Asparagus, Chard, Goat's Cheese and Bulgar Wheat Salad

Another easy summer salad. It makes full use of the beautiful British asparagus now in season. I love this time of year with the asparagus and the strawberries. 

Asparagus, Chard, Goat's Cheese and Bulgar Wheat Salad
(Serve 1)

50g bulgar wheat
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
4-5 asparagus spears, cut into 1 inch pieces
handful spinach or chard, chopped if large
juice 1/2 lemon
1 heaped tsp sunflower seeds
20g goat's cheese
salt and pepper

Bring a pan of water to the boil and add the bulgur wheat. Cook according to packet instructions. When cooked, drain, rinse under the cold tap and then drain again well.

Heat a little oil in a frying pan and cook the garlic for 30 secs. Add the asparagus and saute for 3-4 mins. Add spinach and cook until the spinach wilts.

Put the bulgar into a bowl and stir in the vegetables. Squeeze over the lemon juice, season and mix in the sunflower seeds. Transfer to a bowl or pack into a lunchbox and crumble over the goat's cheese.

Squash, Sausage and Chard Pasta

I loved this pasta dish, I think squash makes the most awesome pasta sauce and I used some lovely Italian sausages. I'm definitely going to try making some different variations on this.

Squash, Sausage and Chard Pasta (from Green Lite Bites)
(Serves 4)

1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
8 sausages
400ml chicken stock
1-2 acorn squash, peeled and cut into chunks
4 tbsp 0% greek yogurt
1 tsp dried sage
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
salt and pepper
250g whole wheat pasta
100g swiss chard, sliced

Bring a pan of water to the boil and add the squash, cook for 15-20 mins, then drain and puree.

Bring a pan of water to the boil and cook the pasta according to packet instructions.

Meanwhile, heat a little oil in a frying pan and brown the sausage with the onion and garlic. Once brown add the chicken broth and bring to a boil.

Lower the heat to medium and add the pumpkin, yogurt, sage, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Stir to combine everything. Keep over a medium heat until the sauce begins to boil again then lower to a simmer.

Drain the pasta and add to the frying pan with the squash and sausage. Stir to coat. Add the chard and stir in until it wilts. Serve.

Swiss Chard Pancakes

I loved these pancakes, they were bursting with flavour and so simple to make and made a fab vegetarian meal. I served it with grated carrot and radish with some vinaigrette poured over and some lemony yogurt. Heaven!

Swiss Chard Pancakes (from Smitten Kitchen)
(Serves 8)

475ml milk
325g plain flour
3 large eggs
salt and pepper
4 spring onions, sliced
10 fresh chives, snipped
1 shallot, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
bunch parsley leaves, chopped
5 large or 10 small Swiss chard leaves, center ribs removed, roughly chopped
120 ml oil
Plain, thick yogurt mixed with a little lemon zest, lemon juice and salt, to taste

To make the batter; Put everything except the Swiss chard and oil in a blender or food processor and blitz until the batter is smooth. Scrape down the sides. Add the chard leaves and pulse until they’re chopped.

Heat a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and pour in a good amount of oil. Once the oil is hot spoon about 3 tbsp of batter in per pancake. It will spread quickly. Cook until browned underneath and then turn over, cooking on the other side until browned again. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, and then, if you’d like to keep them warm, to a foil-lined tray in a low oven. 

Repeat with remaining batter.  Serve with lemony yogurt or another sauce of your choice.

Three Cheese and Chard Pasta Cake

Really this is a pasta bake but slightly more solid! It was delicious though and used up the last of the cottage cheese!

Three Cheese and Chard Pasta Cake (from Lavender and Lovage)
(Serves 4-6)

250g penne pasta
350g Swiss chard, trimmed and roughly chopped
4 eggs, beaten
300g cottage cheese
150g cream cheese
100g Parmesan cheese, grated (plus some extra for the topping)
1 tbsp finely chopped dill
salt and pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 180C. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions, adding the chard for the last 2 mins of cooking time. Drain.

Put the pasta, chard and all of the other ingredients into a large bowl, season and mix well.

Grease and line a 20cm easy release cake tin with baking paper and spoon the pasta mixture into the tin. Sprinkle some extra Parmesan cheese over the top.

Bake for 30 to 35 mins until the pasta bake cake has set and is golden brown.

