Written By Holly Brooke Edibles / Main course / Recipes Mar 30, 2016 Swiss Chard “Cabbage” Rolls SHARE VIA: Facebook Twitter PinterestSwiss Chard is a cool weather plant. Though once established, it grows well in the garden and can produce year round. Come spring, Swiss Chard will begin shooting out its large, tender, bright green leaves on thick, crisp stalks.Chard, as it’s often called, belongs to the same family as beets and spinach with a taste that is slightly bitter (when eaten raw), a bit salty, nutty and mildly buttery when steamed. It’s packed with vitamin’s K, C and A and contains a good amount of fibre, iron and protein.The colour of Swiss Chard leaves range from dark green to pale yellow on stems that range from ruby red to lemon yellow and cotton candy pink. The colours are so striking, chard makes a lovely addition to any garden. The seeds are often purchased in variety packs called “Rainbow Chard” that typically contain a mix of yellow, gold, ruby, pink, orange and white stemmed Chard.In the kitchen, I use Chard like spinach and add it to soups, pastas, or curries. The stalks provide a good crunch, similar to celery, and are great when added to stir frys. Baby Chard leaves can be enjoyed fresh in salads, while adding colour and texture.One of my favourite uses for Swiss Chard is making faux “cabbage rolls” with the leaves instead of cabbage. Since my cabbage’s aren’t ready to harvest until the fall, the Chard makes a great wrapping leaf. Simply steam the leaves as you would cabbage and cut out the stalks (saving them for another use).Try out the the recipe below for an alternative to the traditional cabbage roll!Swiss Chard “Cabbage” Rolls with Lentils and QuinoaTotal time 45Makes 8 rollsThis is a complete meal full of protein, vitamins and flavour. It’s super easy to make, freezes well and even tastes better the next day! Serve the rolls with a big, crisp salad, or as is with a nice chunk of fresh bread to soak up the sauce with.Ingredients1 Tbs olive oil1 large onion chopped2 cloves garlic minced1 28 fl. oz can of diced tomatoes (juice drained)2 Tbs tomato paste1/4 tsp of thyme, basil, oreganopinch of dried chilies1/2 cup quinoa cooked1 19 oz can of lentils drained and washed (or 1 cup dried lentils cooked) Meat substitution option below10 medium sized Swiss Chard leavesParmesan (optional)salt and pepperInstructionsIn a medium saucepan or cast iron skillet, heat oil and chopped onions. Saute until onion begins to soften and turn translucent. Add garlic, spices, tomatoes and tomato paste. Let simmer for 10 minutes.Meanwhile, in a separate saucepan, cook the quinoa. When cooked, add lentils and season to taste.Take about 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce and add it to the quinoa-lentil mixture, stirring gently.Take your Swiss Chard leaves and slice off stalks, set aside.Finely chop 2 of the Swiss Chard leaves and the stalks and stir them into the quinoa and lentils.Set the mixture aside.In a large pot, bring water to boil and submerge the Swiss Chard leaves for 1-2 minutes from .Remove from water and set aside.While the sauce simmers, lay out the Chard leaves. Place a heaping tablespoon of the mixturein the centre of each leaf. Fold bottom half of chard over filling, then fold in sides and roll up tightly. Transfer rolls, seam side down to a plate.Once you have finished making the rolls, place all the rolls in the sauce and cook for another 5-10 minutes.Serve warm on its own, or with fresh grated parmesan (optional) and bread.Note: If desired, substitute 1/2 lb of sauteed ground pork, lamb or beef in place of the lentils. SHARE VIA: Facebook Twitter Pinterest Written By: Holly Brooke Holly Brooke is a true B.C. gal. Having lived on the west coast most of her life, except for several years in the Kootenay's where she canoed and fished and lived in a tipi, she's very much at home outdoors and in the kitchen. ... Read More You may also like Food / Recipes October 25, 2021 Sopa Paella Try the iconic Valencian dish as a hearty fall soup brimming with seafood and chorizo. We were going through a heat wave in Victoria when I ... Read More Food / Recipes October 25, 2021 It’s a Pancake Day! That crisp edge in the fall air stirs up a craving for comfort that sometimes only a stack of hot pancakes can deliver. So get your cast-iron pan ... Read More Breads / Food / How to Cook / Recipes July 13, 2021 Rosemary and Feta Potato Loaf A delicious homemade bread is always a welcome treat that can really set the mood for a good day. This is an approachable recipe to bring to holiday ... Read More EAT Magazine News / Food News January 28, 2021 CITY EATS February | March 2021 If you haven’t yet taken advantage of Victoria’s free local delivery program, Downtown Delivers, you have until February 15 to try it ... Read More Food News / Pantry / Review January 28, 2021 Some Like It Hot — A Hot Sauce Tasting Party A Hot Sauce Tasting Party Gillie Easdon gathered 15 local, house-made hot sauces and four brave souls to taste-test them. It was a mid-October, late ... Read More EAT Magazine News / Food News December 7, 2020 EAT’s 2020 Gift Guide EAT’s 2020 Gift Guide. Not just for the holidays! Bolen Books Flavor by Yotam Ottolenghi ($45.00) Cat’s Meow Trivet ($6.95) Book Seat ... Read More 1 Comment August 31, 2017 Waratah Downs Organic CSA Week #10 | Waratah Downs Organic Farm[…] are also some of my favourite dark leafy greens recipes: https://eatmagazine.ca/swiss-chard-cabbage-rolls/ -this chard ‘cabbage’ roll recipe also comes with meat substitution if you wish, and […]
Food / Recipes October 25, 2021 Sopa Paella Try the iconic Valencian dish as a hearty fall soup brimming with seafood and chorizo. We were going through a heat wave in Victoria when I ... Read More
Food / Recipes October 25, 2021 It’s a Pancake Day! That crisp edge in the fall air stirs up a craving for comfort that sometimes only a stack of hot pancakes can deliver. So get your cast-iron pan ... Read More
Breads / Food / How to Cook / Recipes July 13, 2021 Rosemary and Feta Potato Loaf A delicious homemade bread is always a welcome treat that can really set the mood for a good day. This is an approachable recipe to bring to holiday ... Read More
EAT Magazine News / Food News January 28, 2021 CITY EATS February | March 2021 If you haven’t yet taken advantage of Victoria’s free local delivery program, Downtown Delivers, you have until February 15 to try it ... Read More
Food News / Pantry / Review January 28, 2021 Some Like It Hot — A Hot Sauce Tasting Party A Hot Sauce Tasting Party Gillie Easdon gathered 15 local, house-made hot sauces and four brave souls to taste-test them. It was a mid-October, late ... Read More
EAT Magazine News / Food News December 7, 2020 EAT’s 2020 Gift Guide EAT’s 2020 Gift Guide. Not just for the holidays! Bolen Books Flavor by Yotam Ottolenghi ($45.00) Cat’s Meow Trivet ($6.95) Book Seat ... Read More
Correction / EAT Magazine News May 16, 2022 Correction — May|June 2022 The article on L’Apéro in the May|June issue should have stated Chef Andrea Maiolo staged at The Courtney Room and Zambri’s and that he held the ... Read More
2022 Issues / Drink / EAT Magazine News / Food / Magazine May 6, 2022 May|June 2022 May|June issue on the stands. Read ... Read More
Red Wine Mar 13, 2012 Cork vs Stelvin: A 10 Year Test Just over 10 years ago Tinhorn Creek Winery was the first winery in Canada to bottle with a screw cap (stelvin). According to winemaker Sandra ... Read More