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Chard and Chevre Wontons




It is true that necessity is the mother of invention. This is one of those "random things I had in my fridge" recipes that turned out pretty well. I was looking for something relatively healthy, quick, and "summery" (meaning, not meat pie or mac n' cheese). We have a great Farmer's Market here, and on Saturday I had picked up some rainbow chard, locally made black pepper chevre, cilantro, and a sweet green pepper. The cilantro is optional, but I found it really mediated the slight bitterness of the chard (as did the green pepper). The chevre is scrumptious and provides a bit of tang. I also used lemon pepper (my "summery" spice of choice) to give it just a tad more zip. The result was a really well-balanced filling with a crispy and light texture.

THE INGREDIENTS

NOTE: The amount I used is for ONE PERSON (roughly eight wontons).
  • 1/2 a yellow onion, chopped
  • 1/2 a sweet green pepper, choppped (or whole small pepper)
  • 4-5 large leaves rainbow chard, finely chopped (stems too)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, finely chopped (optional)
  • chevre
  • lemon pepper and sea salt (to taste)
  • wonton wrappers
  • water
  • 3-5 tablespoons olive oil
DIRECTIONS
  • Saute onion in 1-2 tbls of olive oil over medium heat until golden
  • Add green pepper and cook for an additional minute
  • Finally add chard and cilantro. Cook for approx. three minutes, shaking pan or stirring with a spatula. *do not overcook chard--it should be crunchy, colorful, and not wilted.*
  • Season to taste with sea salt and lemon pepper.

  • Allow mixture to cool slightly before filling wonton skins.
  • Place 1 tsp. to 1.5 tsps of mixture in the center of wonton skin. Place a dollop of chevre on top of mixture.
  • Wrap wonton according to package directions or your best attempt. :) I used water to seal, but egg whites will also work. As you can see, I need some work on my wonton folding skills.
  • In frying pan, heat at least 3 tablespoons of olive oil.
  • pan-fry wontons, allowing each side to get crispy (make sure your oil is hot enough)
  • remove wontons from pan, and drain the excess oil on a paper towel
  • serve hot, over a bed of remaining chard mixture (if there is any leftover).

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