Chicken/Turkey and Chard Pie with Yogurt Crust

Yes, again with the chard. What can I say? We have a lot of it at the moment. Which is okay with me because I’ve found some pretty good ways to cook it. This time, in a pie. A yummy pie. Or maybe this would be considered a quiche because of the eggs? I don’t know and I really don’t care cause it’s good no matter what it’s labeled as. Quick note about the crust. It’s made out of flour, yogurt, and water and it does its job as the crust and keeps the pie together (and it’s strong enough it hold it if you want to eat it as a pizza.). However, don’t expect a flaky crust that you can simply eat by itself. Not to say it’s not good, of course. But if you need a buttery crust, you might want to try a different crust recipe.

Chicken/Turkey and Chard Pie with Yogurt Crust 

Ingredients:

Chicken and Chard Filling:

1 tbsp olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 onion, chopped

1 bunch chard, shredded and stems removed and set aside for later

1 tsp thyme

1/4 tsp rosemary

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 cup frozen corn

1 tbsp pimentos

1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used 1/4 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup provolone)

3 eggs

1/2 cup milk

shredded and cooked chicken or turkey

breadcrumbs

Yogurt Crust:

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup plain yogurt

2 tbsp water

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a deep skillet. Add and sauté the garlic cloves, onion, and chard stems for about 8 minutes. Add in the chard and cook until wilted. Add in thyme, rosemary, red pepper flakes, corn, and pimentos and cook for 3 more minutes. Next, add in the shredded cheese. Pour the chard mixture into the yogurt crust (Look below for the crust recipe). In a bowl. mix together 3 eggs and 1/2 cup milk. Pour the egg mixture over the chard mixture. Top with a layer of shredded chicken/turkey and sprinkle with breadcrumbs and more thyme. Bake for 45 minutes.

To make the yogurt crust, combine the flour, yogurt, and water. Form a dough ball, adding a little extra water if needed. Place in a 9 inch pie pan and spread until the dough reaches and climbs up the sides. Bake for 8 minutes in a 350 degree oven to harden.

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Chard Pilaf

This summer, my mom signed up with a local co-op where you can pick out as many fresh fruits and vegetables as you want, as long as it fits in your basket. I was so excited to begin making recipes with zucchini, squash, and eggplant. But all my mom can back with was…chard. My first reaction was, “where’s all the good stuff?” (turns out the “good stuff” is not ready yet 😦 ) and then I wondered, “what the heck is chard?” Turns out, chard is a lot like spinach when it comes to cooking. And it’s quite tasty. The red stems also add a nice red tint to onions when sautéed. This pilaf was a nice way of introducing chard to my family and I. I just randomly added the rest of the ingredients with whatever I had on hand. Bon appetit!

Chard Pilaf 

Ingredients:

2 cups brown rice, uncooked

chicken broth

water

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 bunch chard, shredded and stems removed and set aside for later

2 celery stalks, chopped

1/3 cup carrots, chopped

1/3 cup frozen corn

1 can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 can diced tomatoes

1 and 1/2 tbsp thyme

1 tsp basil

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

3 bay leaves

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

3 tbsp soy sauce

salt and pepper to taste

Optional: parmesan cheese

Directions:

In a large pot, cook the brown rice according to box instructions, using 1/2 chicken broth and 1/2 water for the liquid amount needed (for me, it was 2.5 cups water and 2.5 cups chicken broth). Meanwhile, heat oil in a deep skillet and add in the onion, garlic cloves, and chard stems. Sauté for 8 minutes. Add and mix in celery, carrots, corn, beans,  tomatoes, basil, thyme, oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, and bay leaves. Cook for 10 more minutes. Add in chard and cook until wilted. Then, transport the chard mixture to the cooked brown rice. Stir in mozzarella cheese, soy sauce, salt, and pepper. For more flavor, serve with parmesan cheese, if desired.