Garlicky Rainbow Chard with Pine Nuts and Pancetta →

Here’s a healthy, colorful vegetable dish that engages all 5 taste senses. The recipe calls for Rainbow chard, but you can use regular Swiss chard, spinach, or kale. In the spirit of culinary inclusiveness, omit the pancetta and make the recipe vegan-friendly. Serve as a side dish with your protein of choice. Quick, easy, and delicious.

Garlicky Rainbow Chard with Pine Nuts, Pancetta, and Raisins
Serves 4 

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons golden raisins, currants, or craisins

• 2 pounds Rainbow chard, stemmed and washed in several changes of water; stems chopped and set aside; leaves sliced in 1-2 inch strips.

• 2 tablespoons pancetta (¼ inch dice)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 3 garlic cloves (to taste) sliced cross-wise

• 3 tablespoons pine nuts

• 2 teaspoons lemon zest

• Splash of Balsamic vinegar or a squeeze of lemon juice.

• Salt and freshly ground pepper

• Pinch of red pepper flakes 

PREPARATION

1. Fold the washed, stemmed chard leaves in half lengthwise and slice into 1-2 inch wide strips. Set aside.

2. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil and add the chard stems and blanch for 2 to 3 minutes, until just crisp-tender and easily pierced with a fork. Alternatively, steam the stems for about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of ice water to maintain the bright colors and let sit for a few minutes. Drain and set aside.

3. In a large sauté pan over med-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the pancetta. Sauté, stirring until the pancetta is nicely browned. Scoop out the pancetta and set aside. (Omit this step for vegan-friendly.)

4. In the same pan, over medium heat, add the pine nuts and cook, stirring, until they begin to color, 2 to 3 minutes.

5. Add a tablespoon of olive oil, add the garlic, and cook, stirring, just until the garlic begins to smell fragrant about 1 minute. Add the sliced chard greens, raisins, and red pepper flakes, and toss together until the chard is wilted and the ingredients are well coated with oil and heated through, 2 to 3 minutes.

6. Add the tenderized, brightly colored stems, lemon zest, reserved pancetta, and a splash of Balsamic vinegar or a squeeze of lemon juice, and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve, or allow to cool and serve at room temperature.

Sauteed Baby Spinach with Pine Nuts and Lemon →

Lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, red pepper flakes, and buttery toasted pine nuts are natural complements to spinach. Spinach is one of the nutritious leafy greens dieticians recommend, but some people avoid because of the gritty film it can leave on your teeth. The film is caused by oxalic acid in the spinach which attaches to the calcium in our teeth creating that annoying, but harmless temporary film on our teeth. The combination of steam, lemon juice, and a pinch of baking soda in this recipe helps to dilute and neutralize the oxalic acid in the spinach so you don’t end up with “spinach teeth”. Baby spinach is said to have less oxalic acid than mature spinach; an added plus is that the prep time washing and cleaning the spinach removing tough stems is greatly reduced. This nutritious dish can be prepared in just a few minutes and may become your family’s favorite way to enjoy this healthy veggie, especially if you combine it with the Garlic Shrimp or Blackened Scallops recipe on this site.

Serves 2
Ingredients:

• 3-4 handfuls of baby spinach (5-6 ounces)

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped

• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

• a pinch of baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

• ground black pepper

• pinch of red pepper flakes

• 1 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted

Preparation:

1. Sort through the spinach, discarding stems and bruised or yellow leaves. Wash the spinach in plenty of cold water along with a healthy pinch of baking soda. Drain and rinse a second time, then spin dry. (Adding a pinch of baking soda and the double rinse will reduce the oxalic acid crystals that cause the film on our teeth.)

2. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes and sauté for 1 minute.

3. Turn the heat to high and add the spinach, a 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a few pinches of pepper.

4. Wilt the spinach, tossing with tongs to coat the leaves with the hot oil and garlic. The water left on the leaves after washing will help it to wilt quickly. Turn the heat off after a minute or two and continue tossing the spinach until fully wilted and bright green, but not brown and over-cooked.

5. Garnish with the toasted pine nuts and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.