Freshness Even In Winter

Ingredient of the Week: Swiss Chard

Swiss chard is not only one of the most popular vegetables along the Mediterranean but it is one of the most nutritious vegetables around and ranks second only to spinach following our analysis of the total nutrient-richness of the World's Healthiest vegetables. Multiple studies have shown that chard has unique benefits for blood sugar regulation. In addition, chard may provide special benefits in the diets of individuals diagnosed with diabetes. Chard also helps reduce carbohydrates because of it's fiber content. It also is high in protein having about 3.5g per cup. As an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene) and the mineral manganese, and a good source of the mineral zinc, Swiss chard offers an outstanding variety of conventional antioxidants. Low level inflammatory foods help prevent the risk of obesity, atherosclerosis, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, autoimmune diseases and several forms of arthritis, chard is very likely to show up in future studies on humans as a key vegetable for lowering risk of these health problems.Chard is packed full of calcium that helps rebuild bone strength, rebuilding collagen and helping alleviate joint pain. 

If you aren't familiar with swiss chard here are some tips:

1. Look for leaves that are crisp and bright green, have no yellow or brown spots 
2. Don't wash the leaves until right before you are about to use them 
3. Store them in the fridge in a plastic bag tightly packed and air removed
4. Boil chard before adding it to your recipes, discard the boiled water because it has  acids in it that are not healthy. Do not cover the pot while boiling.
5. Toss penne pasta with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and cooked Swiss chard. Add zest to omelets and frittatas by adding some boiled Swiss chard. Use chard in place of or in addition to spinach when preparing vegetarian lasagna. 

Kicked Up Chard with Bacon and Polenta

1 cup polenta

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

4 slices (6 oz.) thick-cut bacon 

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil 

2 large shallots, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 large bunches rainbow chard, ribs cut into 1/4-in. pieces and leaves roughly chopped

1/4 to 1/2 tsp. red chile flakes or 1/4 tsp. granulated red pepper

1 tablespoon butter

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar 

Sunset.com 
Cook polenta with salt as package directs.
Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large frying pan until crisp. Transfer to paper towels.
Discard fat from pan. Heat oil in same pan over medium heat. Cook shallots, garlic, and chard ribs until softened, 4 minutes. Stir in chard leaves, chile flakes, and 1/3 cup water. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until wilted.
Stir butter and cheese into polenta and spoon into bowls. Toss chard with vinegar and spoon over polenta. Crumble bacon and sprinkle on top.



Sausage and Swiss Chard Fritata

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 Italian sausages (8 oz. total), casings removed I used turkey

1/2 cup minced red bell pepper

1/2 cup finely diced mushrooms 

1/2 cup minced onion 

1 bunch Swiss chard, chopped ribs removed

8 large eggs

1/2 cup shredded swiss or cheddar cheese

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat broiler with a rack set 4 in. from heat. Heat oil in a large, ovenproof frying pan over high heat. Cook sausage, stirring often, until browned, about 3 minutes. Add bell pepper, mushrooms, and onion and cook until vegetables are softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in Swiss chard, reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk eggs in a large bowl until starting to foam. Stir in cheese and salt. Pour mixture into pan with vegetables; cook on stove until the bottom sets, about 3 minutes. Broil until firm and browned, 3 minutes.

Swiss Chard & White Beans 

1 tablespoon coconut oil/olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 small onion, chopped 

1 stock of celery chopped

1 medium carrot, halved and sliced 

1 bunch red Swiss chard, chopped

1 can (15 oz.) white beans, drained and rinsed

1 qt. reduced-sodium vegetable broth

Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a medium pot over high heat. Add garlic, onion, celery and carrot. Cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add chard, beans, and broth. Cover and cook until very hot. Serve with cheese.

Swiss Chard Parmesan Gratin
1/2 cup toasted or stale coarse gluten free breadcrumbs (I used C4 crumbs from walmart)
2 Tbs. unsalted butter; more for coating the gratin pan (I used vegan butter)
1 cup heavy cream (If you are dairy free, use Coconut creme from Trader Joes')
2 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
3 strips bacon (about 2-1/2 oz.)
1 lb. (about 1 bunch) Swiss chard, washed and drained, stems removed and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices, leaves cut into 1/2-inch wide ribbons (to yield about 2-3/4 cups stems and 7 to 8 cups leaves)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

Recipe and Photo Courtesy of finecooking.com

Heat the oven to 400ºF. Butter a shallow 5- or 6-cup ceramic gratin dish. Melt 1 Tbs. of the butter and toss it with the breadcrumbs; set aside.

In a medium saucepan, bring the cream and garlic to a boil (watch that it doesn't boil over), immediately lower the heat, and simmer vigorously for 5 minutes; the cream should be reduced to about 3/4 cup. Take the pan off the heat and remove the garlic cloves with a slotted spoon. Let the cream cool slightly, stirring occasionally to loosen. Season it with a few grinds of fresh pepper and 1/4 tsp. of the salt.
Meanwhile, in a large (12-inch) nonstick skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp and browned. With tongs, transfer it to paper towels; crumble when cool. Leave the bacon fat in pan (if there's more than 2 Tbs., drain a little off). Add the remaining 1 Tbs. butter to the skillet and let it melt. Add the chard stems and sauté them over medium to medium-high heat until they're somewhat softened and browned on the edges, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, add the chard leaves and toss them with the contents of the skillet. Season them with the remaining 1/4 tsp. salt. (You can add the leaves in two batches for easier handling.) Sauté until all the leaves are wilted, about 2 minutes. Use tongs to transfer the contents of the pan to the gratin dish (leave behind any excess liquid in the sauté pan), spreading them evenly.

Sauté sliced chard stems first until tender; then add the leaves and wilt them.

Sprinkle the crumbled bacon and then the cheese over the chard. Pour the seasoned cream over all and top with the buttered breadcrumbs. Bake for 25 minutes; the gratin will be brown and bubbly. Let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.