by Anne Woodhouse, CHN
Spring into delicious healthy foods for the season and Braised Chard with Shitake Mushrooms recipe.
Ingredients
- 10-12 Shitake Mushrooms, fresh or dried
- 1 pound chard
- 1 onion, diced finely
- 1 large garlic clove finely minced
- 2-3 Tbsp Olive oil
- 1 cup water
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- If using fresh shitake, wash and slice. If using dried shitake, place mushrooms in a bowl and cover with boiling water, and allow to soak for 20 minutes.
- Wash chard and strip the stalk from the leaves. Slice the stalk into ½ inch pieces and set aside. Coarsely chop the leaves and set aside in another bowl.
- Heat olive oil in a 10 or 12 inch skillet over medium heat, add the onions and sauté 5-10 minutes until soft and translucent.
- Add the garlic and sauté another minute.
- If using dried mushrooms, remove from soaking liquid, reserving the liquid, and finely slice the mushrooms. Add the dried mushrooms or fresh mushrooms to the onions and garlic and sauté for a couple more minutes to brown lightly.
- Stir in the chard stalks and 1 cup of the reserved mushroom soaking liquid or water.
- Cook covered over medium heat for 5 minutes until stalks are just about tender.
- Add chard leaves, cover and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes until the leaves are wilted and tender, but not dull in color.
- Drain excess liquid, season with salt and serve hot. Enjoy!
Shitake mushrooms are available fresh or dried at most local stores including Winco, Fred-Meyer, Boise Coop as well as the Asian markets. Shiitake are prized in Asia for the immune boosting properties and blood pressure regulation. Chard is rich source of chlorophyll, carotenes, and vitamins C and E.