My husband and I just experienced a new life adventure, well two actually. We were invited to visit our friends on exquisite Shelter Island in New York; where we had never been. And while visiting, they made us some of the tastiest food we’ve ever had. I could go on and on about their incredible hospitality, the island itself and all of the new experiences that we had, but for now, let’s focus on the food, one in particular, Swiss chard garlic crusty bread, so healthy and delicious at the same time.
After sharing our love for food and healthy cooking during our stay, I was able to score the recipe for this special tasty treat, and it turns out, it’s one of the easiest things that you can make. So once I got home I couldn’t wait to get to the store to buy the ingredients and put my own spin on a new version of crusty bread. Here’s what you need…
1 bunch of Swiss chard, washed and chopped (remove most of the veins)
1 medium sweet onion chopped finely
1 large clove of garlic with tip cut off
1 baguette (I chose a seeded ancient grain to be extra healthy)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Parmesan cheese
Sea salt
Cracked black pepper
Step 1
Preheat oven to BROIL.
Bring a large skillet to medium heat on your stovetop with a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, add your onion, a few dashes of sea salt and cracked black pepper. Saute’ until translucent and then add your Swiss chard, a little more sea salt and mix them together into the olive oil. You’ll feel like you have way too much Swiss chard, but I promise, it will cook down like spinach does. Turn down the heat to low as your ingredients continue to come together. Shake a little red pepper flake in if you’d like to add some kick.
Step 2
While your topping continues to saute’, slice the baguette at an angle into about 10 (medium thickness) pieces (or how many you might need for your topping) and place onto ungreased cookie sheet. Lightly rub some unsalted butter onto the top of each slice and broil them for 3-5 minutes (or until desired crispness). I also flip them over and crisp up the backside for a minute or two. Remove from oven and rub your garlic into the warm butter side of each piece, just to give it some garlicky flavor.
Step 3
Top each piece with your Swiss chard deliciousness and sprinkle with some parmesan cheese. Feel free to put back into your warm over (not on broil) to allow the cheese to melt just a little and serve. So easy, so good and so good for you, enjoy!
