Delicious Nutritious Breakfast

Wondering what to do with you chard, carrots or other fall crops?  I'm telling you, I've been making some seriously delicious breakfasts lately.  I've just signed up for a 3 week fall CSA share that includes all kinds of greens, chard, carrots, spinach, beets, and onions.  It can be hard to use up all these greens because I'm just not always in the mood for salad.  I also, usually, am rushed in the morning because I have to get to work (and have a hard time getting up early).  Anyhow, here is the basic delicious, 5 minute egg breakfast.

You'll need (for one serving):**

• 2 eggs
• 1/2-1tablespoon skim milk
• half a carrot stick
• one big leaf of chard
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 dash seasoned salt
• a couple dashes Italian seasoning
• olive oil to coat the pan

The Steps:

• Pour some olive oil in a small, nonstick skillet
• Use your vegetable peeler to grate thin strips of carrot directly into the skillet.  This recipe is also great for not creating many dishes (the bane to my existence).
• Use your kitchen shears to cut the chard into small strips directly into the skillet
• Use a large knife to crush the garlic clove and place it in the skillet
• Turn heat to high and crack in eggs.  
• Add milk and seasonings.
• Stir constantly to avoid burning and cook until your desired done-ness.  Serve and eat.  Delicious with a little salsa, hot sauce, or parmesan cheese.

**The caveat to this recipe is that every single ingredient is organic and local (aside from oil) and the eggs are fresh from a local farm where the chickens run around and get chased by children.  This makes a world of difference in the flavor.

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Sautéed Red Chard

Red chard, of the variety I used in this recipe.
Didn't take a photo of the final dish because we were hungry.

I got another bunch of chard in my share and was looking for a quick, easy side dish using them to go with a fish dinner.  This is a very easy recipe which will help to cut the bitterness that chard can sometimes have.  Went very well with the fish fillets I served it with.  

You'll need:

• One bunch of chard
• One red onion
• One large clove garlic, or a couple smaller ones
• about a teaspoon each Kosher salt and coarse ground pepper
• Paprika, Cumin, and Cayenne pepper to taste.  More Paprika & Cumin, go light on the Cayenne--this shouldn't be a spicy dish.
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Parmesan cheese (optional)

The Steps

• Wash and chop the chard.  You have a few choices here.  I simply cut the leaves coarsely using my kitchen shears.  If you want to use the stems, cut the leaves off the stem and cut them coarsely.  Chop the stems into smaller pieces, as they need to be smaller so that they can get tender
• Slice the onion into about 1 inch slices.  You may chop smaller if you'd like, but then you'll need to be careful in cooking not to brown them.
• Chop your garlic coarsely
• Heat oil in a pan then add chard, onions, and garlic.  Stir together.
• Add seasonings to your liking.
• At the very end, if you'd like, add some grated Parmesan.
• The final product should be tender but not browned onion and tender chard, which will appear a brighter green after cooking.

I just served this as a side dish, but I think it would be good over brown rice.

Tuna Bean Salad

I wanted to make a nice summer salad.  This is inspired by a salad we serve at my work.

You'll need (for 4-6 servings):

• 2 small cans tuna
• 1 can or half a big jar (think Randall's beans) of mixed beans (cannellini will work too)
• One bunch fresh chard
• 1/2 cup mayo
• 1 tablespoon (ish) red wine vinegar
• a clove or two garlic
• 1-2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• half a yellow onion, diced
• Some grated parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

Chop the chard and onion how you like and simply combine.  If you like olives, add some (chopped) kalamata olives and a bit of their brine (then use less vinegar).  Great plain or on a sandwich.