Spinach is a vegetable that belongs to the Amaranthaceae family of plants and is closely related to beets, swiss chard and quinoa and if any of you have purchased any of my books, you will note that my recipes include rather many of the Amaranthaceae family!

They all boast a high amount of vitamin A, vitamin K and folate, along with a number of other important vitamins, minerals and antioxidants for a low amount of calories and they can help improve a number of health conditions and have been shown to boost immunity, defend against heart disease, keep your skin healthy and preserve cognitive function. Nice one!

This recipe, my Quinoa Vegetable Bake has been a real hit with my readers and my friends and includes both spinach and quinoa. Most also tell me that it is a serious crowd-pleaser and has become a real regular in their diet as it is so very easy to cobble together and is fabulously tasty - you may want to join the list of growing fans!

I rather like this soup! I have to confess that I don't often buy 'cartoned soup' from the supermarket but there are occasions when it's no bad thing to have a soup or two in the freezer if I am slightly behind on the soup-making front! However, not any old soup will do when in a rush to get some goodness into my day...

In this case, there are peas, beans, onions, leeks and spinach which handle the need for a pretty good selection of splendid vegetables PLUS I like the fact there is a healthy addition of brown rice, buckwheat and quinoa to provide a deal of protein and it's low in saturated fat and not-too-shabby when it comes to the salt content. 

Have you tried it? What's your verdict?

Naturally, it doesn't come anywhere close to my Spinach & Watercress Soup but hey ho - needs must!