Balsamic Sauteed Swiss Chard Spiked with Goat Cheese and Raisins

Another summer beauty....rainbow chard. I love swiss chard. It's a tender but hearty green with colorful stems that makes a fantastic side dish. It's a magical bed for any main and this version brings a slight sweetness to the party. I sauteed the chard with slightly caramelized onions, balsamic vinegar and a dash of red pepper and then dot creamy and tangy goat cheese over the top while it's still warm and watch it melt down the edges of the greens. This is a fantastic side dish for my balsamic and mustard spike lamb loin chops. If you had the time, you could certainly fully caramelize the onions, but that would add maybe 30 minutes to the cooking time so I opt for a long saute with a spiked of balsamic to give you a similar flavor. Enjoy!

Balsamic Sauteed Rainbow Char Spiked with Goat Cheese and Raisins
(A Girl and Her Kitchen) 

2 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 bunch of chard, washed
1 onion, diced
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, divided
salt and pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (more if you like spicier)
3 oz of goat cheese
1/4 cup golden raisins (more if you like)

In a large saute pan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil on medium-low heat. Add the onion and let cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and 1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar. Cook 2 more minutes.

While the onions are cooking, remove the chard leaves from the stems. Chopped the stems, removing about an inch off the bottom (this area can be a bit woody and stringy so I through out the bottom inch). Add the stems to the onions along with the red pepper flakes and stir to combine. Raise the heat to medium and sautee the stems with the onions for another 8-10 minutes until the stems are tender but still have a little bit of a bite to them.

While the stems are cooking, chop the leaves into 2 inch pieces (or thereabout, no need to be overly precise). Add the leaves to the pan along with 1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Using a tongs, turn the leaves to mix well with the onions and stems. Saute on medium heat until the leaves are wilted. When half the leaves are wilted add the raisins and continue cooking until the leaves are all wilted.

Once the chard is done, turn off the heat, (may want to transfer to serving platter at this point) and crumble the goat cheese across the top. Serve warm.