Swiss Chard with Orange and Bacon

November 5, 2009

Put your heart into cooking this holiday season and share the love with this special side dish sure to impress your guests. A refreshing take on Thanksgiving (or its leftovers), this side dish provides a trio of textures, colors and tastes with just enough unique flair to make you feel great. With a little something for everyone, this delightfully easy recipe just may become a family classic for years to come!

This side dish is fresh, fresh, fresh! A leafy green similar to kale, coarsely chopped Swiss chard blends beautifully with diced lean bacon, fresh orange juice and orange zest. This easy recipe provides the perfect, light complement to the richness of the sweet potatoes.

Serves 4-6
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS
2 pounds Swiss or red chard, tough stems discarded and leaves coarsely chopped
4 slices lean bacon, diced
Zest of 1 orange, finely grated
1 cup, freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (or margarine)
Salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the chard about 3 minutes, until bright green and tender. Drain, squeezing out any excess water from the leaves.
In a skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer bacon to a plate. Pour the orange juice into the same skillet. Bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is reduced and slightly thickened, about 4 minutes.
Turn off heat. Stir in butter or margarine, orange zest and chard.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving dish, top with diced bacon and serve.

Tip: To make this a vegetarian recipe, simply substitute a soy-based product for the lean bacon. Look for soy bacon or tempeh bacon in the natural foods refrigerated section of your local grocery or specialty store.

Cooking for the ones you love with happiness in your heart is one of the greatest gifts of Thanksgiving. And with this creative side dish that is as colorful as it is delicious, you’ll have everyone asking for seconds.

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