Have you already decided how to cook the red chard stalks leftover from the previous recipe?
Well, if you need an idea… here it is!
Place the chard stalks in layers in a baking dish, add some breadcrumbs flavored with garlic and oregano, or other herbs as you like, and put everything to gratin in the oven. You will get, with no effort, an excellent side dish with only 10 minutes of gratination.
And if you want to turn the side dish into a complete main course, just add some cheese between the layers and your meal will be sorted.
And everyone will compliment you! Look at how good they look on the plate! 😀
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 2
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer
Ingredients
- 10.5 oz Red chard stalks (or purple and orange, or even the classic white)
- 1 cup Breadcrumbs
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 1 tsp Oregano (or chopped parsley)
- 1 pinch Pepper
- 2 tsps Extra virgin olive oil
Tools
- Pot
- Frying Pan
- Cocotte individual rectangular
Preparation
After washing the whole chard, cut the stalks to cook them separately from the leaves.
For cooking the leaves, refer to the previous recipe.
Cook the stalks for 15-20 minutes (depending on their size) in a saucepan with the lid closed, adding half a glass of water.
Sauté the stalks in a pan with a clove of minced garlic and a little oil.
This pan-frying step is intended to flavor the stalks, as it is – like all the recipes on this blog – an unsalted recipe. It’s an optional step that can be skipped at discretion.
Season the breadcrumbs with a teaspoon of oil, a clove of minced garlic, and oregano (or parsley or other herbs to taste).
Assemble by distributing the breadcrumbs between the layers of chard stalks until the ingredients are used up (I had a little leftover breadcrumbs).
Bake for 10-15 minutes (oven at 392°F).
Serve the gratinated red chard stalks as a side dish for meat or egg-based mains.
You can enrich the breadcrumbs with a tablespoon of Parmesan or other grated cheese.
Or you can add sliced cheese between each layer. In this case, you will obtain a richer and more substantial gratin that can be served as a main course.
Salt-Free Tips
I renew the advice I already gave you in the previous recipe: use garlic and chili to add flavor! And then… I would also try adding a zest of lemon peel to the breadcrumbs 🙂 Try it yourself!
If you’re interested in reducing or eliminating salt, always remember to:
▫ Decrease salt gradually, the palate needs to adjust slowly and should not notice the progressive reduction.
▫ Use spices. Chili, pepper, curry, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, cumin…
▫ Use aromatic herbs. Basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, mint…
▫ Use seeds. Sesame, pine nuts, almonds, walnuts…
▫ Use spicy vegetables or fruits. Garlic, onion, lemon, orange…
▫ Use my salt-free vegetable granules
▫ Prefer fresh foods.
▫ Avoid cooking in water, prefer cooking methods that do not disperse flavors (grill, foil, steam, microwave)
▫ Avoid bringing the salt shaker to the table!
▫ Occasionally break the rule. It boosts morale and helps you persevere.
If you don’t want, or can’t, give up salt:
▫ You can still try my recipes by salting according to your habits.
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