Swiss Chard is one of the most nutritious greens you can find year-round. It is related to beets – in fact, beet greens taste very similar to Swiss chard. Do eat your dark green leafy vegetables regularly as they are among the most nutrient-dense foods you can choose. Traditional Chinese Medicine considers green to be the master color, and I think it is the color that should dominate our diet. Like other green leafies, Swiss chard is full of Calcium, Magnesium, Iron, Folate, Vitamin C and Carotenoids, with few calories – a nutritional bargain!
My maternal grandmother was Sicilian and she used to make this dish with raisins. One night, this was on the dinner menu and I went to the pantry to reach for raisins and we were out. Gasp. But we had dried apricots. So I soaked a handful of apricots to plump them up a bit and presto, I liked the dish better! If your kids are not fond of greens yet, try this recipe with their favorite dried fruit.
Heck, let them put a few chocolate chips on the chard if it will get them to eat their greens. One step at a time … soon chard might be a staple in your kitchen, too.
Sauteed Swiss Chard with Dried Apricots and Pine Nuts Recipe
Pamela Salzman
A tasteful salad packed with flavor - earthy and nutty. A wonderful side dish or salad to serve during Fall.
Optional: best quality balsamic vinegar for drizzling
Instructions
Place the dried apricots in a bowl with hot water to cover. Soak 10 minutes and drain. Chop coarsely or slice into slivers.
Separate the Swiss chard stems from the leaves. Dice the stems and keep separate. Coarsely chop the leaves.
Heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the onion and cook for 1 minute. Add the chard stems and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly tender, about 3 minutes. Add the chopped chard leaves and apricots. Lightly season with sea salt and pepper and sauté until the leaves are tender, about 5 minutes.
Sprinkle with pine nuts and serve immediately or at room temperature. You can also drizzle a few drops of balsamic vinegar, if desired.
We are a family of soup lovers, which is great since soup is generally easy to prepare and I can put leftovers into a stainless thermos the next day in the kids’ lunchboxes (ok, just the older girls; my 7-year-old son won’t be caught dead at school with a thermos. More on him in future posts.)
Given how much soup I make during the school year, it says a lot that this sweet potato-coconut soup might have been last year’s favorite. It is silky and sweet with a rush of orange color that gets me emotional. But the best part is a little kick of cayenne that is just the perfect way to balance the sweet. I know, I know. Those look like yams. At least that’s what the supermarkets would have you believe and it seems everyone these days is using “yams” and “sweet potatoes” interchangeably. But technically they are sweet potatoes (either Garnet or Jewel, I can’t remember), and furthermore, “Yam Soup” doesn’t sound very sexy.
Before you think this soup is just another pretty bowl of goodness, allow me to toot the horn of the sweet potato. This delicious root vegetable is outrageously high in Beta-carotene, a phyto-nutrient that has powerful anti-cancer properties, as well as iron, fiber, potassium and Vitamin C. In addition, sweet potatoes are excellent vanguards against heart disease. And yeah, the color is so … well, sweet.
For the vegetarians and vegans in the crowd, feel free to use vegetable stock or water in place of the chicken stock. You might also note the coconut milk in the ingredient list. There seems to be a lot of controversial information about coconut products. My opinion is that you would be wise to consume coconut products the way you would any other high fat food – in moderation. But there is a lot of interesting evidence which supports coconut’s anti-viral, anti-bacterial properties since coconut is super high in Lauric Acid, a fatty acid found in breast milk with immune-boosting properties. But nutrition aside, the real reason to enjoy this soup is because it’s just like a cozy hug on a cold night!
In a large pot, heat the olive oil and butter until melted. Add the onion and garlic and sauté over medium heat until tender and translucent, about 6 minutes.
Add the cubed sweet potatoes and toss to coat with the oil, butter and onions. Pour in the chicken stock or water, sea salt and nutmeg. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook partially covered until the sweet potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
Add the maple syrup, coconut milk and cayenne. Cook until heated through. Puree soup with an immersion blender or in batches in a blender. Taste for seasoning. Serve immediately or allow to sit off the heat to thicken slightly.
Notes
*If you prefer to use more coconut milk, use a full can and use 1 cup less chicken stock.
Let me come right out and say that I don’t like to promote the consumption of too much beef for several reasons. In our house we eat beef about three times per month, and when I make it I plan for about 3-4 ounces per person. Furthermore, I only purchase GRASS-FED beef. Call me old-fashioned, but I am a firm believer that if you are going to eat animal protein, then it should be an animal that was raised in a natural environment with a diet that is also native to that species. With respect to cows, that means cows that graze in pastures eating GRASS. There is plenty of research supporting the notion that grass-fed beef – compared to its confined feedlot counterpart – is lower in fat and contains cancer preventive, fat-burning properties. Grass-fed beef also contains higher amounts of Omega-3 fats and is generally raised without the use of antibiotics and hormones. It is almost like making a choice between eating a fit and happy animal which has eaten a health food diet, and eating a stressed out, overweight animal which was fed fast food its whole life. If you need more convincing, please read Michael Pollan’s fantastic book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma.
