Swiss Chard with Pine Nuts and Gnocchi

So, dear ones, while at the gym on Thursday morning besides hearing one of my favorite songs ever - Hey Jude - I saw a poster that talked about beating the winter blues and foods that elevate your mood. Food…elevate mood…do tell. It said that leafy greens, such as Swiss chard, are packed with magnesium that help to relieve stress…wonder if they sell the stuff by the bushel?

How much is a bushel anyway? Or a peck?

I digress.

Not that I need help managing stress but for the benefit of my dear readers I decided that this Swiss chard hypothesis required further investigation and testing. Accordingly, I embarked on a search for a recipe. I found a simple one at allrecipes.com that I, of course, modified to add flavors I thought would blend nicely.

Swiss Chard with Pine Nuts and Gnocchi
Olive oil (to coat the bottom of the pan)
4 (or 10) garlic cloves, minced
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt to taste
2 bunches of Swiss chard, stems trimmed (save stems for another recipe that's coming)
½ cup of balsamic vinegar
¼ cup of pine nuts
1 bag of frozen (or homemade) gnocchi --> stay tuned!

Heat olive oil in the pan. Add garlic, red pepper flakes and salt and sauté until the aromas are released, about 2 minutes. Cut the Swiss chard into ribbons and add to the pan along with balsamic vinegar; cook and stir until chard is wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the pine nuts and cook for another minute or so. Toss with prepared gnocchi. Top with shaved asiago cheese.

Very tasty indeed. I felt serene, down-right tranquil. Did I mention I also had some wine…perhaps the experiment was flawed by an independent variable.