Recipe for Swiss Chard and Mushroom Squares

Months ago, I saw a recipe for Regina Schrambling's Collard Squares on the Wednesday Chef, and then noticed that the same recipe had inspired Breakfast Acelga Squares at Canela & Comino. Both those recipes were adapted a bit from the original one from the L.A. Times. I finally made these and they were delicious, and with endless variations, this is such an interesting dish. The veggie-centric squares have just enough egg to make them breakfast possibilities, but the mushrooms add enough savory umami flavor that they could work well for lunch or a light dinner as well. You can also cut these in very small squares and serve them as an appetizer.

I meant to use collard greens in my version, since I love to add them to soup, but the collards at my store looked a bit limp, and the green chard was looking great. I didn't remember until I found Gretchen's recipe again that Acelga is called Swiss Chard in English. It's one of The World's Healthiest foods, containing significant nutrients with impressive health benefits. Swiss Chard has many other names, including Chard, Silverbeet, Perpetual Spinach, or Mangold. It has shiny green leaves, with stems that can be a variety of colors, and when I grow my own I'm fond of a variety called Rainbow Chard, with mixed stem colors in the same pack of seeds. Chard is one of the easiest greens to grow, and if you keep trimming the leaves, it will continue producing new growth all season. It's also very versatile in cooking, and well worth adding to your vegetable shopping list if you haven't tried it. Of course, all this gushing about chard has tipped you off that this is my entry for Weekend Herb Blogging, hosted this week by Ulrike of Kuchenlatein. Here are the rules for Weekend Herb Blogging and where to send your entry if you might like to join the fun. Keep reading to see how to make this interesting breakfast/lunch/dinner dish, plus lots of other Swiss Chard recipes from other bloggers.

Cut away them stems of the chard as shown. Don't throw them away, there are good recipes for chard stems!

Cut chard into thin strips and then coarsely chop. I did this first, then washed the chard in a salad spinner before boiling it for about 10 minutes. (Collard greens will take longer to cook.) Let cooked chard drain well while you saute onions, garlic, and mushrooms.

Coarsely chop mushrooms into pieces about 1/4 to 1/2 inches square. I improvised and used brown Baby Bella (Crimini) mushrooms. I wouldn't recommend ordinary white mushrooms for this, but you could use portabella or Shitake mushrooms here.

Onions and garlic are sauteed in olive oil for a few minutes, then mushrooms are added and cooked with a bit of Tamari or soy sauce. (More umami, coming right up.)

Squeeze chard dry with your hands, then mix together mushroom mixture, chard, panko crumbs, and grated cheese. Add beaten eggs and mix together.

Spray 9 X 9 inch glass or crockery casserole dish with olive oil or non-stick spray. Pour in egg-vegetable mixture. Bake at 350 F for 20-25 minutes, until set and slightly browned.

Swiss Chard and Mushroom Squares
(Makes 4 large servings or 16 appetizer sized servings, recipe adapted from Regina Schrambling's Collard Squares from The Wednesday Chef.)

1 bunch swiss chard, stems cut out and cut into thin ribbons and then chopped (can also use other greens)
pinch salt
pinch red pepper flakes
1 small onion, diced small
2 cloves garlic, finely minced (or use 1/2 tsp. ground garlic from a jar)
1/2 lb Baby Bella (Crimini) mushrooms, diced into small pieces (about 12 mushrooms)
1 T olive oil (or a little more, depending on your pan)
1/2 tsp. soy sauce or Tamari
1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack Cheese (about 2 oz., can use other white cheese such as mozarella, Gruyere, or swiss)
1/4 cup 100% whole wheat Panko crumbs
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp. Spike Seasoning

Preheat oven or toaster oven to 350 F.

Cut away center ribs from chard. Cut chard into thin ribbons, then chop coarsely. Wash chard in salad spinner or colander. Bring small saucepan of water to a boil, add chard, salt, and red pepper flakes. Boil about 10 minutes, until chard is softened and cooked through. Let drain while you prep other ingredients.

Heat olive oil in heavy frying pan. Saute onions over medium heat about 3 minutes; add garlic and saute 2 minutes more. Add mushrooms and soy sauce and saute 5-7 minutes, or until mushrooms are softened and liquid is evaporated.

Squeeze water from drained chard and place into large plastic bowl. Add mushroom mixture, grated cheese, Panko crumbs, beaten eggs, and Spike Seasoning and mix together. Spray 9 X 9 inch glass or crockery casserole dish with olive oil or non-stick spray. Pour in egg mixture.

Bake 20-25 minutes, until firmly set but not hard, and slightly browned. Let cool slightly, then cut into squares. Serve hot or at room temperature. This is good served with sour cream.

South Beach Suggestions:

This is a great dish for phase two or three of the South Beach Diet. You could make this for phase one by substituting almond meal for the whole wheat Panko crumbs.

Swiss Chard is Great in Soup:
(Recipes from other blogs may not always be South Beach Diet friendly, check ingredients.)
Italian Sausage and Bean Soup with Chard
White Bean and Ham Soup with Chard
Chickpea and Swiss Chard Soup from Tales From a Veggie Kitchen
Swiss Chard and White Bean Soup from Je Mange la Ville
Leek, Mushroom, and Swiss Chard Soup from Once Upon a Feast
White Bean and Chard Soup from Al Dente
White Beans and Greens Soup from The Pink of Perfection

More Tasty Ways to Cook Swiss Chard:
(Recipes from other blogs may not always be South Beach Diet friendly, check ingredients.)
How to Cook Swiss Chard from Beyond Salmon
Friendly Swiss Chard and Gnocchi from The Inadvertent Gardener

Swiss Chard Tzatziki from Simply Recipes
Leek and Swiss Chard Tart from Smitten Kitchen
Hot Swiss Chard Artichoke Dip from Farmgirl Fare
Swiss Chard Gratin from A Veggie Venture
Swiss Chard with Peppers and Garbanzos from Dani Spies
Baked Polenta with Swiss Chard from Cooking From A to Z
Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Swiss Chard Sauce from Almost Turkish Recipes
Swiss Chard Leaves and Stems from Just Hungry

Things you might want to know:
You can get Kalyn's recipes by e-mail.
There's a great way to print recipes on Kalyn's Kitchen.
It's easy to find out who's hosting Weekend Herb Blogging this week.
There are actual rules for Weekend Herb Blogging.
Here is another place where I write more about food.

Tags:
Food Recipes Cooking South Beach Diet Recipes
Low Carb Recipes Low Glycemic Index Recipes
Diabetes Friendly Recipes Weekend Herb Blogging