Swiss chard crustless quiche

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My family overdid the dessert thing during Christmas week. We were lucky to receive plate after plate of delicious goodies from friends and relatives. Meaning we all ate a ton of cookies, cake, candy, and other snack foods for days on end.

You too? Yep, I thought so.

I went to the farmers market this weekend and loaded up on greens. Beet greens, kale, and a huge bunch of Swiss chard that was so big it didn't fit in the refrigerator.

I stripped the green chard leaves from their ruby-red stems, chopped the leaves, and cooked them for just a few minutes with a little olive oil and garlic. When they were cool I mixed in eggs, crumbled feta cheese, shredded mozzarella, chopped green onions, and a little Bisquick to bind everything together before baking in a casserole dish.

The result: a firm, nutrient-rich snack my family loves. I've served this in squares for breakfast and lunch. I've cut it into small triangles or batons and put it out at parties. No matter what shape you serve it in, I guarantee good results.

P.S. What did I do with the Swiss chard stems? Stay tuned for the most gorgeous pickles you've ever seen....

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Swiss chard crustless quiche

by Erika Kerekes December-30-2013

This nutrient-rich snack is packed with healthy Swiss chard. Serve it at breakfast or lunch, or cut it into small triangles or batons as a healthy finger food appetizer for your next party.

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 large bunch Swiss chard, washed, leaves only, chopped roughly (reserve stems for another use)
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
• 6 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/2 cup low-moisture mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 6 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
• 1/2 cup Bisquick (or another all-purpose baking mix)
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup milk (optional)

Instructions

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x12-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chard and garlic and saute about 3 minutes, until chard is wilted but not mushy. Pour the chard mixture into a large mixing bowl and let cool 10 minutes.Add the eggs, cheese, green onions, dill, Bisquick, pepper, and salt. Mix thoroughly until well combined. Add the milk only if the batter seems dry or extremely thick. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish.Bake about 40 minutes, until the quiche is set in the middle and the top is golden brown. Cool in the baking pan. Cut into squares, triangles, or batons to serve.

Details

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 45 mins Total time: 1 hour Yield: 8 servings as a vegetarian main course, or 20+ servings as an hors d'oeuvre

Swiss chard and bacon pie

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Last year I was lucky to work with wellness coach Rachael Pontillo of Holistically Haute Wellness. In our sessions we talked about everything from nutrition to stress relief to feeding our families.

I wasn't a perfect student, but I realized yesterday that my work with Rachael had one lasting impact: When I open the refrigerator in the morning, my first thought is "How am I going to get my leafy greens in today?" Baby steps are better than no steps at all.

I'm pretty sure this swiss chard and bacon galette wouldn't be Rachael's first choice for a greens delivery system, but it sure was delicious. Greens with bacon are better than no greens at all.

I used a prepared refrigerated pie crust because I was short on time, but feel free to use your favorite homemade pie crust recipe.

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Swiss chard and bacon galette

by Erika Penzer Kerekes January-26-2013

This free-form pie is a great way to get your greens - it uses an entire bunch of chard, including the stems.

Ingredients

• 1/4 pound bacon, diced
• 1/2 large or 1 small onion, diced
• 1 large bunch Swiss chard, any color, leaves and stems, roughly chopped
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (substitute Monterey jack, gruyere or your favorite cheese)
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan or Romano cheese
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• dough for 9-inch pie crust
• 1 egg, lightly beaten

Instructions

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 375 degrees.In a large skillet, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan and drain it on a plate lined with paper towel. Spill out all but 1 teaspoon of the bacon fat.Add the onion to the pan and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped Swiss chard and cook until stems are tender and leaves are wilted, another 6-8 minutes. Pour the Swiss chard mixture into a large bowl and let cool 10 minutes. Add both cheeses, salt and pepper and mix well.Roll the pie crust dough out into a large circle - don't worry, it doesn't have to be pretty. Transfer the dough onto the parchment-lined baking sheet by rolling it around the rolling pin, picking it up, and then unrolling it on the parchment. Mound the Swiss chard mixture in the middle of the dough, leaving a generous border of two to three inches. Lift up the edges gently and fold them onto the filling, leaving most of the filling showing in the middle, pleating the border as you go. The edge of the galette (pie) should look very rustic and imperfect.Brush the exposed pie crust with the beaten egg and slip the galette into the oven. Bake about 45 minutes, until the filling is bubbling and the crust is golden. Cool on the pan. Serve at room temperature.

Details

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 45 mins Total time: 1 hour Yield: 8-10 servings