Sauté of Rainbow Chard with Apples
Okay- confession time. How many of you regularly eat greens? Thought so. Whether you haven’t a clue how to cook them or just plain “don’t like,” here’s a simple sauté that hopefully will change your mind. First of all, you can’t deny how beautiful rainbow chard is, right? So why not try? Sautéing with apples lightly sweetens and with flavorful accompaniments such as toasted pine nuts and freshly shaved Parmesan, you’ve got a whole lot of “yum” going on!
Recipe adapted from: Rainbow Chard with Pine Nuts, Parmesan, and Basil by Susie Middleton via Fine Cooking.
Recipe adapted from: Rainbow Chard with Pine Nuts, Parmesan, and Basil by Susie Middleton via Fine Cooking.
Ingredients
- 4 teaspoons olive oil divided
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts or sliced almonds
- 2 Granny Smith apples cored (do not peel), thinly sliced
- 1 large bunch rainbow chard washed and thoroughly dried
- Salt to taste optional
- 2 tablespoons shaved Parmesan cheese Parmesan Reggiano is especially flavorful
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh herbs such as basil thyme or marjoram
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
Instructions
- Preparing Chard: with a sharp knife, cut away chard leaves from the stems and center vein. Tear leaves into approximately 3-inch pieces. Slice stems 1/4-inch thick.
- In a large skillet, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium-low setting. Add pine nuts to skillet, stirring constantly with a spatula until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. (Do not allow to burn.) Remove pine nuts from skillet to a small bowl. Add apple slices to the same skillet, sautéing for 3 to 4 minutes until softened. Add apples to pine nuts.
- Increase heat to medium-high setting; heat remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil. Add chard stems; sauté until lightly browned and softened, about 5 minutes. Add the leaves, sautéing until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Return apples and pine nuts to skillet, tossing just until combined. Season with salt, if desired.
- Place sautéed chard and apples on a serving platter. Garnish with freshly shaved Parmesan and chopped herbs. Drizzle with lemon juice. Serve immediately.
Notes
Make Ahead and Storage Tips: this dish is best served immediately after cooking.
As chard tastes and cooks similarly to spinach, feel free to substitute if desired. Or try a combo of 1/2 spinach and 1/2 chard. Although a bunch of fresh greens appears to be enough to feed a crowd, once cooked down, the quantity decreases significantly. So to serve about 8 guests, you will need to double this recipe, cooking in batches as needed.
Another "MPM Side Dish in a Flash" you may enjoy is Crazy for Greens.
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