spinach is the most versatile leafy green
but bags of spinach should be WAY smaller
undoubtedly one of the most annoying things about cooking is how fast produce spoils. it doesn’t matter how many times i’ve been to the grocery store in my adult life, i still cannot figure out how many fruits and vegetables to buy. i will be in my local Trader Joe’s and i will stand and stare at the produce and think, did i buy two or three green peppers last time? do i want three or four bananas? if i buy four, does that mean half of them will go bad and then i’ll have to make something with mushy bananas? wait, you can definitely make pancakes with mushy bananas, buy six!! this internal dialogue will continue until someone inevitably snaps me out of my thoughts with an “ope, excuse me!”and then they themselves will stand and stare at the produce, which is fine.
one thing i do always have in my fridge is spinach, and i am consistently tormented by how quickly it goes bad — it’s like if you don’t eat it basically immediately you are destined to be disappointed. i can’t tell you how many times i have opened my fridge, looking forward to using spinach in some way or another, and my heart will sink when i see the slimy, wilted leaves. how can i even attempt to be healthy if i have to keep up with this kind of maintenance? my cousin Stephanie once told me to buy spinach that comes in a container because it keeps it more fresh, and to shake it around every day or so, and this is excellent advice. the problem with that advice though, is that it would mean i would have to go to a different store specifically for spinach because Trader Joe’s spinach is bagged, and even though i have entire days where i do nothing, i am definitely not going to two grocery stores in one day. and i am definitely not grocery shopping anywhere other than Trader Joe’s!! if you’re like but Laura, you should support local business, you are right. however, it’s not my fault that the one cashier at Hollywood Market that i always get because his line is always the shortest is unfriendly! that’s probably why nobody is ever in his line, and i don’t want to wait in lines so i opt for his check out, even if it means i will have to endure his grimacing and general lack of pleasantries. it also isn’t my fault that the produce and food at TJ’s is superior (and somehow cheaper?) than most grocery stores, and that their staff are rays of sunshine, and the world is very dark right now.
my other problem with spinach, whether it’s bagged or boxed, is that there is so much of it. i am cooking for one!! nobody needs that much spinach unless they are making a meal for a family of four that night that requires the entire bag in the recipe. but this brings me to what i love about spinach, simply can’t get enough of, and that is that it’s good in everything. i will put spinach on a sandwich instead of lettuce (another vegetable that there is way too much of when you buy it). i will put spinach in a smoothie, in ramen, in spaghetti sauce, in a salad, and sometimes when my fridge is really empty, i will eat it plain. not only is spinach the most versatile leafy green, it is also the prettiest. its aesthetic is very pleasant, and most of what i eat falls in a bland color palette, so eating spinach makes me feel like i’m doing something right. it adds exactly zero flavor and only a slight crunch, but i know it’s good for me (but i don’t know why).
the other day i put spinach in some tacos i made, and it was fucking delicious. while i am not big on meat per se, i really really really love shredded chicken, and so i googled what i had in my fridge: “chicken salsa spinach cheese crockpot recipe”. i know you’re probably thinking that the obvious result would be a mexican dish, but you never know what treasures The Internet will bring you, and it did not disappoint.
isn’t that so much prettier because of the spinach? don’t mind the paints in the background lmaooo. it’s a pandemic and i’ve been feeling crafty, so much of my last few days have been spent painting clay pots and wooden planters for my flowers (i am exponentially better at keeping plants and flowers alive than i am at cooking, and i have no idea why).
Ingredients:
- skinless/boneless chicken breasts (however much comes in one package?)
- two cups of salsa
- 2 tsp. taco seasoning
- spinach
What you’ll do is:
- put the chicken on the bottom of your crockpot
- sprinkle the taco seasoning over it
- pour salsa over the chicken
- cook on high for 2–3 hours, or on low for 6 (probably 6, i don’t know, i didn’t cook it on low)
- when it’s all done, shred the chicken
and then put alllll of that put that into a taco shell/tortilla, add your cheese/spinach/other mexican-inspired toppings, and voilà. ’til next time!
