Chard-Topped Steaks

Ingredients:

• 1 slice bacon, chopped
• 4 (4 oz.) beef tenderloin steaks, cut 1 inch thick
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cups very thinly sliced Swish Chard (4 oz.)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup seeded, chopped tomato
• 2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Makes 4 Servings

1. In a large skillet cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove from skillet, reserving drippings. Crumble bacon; set aside. Remove skillet from heat; set aside.
2. Preheat broiler. Season steak with salt and pepper. Place steaks on the unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 4-5 inches from the heat for 12-14 minutes for medium-rare doneness (145 F) or 15-18 minutes for medium doneness (160 F), turning once halfway through broiling time.
3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet cook and stir Swiss chard and garlic in reserved drippings over medium heat for 4-6 minutes or just until tender. Stir in tomato, crumbled bacon, thyme, the 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. To serve, spoon Swiss chard mixture on top of steaks.

WW POINTS VALUE: 6 pts.

Note: This recipe appears in the Sonoma Diet Cookbook. This is both an elegant and wonder meal to enjoy any night of the week, It's quick, easy and delicious. If you don't have Swiss chard on hand, use kale and the meal will taste just as delicious. This colorful dinner is filled with so many nutrients you'll forget it's good for you.

Vegetable & Bean Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 (1 lb.) bunch Swiss Chard, thick stem ends removed and discarded
• 2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil, + extra for drizzling
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 3 cups low-sodium tomato vegetable juice
• 1 (14 1/2 oz.) can unsalted diced tomatoes
• 1 (15 oz.) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 tsp. oregano
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Makes 4 (1 3/4 cup) Servings

1. Submerge chard in cold water and rinse thoroughly, thinly slice stems and coarsely chop leaves.
2. Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add celery and onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add broth, tomatoes with juice, beans, and oregano; bring to a low boil.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add chard and cook for 5 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle with oil, and serve hot.

WW POINTS VALUE: 5 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook. This soup is a great way to kick-start your healthy lifestyle. This soup has 5 servings of vegetables (7 servings if you're using V-8 juice) and is filled with lots of nutrients. I highly recommend pureeing your vegetables in a blender or food processor after cooking them and putting them back into the pan for a creamier texture. You can use spinach, arugula, or kale in place of the Swiss Chard and your soup will still be delicious. I also highly recommend using minced garlic with the onions & celery because garlic always makes everything taste better. Don't forget to sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese on top of the soup for an authentic Italian taste.

Risotto with Swiss Chard

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 cups Basic Vegetable Stock or reduced-vegetable broth
• 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 1 1/3 cups Aborio rice
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 bunch Swiss Chard, cleaned and chopped
• 2 tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 tsp. freshly grated black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg 

Makes 4 Servings (1 1/2 cups per serving)

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the stock to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer.
2. In a medium saucepan, heat the oil. Saute the onions until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the rice; cook, stirring until transluscent, about 1 minute.
3. Add 1 cup of the stock; cook, stirring, until the stock is absorbed. Add the wine; cook, stirring; until the wine is absorbed. Stir in a handful of the chard. Alternate adding the remaining stock, 1/2 cup at a time, with the chard, a handful at a time, stirring until the stock is absorbed before adding more, until the rice and chard are just tender. The total cooking time should be about 25-30 minutes. Stir in the cheese, pepper, and nutmeg. Serve at once.

WW POINTS VALUE: 7 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW New Complete Cookbook. Risotto is the ultimate comfort food of Northern Italy. This is a wonderful dish to make on the weekend and serve to family and friends. I highly recommend using 2-3 cloves of minced garlic in your risotto because garlic always makes everything taste better. You can serve this as a main meal or as a side dish. You can serve this with seasoned proteins such as chicken, turkey, or fish. You can also use escarole, kale or spinach in place of the Swiss chard and your dish will still taste good. Also, if you want to serve this dish to kids, you can use vegetable stock in place of the wine for a more vegetarian flare.



Parmesan and Swiss Chard Omelet

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 small shallot, finely chopped
• 1 bunch Swiss chard, leaves only, washed and chopped
• 1 medium garlic clove, minced
• 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 large eggs
• Salt 
• Freshly ground Black pepper

 

 Makes 2 Servings

1. Warm 1 teaspoon of oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat.
2. Add shallot; cook 3 minutes, until softened, stirring. Add chard; let sit in pan 2 minutes to begin wilting. Cook 8 minutes, until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic in last minute of cooking. Scrape mixture out of pan into a medium bowl. Stir in cheese.
3. In small bowl, lightly beat eggs, salt, and pepper. Wipe out skillet with paper towel; add remaining 1 tablespoon oil and place over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add eggs; let them sit for 3 seconds, until edges begin to set. Using a spatula, draw the lightly cooked egg to the center of the pan. Tilt the pan to the side so the uncooked egg runs to the bare spot at the edge of the pan. Repeat process all around the edges of the pan until omelet is just set but still moist.
4. Add chard filling evenly over top half of the omelet. Cook a few more seconds to melt cheese. Run the spatula quickly along the side of the pan to loosen the edges. Jerk the pan sharply away from you a few times; the omelet should slide up the far side of the pan. Tilt the pan, resting the far edge on a serving plate. Gently roll omelet onto plate, using the spatula to fold over the omelet. Serve immediately.

 WW POINTS VALUE: about 4-5 points per omelette



Note:This recipe appears on http://www.thesouthbeachdiet.com/. I don't know the exact point amount for this recipe because I did not have all the nutritional information for this recipe. Sometimes breakfast for dinner is what the doctor ordered. This omelette is delicious. You can substitute spinach for the swiss chard an onions for the shallots. I did it and it was filling and delicious.

Ruby Swiss Chard Saute

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
• 1 lb. ruby Swiss chard, with tender stems, cut into 1/4-inch-wide ribbons (4-5 cups)
• 2 tbsp water
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Makes 2 (1-cup) Servings

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is fragrant and lightly golden, about 3 minutes. Add chard, water and a pinch of salt; cover, increase to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until greens are tender, about 5 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper and serve hot. 

WW POINTS VALUE: 2 pts

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Parties and Holidays Cookbook. If you can't find ruby red chard, try green chard. If you don't like chard, use spinach and it will taste just as good and be just as healthy. The spinach compliments the steak and tomatoes and gives the plate more color.