Creamed Swiss Chard with Cheese Cubes
Chard, commonly called Swiss chard, are leafy greens with beautiful long stalks.
My recipe for chard is inspired from the Indian creamed spinach and cheese
cubes dish, saag paneer , or more accurately palak paneer , to which I added
chard. This dish goes best with Baked Whole Wheat Flatbreads , or
may be served with Plain Basmati Rice or Rice with Cumin and Peas. Look for chard that is not wilted, with stalks that are firm and crisp. I
keep it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Firm tofu and coconut milk may be
substituted for the cheese and heavy cream to make this a vegan dish.
Serves 3 to 4
Prep time: 10 minutes + 1 hour, 50 minutes to make Indian Cheese Block,
cubed and pan-fried (using tofu will require less time)
Cook time: 40 minutes
Refrigerator life: 3 days
Freezer life: 1 month Reheating method: Place the
refrigerated or defrosted chard and cheese (or tofu) in a microwave, cover and
stir periodically. Or, place it in a saucepan over medium-low heat and stir
periodically.
Substitute tofu to make: Creamed Swiss Chard with Tofu
- 1 lb (500 g) fresh Swiss chard (rainbow, ruby red, or rhubarb) (1 bunch) ½ lb (225 g) fresh spinach (1 bunch) or baby spinach
- 1 fully ripe tomato, cut into 4 pieces
- ¼ teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1½ teaspoons peeled and finely grated fresh ginger
- ½ small onion, finely diced
- 1 fresh finger-length green chili pepper, finely diced (any variety) 1 recipe Indian Cheese Block or ½ block firm tofu (about ½ lb/225 g), cubed and pan-fried ½ cup (125 ml) heavy cream or coconut milk
1 Thoroughly wash the chard. Trim the bottom ¼ inch (6 mm) off the stems and
discard. Stack a few stalks of chard together and cut them, starting from the stem
end, crosswise into ¼-inch (6 mm) pieces. When you get to the leafy part, bunch
the leaves together and keep cutting into ¼-inch (6 mm) pieces.
2 Trim the bottom 1 inch (2.5 cm) off the stems of the spinach bunch and
discard. Thoroughly wash the spinach. Coarsely chop the leaves and remaining
stems. If using baby spinach, you do not need to trim the stems or chop the
leaves.
3 Squeeze the chopped greens and stems with your hands to remove any excess
water and place them in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the tomato and
cook for 10 minutes. You will soon see some water released from the greens as
they start to reduce in volume.
4 Add the red pepper, salt, and black pepper. Stir to combine and cover. Cook for
10 minutes so the greens become tender, stirring occasionally.
5 Remove the cover and cook until most or all of the water has cooked off,
stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. The greens will be moist and mushy.
Turn off the heat.
6 Transfer the cooked greens and stems to a blender. Purée until smooth, but do
not liquefy it, and then put the puréed contents back into the saucepan.
7 Pour the oil into a small skillet and place over medium heat. When the oil is
heated, add the ginger, onion, and green chili pepper. Sauté until the onion is
browned, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Pour into the saucepan with the
blended greens.
8 Add the cheese cubes (or tofu) and heavy cream (or coconut milk). Stir to
combine. Simmer for 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Enjoy
now or let cool to room temperature and refrigerate or freeze for later!
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