Red Chard and Rice

Date Prepared: 02/10/11

Source: Rachael Ray, 30-minute meals. Recipe also available at foodnetwork.com

 *Recipe:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 to 4 slices bacon, or 1 (1/8-inch thick) slice of speck, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 small bunch red chard, stemmed and chopped
Freshly grated nutmeg
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika or sweet paprika
1 cup white rice
1 3/4 cups chicken stock or water

Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a sauce pot over medium heat. Add the bacon, cook 2 minutes, then add the garlic and stir 1 minute. Add the chard and season with a little nutmeg, salt, pepper, and paprika. When the chard is wilted add the rice and stir 1 minute more. Add the stock or water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the pot. Cook 15 to 18 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Fluff with a fork and serve.

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Difficulty: Easy - This recipe is a beginner-level recipe. No particularly difficult techniques are required. Additional information on preparing Red Chard is readily available online.

Accessibility: Common - The ingredients used for this recipe should be available at most grocery stores.

Visual Appeal: This dish offers a variety of colors which provide contrast to each other. It is a rice dish, so there is little opportunity for texture and height.

Overall Taste: The bacon provides a welcomed smokiness and the kale a slight bitterness. Nutmeg offers an unusual aroma while providing a complimentary flavor to the chard. Overall, it is a different flavor - interesting.

Overall Experience: There is not much to say about the experience of this recipe. It is relatively quick and uncomplicated. The dish is hearty looking and enticing. The flavor didn't blow me away like I expected, but I am glad I made it anyway. I would recommend trying it with a Tex-Mex-style meal or with pork loin or chicken.

Additional Notes: I have yet to find a source providing speck and resigned to using a nice smoky bacon instead.

*The recipe and instructions for this recipe have been reported to maintain the original instruction and is not an original recipe and belongs to the source indicated. This post has been prepared as a review only and with no intention to take credit for this recipe. This recipe has been reviewed without instruction or influence by the parties or companies mentioned therein.