There’s also the heavy environmental impact of raising cattle, which is less severe with grass-fed beef, but still a discouraging consideration. That said …
Beef is a very warming food, more appropriate for the colder months, and it becomes even more warming when cooked with onions. Brisket is a very tough cut that needs long, slow braising to help tenderize it. If you like your brisket so soft that you don’t need a knife to cut it, this recipe will not disappoint. The meat shreds easily and melts in your mouth. Best of all, the house will be filled with a wonderful, warm aroma. But do plan ahead since cooking this the day before helps to develop the mélange of flavors. Really, the only way you can screw this up is by letting it dry out. Lastly, be aware that brisket shrinks tremendously once it has cooked. A 6-pound brisket fed a class of 12 women with enough for two of my kiddies to enjoy it as an after-school snack.
Onion-Braised Grass-Fed Beef Brisket Recipe
Pamela, adapted from Gourmet
A great dinner to serve in the cold months when you need a break from soups! Hearty, healthy, and filling.
1 5-to-6-pound grass-fed beef brisketpreferably first cut
3Tablespoonsolive oil
¾teaspoonsea salt plus more for seasoning
¾teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper plus more for seasoning
3large yellow onionspeeled and cut into ½-inch pieces (about 5 cups or 3 pounds)
2-3large garlic clovesminced
1teaspoonpaprika
3medium tomatoesif in season, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped (optional)
2cupswater
1cupred wineor use all water
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a dutch oven or other heavy baking pan large enough to hold brisket, heat 1 tablespoon oil in oven 10 minutes. Pat brisket dry and season well with salt (I used about 4 teaspoons) and pepper on the top and bottom. Roast brisket in pan, uncovered, 30 minutes.
While brisket is roasting, in a large heavy skillet cook onions in remaining 2 tablespoons oil over moderately high heat, stirring, until softened and beginning to turn golden. Reduce heat to moderate and cook onions, stirring occasionally and reducing heat if necessary, until deep golden, about 20 minutes more. Stir in garlic, paprika, salt, and pepper and cook 1 minute. Stir in water and wine and bring to a boil. Spoon onion mixture and chopped tomatoes over brisket and bake, tightly covered, 3 ½ hours, or until brisket is tender. (Check pan every hour and if necessary, add more water.) Remove brisket from oven and let cool in onion mixture 1 hour.
Remove brisket from pan, scraping onion mixture back into pan, and chill, wrapped in foil, overnight. Spoon onion mixture into a 1-quart measure and chill, covered, overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Discard fat from onion mixture and transfer to a blender. Add enough water to the blender to measure 3 cups total. Blend until smooth.
Slice the brisket against the grain as thick or thin as you prefer. In a large ovenproof skillet heat gravy until hot, add brisket and heat in oven 30 minutes. Or you can continue to heat on the stove, covered until heated through.
I prefer not to encourage too many desserts and sweets on this site. There are so many reasons that sugar and refined sweeteners are bad for your health that I will devote an entire post to the subject in the future. That said, we do have a need to satisfy sweetness, although not as often as we think we need to. Whenever I make a dessert or sweet recipe, I aim to use far less sugar that is typically called for, or to substitute a less refined sweetener.
These muffins are nothing you need to feel guilty about. Full of nutrient-dense pumpkin, and made with whole grain flour and pure maple syrup, you’ll be making these for breakfast, lunch boxes, and soccer snacks. They freeze well and can go from freezer to lunchbox. By the time lunch rolls around, the muffin is ready to eat.
People ask me all the time about making substitutions, especially making recipes gluten-free. I have made these muffins successfully with several different gluten-free mixes, including Bob’s Red Mill and King Arthur. I used Pamela’s (not me) once, but didn’t add Xanthan gum which I should have. Also, feel free to sub out something else for the currants. I did use mini-chocolate chips once for my son’s soccer team and not a one was left!
Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins Recipe
Pamela
The perfect muffin recipe for fall! Enjoy with a cup of coffee or tea in the morning, enjoy as a mid-day snack, or eat as a dessert.
Few things say Fall like the pumpkin, along with all the delicious things that you can make with one. Every year I stock up on multiples cans of pumpkin puree for muffins, pancakes, oatmeal and, of course, pie. But this year is different. After being discouraged by all the BPA in can liners that our bodies absorb, I decided pumpkin purée from scratch was worth trying. Well, wouldn’t you know – not so difficult and not surprisingly the fresh pumpkin tastes infinitely better than canned! Certainly it is way easier to pop a can open, but I am now a convert. I tried multiple methods of cooking pumpkin – steaming, cut in half, covered. The winner was roasting the pumpkin whole, with several slits cut into the flesh and tented with foil. Most of the time, the pumpkin was flavorful and smooth. Unfortunately, Mother Nature is not always consistent, so not every pumpkin turns out the same.
