Guest Post-Leslies' Swiss Chard Dolmas

A great guest post again by Leslie. This recipe looks fantastic! And I'm sure at this time of year gardens and CSA baskets are overflowing with this fabulous leafy green. I love chard, to the point I seldom bother with spinach in the garden anymore. Chard just keeps on plugging, churning out green goodness in the heat and the cold. Spinach..not so much.

Thanks Leslie.

From the Arabic word for “something stuffed” dolmas make a deliciously satisfying meal. This is a vegetarian version that I put together based on a few different recipes. You could easily add ground beef or lamb to the mixture for a non vegetarian version. Swiss Chard is full of many phytonutrients that have health promotional and disease prevention properties. It is very low in calories and fats and is recommended in cholesterol controlling and weight reduction programs. Most importantly, it tastes great so eat up! 

Swiss Chard Dolmas 

1 Bunch Swiss Chard

1 tbsp. butter 

1 onion, diced 

2 cloves of garlic, minced 

Red pepper flakes to taste

2.5 cups cooked brown rice 

¼  cup olive oil 

¼  cup red wine vinegar 

Fresh dill 

1 cup crumbled feta cheese 

Salt & pepper 

Begin by trimming the stems off the chard. Next, blanch the chard leaves in boiling salted water for 1 minute, or until they are just tender. You want them to hold their colour and shape, so submerge them in an ice bath immediately after you remove them from the boiling water. Once they have cooled, layer them between paper towels and set aside. 

Add butter and sauté the onions until they are soft, about five minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, cook another minute. Remove from heat and add the feta cheese.

Mix rice with olive oil, red wine vinegar, dill and onion/feta mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

To roll, place approximately a tablespoon of mixture at the base of the chard leaf. Lift the sides of the leaf over the mixture and roll towards the tip of the leaf. 

Keep the sides tucked in. Transfer the dolmas to a baking dish and sprinkle with olive oil. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes, until rice is heated all the way through. 

Serve with Garlic Yogurt Sauce. 

Garlic Yogurt Sauce 

1 cup of plain Greek yogurt

1 clove of garlic, finely minced 

2 tbsp. lemon (more to taste)

Olive Oil 

Salt & Pepper 

Mix all of the above ingredients together. Let sit for at least one hour in the refrigerator before serving.