Allow to cool in the tin for 5 mins before turning out onto a serving plate; cut into wedges and serve warm with salad.

Jamie's 15 Minute Meals: Killer Kedgeree, Beans, Greens and Chilli Yoghurt

This is, I think, the first of these 15 minute recipes that I have been really disappointed with. The fish didn't cook in time and the eggs were only just cooked. Also the flavours were just, well, disappointing, it didn't taste much of curry and the greens didn't really add anything to the dish. Not one i'll be bothering to make again.

Killer Kedgeree, Beans, Greens and Chilli Yoghurt
(from Jamie's 15 Minute Meals)
(Serves 4)

Kedgeree
2 large eggs
4 bay leaves
450g undyed smoked white fish fillets
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger
1 fresh red chilli
1 bunch spring onions
1 bunch fresh coriander
2 heaped tsp mustard seeds
2 heaped tsp tumeric
oil
2 x 250g pack cooked brown rice
300g frozen peas
1 lemon

Greens
200g green beans
1 big bunch chard
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 lemon

Yoghurt
3 tbsp fat-free natural yoghurt
1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
1/2 lemon

Ingredients out, Kettle boiled, Large frying pan, high heat, Large casserole pan, medium heat, Medium lidded pan, medium heat.

Fill the frying pan with water, add the eggs, bay leaves and smoked fish, then reduce to a simmer. Refill and boil the kettle. Finely chop or slice the peeled ginger, chilli, trimmed spring onions and coriander (reserving a few leaves). Put the mustard seeds and tumeric into the casserole pan with 1 tbsp of oil, and when they pop, scrape in the chopped veg from the board, stirring regularly.

Line the beans up and cut off the stalks, put into the medium pan with a pinch of salt, then cover with boiling water and the lid. Line up the chard leaves, cut off and slice the stalks. Add the stalks to the beans. Stir the cooked rice, peas and the juice from 1 lemon into the casserole pan. Add the chard leaves to the beans for a min. Ripple the yoghurt, chilli sauce and the juice of /2 lemon together in a bowl.

Drain the greens and leave to steam dry. Use a fish slice to remove the smoked fish from the pan, flake into the rice, discarding the skin, stir and mix up, then season to taste. Peel the eggs under the cold tap and cut into quarters, place around the kedgeree pan and scatter over the reserved coriander leaves. Dress the greens on a board with the extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice, then season to taste and serve.

Creamed Chard Soup

I had a Sunday making soup a couple of weeks ago and one of the soups I made was this chard soup. There is a garden at school which is planted with all sorts of fruit and veg, the chard has been there almost a year and it's still going. So I asked if I could pick some and the Principal said yes. So the soup was born!

Creamed Chard Soup (from Riverford)
(Serves 4)
(3 WW ProPoints per serving)

400-500g chard, washed, trimmed of tough stalks and chopped
1 medium potato, peeled and diced
40g butter or 2 tbsp olive oil
1l chicken or veg stock
200ml milk
1 clove garlic, crushed
½ tsp grated or ground nutmeg
juice ½ a lemon
salt + pepper

Bring the stock to a simmer and add the potatoes. Cook for 20 mins or until the potato is soft.

Add the chard and the milk into the stock pan and bring back to the boil and cook for a further 5 mins. Purée the soup with a hand blender. Season with salt and pepper and add the nutmeg and lemon juice to taste.

Parsnip and Tamarind Curry

I ad some parsnips lurking at the bottom of my fridge that must have been there since just after Christmas, still in good shape I thought I'd have a go at this curry. I left out the green chilli because I don't like things too hot but I would advise you to leave it in, as although the dish packed in a lot of flavour, it wasn't spicy in the slightest. I served it with naan bread.

Parsnip and Tamarind Curry (from Allotment to Blog)

(Serves 6)

500g small parsnips, peeled and halved
60ml vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green chilli, sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp finely grated ginger
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 stick of cinnamon
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp chilli powder
2 large tomatoes or 1/2 tin of tinned tomatoes
2 tsp tamarind paste mixed with 1 tbsp boiler water or 1 tbsp prepared tamarind
200ml coconut milk
Salt and pepper to taste
50g small chard or spinach leaves
1 tbsp coriander, chopped

Parboil the parsnips for 10 mins. Drain.

