Appetizing spinach for all ages

I love spinach. Sauteed with garlic, spinach is pungent and delightful. Stewed with chick peas, curry and tomatoes, it’s savory and sweet at the same time. Added to bolognese sauce, it nearly disappears, but fills the dish with nutrition. The one thing all of these preparations have in common, my four-year-old tells me, is that the spinach is mushy.

Yep, we’ve got ourselves a texture boy, one who’ll eat anything because he loves trying new flavors, but sometimes he just can’t get past the texture. Sure, I could give him spinach in a salad, I suppose, but he’s got a funny thing about big pieces of greens.

I’ve discovered the perfect way to prepare spinach for my mush-hater, and it’s something that can translate into an easy yet classy appetizer too.

How will my son devour spinach? When I take each leaf, fold it in half, roll it and put it on a toothpick. No stems can be sticking out, of course, but that’s easily remedied. So that’s kind of cute, right? And it really doesn’t take too long. Here are a few ideas of combinations you could add to the toothpick for a fun appetizer with lots of taste and a funky little presentation:

• a chunk of manchego cheese, prosciutto, a dried fig and rolled spinach.
• feta rolled into the spinach leaf, half a grape tomato, and a Kalamata olive.
• half a strawberry and goat cheese rolled into the spinach, with an aged balsamic dipping sauce.
• caramelized onions rolled into the spinach, a chunk of gouda and a slice of apple.
• jalapeno jelly rolled into the spinach and a chunk of brie.

The combinations are endless! So whether you’re preparing a quick and easy appetizer for some impromptu guests, or desperately trying to get your little one to ingest some leafy greens, the rolled spinach is sure to be a winner.

What other combination ideas do you have?

Clacked by Debbie McDuffee
on Jan 12, 2009 @ 09:48 EST5EDT