I still have a ton of Swiss Chard in my garden despite the fact that we have had several hard frosts. I love the cold tolerant greens because you can enjoy them long into the winter weather. Last year I was brushing snow off the kale and eating it raw. Not for everyone, I know, but for me it was like getting a shot of summer in the dark, dreary winter days. Many greens get sweeter as it gets colder which is an added benefit.


This recipe features several Anti-Angiogenic Foods and is great at any meal. My parents raise chickens for their eggs and I have to say, this swiss chard saute is heavenly with some good organic scrambled eggs.

Ingredients:

1 Tbs olive oil, coconut oil, or butter (whatever you prefer)
1/2 large white onion, chopped
2-3 large cloves of garlic, minced
5-6 large leaves of Swiss chard, stripped and chopped (i.e removed the stems... but keep them)
5-6 Swiss chard stems,the ones you removed from the last step, chopped :)
2 tsp Turmeric
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
Salt to taste (I love Herbamare a salt and seasoning blend available at natural food stores)


Directions:

Heat a large skillet over medium/high heat. Add olive oil, coconut oil or butter to the skillet. Add onions and garlic and saute for several minutes until translucent. Add chopped Swiss Chard stems, turmeric and black pepper. Reduce heat and allow to soften. This process takes several minutes. See picture below.

Once the Swiss Chard stems are softened, add the chopped green leaves of the Swiss Chard. This part wilts very quickly when exposed to heat and is very similar to lettuce. I like my veggies a little crunchy so it's really up to personal preference how long you cook them during this step. If you like them very soft, you will need to keep them on longer.

For me, it only takes about 2-3 minutes.

After the greens have wilted to your liking, add salt to taste and enjoy!

Like I said, this recipe is great with scrambled eggs but would be equally delicious with brown rice even on it's own.

Enjoy!

-- Shelly

Recently, I went to a fabulous gluten free cooking class at Good Harvest Market taught by the amazing Nikki Jencen. Luckily, Nikki and I have similar opinions regarding gluten free cooking... focus on things that are naturally gluten free. For those of you that don't know, I was recently diagnosed with gluten intolerance which in essence means I will no longer be eating gluten containing grains and foods... for the rest of my life.  In my search for new foods that I will enjoy, it quickly became evident that many of the "Gluten Free" products that are available in the markets are highly processed, junk foods and they are not items that I personally feel would benefit my diet in any way. The good news is many of the foods that I love like vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and whole grains like quinoa, millet and brown rice are already gluten free. Epiphany!!! My life is definitely not over yet!

This was the first recipe we made in the cooking class and I made sure to sip very slowly so that it lasted through the entire class.  During the past six days I have made this recipe twice. This would be great with home-made almond milk but I don't always have time for that. Just make sure you get the unsweetened variety of whatever non dairy milk you are purchasing. 

Ingredients:

3 cups Almond Milk or other non-dairy milk (If you like regular milk you could use that too.)
2 tea bags of your choice (Early Grey, English Breakfast, Chai or Cinnamon/Ginger are all great)
1 Tbs. Vanilla Extract
1/2 can pumpkin puree (about 1 cup if you are roasting your own)
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. cinnamon
1-2 Tbs raw honey
1/2 tsp. nutmeg


Directions:

Place a medium sized sauce pan over medium heat. Add almond milk and tea. Heat until steaming but not yet boiling. While the tea is steeping in the almond milk, place pumpkin, spices, vanilla and honey until a bowl. Whisk together until thoroughly combined. When almond milk is hot and the pumpkin mixture is ready, whisk the pumpkin mixture into the warm almond milk. Pour into mugs and enjoy!


Tips from Shelly:   I am a big fan of caffeine free teas and Rishi Tea Company makes a great caffeine-free Chai blend that is delicious in this recipe. This would also be super cute served at Thanksgiving in a mug with a cinnamon stick and a dollop of coconut "whipped cream."

Not only is pumpkin an Anti-Angiogenic Food, it's also a great source of Vitamin A, Zinc, Magnesium and Fiber.

Enjoy!

--Shelly