Garlic Toasts With Swiss Chard Raisins And Pine Nuts Recipes

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, about 1 minute or just until the garlic begins to smell fragrant. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

PASTA WITH SAUSAGE, SWISS CHARD, AND PINE NUTS

Steps:

• Bring a pot of water to a boil. Measure out 1 cup boiling water and pour over raisins in a small dish; let soak until plump, about 15 minutes, then drain.
• While raisins are soaking, add a generous amount of salt to pot of boiling water; cook pasta until al dente according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water; drain pasta, and return to pot.
• In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Cook sausage, breaking it up with a fork, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add chard and garlic, and season with pepper; cook, tossing, until chard wilts, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add sausage mixture to pot along with raisins, pine nuts, parmesan, and 1/2 cup reserved pasta water; toss with pasta to combine. Add enough additional pasta water to create a thin sauce to coat pasta.
• To serve, divide among shallow bowls, and sprinkle with more cheese.
• Pine Nuts
• Pine nuts can be used in both savory and sweet dishes. They can be refrigerated up to 3 months, or frozen up to 9 months, in an airtight container.

GARLIC TOASTS WITH SWISS CHARD, RAISINS, AND PINE NUTS

Steps:

• Place raisins in small bowl. Pour enough warm water over to cover; let stand 20 minutes. Drain.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine 3 tablespoons oil and crushed garlic in another small bowl. Arrange baguette rounds on baking sheet. Bake until bread is crisp but not brown, turning bread once, about 5 minutes per side. Cool. Brush bread with garlic oil.
• Cook Swiss chard in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Drain well. Pat with paper towels to remove excess water. Finely chop chard. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion and minced garlic and sauté until onion is tender, about 3 minutes. Add tomato and parsley and stir 1 minute. Increase heat to high; add pine nuts, nutmeg, raisins, and chard and stir 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top toasts with Swiss chard mixture. Serve warm or at room temperature.