Swiss Chard And Mushrooms Recipes

SKILLET MUSHROOMS AND CHARD WITH BARLEY OR BROWN RICE

Steps:

• Combine the barley or rice and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Add salt to taste, reduce the heat and simmer the barley for 1 hour, brown rice for 35 to 40 minutes, or until tender. Set a strainer over a bowl and drain the grains. Retain the cooking water.
• While the grains are cooking, stem the chard and wash thoroughly in two changes of water. Chop coarsely. If the stalks are merely thick, dice them; if they are stringy, discard them.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat in a large, wide skillet or wok. Add the mushrooms and chard stems, if using, and cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms sear and begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme and a generous pinch of salt and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the chard and raise the heat to high. Cook, stirring, until the chard wilts, which shouldn't take more than 3 minutes (you may have to add the chard in batches, depending on the size of your pan). Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Once the chard has wilted, add .75 cup of the cooking water from the rice or barley. Cover and simmer over low heat for 3 minutes, or until the chard is tender. Uncover, stir and if you wish to have more sauce with the vegetables, add more cooking water from the grains and stir until it reduces to the desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning. Drizzle on the remaining oil and serve with the grains.

SWISS CHARD AND MUSHROOM FRITTATA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 12-inch nonstick ovenproof skillet with olive oil cooking spray, and place over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and onion, and saute until mushrooms start to release their juices, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium low, and cook until mushrooms are soft and golden brown. Add Swiss chard, thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper, and cook until wilted and all the liquid has evaporated. Transfer to a baking pan lined with paper towels, and set aside.
• Combine eggs, egg whites, and remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and whip until soft peaks form, 4 to 5 minutes. Coat a clean 12-inch nonstick ovenproof skillet with olive-oil cooking spray, and place over medium-high heat. Add two-thirds of the egg mixture to the pan, layer with reserved vegetables, and top with remaining egg mixture. Sprinkle top with Parmesan, and transfer pan to oven. Cook until eggs are set and frittata is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Run a spatula around edges of pan to loosen frittata if necessary; transfer to a serving plate. Cut into wedges, garnish with thyme sprigs, and serve.

STUFFED PORTABELLA MUSHROOMS WITH SWISS CHARD

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Fill a bowl with ice water. When the water comes to a boil, salt generously and add the chard. Blanch two minutes until tender, and transfer to the ice water. Drain and squeeze out excess water. Chop fine, and set aside.
• Set aside 1/2 garlic clove, and mince the rest. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet, and add the pine nuts or almonds. Cook, stirring, until the nuts begin to color, and add the minced garlic. Cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute. Add the chard and salt and pepper to taste. Stir together for a minute or two, and remove from the heat. Taste and adjust seasonings. Transfer to a bowl, add 1/4 cup of the Parmesan and stir together.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil a baking sheet or baking dish that will accommodate all the mushrooms. Gently twist the stems off the mushrooms, if they are still there, and set aside for another purpose. Heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat in the skillet, and add the half clove of garlic that you set aside. Cook the garlic in the olive oil until it turns golden, then remove it from the oil and discard. Add the mushrooms to the oil, season with salt and pepper, and cook, shaking them in the pan, just until they begin to soften, no longer than three minutes. Using tongs, remove from the oil and place on a lightly oiled baking sheet or in a baking dish, rounded side down.
• Fill the mushroom caps with the chard mixture, packing it in tight. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan over the top. If any oil remains in the pan, drizzle it over the mushrooms. Place in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until the mushrooms are moist and tender.