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Tuesday 3 September 2013

simple silverbeet / swiss chard stir-fry

Simply awesome stir-fried silverbeet / swiss chard.

I suppose I am quite lucky that I have a boyfriend who enjoys vegetables. I seem to have adopted an anxious personality with age, so a vegetable-loving partner means one less thing I have to worry about.

Simon has recently taken a strong liking to silverbeet (also known as Swiss chard), often buying them for himself, or suggesting we buy them when we go grocery shopping together. To be honest, I haven't had much experience in cooking silverbeet, so his enthusiasm served as great motivation for me to experiment with this vegetable.

What I've come up with, thus, is this simply awesome stir-fried silverbeet recipe. Why simply awesome? Because it is so easy, and yet it tastes so delicious. I first cooked it in rendered animal fat (e.g. drippings from roast chicken), which was sensational, but it is also very tasty with butter, or, if going the vegan route, feel free to use your favourite vegetable oil for frying - if I am to make suggestions, something like grapeseed, macadamia, avocado or olive oil will suit with their lovely complementary flavours, a bit of garlic and shallot in the pan wouldn't go astray either.

simply awesome silverbeet / swiss chard stir-fry
(serves 2 as a side)


6-8 stalks silverbeet / swiss chard (including both leaves and stems)
1-2 tablespoons butter or rendered animal fat or grapeseed/macadamia/avocado/olive oil
1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
salt and pepper, to taste

Trim and discard the stringier, tougher root ends of the silverbeet. Roughly chop the stalks into bite-sized pieces.
Warm up the butter, fat or oil in a pan over a medium flame.
Add silverbeet, balsamic vinegar and nutmeg. Stirring occasionally, cook for about 5 minutes, more or less, depending whether you like your silverbeet crunchy or tender.
Add salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste.

*This simple dish is full of flavour as it is (especially if you use butter or animal fat), but you might also consider frying a little bit of garlic and/or shallot in the pan before adding the silverbeet, if you would like extra pungency and savouriness. If feeling carnivorous, try it with bacon too.

An easy silverbeet /swiss chard recipe worth trying.

22 comments:

  1. That does sound good! I like shredded silverbeet cooked with some chilli and bacon as a pasta sauce.

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    1. I like the sound of that pasta! Might try it next time. :)

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  2. I've tried swiss chard a couple of times but I love the idea of having it with a little balsamic vinegar.

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    1. The balsamic vinegar is great for lightening up and cutting through the lard/fat/oil here. ;)

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  3. Yum, that looks really good, and I bet it's good with bacon :) Coconut oil is another good non-animal oil to stir-fry with.

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    1. Thanks! Yeah, I need to buy some coconut oil, have heard so many good things about it. :D

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  4. Yummo! Simple and tasty, my kind of veggie recipe :)

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  5. I'll eat this either way - rendered animal fat or butter sounds oisome :)

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    1. Indeed! Fry any vegetable in drippings or butter and it's instantly delicious, pretty much. :p

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  6. Keep it simple they say, and it looks like you've made the most of this principle. I usually find swiss chard recipes boring... next time I'll add nutmeg and balsamic vinegar!!

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    1. Thank you! Simple as this is, I certainly found it interesting enough for my tastes. :)

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  7. i adore silverbeet, and i'm so glad to see it get some love - it's vastly under-rated. i'm also glad to see you use the stalks - i fume when i see people discard stalks (of any veg).
    your silverbeet stirfry would also take strong flavours such as garlic (as you say), chilli and lots of lemon - i love lemon juice on silverbeet to give it a lift.
    ps you should grow some; it's so easy and the plants last for months and months.

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    1. Simon and I both enjoy the stalks of silverbeet - and other vegetables too. It would be such a waste to throw them away when they provide such delicious sustenance, I agree! When I have my own garden one day, I'd love to try my hand at growing silverbeet. Good to know they're easy!

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  8. ♪♫° ·.
    Parece muito bom com esses temperos exóticos!

    Boa semana!
    Beijinhos do Brasil.
    ♪♫° ·.
    º° ✿✿ ·.

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  9. Ohhhh this sounds so good! My Dad makes something similar with beet greens and white vinegar, but I am loving the sound of the balsamic with the swiss chard. Plus the colors are just so bright and beautiful! Going to have to try this out soon :)

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    1. Thanks, Eva! It's a tasty combination, I do hope you try it. :D

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  10. I love silverbeet, garlic and butter with lots of salt. So simple and so good!!! Thanks for reminding me to eat more spinach :)

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