"Steve Pope" > wrote in message
...
> Dee Randall > wrote:
>
>> I've cooked spinach two different ways, but prefer the
>> taste of #Two. One: After I wash it, I put abt. 2 tablespoons
>> water into a pan and steam it in the pan (not in a steamer).
>> Two: Since I've started buying thrice washed spinach, I do it
>> this way. I fill a pan with water, get it to boiling, gather up
>> what I consider to be one person's on-the-large-size serving of
>> the spinach and put it into the boiling water, boil 2 minutes,
>> then lift out with a handled-sieve (to drain) and put into a
>> serving bowl.
>
> The problem I see with this is that by draining it you might drain
> away nutrients.
>
> This is why I like to use a minimum of liquid when cooking
> spinach or kale.
>
> Hadn't heard that vinegar might interfere with calcium
> availability -- that easily could be.
>
> Steve

Funny you should mention a 'minimum of liquid' when cooking .... kale.
Being from where they cook green beans a minimum of 2 hours in a large
amount of water and never having seen kale cooked in less than a couple of
gallons of water (a bit of hyperbole), for less than 3 hours, I had never
cooked kale except in at least a gallon of water and for at least 45
minutes. Re kale, I've in recent years cut down on the timing and the
amount of water; I usually prepare kale with potatoes or in a
Portuguese-type 'soup'; that's about the end of my creativity for this
vegetable, although I love kale.

But eating a cold kale dish that I've eaten at Whole Foods in Vienna, VA,
that, as I remember. included a few carrots, sesame seeds and some kind of
oil, perhaps sesame?, perhaps tofu? and maybe someother small amount of
ingredients, it was tough and chewy, but excellent and most of all, it was
bright green! How does one get kale to remain that beautiful color?

> Hadn't heard that vinegar might interfere with calcium
> availability -- that easily could be.

No, it's the other way: Spinach can block calcium from being absorbed, but
adding vinegar will release calcium. But with kale, it is not necessary to
add vinegar -- although I love it that way.

Dee Dee