While they are cooking, heat the oil and fry the onion, green chilli, garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, mustard and cinnamon. Stir frequently until golden.  Add the parsnips, turmeric, and chilli powder. Cook for 1 min then add the tomatoes and tamarind. Cook for 5 mins, then add the coconut milk and season with salt and pepper.

Cook stirring until the mixture is simmering. Add the chard or spinach and cook for a couple of mins. Scatter over the coriander and serve with flat bread or rice.

Pasta with Sausage, Swiss Chard and Pesto

This was a really simple pasta dish to make, delicious flavours especially with the chard from the garden. The original recipe used red presto and I swapped it for green pesto.

Pasta with Sausage, Swiss Chard and Pesto (adapted from Thyme for Cooking)
(Serves 2)

4 sausages

3 medium shallots, chopped

180g swiss chard, chopped

1/2 tsp paprika

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp pesto 

120g dried fettuccini

Cook the pasta according to packet instructions. Grill, fry or bake the sausages then slice into 1 in slices.

Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the paprika, shallots and chard stalks and sauté for 3 mins. Add the chard and sauté for 5 mins longer.

When the pasta is done, drain, reserving a few tbsp of pasta water.  Add the pasta to the frying pan along with the sausages and the pesto.

Stir to combine, adding a bit of pasta water to thin if needed. Serve.

Swiss Chard, Potato, and Sorrel Soup with Creme Fraiche

I've had a urge glut of sorrel this year and alive made a few sorrel recipes this summer. This time I went for a soup. This was lovely and tasty, I didn't take the stems out of the chard which made the soup a bit gritty, so if you want a smoother finish I would recommend removing the stems. 

Swiss Chard, Potato, and Sorrel Soup with Creme Fraiche

(Serves 4-6)

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 red potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 bunch swiss chard, stems removed, about 10 cups leaves
• 250g sorrel leaves
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 80g creme fraiche
• bread, for dipping

Heat the butter in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until just starting to brown, about 8 mins.

Add about 250ml water and scrape the bottom of the pot to release the juices and any stuck bits. Add in the swiss chard and sorrel and some salt. As soon as they wilt down, add 1.5l water. Bring to a boil, then simmer, partially covered for 12 to 15 mins.

Using an immersion blender, puree the soup. Taste for salt and season with pepper. Ladle the soup into serving bowls. Mix the creme fraiche with a tiny bit of water and then stir a tbsp or two into each bowl. Serve with bread for dipping.

Cheesy Panade with Swiss Chard, Beans and Sausage

Having read back through the recipe to put it on my blog I have a horrible feeling I forgot the last step with the chicken stock and didn't put any in, which is why it tasted a bit dry. Hmm I think I may have to try this one again!

Cheesy Panade with Swiss Chard, Beans and Sausage (from The Kitchn)
(Serves 6-8)

1 450g loaf crusty bread, sliced into 1 in cubes
1 onion, diced
340g bunch swiss chard, stems removed and chopped, leaves cut into ribbons
12 chicken sausages, cut into cm chunks
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dry thyme
2 400g cans canellini or borlotti beans beans
225g shredded mozzarella
1.5l chicken stock

Heat the oven to 180°C. Slice the bread into cubes roughly 1-inch in size. Toss the cubes with a drizzle of oil and a sprinkle of salt, and spread them out in a single layer on one or two baking sheets. Toast in the oven, stirring once or twice, until completely dry and golden, 30-40 mins. Set aside and let cool.

Heat a tsp oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until they have softened and started turning golden, about 5 mins. Add the chopped chard stems and the sausage, and continue cooking until the stems are softened, another 3-5 mins. Stir in the garlic and thyme, and cook until fragrant, about 30 secs. Transfer the onion mixture to a bowl.

Warm another tsp of oil in the pan and stir in the chard leaves. If the pan looks dry, add a splash of water. Cover the pan and let the chard steam for 2-3 mins until the chard is completely wilted and tender. Remove the lid and stir. Stir the chard into the onion mixture and set aside.

To assemble the panade, scatter 1/3 of the bread cubes on the bottom of casserole. Spread 1/3 of the onion and chard mixture and 1/3 of the beans over the top. Scatter 1/3 of the cheese over the entire layer. Repeat to make three layers, reserving the last 1/3 of the cheese for later. Pour the stock evenly over the top of the panade.

