Chard-Stuffed Mushrooms (Hongos Rellenos de Acelga)

Lately, I have been trying to incorporate green vegetables into our meals at home. I know what many mothers are thinking, “My kids will not eat this meal if it contains vegetables!” But we need to persist until we find that ingredient or dish your children will eat without noticing the vegetable component.  Don’t be disappointed if your meals are turned down by the little ones. Talking about how good certain vegetables are for muscles, brain and bones may help convince them to give them a try. When children watch adults eat healthy meals, they will eventually try to imitate this behavior. Believe me, I have tried hard and still do. So far, I have won a few battles, including broccoli and carrots!

I am currently going through the last stages of my pregnancy, so vegetables are a big part of my diet. Swiss chard -along with many other green vegetables – is recommended by obstetricians during a healthy pregnancy. Chard is very low in calories and fat. It is an excellent source of vitamins A, C, K, and B6. It is rich in minerals like copper, calcium, sodium, potassium, iron, manganese, folic acid and phosphorus. Certainly this recipe can be your partner when delighting yourself and your loved ones with a healthy meal.

I find this recipe very convenient to prepare during the week because of its simplicity. My intention with this dish is to have a tasty and nutritious meal. This dish also contains some spicy notes that we Latinos love!

Ingredients

Filling

2 tablespoons of olive oil

4 clove garlic, chopped

1 bunch Swiss Chard

3 to 4 tablespoon light ricotta cheese

3 to 4 tablespoons parmesan cheese

Salt and fresh ground black pepper (to taste)

Crushed red pepper (to taste)

¼ teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated

2 cups mushrooms

Procedure for mushrooms

1. Wash the swiss chard and pinch off the leaves at the top of the stem. Discard the stems

2. Chop the garlic cloves

3. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet. Add the chopped garlic.

4. Add in the chopped chard in the skillet

5. Reduce heat to medium and cook until pieces are tender

6. Introduce into the skillet the ricotta, the Parmesan cheese, salt, black pepper, nutmeg, and crushed red pepper.

7. Stir and adjust the seasoning to taste.

8. Scoop out the centers of the mushroom using a small spoon

9. Place a little bit of the chard filling into the cavity of each mushroom

10. Place each filled mushroom onto a greased pan. Bake in oven for 20 minutes or until mushrooms become tender.