Last week I found myself with an abundance of Swiss Chard; between my delivery of farm fresh organic produce and my neighbor offering me chard from her garden (I never turn down homegrown produce!), I had enough chard to feed an army; but my kitchen is only serving 2 at the moment, so I was in a bit of a dilemma, albeit an enviable one. You know (I hope) that all dark leafy greens are nutritional powerhouses, but how to prepare them so they taste good possibly has eluded you. Bored with just adding leafy greens to stir-fries, I began searching through my cookbooks and the internet for some inspiration.
Today I’m sharing a super easy, quick, sauté of swiss chard with plump raisins to add a little sweetness to the earthy greens. Not only is this dish a worthy, healthy side to any protein, it can serve as a complete vegetarian meal when complemented with wholesome brown rice, or glammed up as an elegant, savory pastry appetizer or indulgent bread basket offering when rolled into flakey, buttery puff pastry.
Swiss Chard with Raisins
Swiss chard is very popular in the Mediterranean and nutrient-rich. The addition of sweet, plump raisins makes this leafy green seem like an indulgence.
Ingredients:
½ cup raisins
1 large bunch of red or green swiss chard, about 10 small leaves
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
red pepper flakes
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ red onion, chopped
dash of red wine vinegar
Serves 2-3
Plump the raisins by pouring ¾ cup of boiling water over them and soaking for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare chard by cutting out the center spine, chop and set aside.
Roll up the leaves and cut into strips, then chop crosswise.
Heat large pan over medium heat, add olive oil and sprinkle of red pepper flakes, sauté chard stems for about 2 minutes until softened, add onion and garlic, sauté until onion is softened, about 3 minutes. Add chard and sauté until tender, about 4-6 minutes. Add 1-2 tablespoons of water as needed to prevent sticking.
Drain raisins and stir into mixture. Add a 2-3 dashes of red vinegar, stir to combine.
For the pastries: Defrost one sheet of puff pastry. Preheat oven to 400〫F. Blend 1 egg with 2 tablespoon water. Spread the chard mixture on the puff pastry sheet, leaving a ½ inch along each long side without filling. Gently fold the pastry sheet over the filling along the long side and begin rolling up. Brush the end with egg mixture to seal. Cut into ¾ inch rounds. Place cut side down on cookie sheet lined with parchment. Brush with egg mixture. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Makes about 12 pinwheel pastries.
Enjoy 🙂
Sandra's Easy Cooking
April 6 at 4:21 pmI am totally in love with your recipe..looks amazingly delicious!!! And photos are mouthwatering as always!!!
spcookiequeen
April 6 at 4:34 pmI love chard, especially the red variety. Love the puff spirals would made with it. I could just this for dinner.
-Gina-
Pachecopatty
April 6 at 5:37 pmMe too. I’m a chard lover too! Those savory puff spirals look out of this world, yum.
I would love this for dinner tonight, very creative idea;-)
Elle (Bromography)
April 6 at 6:25 pmI love the pastry idea! I am not very imaginative when it comes to greens, but this is definitely a way to change things up a bit.
Luke @ WellJourn
April 6 at 10:31 pmAlways look for new ways to enjoy leafy greens. Thanks for sharing!
Emily @ Life On Food
April 7 at 5:15 amI have been wanting to try cooking with swiss chard for a long time. I think this recipe would be a great way to start! Thanks for sharing!
5 Star Foodie
April 7 at 5:37 amPairing chart with raisins inside the delicious puff pastry is a terrific idea! We need to try this for sure!
Cheryl and Adam @ pictureperfectmeals.com
April 7 at 7:02 amAdam has always loved Swiss chard ans we eat it often. I love your recipe for it and especially inside the puff pastry… something a little different to serve as an appetizer at parties.
[email protected]
April 7 at 10:43 amThis is simple. yet so elegant… delicious recipe!
Victoria
April 7 at 12:21 pmI love dark leafy greens too, and you’re very lucky to have such an abundance, even with only 2 mouths to feed 🙂 Those pastries are a great use for some of your leftover chard and raisins. When in doubt, wrap it up in puff pastry, haha.
Megan
April 7 at 1:21 pmThis looks delicious! Great photos, too.
Maris (In Good Taste)
April 7 at 2:42 pmThese pastries are fantastic. A healthy pastry! I love it!
sarah
April 7 at 5:23 pmI just ended up with a boat load of chard as well. And I have left over puff pastry sitting in my freezer. I think this might be what some people call fate.
A little bit of everything
April 7 at 7:58 pmthese green leaves always make their way in my shopping card every weekend.
your pin wheels sound like a great appetizer, love the addition on raisins for a little sweetness.
Thanks for sharing Priscilla
Magic of Spice
April 7 at 8:36 pmOK, I get to say here that I actually got to taste these babies, right (not an actual question as it is too late)! I happened to be a guest during the serving of these delights, so I can attest to how delicious they are. I did not explain to my host that I am not fond of raisins, but I forgot myself after one bite. These were buttery and delightful, a must do for any occasion!
Angie's Recipes
April 7 at 9:19 pmThis is a winner recipe!!! Swiss chard in puff pastry…wow, I am totally in love with those little beauties.
Anncoo
April 8 at 8:05 amI really love this Swiss Chard recipe. Looks so delicious and healthy too 🙂
kelly von Hemert
April 8 at 9:41 amThat is one of the most creative and delicious looking things I’ve ever laid eyes on.
Byn
May 11 at 2:56 pmWow! These look DELICIOUS!! I’ve been trying to find ways to incorporate more of these dark green veggies into our diet. Thanks for the great recipe!
Cut `n Clean Greens
July 2 at 2:33 pmHi Priscilla,
We love the looks of your Swiss Chard pinwheels! We have featured this on our Facebook page today, so people can click and see what deliciousness you have cooked up over here. We invite you and others to come LIKE us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/cutncleangreens. We seriously <3 chard!