Cover with foil or a lid, and bake at 180°C for 45 mins. Uncover, sprinkle with cheese, and continue baking uncovered for another 15 mins.

Baked Salmon and Chorizo

I love the simplicity of this dish and how it packs fantastic flavour. The spiciness of the chorizo cuts through the oiliness of the salmon and the greens are a bonus. I served it with boiled new potatoes, samphire and sugar snap peas.

Baked Salmon and Chorizo (adapted from Belleau Kitchen)
(Serves 2)

2 salmon fillets
8 slices chorizo sausage
1/2 fennel bulb, finely sliced
2 sprigs thyme
handful chard or spinach leaves

Preheat your oven to 180C.

Lay a sheet of foil, big enough for both salmon fillets, onto a baking tray, then lay a slightly smaller piece of greaseproof paper on top.

Put half the chorizo onto the middle of the paper, top with the fennel and thyme followed by the salmon, then top with the remaining chorizo and finally the chard leaves.

Scrunch the foil and paper so that it is wrapped tightly and bake for 7 - 10 mins. Serve.

Easy Summer Quinoa

This was a delicious summery salad. It can also be eaten hot. I loved all the different veg in this and the crunchy quinoa did wonders for the texture.

Easy Summer Quinoa (from Iowa Girl Eats)
(Serves 4)

250g quinoa
2 tbsp. oil
1 large shallot, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
pinch red pepper flakes
4 handfuls chard, chopped
1 small courgette, chopped
salt and pepper
2 ears sweetcorn, shucked
5 sundried tomatoes packed in oil, cut into strips
4 tbsp white wine
200g peas
100ml chicken or vegetable stock
bunch fresh basil, chopped
shaved or fresh grated parmesan cheese, for topping

Bring a pan of water to the boil, then add the quinoa, cook according to packet instructions, then set aside.

Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the shallots then cook until tender, about 2 mins. Add garlic and chilli flakes and sauté for 30 more secs, stirring constantly. Turn heat up to medium-high then add the chard and courgette. Season with salt and pepper and sauté for 2 mins. Add corn and sundried tomatoes then saute for 2 more mins.

Add the white wine then scrape up brown bits from bottom of skillet with a wooden spoon. When wine is nearly gone, add the peas and stir to combine. Add the chicken stock and quinoa and cook until the stock is absorbed. Remove the pan from the heat, add the basil and stir to combine. Serve topped with freshly shaved or grated parmesan. Or leave to cool, pack into a lunch box and top with the parmesan. Then take to work for lunch.

Fennel, Butter Bean and Prawn Stew

This was a quick and easy stew which used up stuff in the cupboards and from the garden. I adapted it to what I had, so I used butter beans instead of chickpeas and chard instead of kale but it was delicious, I also swapped paprika to smoked paprika which gave it a lovely smokey flavour too.

Fennel, Butter Bean and Prawn Stew (adapted from Olive Magazine October 2010)
(Serves 2)

1 tbsp oil

½ fennel bulb, finely sliced

4 garlic cloves, finely sliced

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 400g tin chopped tomatoes

1 220g tin butter beans, drained and rinsed

handful Swiss chard, washed and chopped

150g raw prawns

salt and pepper

 

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and add in the fennel. Cook for about 5 mins, until softened. Add the garlic and paprika and fry for 1 min more. Add the chopped tomatoes. Increase the heat and cook for 5 minutes, until thickened.

Stir in the butter beans, chopped greens, salt and pepper and a splash of water and cook for 2 mins. Add the prawns and cook until just pink. Serve in bowls with crusty bread.

Puy Lentils, Poached Egg and Smoked Paprika Yoghurt

This was a deliciously different salad. I used a combination of spinach and chard, both out of my garden and the rest mopped up leftovers. It was really simple to make even with lots of different parts to it and so tasty.

Puy Lentils, Poached Egg and Smoked Paprika Yogurt
(from Food to Glow)
(Serves 2)

300g cooked lentils

1 tbsp olive oil

½ red onion, chopped or 6 spring onions, chopped

¼ tsp ground cumin

¼ tsp ground coriander

¼ tsp ground ginger

½ tsp ground turmeric

4 tbsp Greek yoghurt

¼ tsp smoked or paprika (optional)

A good handful of chopped greens, such as chard, kale, spinach, mustard

2 tbsp fresh dill, parsley or coriander, chopped

2 eggs

½ tsp cider vinegar (for egg poaching)

Heat the oil in a sauté pan and add the onions. Saute gently on a low heat until they are soft, stir in the cumin, coriander, ginger, turmeric and chopped greens.

