Creamy Chard-Mushroom Farfalle

Yes, chard and mushrooms, again! I love chard because it is sweeter that spinach and it has all the green nutrition my body needs and not to mention mushrooms, they are meaty, very versatile and low in calories! They are usually always an option in my bi-weekly vegetable delivery from Suburban Organics. 

Look how beautiful all the vegetables and fruits look when they arrive!

 This dish came about when I noticed I had one can of evaporated milk that was about to expire, after thinking a while I decided to use it to make a super creamy white sauce. The way I learned to make white sauce is with cornstarch, that is the way my mom always made it and to be honest, I think it is easier than making a roux with flour. The only drawback is that you have to be careful in not letting it boil and you have to stir it very slowly, otherwise it will thin out at the end. Learned that the hard way :-(
Alright, enjoy the recipe!

 Serves 6

Ingredients

6.5oz (185g) Chard (one bunch)

6 cloves of  garlic, minced

1 tablespoon of margarine (or butter)

4oz (115g) button mushrooms, sliced

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1 cup cold water

 1/4 cup cornstarch

1 can (12 fl oz) evaporated milk

3 tablespoons of plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream)

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Grated nutmeg, optional (note on nutmeg below)

4.5 cups Farfalle pasta, dry

Directions

Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil.

Meanwhile, wash and trim away the stalks of the chard.

Add it to the water and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes.

Drain it and finely chop it.
Start cooking the pasta, according to package directions. 

In a medium saucepan, combine the chard, minced garlic, margarine, parsley and sliced mushrooms.

Saute until the mushrooms are tender.

Combine the cornstarch with the cold water and mix well.

Add the cornstarch mixture and evaporated milk to the  vegetables.

On medium-low heat stir slowly until the sauce thickens, remove from the heat before it starts to boil. 

Add the yogurt, salt and pepper and nutmeg if desired. 

Combine with the pasta and serve!

 Note: Since I was a baby my mom started to put nutmeg in white sauce and mashed potatoes because the pediatrician said it is great for babies' digestive system. Not sure if it's true but it is certainly delicious!

  Did you notice how pretty the dish looks on a black background? I discovered I can take the pictures by putting the food in a black bookshelf and lighting it with the lighting kit recommended by Spicie Foodie, looks cool, right? I should probably use a reflector to soften the contrast a bit and get rid of that shadow in the front. Still learning but I think I have improved a bit since I started with the blog :-)

Nutritional Information

Total Fat: 6.9 g

Cholesterol: 20 mg

Potassium: 232 mg

Total Carbs: 55.9 g

Dietary Fiber: 3 g

Sugars: 9.2 g

Protein: 14.2 g

Calories: 340