Braised Swiss Chard

Swiss chard is an excellent vegetable to insert into your weekly menu plan. One cup of cooked Swiss chard will supply you with over 300% of your daily vitamin A, over 40% of your daily vitamin C and over 20% of your daily iron. While many vegetable recipes may be difficult to follow, Swiss chard is a relatively simple vegetable to prepare. Once you learn how to cook Swiss chard, you'll find it easy to slip this side dish into your dinner repertoire.

Braised Swiss Chard And Bacon
Ingredients You Will Need:
½ pound bacon
¼ cup milk
1 large bunch rainbow or regular Swiss chard
½ cup chopped pecans
½ cup crumbled blue cheese

Cook bacon in skillet over medium heat until crispy. Drain most of bacon grease, leaving about a quarter cup of grease in pan. Crumble bacon, and return to pan. Turn off heat, and carefully stir in ¼ cup of milk. Heat skillet to medium heat. Wash Swiss chard. Place whole leaves of Swiss chard in skillet on top of bacon and sauce. Cover skillet, and braise Swiss chard for five minutes, until just wilted. Stir once, coating Swiss chard with bacon sauce. Serve immediately, with pecans and blue cheese sprinkled over the top.

Braised Swiss Chard With Lemon
Ingredients You Will Need:
1 large bunch rainbow or regular Swiss chard
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon butter
Lemon wedges
½ cup dried currants
½ cup crumbled feta cheese

Wash Swiss chard, but do not pat dry. Combine olive oil and lemon juice in skillet. Toss Swiss chard in olive oil and lemon juice. Cover skillet; braise on medium low heat for five to six minutes, until Swiss chard is just wilted. At the last minute, add pat of butter. As butter melts, mix butter into the Swiss chard. Toss once, and then serve on plates with lemon wedges. Sprinkle currants and feta cheese on top.