mixture. When the onion/garlic mixture is tender, add the drained spinach and all the remaining ingredients with the exception of the Parmesan. When the cheese is melted and mixed well with the cream and butter, serve with a topping of shaved Parmesan.
Servings ?
Per Serving: Calories XX, Carbs XX, Protein XX, Fat XX