Festive Swiss Chard

This is my very belated installment for last week’s A Gluten-Free Holiday, created by Amy of Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free and hosted by Diane of the W.H.O.LE. Gang ~~this~~ last week – Diane’s blog is a fantastic gluten-free and dairy-free blog that focuses on naturally gluten-free and whole foods. Diane’s recipes are hearty and delicious, regardless of whether you need to follow a gluten-free diet.

This week’s theme for Gluten-Free Holiday is Christmas and Hanukah Favorites and Diane is also hosting a giveaway for Ricki Heller’s Sweet Freedom, which I raved about here, as well as Ricki’s e-cookbooks which are also fantastic.

This is Week 4 of A Gluten-Free Holiday. During week 1, I shared some of my thoughts on staying healthier through the holidays, while for Week 2, I submitted this lovely Pumpkin Ice Cream, which is vegan and gluten-free and low in sugar. And, I was lucky enough to win a copy of The Spunky Coconut cookbook – I cannot wait for it to get to me in the mail. I have been eyeing this book for a while now. For Week 3, I made Chocolate Banana Cream Cups, and won another cookbook Free For All. For someone who loves cookbooks as much as I do, this has been great fun and has made waiting for mail more exciting. To be honest, I felt so spoilt, I debated not participating during Week 4, but I did want to share this easy and festive side dish. And in addition to submitting it, very belatedly, to A Gluten-Free Holiday, I will also submit it to Amy’s Slightly Indulgent Tuesday.

Festive Swiss Chard (Gluten-Free, Vegan, Soy-Free, Nut-Free)

Feeds 4 people as a side dish

1 large bunch Red Swiss Chard
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup dried cranberries (I used Ricki’s Sugar Free Oven Dried Cranberries. but you can also purchase dried cranberries, just make sure they are gluten-free)
Sea salt to taste
1 tsp lemon juice (optional)

Wash and stem the red chard, reserving the stems. Shred the leaves and chop the stems into thin pieces. Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a large pan and saute the chard stems until tender, about 5-6 minutes. Add the chard leaves and toss until well-coasted with oil. Cook 2 minutes, until slightly wilted. Add cranberries and stir to combine. Add salt, to taste, and lemon juice if you find the dish needs extra acidity (I didn’t, but Ricki’s Sugar Free Oven Dried Cranberries tend to the tart side).

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