Swiss Chard Enchiladas

I know, Swiss Chard, sounds to healthy to taste good. But it is. Actually, these enchiladas were fabulous and very easy to make.

So lets talk a little bit about Swiss Chard....

Swiss Chard is a leafy green, but it is actually a member of the beet family, which is something I just learn. I always thought it was a member of the spinach or kale families.

When the Swiss chard is young and tender, it is great in salads. However, when it is mature, it becomes tougher and can have a more bitter flavor. For this recipe, we will be using the mature chard.

When the mature chard is used, the leafy green portion is removed from the stem, as the stem can be tougher. However, in this recipe, we will use the stems. To deal with the tougher stem, we will just be cooking it longer, and then later adding the leaves.

Lets talk nutrition: Swiss Chard is high in vitamins A, K, and C. It is also a great source of potassium, iron, and manganese. And of course it is a great source of fiber.

So lets get to the recipe so that you can get to cooking! Here you go...

Ingredients:

2 - 8 oz. cans green enchilada sauce

1-2 jalapenos, minced

2 large bunches of Swiss chard

1 medium onion, diced

8 tortillas, corn or flour

8 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

1/4 cup fresh Parmesan cheese, grated

1 large handful of cilantro, chopped

salt

Preparation:

Prepare the chard by removing the leaves from the stems. Chopped the stems into small pieces, rinse thoroughly, and set aside. Cut the leaves into ribbons, and again, rinse and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp. olive oil on high heat. Add the onion and saute for about 1 minute. Then add the chard stems and cook for another minute. Next, add the chard leaves. Add 1/4 cup of water and 1 tsp of salt, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 10-15 minutes, until tender. Then remove the lid and cook off any remaining moisture. We don't want watery enchiladas!

In a bowl, combine the Monterey Jack cheese, the chard/onion mixture, and the cilantro.

In another container, mix the green enchilada sauce and the desired amount of jalapeno.

Now to put it all together...

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Scoop about 1 cup of the enchilada sauce into the bottom of a 9"x 13" casserole dish.

Take each tortilla and dip it in the remaining enchilada sauce one at a time, lay it in the casserole dish, and fill it with about 1/4 cup of the cheese/chard mixture. Roll up and place seam side down in the casserole. Repeat this for all the tortillas.

Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over top of the enchiladas. Sprinkle with another couple of ounces of Monterey and the Parmesan cheese.

Bake for about 25 minutes, until it bubbles on the sides and the cheese is melted.

Take out of the oven, and sprinkle with additional cilantro for garnish.

Enjoy!

As always... Eat Well, and Be Kind!

Pesto and Cherry Tomato Pasta

This is one of the easiest pasta recipes you will ever make! Guaranteed.

It makes a great weeknight meal when you are just too darn tired to put much thought or effort into cooking.

My dear husband, Stephe, who is quite the food junkie, says, "I love the tanginess of the tomatoes and the lemon." I would have to agree. Normally I am not a big fan of pesto, but with the addition of the tomatoes and the lemon - it is a winner.

If you don't have arugula, feel free to experiment with spinach or kale, or swiss chard.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup pecorino cheese, grated

2 handfuls baby arugula

1 handful basil

1/3 EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

1/3 cup walnuts

juice from 1 small lemon

several handfuls cherry tomatoes

1/2 lb. whole grain penne pasta - I like Barilla for the higher protein content.

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Prepare the pasta to al dente.

Put all the other ingredients (except the tomatoes and S&P) in a blender and blend until thick and smooth.

Season with the salt and pepper.

Cut the cherry tomatoes in half, lengthwise.

Mix the pesto and the cherry in to the pasta and serve.

You can sprinkle additional cheese on top if you would like.

It doesn't get much easier than that!

Serve with a simple salad and a piece of crusty bread and you are good to go.

Enjoy!

Quinoa Corn Chowder with Aji

This recipe is so good that I wish I could claim it as my own creation - I can not. This wonderfully hearty chowder is the creation of Terry Hope Romerao. It is a vegan recipe infused with the flavors of Latin America.