Increase the heat and stir occasionally, to just wilt the greens. Cover and leave while you sort out the yoghurt and eggs.

In a small bowl, mix together the yogurt and paprika. Maybe add a squeeze of lemon if you like.

Poach the eggs.

To serve;  put a spoon of lentils on a plate, dollop on half the yogurt, top with more lentils and place the egg on the pile of lentils. Sprinkle over the chopped herbs.

Daring Cooks May 2013: Mushroom Wellingtons

Our lovely Monkey Queen of Don’t Make Me Call My Flying Monkeys, was our May Daring Cooks’ hostess and she challenged us to dive into the world of en Croute! We were encouraged to make Beef Wellington, Stuffed Mushroom en Croute and to bring our kids into the challenge by encouraging them to create their own en Croute recipes!

I don't have any kids but I kind of made up my own recipe anyway, based on the mushroom one, but using what I had in the house. This was delicious, although I did have a bit of a disaster as I didn't have any eggs so I used milk to stick the pastry together. It didn't stick properly so most of my cheese leaked out as you can see at the bottom! However I just scraped it up and had it on the side and the dish was still delicious. I served it with roast squashed new potatoes and salad. I love things en croute so this was a fantastic challenge!

















I've also just realised that this is my 700th post! That's pretty good!!

Mushroom Wellingtons
(Serves 4)

4 large portobello mushrooms
4 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, chopped
200g spinach leaves
200g chard leaves
a dusting of flour
500g block all-butter puff pastry
140g Harrogate Blue cheese, sliced
1 egg, beaten

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Remove the stalks from the mushrooms. Heat half the oil in a large frying pan and sizzle the mushrooms for 3-4 mins on each side until golden and cooked. Lift the mushrooms out onto kitchen paper to drain.

Place the same pan back on the heat with the rest of the oil. Fry the garlic for a moment, add the spinach and chard to the pan, then cook for 2-3 mins over a high heat until completely wilted. Season with salt and pepper, then tip the spinach and chard into a large sieve to drain thoroughly.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry out to the thickness of a £1 coin. Cut the pastry into 4 rectangles and on half of the pastry place the spinach and chard mix and then top with a slice of cheese, then a mushroom top side up and then more cheese.

Brush the border  of the pastry with egg, then gently fold the other half of the pastry over the mushroom, trying not to trap any air, then press the edges together with a your fingers or a fork.

Trim the edges with a knife if you want, then brush each generously with egg. Bake for 30-40 mins until golden, then leave to cool for a few mins before serving.

Cauliflower, Swiss Chard and Gnocchi Bake

I've been trying to grown Swiss chard in my garden for the first couple of years and it just doesn't work. The leaves grow a bit and then they turn brown and crispy no matter how much I water them. It's really irritating. So when I saw a huge bunch in my local Turkish supermarket I wanted to try it. This bake seemed the perfect option, disguising the boring cauliflower with a lovely leafy green vegetable! What could be better?

This was really good, lovely and cheesey. I made a mistake though, I actually cooked the chard before putting it in the dish to bake and I forgot to squeeze all the water out so mine came out a little watery. I really don't think you need bother cooking the chard before, maybe the thick stalky bits but not the leaves.

Cauliflower, Swiss Chard and Gnocchi Bake (adapted from www.weightwatchersfoods.co.uk)
(Serves 4)
(9 WW ProPoints per serving)

275g cauliflower florets
500g gnocchi
125g baby plum tomatoes, halved
75g Swiss chard, cooked, squeezed and chopped
30g low fat spread
30g plain flour
450ml skimmed milk
100g mature cheddar
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
salt and freshly ground black pepper to season

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Boil the cauliflower for 5 minutes, then drain and arrange in a 1½ litre ovenproof dish with the gnocchi, the tomatoes and the chard. Set aside.

Melt the low fat spread in a pan. Whisk in the plain flour, cook, whisking, for 2 minutes, then whisk in the skimmed milk. Gently simmer, whisking constantly, for 15 minutes or until it thickens.

Stir in the cheese and mustard and season. Spoon over the cauliflower.

Bake for 25-30 minutes. Serve with a green salad.