I’m sure pumpkin’s dark orange color is a clue to how rich it is in Beta-carotene, which your body converts to Vitamin A. If not, you need to read my blog more often! Also, let’s not forget that pumpkin is loaded with fiber, Vitamin C, Folate and Vitamin E. Can you say nutritional powerhouse?
Roast away and freeze your purée for a rainy day. Stay tuned for a delicious recipe using pumpkin purée.
How to make Fresh Pumpkin Purée Recipe
Pamela
What's better than having fresh pumpkin puree? The perfect fall staple to keep on hand for all the Holiday recipes!
Begin with a pumpkin suitable for eating, such as Sugar Pie. Poke the pumpkin all over with a knife and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Tent with aluminum foil and bake for about 1 ½ hours* until very tender and starting to lose its shape.
When the pumpkin is cool enough to handle, cut in half and remove the seeds and stringy center. Separate the flesh from the skin and puree the flesh in a food processor until smooth. Do this in batches, if necessary.
I am starting my first post with one of my obsessions – homemade chicken stock. Since chicken stock is something I use quite regularly, especially during soup season, I thought it would be a good idea to get a recipe out there right off the bat.
A chicken stock made from scratch is heads and shoulders above anything you can buy in a box or (worse) a can. Not only is the taste superior when you make it yourself, but it is so much more healthful, too. When the kids go back to school and the weather turns colder, it is very important to nourish ourselves with foods that boost the immune system. Prepared properly, chicken stock is rich in minerals, aids in digestion, and strengthens the immune system.
Making stock does not require a lot of work, but it does take some time on the stove to simmer. I like to make stock on a day when I know I’ll be around for 5 hours or so and I usually make 2 large stockpots at once. Stock can stay in the refrigerator for 3-5 days or be frozen for up to 3 months.
Just so you know, I’m all about efficiency, and this is the first of many opportunities to apply “green” principles — which can save you some green. Let’s say you just made a flavorful roast chicken last night – instead of tossing the carcass in the garbage (this is a simple example of adaptive reuse!), save it for chicken stock, it will yield a very rich broth. That way you get multiple meals from a single purchase, saving you time and money. Who said it wasn’t easy to be green?
Tips for making a flavorful, nutrient-rich stock:
Bones! Use fresh chicken parts such as backs, necks, wings and feet, if you can get them. (Toss the feet in the pot first so they don’t float to the top and stick out. That really freaked me out the first time I did that!) You can also use a whole chicken if you like to have poached chicken meat to use afterwards.
Cold water – it will draw lots of flavor from the bones.
A gentle simmer – this will result in a clear broth.
A little acidity (such as vinegar) – to draw lots of minerals and amino acids from the bones.
Time – the longer it simmers, the more flavor you will have.
Turkey, too – you can do the same thing with your leftover turkey carcass from Thanksgiving.
Let me just warn you right now – once you’ve cooked with homemade stock, you’ll never go back to a box!
Photo by Sarah Elliott for Pamela Salzman
Homemade Chicken Stock Recipe
Pamela
The perfect staple to have on hand - can be used for soups and easy to prep ahead for Holiday dishes!
1whole free-range chicken or 4 pounds of bony chicken parts, such as backs, necks and wings (if you can get chicken feet, use them!)
6quartscold water*
1Tablespoonapple cider vinegar**
1large onionpeeled and halved
2carrotspeeled
2celery stalkscut if necessary
fresh parsleyfew sprigs
2teaspoonssea salt
Instructions
Wash the chicken and remove gizzards from the cavity. Place chicken and/or chicken parts in a large stainless steel stock pot. (You can cut the chicken into pieces if you need to in order to fit in the pot.) Add the cold water and vinegar. Put the temperature on high and bring to a boil.
Immediately turn heat to low and skim with a slotted spoon any foam that rises to the surface. Try not to skim any of the fat or you will lose a bit of flavor. At this point, it is important to keep the stock to a bare simmer and NOT a boil.
After skimming off all the foam, add all the vegetables except the parsley. Cook uncovered at the gentlest possible simmer for 4 to 5 hours. (I like to go as long as 12 hours). You want to see tiny bubbles just barely breaking the surface. If the heat from the burner does not go low enough, partially cover the pot or leave your stock pot half on the heat and half off.
About 10 minutes before finishing the stock, add the sea salt and parsley (this will impart additional mineral ions to the broth).
Strain the stock into a large glass bowl. Remove the chicken meat from the carcass, if using a whole chicken, and discard the remaining solids. Cool before refrigerating.
Ladle through a fine mesh sieve into quart-sized containers or whatever size is most useful and refrigerate overnight. The next day, skim off the congealed fat at the top of each container. Refrigerate the stock for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months. I have been using BPA-free containers from letsgogreen.biz as well as Sistema. I also reuse glass quart-size jars from yogurt and Vegenaise. Just soak the labels off and wash before adding your stock.
Notes
*Cold water draws the flavor out of the meat and bones.**Acidic wine or vinegar adding during cooking helps to draw minerals, particularly calcium, magnesium and potassium, into the broth.
