Swiss chard may not be as appreciated as spinach, which is a shame. My first introduction to cooking with the winter green was substituting it for spinach in a soup; since then I have continued to cook with it like spinach. I find it has a milder and sweeter flavor than other greens.
I’ll tuck it into a baked pasta casserole, saute it, stir-fry it or braise it with equally delicious results.
You can find Swiss chard with stems in a rainbow of colors — white, red, yellow and even pink. Many recipes call just for the leaves and discard the stems, but that’s a waste. Not only do the stems add a layer of texture, but they offer up a colorful punch to the leafy greens. It’s best to cook them separately, after thinly slicing, and add them back to the greens at the end of cooking.
More Top Picks Wind Generators
Here’s a recipe from Susie Middleton’s book “Fast, Fresh and Green.” The chard is quickly stir-fried with a nutty balsamic butter. Serve as a side dish to simple grilled or roasted meats, chicken or fish, or as a main course vegetarian dish on top of soft polenta, a grain pilaf or pasta.
Stir-fried Swiss chard with pine nuts and balsamic butter
Prep:
20 minutes
Cook:
15 minutes
Makes:
2 servings
From “Fast, Fresh and Green,” by Susie Middleton
1 teaspoon each: balsamic vinegar, soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon dark brown sugar
12 ounces Swiss chard
1 tablespoon peanut oil
3 tablespoon pine nuts
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1. Combine the vinegar, soy sauce and sugar in a small bowl. Pull or cut the stems away from the chard leaves. Cut or rip the leaves into 2- to 3-inch pieces. Slice the stems crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces.
2. Heat the oil in a large wok or skillet over medium heat. Add the pine nuts; cook, stirring, until lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. (Watch carefully because they brown quickly.) Off the heat, transfer the pine nuts to a plate, leaving behind as much oil as possible.
3. Return the pan to the heat; add the chard stems and a pinch of salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until shrunken and beginning to brown lightly, about 5 minutes. (They will begin to crackle in the pan as moisture evaporates.) Add the garlic; stir-fry just until fragrant, a few seconds. Add all of the chard leaves and 1/4 teaspoon of salt; toss the chard leaves just until wilted, 30 to 45 seconds. Stir in the balsamic mixture; remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the butter until melted. Fold in half of the pine nuts. Transfer the chard to a serving bowl; garnish with the remaining pine nuts.
Nutrition information
More Top Picks Vr Headset
Per serving: 237 calories, 76% of calories from fat, 21 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 15 mg cholesterol, 10 g carbohydrates, 5 g protein, 739 mg sodium, 4 g fiber