By Alesia
Rainbow Chard Au Gratin
My husband and I plant a winter garden that’s made up of primarily fresh greens : lettuces, kale, spinach and this year, rainbow chard. Chard is an excellent alternative to spinach (which has 3x more protein!) but is something I haven’t been very creative with in the past. So for Thanksgiving, this au gratin was my big experiment. Getting half of its creaminess from cauliflower, it’s indulgent with a fraction of the guilt…and my new favorite side dish!
Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 01:44:15 GMT
Nutrition balance score
Unbalanced
Glycemic Index
36
Low
Glycemic Load
4
Low
Nutrition per serving
Calories312.6 kcal (16%)
Total Fat27.6 g (39%)
Carbs10.2 g (4%)
Sugars3.7 g (4%)
Protein9.5 g (19%)
Sodium575.7 mg (29%)
Fiber3.2 g (11%)
% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet
Ingredients
12 servings
220grainbow chard
fresh, finely chopped, stems and leaves
566gfrozen swiss chard
chopped
240gyellow onion
chopped fine
281gcauliflower
broken into florets & steamed
4 Tbspbutter
1.5 CCoconut Milk
6cloves garlic
minced
⅛ tspcayenne
1 Tbspdijon mustard
¼ tspnutmeg
1 ½ tspsalt
1 tsppepper
112gMozzarella shreds
Topping
Tasty garnish
Instructions
Step 1
Important note: Before starting this recipe, thaw your frozen chard! (Recommend overnight in the fridge, if possible).
Step 2
Put your steamed cauliflower florets in a large, high-speed blender or food processor. Blend gradually, increasing the speed while adding 1.5 C So Delicious Coconut Milk to create a purée. This purée should not be super thick, but resemble the consistency of soup. Set it aside.
Step 3
Melt your butter in the bottom of a large pot and add your chopped onion to cook until lightly browned (approx 10 minutes). Stir often.
Step 4
Then, add your garlic and cook until it’s fragrant and beginning to soften, about 1 minute.
Step 5
Add 3.5 C cauliflower purée to the pot and stir to combine all base ingredients.
Step 6
Stir in your fresh chard and cook until it’s wilted and well-combined with the cauliflower base (this will only take a couple minutes). Then, remove from the heat.
Step 7
Stir in mustard, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and 1 C So Delicious Mozzarella shreds.
Step 8
Use cheese cloth or a thin towel to squeeze excess water from your thawed, frozen chard. Then, add it to the pot and stir until all are well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Step 9
Transfer your creamy chard mixture to a large baking dish (recommend 13 x 9”)
Step 10
To prepare your topping, melt 2 C So Delicious Mozzarella shreds, 1 C coconut milk and 6 Tbsp butter in a small saucepan. (This will force your vegan cheese to melt, which will not be the case if you just top your casserole with the shreds)
Step 11
When your cheese has melted, top your casserole with the mixture so there is a thin layer on top. Then sprinkle a thin layer of breadcrumbs. With the back of a spoon, gently massage the two layers, so the cheese and breadcrumbs combine a bit.
Step 12
For additional texture and browning, chop a small amount of mozzarella shreds and sprinkle them on top, too. *this is optional
Step 13
Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.
Step 14
Then, remove the foil and return to the oven for 15-20 minutes, until your topping has browned.
Step 15
Remove from heat and let cool for about 10 minutes. Finally, mix parsley and lemon zest and sprinkle over the top to serve.
To lower the Phe count
Step 16
Instead of rice crumbs, use a low-protein breadcrumb. You can make them yourself from your favorite low-protein sandwich bread, or buy online from speciality food providers.
Step 17
...You can also substitute the fresh rainbow chard with thinly sliced/shredded cabbage, which is considerably lower in phe. (Do not replace the frozen, as this is a much different texture and helps act as a binder).
To prepare for the (non-PKU) family:
Step 18
To create a higher-protein version, I simply replaced the vegan cheese with gruyere, and used sourdough breadcrumbs in place of the rice crumbs. No one had any idea there was a cauliflower base, and it was delicious.
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