Radio România Internațional

Tag: Spinach

  • Spinach

    Spinach

    Spinach can be found fresh in markets in the spring months and in early autumn. Nutritionists recommend it fresh, in salads and in juices, as beneficial for the digestive tract, but it is also beneficial when cooked.



    One traditional dish for Easter is roast lamb with spinach, using two kilos of spinach for every kilo of lamb. No matter how you cook them, spinach leaves have to be washed several times, then blanched and drained well. When you make roast lamb, lightly brown the meat in oil. Also, the spinach leaves are not chopped or mashed before cooking.



    Many recipes call for mashing the spinach leaves before being used. One very simple preparation is spinach and egg. After washing and blanching the leaves, boil them in a bit of salted water, then mash them adding lemon juice. After creaming the spinach, just lay on top of it a fried egg, sunny side up. As simple as this sounds, we also have spinach and egg combinations that are a bit more intricate. Chop finely one onion and sweat it in oil. Add the spinach, creamed with lemon juice. Drain the excess liquid, then, press the back of a tablespoon into the surface of the spinach to form shallow holes. Break a raw egg in each, then put in the oven at low to medium low heat until the egg coagulates.



    There are various types of spinach soups or cream of spinach, but spinach is also very popular in pastry making. We have the spanakopita, the famous Greek spinach pie, where the spinach is baked between two sheets of pastry, but you can also roll the spinach into the dough, which make for a beautiful presentation. Cream spinach and spread it over a sheet of dough, roll it, and coil it into an oven tray. Bake until golden brown, about half an hour, then serve it hot or cold as an entree.

  • Invitation to a raw-vegan brunch

    Invitation to a raw-vegan brunch

    Spinach, oat and quinoa balls, burgers, pizza, Russian salad, spinach and quinoa salad, bruschetta with fresh sprouts, avocado salad, ginger tea, crunch cake, lemon cake, chocolate candies, caramel and coconut canes, were only some of the temptations of the raw-vegan brunch hosted by a rather unconventional venue in Bucharest recently. Besides good food, the organizers wanted to give their old and new customers the occasion to socialize. Corina Radu, a representative of the rawvegan restaurant that organized the event tells us more about it:



    Corina Radu: “We organized a brunch that we called Efflorescence. It was not a common brunch, as our plan was to make it more like a socializing event. Our restaurant is raw vegan, serving dishes made of fruit, vegetables and seeds. 80% of our dishes are raw, which means the ingredients are neither cooked, nor processed. However, we also have several cooked dishes, such as warm soup, which is highly appreciated by our clients especially in the cold season and also several meals that we cook in the oven. Our cooked food is obtained through healthy methods, so we don’t fry anything, we do not use any unhealthy techniques. At the brunch that we organized we tried to present as many of our products as possible, so that people had the chance to test them.”



    We asked Corina Radu to describe the types of food that customers particularly appreciate:



    Corina Radu: “We served our famous burgers, which are so appreciated because they are a type of healthy fast food. Our clients are happy they can have a burger, rolls and cheese made of cashew. Many of our dishes are similar to the Romanian traditional ones, such as Russian salad, quinoa, oat and spinach balls. Some of them even taste like meat, so sometimes it’s hard to guess they are made of vegetables. We also served deserts and beverages.”



    Corina Radu has told us more about the Effloresce brunch that they organized:



    Corina Radu: “There were more than 50 participants, the restaurant was full. As the event’s name suggests it, the whole concept was built around spring. We adorned the restaurant with flowers, my colleagues wore flower crowns and the whole atmosphere was colorful and playful. Our clients were impressed with the elements that we brought in, such as brightly colored vases and many, many flowers.”



    And, since clients were so enthusiastic about it, other Brunch sessions will also be organized, as well as all sorts of cooking workshops or workshops focusing on healthy diet. But until people get used to the idea of raw vegan food, they can even enjoy foodstuffs tasting just like fast food.



    Corina Radu: “Our traditions are very strong, and usually when we think of Easter or Christmas, it’s food that is usually prepared on such occasions that comes to our mind first. So, we usually have orders for plates typical of that specific celebration. They will have beef salad, vegan balls, cashew-based cheese, which is always present on a vegan’s menu. Also, we have a very good olive pate, as well as a pate made of cashew cream with curcuma and Falafel, although this has been taken over from the Lebanese cuisine. We also have a special recipe for the roulade that is usually cooked for Easter, as well as the traditional Easter cake. Besides all that, we interact with people who eat a different kind of food as well. And if you’re being seated at the table and they eat a burger with French fries, then you can order from us a vegan burger with celery fries.“



    It is a very tasty and filling cuisine, successfully replacing the traditional one, our guest also said. Undoubtedly, sweets are an in irresistible temptation, since they are not only sweet, but also healthy.



    Corina Radu: “Sweets are another unique selling point for this kind of cuisine, since they are healthy and also rich in nutrients. So, those who take up a healthy lifestyle first of all seek to replace sugar with honey or dried fruit.“



    Bucharest is therefore a good place for people who want to taste and enjoy raw vegan food. However, it remains to be seen how such a unique culinary offer will “catch on” with the public at large.