Baby Swiss Chard With Bacon Pine Nuts And Raisins Recipes

BABY SWISS CHARD WITH BACON, PINE NUTS AND RAISINS

Steps:

• In a small sauce pan heat the sherry until just simmering, add the raisins and remove from heat. Let soak for 20 minutes, until raisins are nice and plump.
• In a medium skillet, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove from skillet with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
• Toast the pine nuts in the bacon fat until golden brown. Remove from skillet with slotted spoon and add to bacon on paper towel.
• Heat 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the garlic, and gently sauté for 30 seconds, just to soften. Reduce heat to medium-low and add ¼ of the chard to the skillet, season lightly with salt and cook for 3 to 5 minutes to wilt. Add another ¼ of the chard to the skillet and continue to cook until all of the chard is wilted and tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.
• Remove the chard from the skillet to a bowl and cook the rest of the chard as above. If you have two large skillets you can do both batches at the same time.
• When all of the chard is cooked, return it to the skillet and add raisins, pine nuts and bacon. Cook over medium heat until warmed through and the raisins, pine nuts and bacon are evenly distributed in the chard. Season with more salt if needed and black pepper to taste.
• Serve.
• Note:.
• I found baby chard that had very tender stems. If the chard stems you have are large and tough, cut them out of the chard leaves and chopped them into 1 inch lengths. Blanch them in boiling water until tender, about 3 to 4 minutes, drain, then add them when cooking the leaves.

BRAISED SWISS CHARD WITH RAISINS AND PINE NUTS

Steps:

• Tear Swiss Chard leaves into medium pieces.
• In large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat.
• Stir red onion in and saute for about 5 minutes or until the red onion slices are soft.
• Turn heat up to medium-high heat; add raisins and pine nuts, stir to toast the nuts.
• Add swiss chard, give it a couple of stirs to incorporate it with the other ingredients. If you are using the spinach, add it at this point instead of the Swiss Chard.
• Add water and cover the pan so the swiss chard will wilt. Usually takes about 3 to 4 minutes for this to happen. Even if you are using the spinach that you have cooked, cooled and strained of extra water - DON'T SKIP THIS STEP WITH YOUR PRE-COOKED, STRAINED SPINACH - if you skip this with your spinach, the texture will be "gummy." Trust me - I tried it.
• Put individual servings on plates, use salt and pepper to your taste and then, (my favorite part) - sprinkle with balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar.

SAUTEED SWISS CHARD WITH RAISINS AND PINE NUTS

Steps:

• Wash chard, leaving some water clinging to stalks and leaves; set aside. In a large saucepan with a lid, toast the pine nuts over medium-high heat, shaking pan to brown evenly, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from pan; set aside.
• In same saucepan, heat oil over medium-high. Add stalks, and cook until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Add leaves, raisins, and garlic. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until tender, 6 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Pull lid back slightly, and tilt pan to pour off water. Stir in vinegar and pine nuts; season with salt and pepper. Serve.

SWISS CHARD, RAISIN, AND PINE NUT TART

Steps:

• Bring raisins and water to a boil in a 1-quart heavy saucepan, then remove from heat and let stand, covered, 1 hour. Drain in a colander, then pat dry with paper towels. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.
• Blanch chard in a large pot of boiling salted water, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until tender but still bright green, about 5 minutes. Transfer chard with a slotted spoon to a large bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking. Drain chard in a colander, then squeeze out excess water by handfuls. Coarsely chop chard.
• Whisk together egg, cream, granulated sugar, zest, and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Stir in pine nuts, raisins, and chard until combined.
• Roll out larger piece of dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 15- by 11-inch rectangle and fit into tart pan (do not trim edges). Chill shell while rolling out top.
• Roll out smaller piece of dough on a lightly floured surface with lightly floured rolling pin into a 12- by 9-inch rectangle. Spread chard filling evenly into shell, then top with second rectangle of dough. Using a rolling pin, roll over edges of pan to seal tart and trim edges, discarding scraps. Cut 3 steam vents in top crust with a paring knife, then put tart in pan on a baking sheet. Bake until top is golden, about 1 hour. Transfer to a rack and cool 10 minutes, then remove side of pan. Cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Dust with confectioners sugar.

SWISS CHARD WITH RAISINS AND PINE NUTS

Steps:

• Wash and drain chard, leaving some water clinging to stalks and leaves. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high. Add chard stalks, and cook until beginning to soften, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes.
• Add chard leaves, raisins, and garlic. Cover, and reduce heat to medium-low; cook, stirring occasionally, until chard is tender, 6 to 10 minutes. Pour off excess liquid from pan. Add vinegar and pine nuts, and toss to combine; season with salt and pepper, and serve.

SWISS CHARD WITH RAISINS AND PINE NUTS

Steps:

• Tear chard leaves from stems, then coarsely chop stems and leaves separately.
• Toast nuts in oil in a wide 6- to 8-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until golden, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, then transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain and season with salt.
• Cook onion in oil remaining in pot, stirring occasionally, 1 minute, then add chard stems and cook, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes. Add raisins and 1/2 cup water and simmer, covered, until stems are softened, about 3 minutes. Add chard leaves and remaining 1/2 cup water and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until leaves are tender, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Serve sprinkled with nuts.

SWISS CHARD WITH CURRANTS AND PINE NUTS

Steps:

• Place the raisins or currants in a bowl and pour on hot water to cover. Soak 10 minutes and drain.
• Fill a bowl with ice water. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil and add the chard. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until just tender. Transfer to the bowl of ice water and let sit for a few minutes. Drain and squeeze out as much water as you can. Chop coarsely.
• Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy nonstick skillet. Add the chard stems and cook 3 to 5 minutes, until tender. Add the pine nuts and cook, stirring, until they begin to color, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, just until the garlic begins to smell fragrant about 1 minute. Add the chopped greens and raisins or currants and toss together until they are well coated with oil and heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve, or allow to cool and serve at room temperature.