Try this healthy Sunflower Seed Swiss Chard Recipe, chard is a versatile vegetable that will be the star of any meal.
Sunflower Seed Swiss Chard Recipe
With this dish, the most critical element is timing. The various ingredients require very little cooking time, and once cooked should not be allowed to sit while you set the table. If you want everything to taste fresh and crisp, prepare your table and pour the drinks first . . . then start cooking.
Ingredients:
1 pound of fresh chard
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup of shelled sunflower seeds
1 pound of fresh mushrooms, washed and sliced salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups of grated cheese (cheddar, Jack, Swiss, Parmesan or any combination thereof)
Instructions:
Wash the chard and cut the green parts of the leaves from the central white shafts, then pack the greens into a steamer or a good-sized pan that contains a little water. Chop the white part of the chard.
Next, melt the margarine or butter in a frying pan and saute the garlic, onion, seeds and white parts of the chard for about 10 minutes (that is, until the vegetables are limp and the seeds crisp). Add the mushrooms to the frying pan and turn the heat on under the pan of chard. Bring the chard to a boil, then reduce the heat to the lowest setting and allow the greens to simmer. At the same time, cook and stir the mushroom-garlic-onion-seed mixture until the mushrooms have released most of their liquid . . . about 10 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. By this time, the chard in the pan should be just limp.
Now remove the chard from the pan with tongs (or with a large slotted spoon) and distribute the greens evenly among 4 plates. Top with grated cheese, spoon the hot mushroom mixture over all, and serve immediately. (Hint: A wedge of lemon is a nice go-with, as are slices of tomato and/or other fruit.) Serves 4.
Read more about cooking with Swiss chard: Fresh Swiss Chard Recipes.