Savory Swiss Chard Pie Recipes

GREEK SWISS CHARD PIE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil while you stem and wash the greens. Wash them in 2 changes of water, lifting them from the water so that the dirt stays behind. Fill a bowl with ice water. When the water comes to a boil, add the chard and blanch for 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon or a skimmer, transfer to the ice water. Let sit just until cool, a few minutes, then drain and squeeze out excess water by taking up bunches of the greens, making a fist around them and squeezing. Chop coarsely and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Oil or butter a 10-inch tart or cake pan (I like to use a ceramic dish for this). Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the onions. Cook, stirring often, until tender but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for another 30 seconds to a minute, until the garlic is fragrant. Stir in the greens, herbs, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and stir the mixture for a minute, until the greens are coated with oil. Remove from the heat.
• Beat the eggs in a large bowl or the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. If you are not using phyllo dough for this, remove 2 tablespoons of the beaten eggs, for brushing the crust, and crumble or blend in the feta. Toss with the greens, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Line the pie dish with two-thirds of the dough, or with 7 pieces of phyllo, lightly brushing each piece with butter or oil and turning the dish after each addition so that the edges of the phyllo drape evenly over the pan. Fill with the greens mixture. If using phyllo, fold the draped edges in over the filling, lightly brushing the folded in sheets of phyllo ,then layer the remaining 5 pieces on top, brushing each piece with butter or olive oil. Stuff the edges into the sides of the pan. For pie dough, roll out the other piece of the dough and place over the filling. Crimp the bottom and top edges together, then pinch an attractive fluted edge all the way around the rim of the pie. Brush the top with the beaten egg you set aside, and make a few slashes in the top crust so that steam can escape as the pie bakes.
• Bake 40 to 50 minutes in the preheated oven, until the crust is golden. Serve hot, warm, or room temperature.

SWISS CHARD PIE

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine all-purpose flour, extra-virgin olive oil, cold water, and coarse salt. Stir with a fork to combine, then turn out onto a work surface and knead 1 minute. Cover dough with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature, 30 minutes.
• In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion and garlic; cook until onion begins to soften, about 2 minutes. Add chard stems and red-pepper flakes; cook until stems begin to soften, about 2 minutes.
• Pack chard leaves into pot; season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook until chard leaves wilt, about 4 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring occasionally, until chard is soft, about 4 minutes. Drain, pressing out as much liquid as possible. Place chard mixture in a large bowl and toss with Parmesan, flour, lemon zest and juice. Season with salt and pepper.
• Roll two-thirds the dough to a 12 1/2-inch round; fit into an 8-inch round cake pan (2 inches deep). Fill bottom crust with chard mixture. Roll remaining dough to a 9 1/2-inch round; place over filling. Pinch edges of dough together and tuck in to seal; cut several vents into center of pie. Combine yolk with 1 teaspoon water and brush over dough, avoiding edge of pan. Freeze pie.
• To serve, preheat oven to 400 degrees, with rack in lowest position. Bake frozen pie until crust is deep golden brown, about 1 1/2 hours. Serve warm or at room temperature.

SAVORY SWISS CHARD

Steps:

• In a large skillet heat extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add the greens to the pan and wilt. Season the greens with nutmeg and smoked sweet paprika or cumin, salt and pepper and a dash of Worcestershire sauce. Add the chicken stock and simmer for a few minutes then serve.

SAVORY SWISS CHARD PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F Spray a 9-inch ceramic pie pan lightly with non-stick spray.
• Wash the chard but do not dry. Remove the center stem from each leaf. Set the leaves aside and chop the stems into small pieces. In a large skillet, sauté the onion and chard stems until softened (about 5 minutes), adding a tablespoon of water if necessary to prevent sticking.
• Meanwhile, cut the chard leaves into bite-sized pieces. Add them to the pan along with the garlic, reduce heat, and cover. Cook until all chard is wilted. Remove from heat. If any water has accumulated, drain it; then spread chard in bottom of prepared pie pan.
• Place tofu and remaining ingredients in a blender, and puree until very smooth. Pour over the chard in the pie pan. Use a spoon to gently open holes through the chard so that the tofu mixture penetrates it. Smooth the top so that tofu layer is even and covers all the chard.
• Bake for 30 minutes, or until center is set. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
• Servings: 4.

SAVORY SWISS CHARD WITH PORTOBELLOS

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Stir in the red pepper, garlic, and portobello mushrooms. Cook and stir until the mushroom has softened and begun to release its liquid, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the leek, and continue cooking until the leek has softened, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the chicken broth and Swiss chard. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover, and simmer until the chard leaves have wilted, about 10 minutes. Remove the lid, and continue cooking until the chard is tender and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese; let stand until melted.

SWISS CHARD PIE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil while you stem and wash the greens. Wash them in 2 changes of water, lifting them from the water so that the dirt stays behind. Fill a bowl with ice water. When the water comes to a boil, add the chard and blanch for 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon or a skimmer, transfer to the ice water. Let sit just until cool, a few minutes, then drain and squeeze out excess water by taking up bunches of the greens, making a fist around them and squeezing. Chop coarsely and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Oil or butter a 10-inch tart or cake pan or a ceramic dish. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the onions. Cook, stirring often, until tender but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for another 30 seconds to a minute, until the garlic is fragrant. Stir in the greens, herbs, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and stir the mixture for a minute, until the greens are coated with oil. Remove from the heat.
• Beat the eggs in a large bowl or the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Stir in the cheese. Stir in the greens, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Line the pie dish with 7 pieces of phyllo, lightly brushing each piece with butter or oil and turning the dish after each addition so that the edges of the phyllo drape evenly over the pan. Fill with the greens mixture. If using phyllo, fold the draped edges in over the filling, lightly brushing the folded in sheets of phyllo ,then layer the remaining 5 pieces on top, brushing each piece with butter or olive oil. Stuff the edges into the sides of the pan. Brush the top with the butter or oil, and make a few slashes so that steam can escape as the pie bakes.
• Bake 40 to 50 minutes in the preheated oven, until the crust is golden. Serve hot, warm, or room temperature.
• ADVANCE PREPERATION:
• The blanched greens will keep in the refrigerator in a covered bowl for 3 or 4 days. The dish can be prepared through Step 2 up to a day ahead. Keep the cooked greens in a covered bowl in the refrigerator. You can assemble the pie several hours before baking and keep it in the refrigerator, or freezer. Transfer directly from the freezer to the preheated oven, and increase the baking time by about 10 minutes. The finished tart keeps for a few days, but you must re-crisp the phyllo in a low oven (300º to 325ºF) for 10 to 20 minutes.