Swiss Chard Pizza

We made this last week and it was so delicious that I forgot to take a photo of before we devoured all of it. Even my brother, who dislikes most vegetables, loved this!

Swiss Chard Pizza

1 1/4 lb. swiss chard, leaves & stems separated

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1 small red onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 teaspoon chili powder

2 ounces crumbled goat cheese (approximately 1/2 cup)

Pizza Dough - We used Lexington Co-op's half-baked handmade pizza crust (they have spelt flour & whole wheat crusts available).

Preheat oven to 400.

Chop charm and stems into 3/4-inch pieces. Chop leaves into 3/4-inch wide strips. Set aside.

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add tomatoes, onions and chard stems. Cook 10-minutes, or until tender.

Add garlic, chili powder and chard leaves. Season with salt/pepper. Cover, reduce to medium-low heat and cook 2-minutes until leaves are wilted.

Top crust with warm tomato/chard mixture and sprinkle with goat cheese. Bake 15-17 minutes until crust is brown and cheese is melted.

Why Swiss Chard?

Just one-cup has:

• 716% of your recommended daily value (DV) of Vitamin K

• Over 200% of your DV of beta-carotene (Vitamin A)

• Over 50% of your DV of Vitamin C.

• Plus, magnesium, manganese, potassium, iron, vitamin E, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, folate, zinc, calcium, copper, fiber tryptophan, biotin, and phosphorus – and - fiber, protein and selenium!

• You get all this nutrition for only about 35 calories per cup.

• Swiss Chard provides antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits, as well bone health support.

According to the George Mateljan Foundation for the World's Healthiest Foods rating system, the percentage of daily values provided by swiss chard in just 1-cup allows it to rank fourth highest among all 129 World's Healthiest Foods!

In grocery stores, choose swiss chard that has been held in a chilled display as this will help to ensure that it has a crunchier texture and sweeter taste. Look for leaves that are vivid green in color and that do not show browning or yellowing. The leaves should not be wilted or have tiny holes. The stalks should look crisp and be unblemished. Do not wash Swiss chard before storing. Place chard in a plastic storage bag and wrap the bag tightly around the chard, squeezing out as much of the air from the bag as possible. Place in refrigerator where it will keep fresh for up to 5 days. Rinse well before using but do not soak in water.

Why Goat Cheese?

• Goat cheese has 80 calories and 6 grams of fat per ounce, compared to cow's milk cheese, which generally has around 100 calories and 10 g of fat per ounce.

• There are 5 grams of protein in a single ounce of goat cheese!

• The amount of calcium in goat cheese can vary from around 40 grams in soft cheese up to 240 grams in hard goat cheese (this is slightly higher than cow's milk cheese, which has about 200 grams in hard cheeses).

• Goat cheese is lower in calories and higher in the good stuff (than cow's milk cheese)!

• Goat cheese contains important nutrients and vitamins:

- the amino acid Tryptophan

- Phosphorus

- Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)

- Potassium (which helps prevent high blood pressure and protects against arteriosclerosis)

- 3 times as much Niacin (as cow's milk cheese) and 4 times higher in copper (than cow's milk cheese)

• Goat cheese contains moderate levels of probiotics - "good" bacteria that aid gastrointestinal health in the body.

People who are lactose intolerant are sometimes able to tolerate goat cheese even if they have problems digesting cheese made from cow's milk. The levels of lactose are similar, but the fat molecules in goat cheese are shorter, making them more digestible. Even people who don't have a lactose intolerance will find that goat cheese appears to be more easily digested than conventional dairy products. Look for goat cheese that has no additives, preservatives, or bovine growth hormones, which can frequently be found in cow's milk cheese.