Hope all you mothers had a wonderful relaxing Mother’s Day! Mine was perfect- the best gift you can give a mom is sleep so I got to sleep in for a change, then went to mass, followed by a homemade brunch and lots of relaxing down time. Just what I wanted to do!
First thing my husband said when he saw this rainbow swiss chard I picked up at Pike’s Place market….”did they dye that?”. Shocking the the answer is no, right? Rainbow chard is just a mix of the other colored varieties as opposed to being a variety unto itself.
Swiss chard is a nutritional superstar with it’s antioxidant properties as well as it’s anti-infammatory effect. It’s an excellent source of vitamins K (more than 300% of the dailyvalue in a cup), A, and C, as well as a good source of magnesium, potassium, iron, and dietary fiber. Of course like other leafy greens, it’s super low calorie. The perfect side!
Side note to those that are prone to kidney stones you might want to skip this veggie, because it contains oxalates, which decrease the body’s absorption of calcium and can lead to kidney stones.
Swiss chard can be used similar to kale or spinach, but it has a more earthy, slightly bitter flavor. I love it! You will need to give it a good wash and cut off the stems, but I don’t worry about the stem running through the leaves. It’s not quite as tough a stem as kale.
I use my salad spinner to get it nice and dry before sauteing
I seriously just wanted to admire this bunch of chard, but decided I should cook it while it was fresh.
I love a simple side like this that goes with a variety of meals and takes no time to prepare.
Need some more ideas on how to prepare swiss chard? I turned to my trusty recipe site, Cooking Light and found these delicious recipes.
Fingerling Potato-Leek Hash with Swiss Chard and Egg
Goldren Raisins and Pine Nuts Swiss Chard
Tortilla Casserole with Swiss Chard
Pancetta with Swiss Chard and Soft Polenta
Winter Minestrone
And here is a rough meal plan for this week. As always I tend to make more mexican flavors than anything. With it getting closer to summer and our outside play hours getting longer, I put less energy into dinner since I am usually out watching the kids until later. It’s perfectly fine with me to have a few months where I get to be a little more relaxed about dinner time.
Meal Planning
Sunday
Grilled Chicken, Asparagus and Sliced Potatoes, Bruschetta
Monday
Crunchy Chicken Tacos, Salad, Guacamole
Tuesday
Slow Cooker Chicken and Potato Soup with Cilantro
Wednesday
Leftovers
Thursday
Tortilla Casserole Casserole with Swiss Chard (recipe link above)
Friday
Traveling
- 1 bunch rainbow swiss (or regular) chard
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 large clove garlic minced, or smashed if you prefer less garlic flavor
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- salt and pepper to taste
- Wash chard leaves well, remove tough stems (reserving for another time), chop chard leaves and dry well preferably with a salad spinner.
- Heat a large skillet or pot on medium heat. Add olive oil, minced garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add red pepper flakes and cook an additional 30 seconds. Add swiss chard leaves, stir and half cover with lid. Saute ~5 minutes or until tender. Stir in lemon juice, season to taste with salt and pepper.
Question: How was your Mother’s Day? What are you cooking this week?
Don’t forget to enter my Sunglasses Shop giveaway!
Roasted Tomato Salsa
Easy Vegetable Soup
Cheesy Chicken and Rice Skillet
The Best Veggie Bagel Sandwich
I really want to love chard but I haven’t loved it each time that I’ve made it. Maybe because I haven’t been preparing it this way?? Looks delicious.
Christine @ Love, Life, Surf recently posted..Why I won’t give up beer
Thanks Christine. 🙂 It definitely has it’s own flavor. Maybe you’d prefer it more if it were incorporated into something like soup or casserole?
I am such a sucker for sauteed greens 🙂
GiGi Eats Celebrities recently posted..On The Rocks
Yay for fresh veggies! Especially ones that are so colorful!
This week, I think I’ll be whipping up some Cauli-Soup.
Right now we’re cooking up some locally caught Opah, marinated in an infused olive oil that we just bought at the market, too! YUM!
E @ adventure of E recently posted..what’s beautiful: #iwill complete a tri
Swiss chard is so pretty! How can you not love something so vibrant and yummy!
Angela @ Happy Fit Mama recently posted..Marathon Monday Week 13
Looks delish! So fresh looking too! Yum!
Kierston @candyfit recently posted..Standing Strong and Proud!
we love love love the RAINBOW here too.
Miz recently posted..If we had coffee…
Good timing. We have a forest of chard in our garden right now. No rainbow, just red, but tons of it.
Oh so jealous!!!
I am keeping meals simple this week and I think my family prefers it that way.
Monday- Butternut squash soup, (homemade,from freezer), spinach salad with fresh berries
Tuesday- Burgers,baked potatoes, yellow squash, sauteed with sweet onion
Wednesday- tacos
Thursday- homemade lasagna (tripling for freezer), broccoli
Nothing I love more than a big plate of gorgeous greens like these!
Bree {Skinny Mommy} recently posted..Skinnier Quiche Lorraine {And more brunch ideas!}
I love swiss chard- and rainbow swiss chard is so colorful. Your pictures are gorgeous!!
Laura @ Mommy Run Fast recently posted..Houston Esprit de She 10k and new pr
Mother’s Day was just perfect. At the end of the day I told Luck that I wish it didn’t have to end!!
Love rainbow chard!!! Thanks for the recipe!
I am late in posting, but better late than never!
Sun: wild sea bass, asparagus, berries
Mon: black bean burgers, broccoli/apple salad (both recipes adapted from YOU!!)
Tues: baked potatoes, brocc/apple salad
Wed: I am going out…fam will have eggs and fruit
Thurs: green beans, sauteed zucchini, roasted kale (produce from co-op I can’t decide what to do with!)
Fri-Sun: heading to Georgetown for more Pilates training. Haven’t figured out what the fam will eat!!!
Brittany Smith recently posted..Chocolate chip scones with almond flour.