Chard Leaves Stuffed With Rice And Herbs Recipes

STUFFED SWISS CHARD LEAVES

Steps:

• Put a large pot of water on to boil.
• While it comes to a boil, trim the Swiss chard : cut out the stem, but also cut out any of the larger white "ribs" so the leaf will be very flexible and easy to work with.
• Finely chop the stems and set them aside.
• Blanch the chard leaves , dipping them into the boiling water until they wilt, about 30 seconds, drain and rinse with cold water to plunge into a bowl of ice water to cool and set the green color.
• Chop 1 of the onions, mince the garlic, and peel and finely chop carrots and/or parsnip. In a large saute pan, braising pan, or wide pot, heat the oil.
• Add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and saute, cooking and stirring frequently until the onion is soft and translucent about 3 minutes.
• Add the garlic and stir to combine. Add the carrot(s) and/or parsnip and the chard stems to the onion mixture and cook, stirring frequently until the vegetables are tender about 10 minutes total.
• Transfer the vegetables to a large mixing bowl.
• Add the rice and combine, then add the lamb and black pepper and mix to combine. Set aside.
• Wipe out the pan.
• Add the tomatoes, butter, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Peel and halve the other onion and add it to the tomatoes.
• Add the chile flakes, if using. Simmer the tomatoes over medium-low heat, reducing the heat if needed to keep the tomatoes simmering very gently until the butter separates out from the tomatoes and the onion is very soft, about 30 minutes.
• Taste and add more salt to taste, if you like.
• While the sauce simmers, prepare the stuffed chard leaves. Working with 1 leaf at a time, squeeze any excess water from the leaf and lay it on a clean, flat work surface. Put 2 to 3 tablespoons of the stuffing at one end of the leaf. Bring the shorter end of the leaf over the stuffing, fold in the sides to encase the stuffing, and then roll up with the remaining leaf. If you know how to fold a burrito or spring roll, it's the same principle; if you don't, don't worry about it-any way you get the stuffing encased and folded into the leaf will be fine. Wrap it like a package, just roll it up and tuck in the sides. The leaves are flexible and the final product can have your unique stamp.
• Remove the onion halves from the tomato sauce and discard them.
• Add about 1/2 cup water to the tomato sauce and bring back to a simmer.
• Set the stuffed chard leaves in the tomato sauce, cover, and cook until the meat and rice are cooked through and tender, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Check on the pot occasionally - if the tomato sauce seems too thick or is starting to stick to the pan, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water and sort of stir it in between the chard bundles and adjust the heat to maintain a steady but gentle simmer. Serve the Swiss chard bundles hot, with the sauce on top or on the side, as people like.

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 LEAVES STUFFED WITH RICE AND HERBS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and blanch the chard leaves and stems for 20 to 30 seconds. Transfer to a bowl of cold water, then drain and cut away the stems at the base. Next cut out the wide part of the stem remaining inside the leaf, cutting a V at the base where it connects with the leaf. Set aside the leaves and cut the stems into small dice (about 1/4 inch). Set aside 1/2 cup of the blanching water for the baking dish.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-low heat and add the onion. Cook, stirring until very soft, about 8 minutes. Add the diced chard stems and a generous pinch of salt and continue to cook until the stems are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute. Remove from the heat.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Oil a baking dish that can accommodate all of the chard rolls. In a large bowl mix together the rice, onion mixture, herbs, Aleppo pepper and currants if using. Taste and adjust seasoning.
• Place 2 tablespoons of the filling on each chard leaf. Tuck the sides over the filling and roll up the leaves. Place in the baking dish. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the top and place 1/2 cup water in the baking dish. Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes, until the chard rolls are hot and the leaves tender. They should retain their bright green color.

STUFFED PEPPERS WITH RED RICE, CHARD AND FETA

Steps:

• Cut the tops away from the peppers and gently remove the seeds and membranes. Set aside.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt generously and add the chard leaves. Blanch 1 minute, until just tender, and transfer to a bowl of cold water. Drain, squeeze out water and chop medium-fine. You should have about 1 cup.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet or saucepan and add the garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds, and stir in the chard. Stir for about 30 seconds, until coated with oil and garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the rice, toss, together, and remove from the heat.
• Transfer the rice mixture to a bowl and stir in the mint, feta and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Spoon the rice and chard mixture into the peppers and place the peppers upright in a lidded saucepan or skillet. Mix together the water, lemon juice, salt to taste, optional tomato paste and remaining olive oil and add to the pan. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 40 minutes, until the peppers are tender. Remove the lid and allow to cool in the pan. Transfer to plates or a platter, spoon any liquid remaining in the pan over the peppers if desired, and serve.