Braised Spring Onions Fennel And Swiss Chard Food

VERMICELLI AND SWISS CHARD SOUP

Steps:

• Place the tomatoes, garlic, onion and Serrano chiles into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Add the blended ingredients and saute over medium heat until reduced and thickened, about 4 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Add the Swiss chard and simmer for about 10 minutes. Salt to taste.
• Beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry. Beat in the yolks one at a time with a pinch of salt. When well combined, crumble the uncooked vermicelli into the eggs and add the cheese. Stir until the vermicelli is well coated.
• Heat 1/4 inch olive oil in a large skillet. When hot, add 3 inch dollops of the egg and vermicelli mixture to the pan. Cook until lightly golden on the underside, about 1 minute. Turn and fry on the other side. Drain on paper towels. Add the vermicelli drops to the broth and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes. Carefully turn the vermicelli once. Serve in deep bowls with 2 vermicelli drops in each.

BRAISED CHARD WITH DRIED CRANBERRIES

Steps:

• Warm the chicken broth in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat and add the dried cranberries; set aside to plump.
• Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the red onion and chard stems and cook, stirring, until the stems are just tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Add the chicken broth and dried cranberries. Add the chard leaves, pressing them down to fit, if needed. Cover and simmer until the leaves just start to wilt, 1 to 2 minutes. Uncover and increase the heat to medium high. Cook until the leaves are just tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt.
• Transfer the chard mixture to a serving bowl with tongs, leaving the liquid in the pot. Stir the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil into the liquid and increase the heat to high. Bring to a boil and cook until the liquid is syrupy, about 2 minutes. Pour over the chard.

BRAISED FENNEL AND PARSNIPS

Steps:

• In a heavy large saute pan, heat the oil on medium-high heat. Add the parsnips and onions and saute for about 1 minute. Add the garlic, fennel and poblanos and saute for another 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth and stout beer and bring to a boil. Add the bay leaf, rosemary sprig and thyme sprig. Lower to a simmer and cover. Cook on low heat until the vegetables are soft and cooked through, about 40 minutes.
• Remove the vegetables from the cooking liquid. Reduce the cooking liquid to 1 cup. Drizzle the reduced liquid over the vegetables and top with the chopped thyme and oregano. Season with salt and pepper, mixing well to evenly incorporate. Serve immediately.

BRAISED SPRING ONIONS, FENNEL AND SWISS CHARD

Steps:

• Coat a large saute pan with olive oil. Toss in the smashed garlic and crushed red pepper and bring the pan to a medium heat. When the garlic becomes golden brown and very aromatic, remove it from the pan and discard it. It has fulfilled its garlic destiny. Add the onions, fennel and Swiss chard stems, stir to coat with the oil and season with salt, to taste. Stir in the white wine and the lemon zest and juice. Cover and cook over medium heat until the veggies have become soft and wilted but still maintain some texture, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the lid and cook until most of the liquid has reduced, another 3 to 4 minutes. Toss in the Swiss chard leaves, stir to combine and season with salt, to taste. When the leaves have wilted but still look vibrantly green, taste for seasoning. Reseason if needed (it probably will). Transfer to a serving bowl and serve immediately.
• It's spring greens!

SAUTEED SWISS CHARD WITH BACON

Steps:

• Coat a large saute pan lightly with olive oil and add the diced bacon, garlic, and crushed red pepper. Bring the pan to medium-high heat. When the garlic has turned a lovely golden brown, remove from the pan and discard. At this point the bacon should start to become brown and crispy. Add the Swiss chard stems and the stock and cook until the stock has mostly evaporated. Add the Swiss chard leaves and saute until they are wilted. Season with salt.

BRAISED FENNEL WITH ONIONS AND PEPPERS

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add fennel, onion, and bell pepper and saute 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want to make sure all of the veggies get a chance to be on the bottom of the pan. At this stage, you will have a little bit of caramelization, but if you see too much browning your heat is probably too high.
• Place the fennel seeds on a cutting board and gently press on them with the back of a chef's knife or rolling pin. You want to lightly break the seeds to release their flavor but not break them to bits or powder. Add broth and next four ingredients (broth through garlic).
• Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15-20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in basil and fennel fronds.

BRAISED SPINACH AND ONION (WITH VARIATIONS)

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine onions and chicken broth. Cook onion until stock has reduced to 1/4 cup, about 7 - 9 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove onions from heat. Set aside.
• In a large skillet spray with Pam. With some water still clinging to the spinach, add to skillet and cook until just wilted. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Squeeze out excess liquid and chop.
• Melt butter over low heat or in microwave. Add butter, spinach to the braised onions and combine. Salt, pepper to suit taste. Place in casserole dish.
• Bake in preheated 350 oven for 20 minutes or until heated through.
• Note: If using beet greens or swiss chard, use caution with pepper.

PASTA WITH BRAISED FENNEL, CHARD, AND BALSAMIC VINEGAR

Steps:

• Heat 1/4 cup oil over medium heat in large skillet.
• Add onion and 1/4 teaspoon salt and sauté (uncovered) over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in sliced fennel bulb and garlic and sauté, stirring frequently, until golden, about 10 minutes.
• Add 3/4 cup water and bring to simmer.
• Partially cover and simmer over medium-low heat until fennel is tender and liquid has evaporated, about 8 minutes.
• Stir in vinegar, partially cover, and simmer to blend flavors, about 1 minute longer.
• Add crushed red pepper flakes and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot.
• Add 1 1/2 tablespoons salt and pasta; return to boil.
• After 3 minutes, add chard and return to rapid boil; continue to cook, covered, until pasta is al dente, about 8 minutes.
• Drain pasta and greens, reserving 1/3 cup pasta cooking water.
• Toss pasta and greens with fennel mixture, cheese, and two tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, adding reserved pasta water as needed if mixture is dry.
• Transfer portions to warm pasta bowls.
• Garnish with reserved minced fennel fronds.
• Serve immediately with more cheese passed separately.

BRAISED FENNEL AND ONIONS WITH GINGER

Steps:

• Cut the top (at the"fingers") and base of the fennel bulbs off and remove the first tough outer layer; cut each in half (top to bottom).
• Cut each of the halves in half again (you've thus cut each bulb into 4 slices); now thinly slice each (top to bottom) resulting in"sticks" of fennel.
• Heat the olive oil in a large lidded frying pan and saute the garlic, shallot, and ginger for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
• Add in the fennel and the onion and mix well.
• Add in the wine and water, and scatter the salt and turmeric over all.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer 20 to 30 minutes, or until the fennel is cooked but still firm, and stirring occasionally.
• Remove the cover and continue to cook 5 to 10 minutes, until the majority of the liquid has evaporated.
• Serve immediately.