Fresh Food in a Flash

Yam and Swiss Chard or Kale Gratin

January 24, 2013 at 10:54 am 4 comments

It was a KalePalooza at our January Food Bloggers of Los Angeles event.  I decided to repurpose my Yam & Swiss Chard Gratin I made for Thanksgiving and put a Kale twist to it.  It is delicious either way.  Sweet yams, cheese and a bechamel sauce make this dish irresistable.  You can make this as a holiday side dish, a vegetarian dish or a winter main dish.   I served this dish at Thanksgiving and even yam-haters enjoyed it.  Now that it is January and healthy food is on everyone’s mind, eat more yams – heck, it is a Superfood.

Kale Salad

But back to Kale – the 2012 Superfood!  How many different dishes can you make with Kale?  This was a question answered by the Food Bloggers of Los Angeles at our January meeting.

Kale Margaritas

How about a Kale Margarita?  Yes, you read correctly…and I am here to tell you it was delicioso.  How about Fried Kale in a ceviche shooter?

Massaging Kale helps to break down the cells and wilt the leaves so that they become soft and sweet from tough and bitter. Try it!

…or your basic Kale Salad massaged by Cut ‘n Clean Greens Chef, Garrett Nishimori and dressed with a lemon vinaigarette, ground parmesan and croutons. Click on the frog below to access all the Kale recipes from the Food Bloggers of Los Angeles.

I dare you to try a little kale in your cooking – be creative.  Here’s the steps I followed to make the Yam & Kale Gratin:

You can cook everything in one pot.  1. Start with peeling and cutting the yams into similar size 1″ pieces and boiling in water.  2. Drain and wilt the swiss chard or kale in the same pot. 3.  Then begin to make the roux by combining melted butter and flour.  Whisk until the flour is coated by the butter and let cook for a few minutes.  4. Whisk in the milk, stirring until the mixture is hot and thick.  You now have a bechamel sauce.   5. Transfer all into a baking dish.  6.  Sprinkle on shredded cheese and breadcrumbs.  Use an Irish or Vermont cheddar cheese to really make this dish special.   Bake uncovered in the oven until the top is browned and bubbly.

Yam and Kale Gratin

Serve this in the fall with a pork roast, with your Thanksgiving turkey or in the New Year when you want a Superfood main dish on a weeknight.  You get all your food groups in one dish – veg, greens, dairy, bread.

Print This Recipe

Yam and Swiss Chard or Kale Gratin

• 2 pounds yams, peeled and sliced
• 1 pound swiss chard or kale
• 2 Tbs butter
• 3 Tbs flour
• 2 cups 2% milk
• 2 ounces Cheddar cheese grated
• 2 Tbs bread crumbs

1. Peel yams and slice into 1″ pieces.  Place in pot and bring to boil.  Simmer on medium for 5 minutes or until tender.  Drain and place yams in baking dish.

2. Clean swiss chard, remove ribs and coarsely chop the greens.  Saute briefly in yam pot and add to baking dish.

3. Melt butter in pan, add flour and whisk until blended. Let (the roux) cook for a few minutes.  Add milk and continually whisk until thickened (into a bechamel sauce).

4. Place cooked yams in baking dish.  Place cooked chard over yams.  Pour milk mixture (or bechamel sauce) over veggies. Top with grated cheese and breadcrumbs.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until top is browned.

Servings: 6   335 Calories per serving

Preparation Time: 10 minutes   Cooking Time: 20 minutes    Total Time: 30 minutes

Oven Temperature: 350°F

Click on the frog to access all the Kale recipes from the Food Bloggers of Los Angeles.

Entry filed under: Entree, Food Blog, Recipes, Starch, Thanksgiving, Vegetable, Vegetarian, WordPress. Tags: bechamel, cheese, cooking class, kale, milk, sauce, yam.