Rachael Rays Savory Swiss Chard Recipes

SWISS CHARD AND GOLDEN RAISINS

Steps:

• Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Coarsely chop the greens of clean red chard. Add oil, pancetta, and chopped onion to the pan and cook 2 or 3 minutes until onions begin to soften and pancetta is lightly browned. Add chopped chard to pan in large bunches, adding remaining chard as the greens wilt.
• Sprinkle in raisins, pour in broth and season with salt and nutmeg. Bring liquid to a boil, reduce heat and simmer greens 10 to 15 minutes until greens are no longer bitter and you are ready to serve. Raisins will plump as the dish cooks through.

SWISS CHARD AU GRATIN

Steps:

• Arrange the rack in the middle of oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bring a large pot of water to boil.
• Stem the chard, keeping the leaves whole. Salt the boiling water and add the chard and let wilt. The pot will be packed at first. Boil the chard 10 minutes, drain in a colander and run under cool water. Let it drain and squeeze out any excess liquid in a clean kitchen towel. Chop.
• Meanwhile, heat the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook 1 minute, and then whisk in the milk. Season with salt, pepper and a little freshly grated nutmeg. Stir in the roasted garlic paste. Thicken the sauce to coat the back of a spoon and adjust seasonings to taste.
• Layer half the greens in a medium casserole (8 to 10 inches long). Top with half the bechamel sauce and half the cheese. Repeat layers, ending with the cheese. Bake until bubbly and brown, 20 to 30.

DIJON-TARRAGON CHICKEN, MASHED POTATOES WITH BRIE OR CAMEMBERT AND RAINBOW CHARD WITH BACON AND LEEKS

Steps:

• For the mashed potatoes: Peel potatoes and cube into uniform pieces, 8 per potato. Smash two cloves of garlic. Place potatoes and smashed garlic in saucepot, cover with water, cover pot and bring to boil. Season with salt and cook to tender, removing lid once potatoes boil. Return the potatoes and garlic to hot pot after draining, then add milk or stock and cheese and mash. Season with pepper of choice, then keep covered.
• For the Dijon-tarragon chicken: While potatoes are coming to a boil, remove tenders from chicken and pound the breasts (if they are large) 1/2 inch thick, then cut each into 3 pieces. Season chicken breasts and tenders with salt and pepper.
• Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat with EVOO and melt butter into oil. When it foams, add chicken and brown on both sides, 6 to 7 minutes.
• Peel and chop shallot and chop or grate garlic.
• Remove chicken to a plate, add shallots and garlic and stir a minute or so. Add wine and reduce to 1/4 cup, then add stock and bring to boil. Add creme fraiche or heavy cream and simmer at low rolling boil 2 to 3 minutes, then add Dijon and juice of 1/2 lemon. Chop and add tarragon, slide chicken back into pan and leave on warm or cover pan.
• For the chard with bacon and leeks: While chicken is working, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 turn of the pan. Stem chard and chop stems; shred the greens. Chop and add bacon to the pan and brown to crisp, 4 minutes. Quarter leek and trim root, then chop; add chard stems and leek to bacon, stir 2 minutes, then wilt in chard greens. Season with salt and pepper and nutmeg to taste, then add juice of 1/2 lemon.
• Serve chicken alongside mashed potatoes and greens with bacon.

SWISS CHARD AU GRATIN FRENCH BREAD PIZZAS

Steps:

• Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Remove the stems from the chard but keep the leaves whole. Add the chard to the boiling water (the pot will be packed at first) and cook for 10 minutes. Drain in a colander and run under cool water. Drain again, then wrap the chard in a kitchen towel and squeeze to remove the excess water. Chop the chard.
• Meanwhile, heat the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking, for 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and season with salt, pepper and a little nutmeg. Simmer until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Adjust the seasonings to taste. Stir in 1/3 cup Roasted Garlic Paste.
• Spread half the chard in the bottom of a medium casserole dish. Top with half the garlic sauce and half the cheese. Repeat the layers, ending with the cheese. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the casserole from the oven and turn on the broiler.
• Halve the bread lengthwise, then cut in half crosswise to make four 12-inch-long pieces. Broil the bread, cut-side up, until charred, about 1 minute. Slather with the remaining Roasted Garlic Paste and top each piece with one-quarter of the chard au gratin. Cut each pizza in half and serve.
• The unbaked chard au gratin can covered be and refrigerated for a make-ahead meal. Bring to room temperature, then bake as directed.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Arrange the garlic in a cluster on a large piece of foil and drizzle with 1/4 cup EVOO. Wrap up the garlic in the foil to make a tightly sealed pouch. Roast until very tender, about 45 minutes. Let cool, then squeeze the garlic from the skins into a food processor. Add the remaining 3/4 cup EVOO and the honey and season with salt and pepper. Puree until smooth, then transfer to a small container. (Alternatively, you can mash the garlic paste with a fork instead of using a food processor.)

SEARED RED CHARD

Steps:

• Make sure your greens are very dry before preparing recipe. Also, wash and chop them when you come in from market, then they are ready for you to cook up even quicker.
• Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and toss 2 minutes, then add chard in bunches and keep it moving as it wilts up a bit - you are just searing it up. The greens should remain crisp and crunchy. Wilting them all and searing them up should take no more than 3 to 4 minutes. Season the greens with nutmeg and salt and pepper, to taste. Douse the pan with a little vinegar and remove from heat. Toss to cook off vinegar and serve the greens hot.

RACHAEL RAY'S SAVORY SWISS CHARD

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat the EVOO over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add the greens to the pan and wilt.
• Season the greens with nutmeg and smoked sweet paprika or the cumin.
• Salt and pepper and add the worcestershire sauce.
• Add the chicken stock and simmer for a few minutes then serve!

SPAGHETTI WITH BACON AND CHARD

Steps:

• Gather your ingredients.
• Place a large pot of water on to boil for pasta.
• Stem the chard. Chop the stems. Coarsely chop the greens and keep separate.
• Stack the bacon and cut the bacon into batons 1/8 to 1/4-inch wide.
• Peel and chop the onion. Halve the leek lengthwise and trim the tough green tops. Run the leek under the water and wash thoroughly. Chop the leek, whites and light greens. Peel the garlic and grate or chop.
• Heat a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon and render, then remove from pan, if desired. Reserve 2 tablespoons drippings in pan, drain off excess if there is any.
• Add EVOO or butter to pan and add the stems, onions, leeks and garlic. Season with salt, pepper, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg and thyme and soften, 5 to 6 minutes. Add wine and stock if using and let it absorb.
• Salt boiling water and cook pasta to 1 minute less than package directions for al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup starchy water.
• Toast nuts while pasta cooks in small skillet over moderate heat.
• Add cream to sauce, wilt the greens into stems and add a little nutmeg. Return bacon to pan. Drain pasta and add to sauce and greens with reserved water and cheese. Toss pasta 1 minute. Adjust seasoning and serve topped with chopped toasted nuts and pass more cheese at table.
• To a shaker, add wine, brandy, simple syrup, allspice and orange juice. Shake it up. Pour into a wine glass and top with seltzer.