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V CD's Favorite Luscious Stuffed Chard Packets

Courtesy Passionate Vegetarian; 16 rolls; serves 4-6; this can be made vegan by substituting the feta for the same amt of ready ground tofu

1 Tablespoon EVOO
cooking spray
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, diced
12-16 blanched red or green chard leaves, for stuffing, stems diced and reserved
4-6 cloves garlic, chopped medium fine
1 lemon
3 tomatoes, 1 peeled, seeded, and diced, the other 2 cut into 8ths
2 1/2 cups cooked bulghur (cracked wheat)
2/3 cup minced Italian parsley
1/3 cup minced spearmint(optional, but delicious; if you are not sure, you can use less)
1/3 cup raisins or currants
2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Heat 1 teaspoon of the EVOO in a large, deep nonstick skillet, or one that has been sprayed with cooking spray, over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until it starts to get limp, about 4 minutes. Add the carrots and chard stems. Raise the heat slightly and saute for about 3 minutes. Lower the heat to very low and add the garlic. Saute for 1 minute. Scape the mixture into a large bowl.
3 Grate the lemon rind, and add 1 teaspoon to the vegetable mixture. Juice the lemon through a strainer into the vegetable mixture. Stir to blend.
4. Add the diced tomato, bulghur, parsley, spearmint, raisins and feta. Toss together to blend. Taste and season with salt and lots of pepper.
5. Spray a 10X15-inch glass or enamel (non-reactive) baking dish with cooking spray.
6. Stuff the chard leaves and place them seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Tuck a tomato wedge between each chard packet and its neighbor. Drizzle the remaining EVOO over the top.
7. Cover the casserole tightly with foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake until bubbling, 10 to 15 minutes more. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature, with a little of the pan sauce spooned over each packet.