Because of the Latin influence this chowder has a bit of a spicy punch - that is the Aji paste. The level of heat is up to you, as there are several types of Aji paste: amarillo, panca, and rocoto that you can choose from. I used Aji panca, which has a milder flavor. If you are unable to find the Aji at your local grocer, check out your local Mexican market.

I know what some of you are thinking. You're thinking you are going to pass on this recipe because you haven't cooked with quinoa or Aji before, right? Well, maybe it's time to break out of your same old, same old food routine; and time to expand your culinary horizons. Be a fearless foodie! It fun! I promise even my non vegetarian readers will enjoy this dish. So go ahead and give this recipe a try!

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. peanut, corn, or vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large yellow onion, diced

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa (rinsed and drained) I used red quinoa.

2 Tbsp. aji paste - amarillo, panca, or rocoto

1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1 1/2 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. ground sweet paprika

1/2 pound red potatoes, diced small

3 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels. (thaw and drain, if frozen)

1 14 oz. can butter beans, drained and rinsed

4 cups vegetable broth or water, or a combination of both

2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced small

1/3 cup milk (if you are vegan, substitute with the milk substitute of your choosing)

1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

3/4 tsp. salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

Garnishes:

- finely chopped cilantro or parsley

- chopped ripe avocado

- roasted chopped peanuts

- diced red or green onion

Preparation:

In a large soup pot, combine the oil and minced garlic over medium heat. Cook garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the onion and saute until soft and translucent, about 6-8 minutes.

Add the quinoa and stir occasionally, toasting the quinoa for 3 to 4 minutes (make sure you have properly rinsed the quinoa before adding. see below).

Add the aji paste, oregano, basil, cumin, and paprika, and fry for 1-2 minutes.

Then stir in the potatoes, corn, beans, and water. Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the potatoes are very tender and the quinoa is tender and translucent.

Stir in the tomatoes, milk, vinegar, and salt, partially cover, and simmer for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. This soup should be thick, but if it seems too thick, simply add more broth or water.

Remove from the heat and season with black pepper.

Let the soup sit for 10-15 minutes before serving, allowing the flavors to meld.

To serve, scoop into bowls and top with the garnish(es) of your choice. My favorite is the cilantro!

**One quick note - be sure to check the box to determine if the quinoa you purchased is prewashed or not. If it is not, you will want to be sure to rinse it thoroughly a couple of times before cooking with it. If it isn't rinsed it will have a very bitter flavor, and thus ruin the dish. For information on quinoa, check out this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinoa.

Grilled Margherita Zucchini

This is one of my most favorite recipes yet! So simple, and yet another great way to prepare the abundance of zucchini we all have on hand this time of year.

As always, these taste best with garden fresh ingredients. If you don't have your own garden, head on down to your local farmers market and go wild!

Grilled Margherita Zucchini

Ingredients:

Medium sized zucchini or yellow summer squash
Garden fresh Roma tomatoes
EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Fresh Parmesan Cheese
Fresh Basil, cut in ribbons. (you could use thyme, cilantro, or other fresh herb of your choosing as well.

Preparation:

Heat grill to medium heat.

Cut the zucchini lengthwise into planks about 1/4 inch thick. Lay on a flat surface. Make sure that the zucchini lay flat, or else your toppings will slide off during the grilling. Drizzle with EVOO.
Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on each plank. Then add the tomatoes and the fresh herbs.

Place each zucchini plank on the heated grill and cover the lid. Let the cook for about 10 minutes. Don't worry if the bottoms of your zucchini start to get charred. That is part of the flavoring that makes this dish so tasty!

You will know they are done when the zucchini are tender when poked with a fork. Be careful not to overcook, or the zucchini will become too mushy. You will want the zucchini to be tender crisp so they are able to support the toppings.

When removing from the grill be sure to support them well underneath. We wouldn't want all those yummy toppings to fall into the grill!

These can be served as an appetizer or as a side dish.

Happy Grilling!