RECIPE: Roasted Swiss Chard Stems

When cooking with swiss chard, don't throw out the stems! You can make delicious use of the stems by roasting them. Just cut the leaves off each stem and use the leaves as you normally would in any dish. (They work great in stir-fries.) Then follow this recipe for a special treat.

INGREDIENTS: 

• Stems from 1-2 bunches of swiss chard
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or olive oil spray
• 21 Seasoning Salute (from Trader Joe's) or any other sodium-free seasoning
• Juice of 1/2 lime or lemon

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Rinse chard stems, pat dry, and trim off any brown bits.
2. Lay stems in a single layer in a non-stick baking pan. (If you don't have a non-stick baking pan, you can line your pan with non-stick aluminum foil.) 
3. Drizzle or spray the stems with olive oil and then sprinkle the seasoning. 
4. Cover pan with foil.
5. Put in the oven and bake 10 minutes, remove the foil and bake until chard stems are tender and starting to brown, about 20 more minutes. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature with a spritz of lime or lemon juice.

Recipe & photo submitted by AAY! Team Member: Elaine M.