Stuffed Swiss Chard Leaves
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped or 2 teaspoons dried dill
1 pint cottage cheese (I used nonfat)
1/2 cup feta, crumbled (could use lowfat; I used regular)
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of Greek oregano
1 Tablespoon soy sauce (Note: the sodium is a bit high in this recipe - I think this could be omitted)
~ 16 large Swiss chard leaves
Topping:
juice of 1 lemon
1 big garlic clove, or 2 small, minced
1 tablespoon dried mint (or 1 teaspoon dried dill - that's what I used)
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Rinse the chard leaves thoroughly – make sure no sand or grit remains. Pat dry.
- Remove any tough stems and set aside while you prepare the filling. You can cut out the tough center rib or not. (I didn't, but some of the larger leaves had a pretty big, hard to roll, rib)
- Saute onion and garlic in the olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat until softening and fragrant.
- Take off the heat, season with salt and pepper and add the chopped parsley.
- In a large bowl, add the cooked brown rice, cottage cheese and feta.
- Scrape in the onion/garlic saute.
- Add the egg, oregano and dill.
- Place about two tablespoons of filling on the underside of a chard leaf.
- Fold over the sides, then the bottom and roll up like an envelope. Try to roll as tightly as possible as they will loosen up a bit as the chard cooks.
- Place the roll-ups seam-side down in an oiled 9x13-inch casserole, or other oven-proof, dish.
- Add 1 clove minced garlic and dill/mint to the lemon juice and pour evenly over the rolls.
- Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for about 30 minutes until tender.
Nutrition Facts from Sparkpeople
4 Servings (1 serving = 4 rolls)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 282.6
Total Fat 6.1 g
Saturated Fat 1.5 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.8 g
Monounsaturated Fat 3.4 g
Cholesterol 63.1 mg
Sodium 794.9 mg
Potassium 748.2 mg
Total Carbohydrate 37.9 g
Dietary Fiber 4.7 g
Sugars 4.4 g
Protein 21.6 g
Vitamin A 121.9 %
Vitamin B-12 12.1 %
Vitamin B-6 19.9 %
Vitamin C 57.7 %
Vitamin D 1.6 %
Vitamin E 12.3 %
Calcium 11.5 %
Copper 14.8 %
Folate 12.4 %
Iron 19.6 %
Magnesium 33.3 %
Manganese 75.1 %
Niacin 10.1 %
Pantothenic Acid 9.1 %
Phosphorus 23.0 %
Riboflavin 16.4 %
Selenium 18.8 %
Thiamin 12.6 %
Zinc 10.6 %