By Irene Hayton

Here’s a simple, fast and delicious way to prepare this nutritious leafy green. The stems need to be cooked longer than the leaves so add them to the steaming basket first. Alternatively, you can discard the stems and use only the leaves. For information about Swiss chard, see the Health Tip for June 2009.

  • 1 bunch Swiss chard, about 12 leaves or 8 cups chopped
  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
  • 1 small clove garlic, pressed or minced
  • ¼ teaspoon (1 ml) unprocessed sea salt

Cut off the fibrous bottom part of the chard stems, near the base of the leaves, and discard them. Remove the remaining part of the stems and tough center rib by folding each leaf in half and cutting along the rib. Cut the stems into 1-inch pieces and set aside. Stack the leaves and slice them into pieces about 1 inch wide and 2 to 3 inches long.

Put about ½ inch of water in the bottom of a large saucepan. Insert a steamer basket and bring the water to a boil. Add the chopped stems, cover tightly and steam for 3 minutes. Add the leaves, cover tightly and steam for 3 more minutes or until tender. Don’t overcook—the leaves should remain bright green.

While the chard is steaming, stir together the remaining ingredients. When the chard is done, serve immediately and drizzle a small amount of dressing over each serving. Sprinkle with additional sea salt, if desired. Leftover dressing can be saved to be used over steamed vegetables or cooked grains. Makes 2 to 4 servings.