Swiss Chard with Raisins

Jul 25, 2010 by lanashabit

Happy Sunday evening!! This morning I had a bowl of Grapenuts with AB&B and blueberries and a cup of coffee on the side.

I then met a friend at Barnes & Noble (a.k.a. peaceful bliss) to start preparing for interviews. My date is still not set, but I wanted to get a head start.

I checked to see if Caitlin’s book, Operation Beautiful: Transforming the Way You See Yourself One Post-it Note at a Time, had hit the shelves yet. A bunch of people tweeted that they found it at their local bookstores, but I was not successful in northern New York  It’s official release date is not for a few weeks, so I will keep my eyes peeled for it!

I grabbed lunch at Panera while reviewing interviewing tips. I got the mediterranean veggie sandwich on whole wheat bread. This sandwich is to die for! It had hummus, cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes, onions and feta. So. Good.

I also went to the grocery store and loaded up on veggies for the week. I definitely took over filled up the fridge, which I’m sure my roommates appreciate  I also bought quinoa, tempeh and lentils for the week. I can’t wait to create some new recipes!

I then ate a quick snack, put some laundry in the washing machine, whipped up my homemade granola bars, threw them in the oven…

…and went for a run. I was now at the mercy of my granola bars. I could tell my pace was a lot faster because I did not want to come back to a burnt-down apartment burn the granola bars. Maybe this should be my new training method for fast runs!! (should I insert a disclaimer here, lol)

I thought I would show you the scenic view on my route :

Goergous, isn’t it?! I set Pandora to Lady Gaga and sang (yes, literally!) while I ran. It builds lung stamina and makes me totally forget I’m running!! You should definitely try it.

I came back to unburned granola bars. Success!! (this recipe will make an appearance very soon)

I also squeezed in a leg/glute workout; three sets of lunges on each leg, weighted leg lifts and squats.

Onto dinner, where the star was….drum role please…..

Swiss Chard with Raisins

8 C. Swiss Chard, rinsed and chopped*
1/4 C. Raisins
3 Cloves of garlic, minced
1 T. EVOO
1/4 C. Water
S&P to taste

1. Heat the EVOO on high heat. Add garlic and still-damp Swiss Chard and saute until the leaves wilt. Stir occasionally.
2. Add raisins and water. Lower heat to medium and cover for ~5 min or until Swiss Chard has a dark green color and becomes tender. Add S&P to taste.

*Stack Swiss Chard leaves one on top of the other and cut the stems out. Slice the leaves into 1-inch slices. Slice the stems into 1/2-inch slices.

In pictures:

Chop

Drop

Add water and raisins

Swiss Chard is one of the most nutritious and health-promoting vegetables. I’m not really a fan of Swiss Chard on its own, but the sweet raisins really cut through the tough, slightly acid, bitter taste. If you do not have raisins on hand, dried cranberries would also be a great substitution. My ’1 bunch’ of Swiss Chard equated to ~8 cups chopped. However, you can eyeball the recipe based on the amount you have. Using the red variety of swiss chard gave it a pleasing presentation. This would even have Paula Dean eating her greens!

This became a side dish to a mix of steamed sweet potatoes with black beans, drizzled with a mixture of EVOO, garlic and cumin.

My room mate who I might be rubbing off on made a delishious pesto pizza with a whole wheat crust. He saved me a spot without the cheese and added some veggies. mmm, mmm, mmm….I might be stealing this recipe from him before the end of the summer!! By the way, make sure to wish him luck on his interview tomorrow!

I will leave you with this quote…

Watch your thoughts, they become words.
Watch your words, they become actions.
Watch your actions, they become habits.
Watch your habits, they become your character.
Watch your character, it becomes your destiny.

~Frank Outlaw

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