Spinach Croquettes
A historical recipe from Leaves from our Tuscan kitchen, by Janet Ross.
A historical recipe
Leaves from our Tuscan kitchen; or, How to cook vegetables, by Janet Ross. Project Gutenberg eBook #69370.
From an old book: a historical recipe, not current advice. Its methods, additives and storage may be unsafe by today's standards.
Italy
This recipe is known as Italian, but other nations also prepare similar recipes.
Credit
From Leaves from our Tuscan kitchen, by Janet Ross. Digitised by Project Gutenberg, eBook #69370 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/69370). Public domain in the USA; its status may differ elsewhere.
What was changed: As printed, from the book's text; Project Gutenberg's header and licence removed. Ingredient lines were read out of the text by a program. A historical recipe, not current advice.
Ingredients 9 ingredients
- two pounds of boiled spinach
- four ounces of butter
- one tumbler of milk
- two handfuls of flour
- one tablespoonful of good olive oil
- a glass of white wine
- eight bunches of spinach
- two tablespoonfuls of grated Parmesan cheese
- two beaten-up eggs
Possible health benefits
General information, not medical advice.
-
Flour
Source of phosphorus · 106 mg per 100 g, 15% of the reference intake per 100 g
- Phosphorus contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism.
- Phosphorus contributes to normal function of cell membranes.
- Phosphorus contributes to the maintenance of normal bones.
1 more authorised claims
- Phosphorus contributes to the maintenance of normal teeth.
Phosphorus is a mineral contained in each cell in our body. Most phosphorus is in the bones and teeth, and some is in your genes. NIH fact sheet
Source of copper · 0.2 mg per 100 g, 17% of the reference intake per 100 g
- Copper contributes to maintenance of normal connective tissues.
- Copper contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism.
- Copper contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system.
5 more authorised claims
- Copper contributes to normal hair pigmentation.
- Copper contributes to normal iron transport in the body.
- Copper contributes to normal skin pigmentation.
- Copper contributes to the normal function of the immune system.
- Copper contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.
Copper is a mineral that you need to stay healthy. Your body uses copper to carry out many important functions, including making energy, connective tissues, and blood vessels. NIH fact sheet
Source of manganese · 0.6 mg per 100 g, 28% of the reference intake per 100 g
- Manganese contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism.
- Manganese contributes to the maintenance of normal bones.
- Manganese contributes to the normal formation of connective tissue.
1 more authorised claims
- Manganese contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.
Manganese is a mineral that your body needs to stay healthy. Your body uses manganese to make energy and protect your cells from damage. NIH fact sheet
Source of selenium · 10 µg per 100 g, 19% of the reference intake per 100 g
- Selenium contributes to normal spermatogenesis.
- Selenium contributes to the maintenance of normal hair.
- Selenium contributes to the maintenance of normal nails.
3 more authorised claims
- Selenium contributes to the normal function of the immune system.
- Selenium contributes to the normal thyroid function.
- Selenium contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.
Selenium is a nutrient that the body needs to stay healthy. Your thyroid gland needs selenium to produce hormones and function properly. NIH fact sheet
Nutrients per 100 g of “Flour, 00”, USDA FoodData Central.
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Spinacia oleracea
High in vitamin A · 469 µg per 100 g, 59% of the reference intake per 100 g
- Vitamin A contributes to normal iron metabolism.
- Vitamin A contributes to the maintenance of normal mucous membranes.
- Vitamin A contributes to the maintenance of normal skin.
3 more authorised claims
- Vitamin A contributes to the maintenance of normal vision.
- Vitamin A contributes to the normal function of the immune system.
- Vitamin A has a role in the process of cell specialisation.
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that is naturally present in many foods. Vitamin A is important for normal vision, the immune system, reproduction, and growth and development. NIH fact sheet
High in vitamin K · 483 µg per 100 g, 644% of the reference intake per 100 g
- Vitamin K contributes to normal blood clotting.
- Vitamin K contributes to the maintenance of normal bones.
Vitamin K is a nutrient that the body needs to stay healthy. It’s important for blood clotting and healthy bones and also has other functions in the body. NIH fact sheet
High in vitamin C · 28 mg per 100 g, 35% of the reference intake per 100 g
- Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of blood vessels.
- Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of bones.
- Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of cartilage.
11 more authorised claims
- Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of gums.
- Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of skin.
- Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of teeth.
- Vitamin C contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism.
- Vitamin C contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system.
- Vitamin C contributes to normal psychological function.
- Vitamin C contributes to the normal function of the immune system.
- Vitamin C contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.
- Vitamin C contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
- Vitamin C contributes to the regeneration of the reduced form of vitamin E.
- Vitamin C increases iron absorption.
Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble nutrient found in some foods. In the body, it acts as an antioxidant, helping to protect cells from the damage caused by free radicals. NIH fact sheet
High in folate · 194 µg per 100 g, 97% of the reference intake per 100 g
- Folate contributes to maternal tissue growth during pregnancy.
- Folate contributes to normal amino acid synthesis.
- Folate contributes to normal blood formation.
5 more authorised claims
- Folate contributes to normal homocysteine metabolism.
- Folate contributes to normal psychological function.
- Folate contributes to the normal function of the immune system.
- Folate contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
- Folate has a role in the process of cell division.
Folate is a B-vitamin that is naturally present in many foods. Your body needs folate to make DNA and other genetic material. NIH fact sheet
High in manganese · 0.9 mg per 100 g, 45% of the reference intake per 100 g
- Manganese contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism.
- Manganese contributes to the maintenance of normal bones.
- Manganese contributes to the normal formation of connective tissue.
1 more authorised claims
- Manganese contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.
Manganese is a mineral that your body needs to stay healthy. Your body uses manganese to make energy and protect your cells from damage. NIH fact sheet
High in protein · 2.9 g per 100 g, 50% of the energy from protein
- Protein contributes to a growth in muscle mass.
- Protein contributes to the maintenance of muscle mass.
- Protein contributes to the maintenance of normal bones.
Source of vitamin E · 2.0 mg per 100 g, 17% of the reference intake per 100 g
- Vitamin E contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble nutrient found in many foods. In the body, it acts as an antioxidant, helping to protect cells from the damage caused by free radicals. NIH fact sheet
Source of potassium · 558 mg per 100 g, 28% of the reference intake per 100 g
- Potassium contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system.
- Potassium contributes to normal muscle function.
- Potassium contributes to the maintenance of normal blood pressure.
Potassium is a mineral found in many foods. Your body needs potassium for almost everything it does, including proper kidney and heart function, muscle contraction, and nerve transmission. NIH fact sheet
Source of magnesium · 79 mg per 100 g, 21% of the reference intake per 100 g
- Magnesium contributes to a reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
- Magnesium contributes to electrolyte balance.
- Magnesium contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism.
7 more authorised claims
- Magnesium contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system.
- Magnesium contributes to normal muscle function.
- Magnesium contributes to normal protein synthesis.
- Magnesium contributes to normal psychological function.
- Magnesium contributes to the maintenance of normal bones.
- Magnesium contributes to the maintenance of normal teeth.
- Magnesium has a role in the process of cell division.
Magnesium is a nutrient that the body needs to stay healthy. Magnesium is important for many processes in the body, including regulating muscle and nerve function, blood sugar levels, and blood pressure and making protein, bone, and DNA. NIH fact sheet
Source of iron · 2.7 mg per 100 g, 19% of the reference intake per 100 g
- Iron contributes to normal cognitive function.
- Iron contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism.
- Iron contributes to normal formation of red blood cells and haemoglobin.
4 more authorised claims
- Iron contributes to normal oxygen transport in the body.
- Iron contributes to the normal function of the immune system.
- Iron contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
- Iron has a role in the process of cell division.
Iron is a mineral that the body needs for growth and development. Your body uses iron to make hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to all parts of the body, and myoglobin, a protein that provides oxygen to muscles. NIH fact sheet
Nutrients per 100 g of “Spinach, raw”, USDA FoodData Central.
Claims: EU Register of health claims (Regulation (EU) No 432/2012, © European Union, CC BY 4.0), shown only where the ingredient meets the claim's conditions (Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006). Nutrients: USDA FoodData Central (CC0). Facts: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (public domain).
Method
- Take two pounds of boiled spinach, strain, and chop it up fine.
- Put it into an earthen pan with four ounces of butter, some sweet marjoram chopped up, allspice, sugar, and grated lemon peel.
- Mix well over the fire, then put in one tumbler of milk, and when it boils add two beaten-up eggs.
- When thick and cooled roll up into croquets, meanwhile make the following batter: two handfuls of flour, one tablespoonful of good olive oil, half a glass of white wine, and a little salt, well mixed together.
- Roll the croquets in this and fry.
- Serve hot.
- Spinach ‘Ravioli alla Fiorentina.’ Clean and wash eight bunches of spinach, cook them in salted boiling water, and then put them into cold.
- Dry well, chop up very fine, put them into a sauce-pan and mix well with four ounces of butter, eight ounces of fresh curds (out of which all the water has been pressed), two tablespoonfuls of grated Parmesan cheese, and three yolks of eggs.
- When cold make small balls or rolls of the spinach, flour them well, and throw them into boiling water.
- As they rise to the surface take them out with a strainer, pour melted butter over them, sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese, and serve at once.
Plating
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