Healthy Recipes

Eat  your greens!

It is easy when you make it so yummy.  We love the Italians!  They can do so much with every vegetable, they think of everything and it is all healthy recipes.   We are not sure we would have ever come up with this one.  Who even knows what Swiss Chard is?

This is the perfect heart healthy appetizer.  Everyone loves spinach dip, this takes it up a notch.  A bit more sophisticated and definitely a conversation starter.  Swiss chard is a part of the greens family.  You have probably seen it and never know what to do with it.  The stems are a deep burgundy red and the leaves, dark green and somewhat curly.  Remember we are trying to add more color to our plate every day.  This is a healthy way to get your vegetables.

An easy way to remove the stems:  fold each leaf along the stem, placing the root end to your left ( reverse if you are left handed) and the stem edge furthest from you.  Take a paring knife, starting at the base of the stalk and trim off  the stem by running the knife down its length. Similar to boning a fish.

healthy recipes

Healthy Recipe Ingredients

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 lb Swiss Chard, stems removed and coarsely chopped
1 Tablespoon water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
half of one baguette, sliced on the diagonal, in 1/2″ thick pieces then toasted
2 oz of reduced fat feta cheese, crumbled

 Healthy Cooking Instructions

In a large skillet or wok, heat the olive oil to medium high heat.

Add the Swiss Chard to the pan and stir fry for a few minutes, coating the chard well with the oil.

Add the water and stir fry for another 2 minutes, until most of the water has disappeared.

Salt and pepper to taste.   Remove from heat.

Add the vinegar and stir well.

To assemble the bruschetta,  divide the chard into equal portions on each of the slices of bread, top with the feta cheese.

Healthy Recipes

The key to healthy eating is making your food taste good. Homemade recipes easily surpass what you find in the market.  Making your own homemade pesto recipe will remind you how good food can taste when you start from scratch.  The best time to make pesto is when you have access to a large amount of fresh basil leaves.  Check around, most folks are only happy to share from their garden, especially if they get some pesto in return.

We make our pesto using a food processor, it is quick and easy.  You will be amazed at how fragrant your kitchen will become once you start this.  It has become a favorite family memory at our house, along with apple pie and chocolate chip cookies.

Pesto has a tendency to turn brown once it is made.  It order to minimize it, you will need to keep a layer of olive oil across the top of the pesto.  We keep it in a small jar in the refrigerator for several months.  It will loose it’s pungency the longer you keep it, but it will still be good.  As you take some out of the jar, push down the pesto back to a flat surface across the top and add more olive oil.

Healthy Recipes Ingredients

2 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons pine nuts
3-4 cups of fresh basil, packed in the measuring cup
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Healthy Cooking Instructions

Wash and dry the basil leaves, set aside.

Have your olive oil measured and ready to pour.  Set aside.

With the blade running in the food processor, drop in the whole garlic cloves.  Allow to process until finely chopped.

Add the salt and pine nuts through the feed tube and process until the nuts are also finely chopped.

Open the lid of the processor and scrape the sides of the work bowl. Add the basil leaves.  Place the lid back on and pulse until the basil is mostly chopped.

Start processing and drizzle in the olive oil  through the feed tube.  Stop once the basil mixture becomes a thick paste.  Open the lid and scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Add the cheese and pulse a few more times to complete the mixing.

Use immediately or transfer to small jars, smooth the surface with a spoon and cover completely with a layer of olive oil to prevent browning.