SWISS CHARD TOMATOES & CHEESE

Posted by Carole-Anne on September 27, 2007

Healthy Recipes feels this recipe is a must.  Swiss Chard is actually from the beet family. It has large green-yellow leaves and thick juicy stalks that are used in salads, high in Vitamin C and potassium, calcium, iron and beta-carotene. Swiss Chard is also very low in calories - next to nil.  So enjoy this recipe that I could not let pass me by - you will see that it is from the collection of Amazon Al Dente blog @ amazon.com.

Here at Healthy Recipes - we would choose sea salt, freshly ground pepper, whole wheat penne pasta, of course, keeping in line with nutritional value and, for that extra tastiness..

SWISS CHARD TOMATO & CHEESE

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 bunches Swiss chard, washed, center ribs cut away, coarsely chopped (about 8 cups), or three 10-ounce packages frozen chopped chard, thawed, squeezed dry
2 cups penne pasta

1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
3 red bell peppers, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups packed grated Monterey Jack cheese (about 8 ounces)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 large tomatoes, thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS:

1. Grease a 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass or ceramic baking dish and set aside.

2. Boil water and add penne pasta. Cook until al dente. Drain and set aside.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

4. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a heavy, large Lodge Logic 5-Quart Pre-Seasoned Dutch Ovenover high heat and add the chard. Sauté until wilted, about 3 minutes. Transfer chard to colander and drain well, pressing chard with back of spoon to release liquid.

5. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a heavy, large saucepan over medium heat. Add bell peppers and onion and sauté until tender, about 8 minutes.

6. Mix in chard and toss to combine. Mix in half of each cheese and the breadcrumbs, then mix with the cooked pasta.

7. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

8. Spoon into prepared dish and layer sliced tomatoes over the vegetable pasta mixture.

9. Season the tomatoes with salt and pepper and sprinkle the remaining cheeses over. Cover with foil.

10. Bake casserole until heated through, about 40 minutes. Uncover; bake until top begins to brown, about 10 minutes more.

–flauersmartini

Read more posts in Amazon al Dente’s Blog – www.amazon.com

Recipe serves 6.

PS:  May be used as a main course, vegetarian dish or side dish.

BEST BRAN MUFFINS

Posted by Carole-Anne on September 25, 2007

Simple, nutritious and an all time favorite for most everyone are these tasty Bran Muffins. Wait until you see all the ingredients that are healthy for you – buttermilk, molassess, olive oil, eggs, raisins or dates, and wheat germ and even oat bran and flax seeds. All the very best for a healthy you. Let’s do it!

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cup oat bran

1 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup molasses

1/3 cup olive or safflower oil

2 eggs

Fill muffin tins with mixture.

Bake for 15 – 20 minutes (or egg whites if watching cholesterol)

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 cup flax seeds

1 cup unbleached flour

1/2 cup raisins or dates

1 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp Baking Powder

1/4 cup wheat germ

2 tbsp orange rind

NEXT TO DO:

Preheat oven to 325 F and prepare muffin tins.

Mix buttermilk, molasses, safflower oil, 2 eggs together until frothy, in a medium mixing bowl. Add raisins or dates. Mix all ingredients in order.

Mix dry ingredients into large mixing bowl stirring until combined – mixing them all in order of list.

Combine the medium bowl ingredients (moist) into the large bowl ingredients (dry) and turn over until just mixed.

Fill 12 .

Yield: 12 moist yummy muffins!