Swiss Chard Tzatziki Food

SWISS CHARD TZATZIKI

Steps:

• Prepare an ice bath; set aside. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add chard; cook until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain. Immediately plunge into ice bath to stop the cooking. Drain.
• Using a mortar and pestle, grind garlic and salt into a paste. Stir chard, yogurt, garlic paste, oil, lemon juice, and cayenne pepper in a medium bowl. Serve with pita wedges.

SHAKSHUKA WITH SWISS CHARD

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350-degrees. In a large oven-proof skillet (I used cast-iron), heat the olive oil. Add the bacon, if using, and onion garlic and chard stems and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the stems are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, dried basil and crushed red pepper and simmer until the sauce is thickened, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• 2. Meanwhile, in a large pot of salted boiling water, blanch the chard leaves for 3 minutes. Drain and let cook slightly. Squeeze out the excess water. Form the chard leaves into 8 small piles and arrange them in the sauce around the side of the skillet. (I blanched and dried the chard in advance to make things easier--it'll keep for at least 30mins/1 hr).
• 3. Crack the eggs into the skillet between the piles of chard. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake the eggs for 12 to 15 minutes, until the egg whites are just set and the yolks are slightly runny.
• 4. Transfer the skillet to a rack and sprinkle the cheese on top. Let stand for 5 minutes. Garnish with basil and serve immediately.
• Note: I served with crusty bread which was great for dipping and making sure no sauce went to waste! You can use plain marinara but the arrabiata gave this a nice little kick--highly recommend it. I made without bacon and didn't miss it.

ITALIAN-STYLE SWISS CHARD

Steps:

• 1. Place the chard in a large stockpot with the rinse water still clinging to it and set on medium-high heat. When the chard begins to sizzle stir it and cover. Reduce heat to medium and cook until chard is wilted but still has texture and the leaves have turned dark green while the stems have turned a translucent grey, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat.
• 2. Heat at least 2 tablespoons of oil with the garlic in a skillet over medium heat and cook until the garlic begins to turn golden, about 5 minutes. Add the Swiss chard, squeezing out some of the liquid before adding it to the oil. Cook, stirring, until the Swiss chard has wilted entirely and the garlic is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and transfer to a warmed platter. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and serve.