Stuffed Swiss Chard

One of my favorite sides. Really this can be eaten as a whole meal if you so desire. Healthy and satisfying!

• One bunch Rainbow Swiss Chard
• One bunch Green Onions, chopped
• 1/2 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, whole
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1-2 large shallots, diced
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella (or fresh balls) 
• Salt
• Pepper
• Olive oil 

Preheat oven to 350. Steam the Chard in a large pot. Remove after Chard has become wilted, lay individual pieces out flat on a greased cookie sheet (I like to double them up to prevent tearing). Salt and pepper the inside of each chard piece.

In a small bowl, combine garlic, shallot, green onions, pepper, cheese, and tomatoes and mix well. Place a small amount of the mixture in the middle of each Swiss chard leaf then roll to create a packet. Seal with a toothpick if necessary. Brush the top of the chard packets with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Bake for about 14 - 20 minutes.

Sausage Stuffed Tomatoes

I am on a pseudo-diet. I thought hey let's have some chicken with a reasonable amount of goat cheese and baked tomatoes. Low enough in calories right? Well yes in theory....then the dilemma of what to stuff the tomatoes with arose. Usually I stuff them with leftover chicken, but....we were having chicken as the main. In the spirit of dieting, I suggested to D that I just stuff them with garlic, spinach, shallots and arugula pesto. Somehow this turned into sausage or prosciutto or some other man food being included. Final result: baked tomatoes stuffed with Spicy Italian Chicken Sausage, Monterrey Jack, Pesto, Garlic and Shallots. Topped off with fresh torn basil. D was happy and, I have to admit, the man food tasted good! In the spirit of dieting I used chicken sausage so we were all happy. Hey, chicken sausage counts as diet food right?

Serves 4 (at half a tomato each)

• 2 large cluster tomatoes, halved and seeded
• One shallot, minced
• One clove garlic, minced
• 1.5 tablespoons pesto (arugula or basil)
• One half of a Spicy Italian Chicken Sausage (or other sausage of choosing)
• 1/3 cup of shredded Monterrey Jack (I used MJ because I had it, Fontina or Mozzarella can also be used)
• Salt and Pepper
• Olive Oil

Use oil to grease a baking dish or sheet.  In a pan, heat oil and add shallots and garlic. Cut the sausage casing and empty half of the filling into the pan and saute with the garlic and shallots. Once mostly cooked remove to a bowl and allow to cool for a minute or two. Combine salt, pepper, cheese and pesto with the sausage mixture - mix well. Stuff the mixture into the tomatoes (making sure to get the yumminess all the way down in the bottom cavity of the tomato) then sprinkle top with salt and pepper as desired and place on the baking sheet.

Bake for fifteen - twenty minutes on 375, remove, top with basil and serve.

*Feel free to coat the top with bread crumbs if you like.