Content

• Ingredients
• Sautéed Swiss chard with Parmesan cheese
• Spicy Swiss chard
• Sweet and spicy chard
• To step
• Method 1 of 5: Choosing and preparing Swiss chard
• Method 2 of 5: Boil Swiss chard
• Method 3 of 5: Make sautéed Swiss chard with Parmesan cheese
• Method 4 of 5: Make spicy Swiss chard
• Method 5 of 5: Make sweet and spicy Swiss chard
• Tips
• Warnings

Swiss chard, also known as chard, is a vegetable that is grown for its deep green leaves instead of the root. Swiss chard is very rich in nutrients and a good source of various vitamins. It also contains more minerals than most other vegetables and a lot of fiber. And when it is prepared in the right way, it is absolutely delicious. If you want to learn how to prepare and use Swiss chard in a variety of delicious recipes, follow the steps below.

Ingredients

Sautéed Swiss chard with Parmesan cheese

• 2 tbsp. butter
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. finely chopped garlic
• 1/2 diced small red onion
• 1 bunch of Swiss chard
• 1/2 cup of dry white wine
• 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt to taste

Spicy Swiss chard

• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. pressed red pepper
• 1 crushed garlic clove
• 1 container (250 g) of portobellos
• 1 chopped leek
• 1 cup of chicken stock
• 1 bunch of Swiss chard
• 2 cups of grated Parmesan cheese

Sweet and spicy chard

• 1/2 cup dry sherry
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped almonds
• 4 thinly chopped garlic cloves
• 4 bunches of Swiss chard
• 1 red jalapeño
• 1 tbsp. grated lemon zest
• 2 tsp. lemon juice
• Salt and pepper to taste

To step

Method 1 of 5: Choosing and preparing Swiss chard

1. Choose a healthy Swiss chard. When choosing a Swiss chard, check that the leaves are brightly colored and bushy, not brown, wilted or damaged. The stem of the Swiss chard is delicate, so look for stems that are sturdy and not fair. While there are a number of different varieties of Swiss chard, each variety should look healthy, full and exuberant, not wilted or limp.
2. Choose a certain type of chard. There are different types of Swiss chard. The veins, that part of the stem that extends into the leaves, can be red, white or yellow. The strains all have different flavors, so experiment with them to find out which strain you prefer. Chard with red veins is often a bit sweeter, with a less bitter undertone than those with white veins. All types of Swiss chard can be prepared in the same way, but they can have a different taste.
   • The veins of the different types of chard have different widths. Some people prefer the veins of the Swiss chard and others like the leaves more. In the first case you choose wide veins and in the latter you choose Swiss chard with somewhat narrower veins.
3. Wash the chard. Before you cook the chard, you will have to wash it first. The first thing you do is wash the vegetable thoroughly by rinsing it in a sink full of cold water. You can then drain the water and repeat the washing until the vegetables are clean enough. If you bought the chard at a farmers' market, it will probably be extra fresh, but also a little less clean than the one from the supermarket, so wash the vegetables thoroughly. Do not wash the vegetable until you are ready to cook it, otherwise it will go limp.
4. You can cut the chard or cook it whole. Smaller leaves can be left whole or added to a salad, and larger, thin-veined leaves can also be left whole. However, if you are cooking Swiss chard with wider veins, you will have to separate the veins from the leaves first by tearing the leaf from the veins, because the veins will have to cook for a few minutes first because they are tougher than the leaves.

Method 2 of 5: Boil Swiss chard

1. Steam the chard in a steamer. Put the thick veins in the steamer a few minutes before adding the green leaves. The leaves will be cooked in 1 to 2 minutes. Swiss chard is ready when it is limp and soft.
2. Steam Swiss chard in the microwave. Steam thin-veined Swiss chard whole in the microwave with the water left on the leaves after washing. This takes about 1-2 minutes. Microwaves vary in intensity, so keep an eye on the chard until you have experience with your microwave and know exactly how long you need to cook the vegetables. If it boils for too long it will get soggy, so check it out after just a minute.
3. Simmer the chard in a pan. Put it in plenty of water above the vegetables. Put the thick stems in the water 1 or 2 minutes before the green parts of the leaf. Then cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Sauté Swiss chard over medium heat. Heat 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil or butter in a pan. Then add the chard stems and cook for 2-3 minutes before adding the leaves. You can also cut the stems into 4 '' pieces to make them easier to fit in the pan. Continue cooking the chard for another 5 minutes until it has softened.
5. Freeze the chard. You can freeze Swiss chard and keep it for a year afterwards. Wash the chard and blanch it in boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes. Cool the chard in an ice bath. Drain the Swiss chard and pack it airtight in freezer bags. Place it in the freezer.

