Stuffed Chard Brenda Pulvermacher Quadra Island Recipes

MOROCCAN-INSPIRED SWISS CHARD ROLLS

Steps:

• For the rice: Combine the vegetable broth and ginger slices in a medium saucepan; bring to boil. Add the brown and wild rice and bring to boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until the rice is just tender, 50 to 55 minutes. Drain if necessary. Discard the ginger slices. Set the rice aside.
• Meanwhile, position the oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a 13- by 9- by 2-inch glass or ceramic baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil; set aside.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the green onions, carrots, onions, garlic, ginger, curry powder, cumin, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in the golden raisins, tofu and cooked rice mixture. Add the coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Cook for 1 minute until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.
• Remove from the heat and let cool while preparing the chard leaves.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Using a sharp knife, cut away the thick stems from the center of each leaf; discard the stems. Cut each leaf in half lengthwise. Trim the wide ends from the leaves to make each leaf half about 10 inches long. Using tongs and working with 1 leaf half at a time, dip the leaf half into the pot of boiling salted water for 10 seconds. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
• Place about 1/3 cup of the rice filling onto the end of one Swiss chard leaf half. Roll up the leaf, enclosing the filling completely. Repeat with the remaining leaf halves and rice filling for a total of 12 rolls.
• Spread 1 cup of the sauce onto the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Place the filled rolls, seam-side down, in a single layer atop the sauce in the dish. Spoon the remaining tomato sauce over the rolls. Bake until the rolls are heated through, 25 to 30 minutes.

GARLICKY SAUTEED SWISS CHARD

Steps:

• Add the oil to a large saute pan with the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook over medium heat until the garlic turns golden. Remove the garlic and discard. Add the chopped Swiss chard ribs and saute until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the Swiss chard leaves and season with salt, to taste. Cook until the leaves are wilted. Stir in a splash of red wine vinegar. Serve immediately.

ITALIAN-STYLE SWISS CHARD

Steps:

• Wash the Swiss chard and cut into 1 inch strips. Separate the thick and tough stalk sections from the upper leafy strips.
• Bring the water and 1 tablespoon of salt to a boil in a large saucepan.
• Cook the stalk sections in the salted boiling water for 2 minutes. Stir in the leafy strips and cook until the leaves are wilted and the stalks are fork tender, about 6 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• Heat the olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a large skillet over medium heat until aromatic, about 3 minutes. Add the drained Swiss chard, cook and stir for 2 minutes; season with salt to taste.

SIMPLE SWISS CHARD

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil on a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and cook until tender and aromatic, about 2 minutes. Add the Swiss chard and balsamic vinegar; cook and stir until the chard is wilted and tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

STUFFED SWISS CHARD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Choose 12 large chard leaves (each should be about 10 inches long and 5 inches wide) or 24 smaller leaves; set aside. Coarsely chop enough of the remaining leaves to make 4 1/2 cups; reserve remaining leaves for another use. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add a pinch of salt. Blanch whole leaves, 1 at a time, until tender and bright green, about 5 seconds. Lay flat on a baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain.
• Melt butter with oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add leeks, scallions, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add chopped chard, and cook, stirring occasionally, until chard has wilted, about 3 minutes more. Transfer to a medium bowl, and add pine nuts; let stand until cool. Stir in rice, cheeses, and breadcrumbs. Season with salt and pepper.
• Place a blanched leaf facedown on a work surface. Cut out thickest part of stalk, about one-third of the way up leaf; slightly overlap the cut ends. If using smaller leaves, overlap 2 leaves so they are about 10 by 5 inches. Spoon 1/3 cup filling about one-third of the way up leaf. Fold bottom of leaf over mixture. Fold in sides. Roll to enclose filling completely, creating a 3-by-2-inch bundle. Repeat with remaining leaves and filling.
• Transfer to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Tent with foil. Bake until heated through, about 15 minutes. Spoon warm sauce onto plates; serve 2 or 3 bundles per plate.

CHARD-WRAPPED FISH WITH LEMON AND OLIVE

Steps:

• Finely zest and juice both lemons. Reserve the juice and half the zest. In a small bowl, combine the remaining zest with the olives, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, 2 tablespoons of the chopped cilantro leaves, 1 teaspoon garlic, and the red pepper flakes until incorporated.
• Bring a small pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Use a knife to separate the leaves from the chard stems so you have 2 leaves from each stem. Thinly slice the stems crosswise. Dip the chard leaves in the boiling water for 10 seconds to soften; drain, cool slightly, and pat dry. Cut the fish into 8 equal-sized pieces, season with salt and pepper, and spread 2 teaspoons of the olive mixture on each piece of fish.
• Place 1 piece of fish on a piece of chard and roll it up; use the extra 2 leaves to patch any parts that need extra wrapping. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until tender and lightly golden, 8 to 9 minutes. Add the chard stems with the remaining 3 teaspoons garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, until absorbed, 1 minute. Add the reserved lemon zest and juice with the stock, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring, until the liquid thickens and bubbles, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in most of the remaining cilantro.
• Nestle the fish in the skillet, scatter the tomatoes and whole olives over the fish, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until the fish is opaque and the chard can be cut easily, 10 minutes. Serve over the grain of your choice with sauce spooned over the top; garnish with cilantro.

STUFFED CHARD (BRENDA PULVERMACHER - QUADRA ISLAND)

Steps:

• Saute onion in oil and mix all ingredients together except chard.
• Remove the stem on the chard and place about 2 tbsp filling on the underside of the leaf.
• Roll up, folding in the sides to make a tight little packet.
• Place seam side down in a greased casserole.
• Cover and bake for 30 minutes at 350°F.