PP Baked Chard in Bechamel
Chef: Cathy Katin-Grazzini, Cathy’s Kitchen Prescription
Makes: 2-4 Servings
Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 20 min
Total Time: 50 min
INGREDIENTS
4-5 bunches Swiss chard, leaves removed for another purpose, stalks, cut in 1” lengths
1 lg yellow onion, thinly sliced
Handful of fresh thyme sprigs, leaves only or 1 t dried thyme leaves
3 cloves garlic, minced
¼ c dry white wine, dry vermouth, or no-sodium veggie broth
Full ½ c white whole wheat flour or a gluten-free whole grain flour
¼ c nutritional yeast
¼ t nutmeg, freshly ground
¼ t white pepper
2 t white miso, or to taste
2 c unsweetened unflavored almond milk (or other low-fat plant milk)
1/3 c whole wheat breadcrumbs
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
Heat a skillet for 3 min over medium heat. Add onions and thyme leaves, lower flame to medium low and allow onions to sweat (slowly soften without browning), usually around 15-20 min. Add wine or your liquid of choice and garlic, cook for 2 min and then add the chard stalks, stirring to combine well. Cover and continue to cook the stalks in the aromatics until tender but intact.
Combine the flour, nutritional yeast, pepper, nutmeg, miso and almond milk in a high-speed blender and run on high for 1 min. Pour the white sauce into the skillet, lower flame to low, and stir as the sauce thickens, becomes dense, and clings to the chard stems.
Transfer to a baking dish and bake for 20-25 min until golden and bubbly. Serve warm as a side dish or serve over sliced potatoes or your favorite whole grain.
Cathy Katin-Gazzini, a seasoned plant-based nutritional coach and chef, teaches the profound health benefits of plant-based nutrition, without oil, by working with patients to prevent, treat and often reverse their chronic disease conditions through lifestyle counseling, group immersion programs and her empowering cooking classes. Visit Cathy at her website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.