Method 3 of 5: Make sautéed Swiss chard with Parmesan cheese

1. Remove the leaves from the chard. Tear the leaves off the stems and the middle veins. Chop them roughly and put them in a bowl.
2. Cut the stems and middle veins of the Swiss chard into pieces. Cut them into 5-8 cm pieces.
3. Melt 2 tbsp. butter and 2 tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet. Place the pan on a medium-high heat and wait for the butter to melt completely.
4. Stir in 1 tbsp. shredded garlic and 1/2 small red onion (diced) through. Fry them for at least 20 seconds, until the mixture becomes fragrant.
5. Add the chard stems and 1/2 cup dry white wine to the mixture. Simmer the stems for 5 minutes until they start to soften.
6. Stir in the leaves. Cook the Swiss chard until the leaves are soft, at least another 3 minutes. Lower the heat and put the chard in a bowl.
7. Stir in 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice and 2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese through. Stir the chard, lemon juice and Parmesan cheese well together. Add salt to taste.
8. Serve the chard. Place the chard on a platter and enjoy as a side dish.

Method 4 of 5: Make spicy Swiss chard

1. Remove the stems and cut the portobellos. Cut the portobellos into pieces of about 1 to 5 cm.
2. Remove the stems and finely chop the Swiss chard. There is no need to cut the vegetable into perfectly equal parts - just enough to fit in the pan, with the leaves no longer than 10 cm.
3. Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
4. Stir 1 tsp. crushed red pepper and 1 crushed garlic clove through the oil.
5. Stir the mushrooms into the mixture. Stir the mushrooms until they have softened and start to release their moisture. This will take about 3-5 minutes.
6. Stir 1 chopped leek into the mixture. Cook for an additional 5 minutes until the leek stalk has softened.
7. Stir in 1 cup of chicken stock and Swiss chard. Cover the mixture and let it simmer until the chard leaves have softened. This takes about 10 minutes.
8. Remove the lid from the pan. Cook the Swiss chard until it has softened and most of the moisture has evaporated. Be careful not to burn the chard because the moisture may evaporate faster than you expected. This takes about 5 minutes.
9. Sprinkle 2 cups of grated Parmesan cheese over the chard. Let the cheese melt for a while.
10. Serve. Serve the Swiss chard and portobellos as a side dish, or even as a main course. You can top some quinoa or whole grain pasta with Swiss chard for a delicious meal.

Method 5 of 5: Make sweet and spicy Swiss chard

1. Remove the middle veins and stems from the chard. You don't need these for this recipe.
2. Cut the leaves into 5 cm pieces.
3. Bring 1/2 cup dry Sherry and 1/2 cup raisins to a boil and simmer in a small saucepan.
4. Remove the pan from the heat. Let the mixture cool.
5. Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
6. Stir in 1/2 cup chopped almonds. Let the almonds brown while stirring constantly. This takes about 2 minutes.
7. Add 4 thinly sliced ​​garlic cloves to it. Let this stand for a minute until the garlic starts to smell but has not turned brown. This should take approximately 1 minute.
8. Put chard in the pan. Add handfuls of Swiss chard to the pan and shake to make room for the next handful of Swiss chard. Cook this until the chard has softened, which should take about 4 minutes.
9. Pour the raisin and sherry mixture over the chard.
10. Add 1 tbsp. grated lemon zest, 2 tsp. lemon juice and 1 thinly sliced ​​red jalapeño to the mixture.
11. Season with salt and pepper. Shake the chard to combine all the flavors.
12. Serve. Serve this sweet and spicy Swiss chard as a side dish.

Tips

• Swiss chard does not lend itself to canning.
• Freeze Swiss chard to keep it for up to a year. Wash the Swiss chard as directed above. Blanch it in boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes. Cool the chard in an ice bath. Let the Swiss chard dry and pack it airtight in freezer bags. Put it in the freezer.
• Red-veined Swiss chard will discolor other food it has been cooked with.

Warnings

• You cannot keep Swiss chard for long. It is best to prepare it within 3 days of buying or harvesting, and preferably sooner.