Thursday's Kitchen Cupboard... Pasta with Sauteed Swiss Chard and Pac Choi Stir Fry

With the rapid arrival of spring many of the crops that have been small and pathetic all winter have suddenly sprung to life.  One of these is my Swiss chard:

In looking for Swiss chard recipes I came across Jeanette's Healthy Living Blog and a recipe for Pasta with Sauteed Swiss Chard.

 

Pasta with Sauteed Swiss Chard

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch swiss chard or other leafy green vegetable
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large or 2 small shallots, thinly sliced (I used onion)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained (I didn't have any capers, so I left this out)
• 1/2 pound whole grain pasta or gluten-free pasta, cooked al dente
• 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• freshly grated parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast (dairy-free/vegan option)
• salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Trim tough ends of swiss chard. Slice stems and leaves into thin strips.
2. Heat olive oil in a large saute pan and add sliced swiss chard stems and shallots (or onions).
3. Saute until shallots are softened, about 2-3 minutes.
4. Add garlic and capers, and saute another minute. Season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper.
5. Toss cooked pasta with sauteed swiss chard and a little extra virgin olive oil to loosen up the pasta.
6. Sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese and fresh ground pepper as desired. 

It was a tasty and easy weekday dinner!

If you remember I harvested a bunch of pac choi a few weeks ago.  I'm still working on eating it and  thought I would share one of my stir fries with pac choi, broccoli, carrots (only the white ones are from my garden), green bell peppers (not from garden either), and cauliflower.  I simply saute the veggies with some olive oil and soy sauce and with noodles and tofu (for me) or chicken (for Jeff).

That's what has been cooking in my kitchen.  If you want to peak into other kitchens and see what others are cooking, head over to Thursday’s Kitchen Cupboard at the Gardener of Eden.