Sauteed Swiss Chard with Cumin and Paprika

I cook and eat greens several times a week, and mostly they are simply sauteed in garlic and olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper. Yum! But sometimes a girl wants a little excitement in her life, so she trolls the food blogs until she finds something like this recipe. Not too much work but oh so exciting!

The original recipe used kale and an herb paste with zingy spices like cumin and paprika to disguise the bitterness of kale. While I am a huge kale fan, I am not as high on Swiss Chard so I thought I would use this technique on some green chard waiting patiently to be used. Fantastic!

The cumin brings an earthiness to the dish while the sauteed parsley-cilantro paste gives it lots of zing. The smoked paprika is just the lightest of touches and brings it all together. I forgot to add the yogurt but loved it without it. Although I ate it hot I imagine it would also work well at room temperature or as part of a mezze plate.

Sauteed Swiss Chard with Cumin and Paprika
serves 2

1 large bunch (1/2 lb) swiss chard, washed and chopped (destem if the stems are really fibrous)
1/2 onion, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 cup, packed, parsley, chopped
1/2 cup, packed, cilantro, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin (ground or seeds pounded in mortar and pestle)
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
salt to taste

In mortar and pestle (or ceramic bowl if your mortar is too small) mash garlic and salt until it forms a paste; add parsley and cilantro and mash it into the garlic paste until you have a paste reduced to about 2 tablespoons. In large skillet heat olive oil and cook onion until translucent, 3-5 minutes. Add herb paste and stirring continuously cook another 2 minutes until fragrant. Add cumin, paprika, and Swiss Chard and toss to coat evenly. Turn down heat and cover and cook 15 minutes until chard is soft and cooked through. Season with salt and serve.

Hugs!

Recipes currently inspiring me:

Pineapple Glazed Ham Balls at Simply Recipes
Fried Tuna Ball Po Boy at Closet Cooking
Instant Cheezy Sauce at The Ordinary Vegetarian