Swiss Chard Mushroom Rice Rolls

About this Recipe

Swiss Chard is one of those hearty leafy greens that can even grow in the winter in some Canadian climates like on the West Coast. It is packed with nutrients, versatile in recipes, and even freezes well. It is easy to grow if you are a beginner gardener too which is great if you are interested in growing your own superfoods. Yup… Swiss Chard is on the superfood list because of it’s high Vitamin, Vitamin C and Vitamin A to name just a few of what makes it so powerful. My Grandmothers has been making cabbage rolls since far before I was born, but it wasn’t until one day my creative Aunty decided to try her crop of Swiss Chard leaves on her ‘cabbage roll’ recipe rather regular cabbage leaves. The results led to a Sunday phone call between sisters sharing recipes and then onto my plate since on my Mothers balcony was a Swiss Chard plant with a number big leaves, prime for the picking. Being a bit skeptical to the change of certain traditional recipes such as cabbage rolls, none of us were convinced until we took the first bite that yes in fact Swiss Chard does make an excellent alternative to cabbage for these roll ups. Working with Swiss Chard was more difficult than cabbage as it is so tender, so aesthetically speaking, the rolls didn't have that perfection we can achieve when working with cabbage.

Grandmother’s TIPS for Swiss Chard Mushroom Rice Rolls Recipe:

1. The inner ‘spine of the Swiss Chard can be a little tough and chewy, so to avoid this in your meal you can cut this bit off just a wee bit. The video (coming soon, if not already below)...is a great place to watch this in action.

2. The Swiss chard leaves need to be blanched (boiled for a minute or so) to soften them enough to make rolling easy.

3. We found this a lot more delicate to work with than a cabbage leaf but we had a lot of Swiss chard and wanted to give it a try. It is a very tasty dish and was a hit with those that got to eat it.


Ingredients

(Print)

Makes: 12 rolls

12 large Swiss chard leaves

2 Tablespoons butter

1 medium sized onions, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

12 medium size white mushrooms, washed and chopped

1/4 cup water

3 cups precooked white Basmati rice

1 (398ml) can tomato sauce, we used Hunts

1 cup stewed tomatoes , we used our homemade canned tomatoes

Sour cream, optional but delicious when you are serving

Directions

1. Start by cleaning the Swiss chard. Fill a sink with cold water.

2. Cut off and discard the tough stems of the Swiss chard.

3. Rinse the Swiss chard leaves. We used thieves food and vegetable cleaning spray in the water, you can also use a little vinegar or just wash and rinse well with clean water.

4. Using a very large skillet, fill to about 1/3rd full with water. Bring it to a boil.

5. The Swiss chard leaves need to be blanched (boiled for a minute or so) to soften them enough to make rolling easy.

6. Using a sharp knife, cut the tough spiny stem from the base of the Swiss chard leaves. If the leaves are extra large you can cut them in half lengthwise. Keep in mind you are going to be stuffing and rolling up the leaves to let that be your judge of whether to leave as whole leaves or to cut.

7. Submerse a few leaves at a time into the boiling water.

8. Have ready a large baking dish lined with paper towels beside the boiling water pot as a place to put the cooked leaves.

9. Use tongs with rubber grippers to gently remove each leaf and to lay it flat paper lined prepared pan.

10. Continue this process until all the leaves are softened. These leaves are pretty tender and rip easily.

11. Melt the butter in the skillet on medium heat. Add the chopped onions and sauté for 3-5 minutes until the onions are soft. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt to the mixture while they are cooking.

12. While the onions are cooking cut the mushrooms into small pieces and when the onions are nicely browned add the mushrooms to the mixture and cook for a few minutes until the mushrooms are soft.

13. Add about 1/4 cup of water to the mixture and continue to cook. Turn off the heat.

14. Add the precooked rice and stir in making sure to break up the rice so there are no clumps. Stir to combine the mixture. Remove the pan from the stove-top and let the filling cool down so you can handle it.

15. To prepare tomato sauce, open the can of tomato sauce and pour into a bowl. Add the stewed tomatoes and stir together.

16. Have ready a ceramic or glass baking dish. Pour about one inch of sauce on the bottom of the dish.

17. Take a Swiss chard leaf and hold it wide open in your hand. Spoon in some mushroom rice mixture, depending on the size of the leaf, one to two tablespoons. Tuck in the end and sides as you rolls the leaves up.

18. Place the rolls side by side into the baking dish.

19. Continue until you have used up all the leaves. If you end up with extra filling, you can put it into a freezer bag and freeze it for eating at another time.

20. When you are done, pour the remaining tomato sauce on top. The tomato sauce gives these rolls a nice flavor when baked and it is nice to use quite a bit of sauce so rolls will not be dry.

21. Put a lid on the baking dish and place into the oven for 30 minutes to bake in an oven preheated to 400 degrees F.

22. You can refrigerate until you are ready to bake and serve.

23. These Swiss rolls can also be reheated a second time and make good leftovers.

24. A dollop of sour cream goes very well.

ENJOY!

Return to this Swiss Chard Mushroom Rice Rolls recipe or check out more recipes at Grandmother's Kitchen

This mushroom rice rolls recipe is a healthy dinner idea and also a delicious vegetarian recipe when you are looking for something new to try. Similar to cabbage rolls, this family-friendly meal idea is a good way to use Swiss chard and make something healthy. This healthy dinner idea is just one of the ways you can use button mushrooms, also known as crimini mushrooms.

With any ingredient, you want to be sure and always buy fresh, and mushrooms are no exception. It is best to buy loose mushrooms if you can, as it's not always easy to tell if the prepackaged mushrooms are fresh. If packaged mushrooms are your only option look for any signs of shrivelling, slime, or mold. When selecting mushrooms, you want them to be firm, and evenly colored.

When using mushrooms for your healthy dinner ideas, there are some mushrooms that do not require intense cleaning, but you do want to look for any dirt or grit. To get rid of any dirt just wipe the mushrooms with a damp cloth, or even a dry cloth will do. Before cooking, trim off the stem. The stem can be a bit chewy.

To store mushrooms, keep them in the fridge for about 3 to 4 days. If you leave mushrooms in the fridge longer than that, they may start to get slimy or shrivel up. It's best to store mushrooms in a brown paper bag and to avoid cling wrap. Even if they start to dry out, they are still good so long as they are dry and not slimy.

As for the best way to cook mushrooms, the most popular method is sauteing, but mushrooms can also be broiled, grilled or roasted for healthy dinner ideas and family-friendly meal ideas. One tip to ensure your mushrooms cook properly is to avoid overcrowding the frying pan. Mushrooms have a high water content, and they need to have room to move around when they cook. When they are too close together, the mushrooms will end up steaming and not saute.



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