Dose of Prose
Do you prefer raw or cooked vegetables? I like both. A cold refreshing green juice/smoothie in the morning is a great way to start the day (check out my juice recipe here). Nothing beats a freshly chopped salad with dinner. Oh, and don’t get me started on roasted crispy cruciferous veggies straight from the oven…now that is *chefs kiss.* Clearly, I love veggies in all forms, but sometimes they don’t love me back. Not only are some vegetables difficult for me to digest, but also, after doing some research, I’ve discovered that some vegetables are more nutrient dense than others.
I don’t know about you, but I want my food to taste good and make me feel good. My goal is to get the most value I can out of what I consume (that applies to more than just food), which is why I make a conscious effort to eat intuitively and do what works best for me and my body. I’ve seen and heard a lot of positive talk about leafy greens, specifically chard, so I decided to try it myself and it is worth the hype. Incorporating chard into my meals has been a game changer for me in terms of gut health, which brings me to today’s recipe.
Chard is a leafy green that is not as soft as spinach yet not as hard as kale. There are different kinds of chard (in this recipe I’m using rainbow because the colors are ~fun and pretty~) and both the leaves and stalks of the vegetable provide numerous health benefits, as chard is high in magnesium, iron, potassium and vitamins A, C and K. In this post, I’m going to share a breakfast/brunch recipe, but you can certainly pair chard with any meal. I have included the written recipe as well was a video that you can follow along step by step. Enjoy!
PREP TIME: 5 mins
COOK TIME: 15 mins
SERVINGS: 2-4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 bunch of fresh Swiss or Rainbow Chard
- butter
- black garlic
- salt
- pepper
- all-purpose seasoning
- (optional) your favorite brunch foods
- croissant/bread to make toast
- 2 eggs
- fresh fruit
- rice or potatoes (if you’re making a breakfast bowl)
Steps
1. Prep chard stalks and leaves:
Rinse chard thoroughly and separate the stalks from the leaves.
Chop the stalks into 1-inch bite-size pieces; chop leaves as needed.
2. Season and sauté stalks:
Heat butter (or you can use olive oil) in a pan on medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, or until the garlic is fragrant.
The stalks take longer to cook, so add them to the pan first. Season to your liking with salt, pepper and herbs/all-purpose seasoning. Cook stems until browned (~6-8 mins). Remove from pan.
3. Cook chopped leaves:
Sauté chard leaves until wilted (~2-4 mins). Season to your liking with the seasonings mentioned above. Add stalks back into the pan.
4. Make your brunch sides:
One of my go-to breakfast meals is egg on a croissant with fruit. I love adding chard to this dish! I cut a croissant in half and toast it. Then, I fry an egg and cut up some fruit. Another option is to make some potatoes or rice (instead of toast) and make a brunch bowl with the chard.
5. Serve and enjoy!
I hope you enjoy this simple and healthy meal! Eating chard is a great way to incorporate greens into your diet and I highly recommend giving it a try. Let me know how it tastes and if you end up recreating this meal, take a photo and tag me on Instagram! Feel free to check out my other recipes here.
