Our lightened, garlic-infused cream sauce is perfect with tender chard. Try this creamy dish alongside broiled New York strip steak.

Makes 4 servings, about 2/3 cup each

ACTIVE TIME: 35 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 35 minutes

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound chard, stems and leaves separated, chopped (see Note)
2 tablespoons minced garlic
4 teaspoons unsalted butter
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
2/3 cup low-fat milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chard stems and cook, stirring often, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in chard leaves and cook, stirring constantly, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Cover and cook, stirring once, until tender, about 2 minutes more. Transfer to a colander placed in the sink and press with a wooden spoon to remove excess liquid. Return the chard to the pot, cover and keep warm.
2. Place garlic and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook until the garlic is fragrant but not browned, about 2 minutes. Whisk in flour and cook until bubbling, about 30 seconds. Add milk, salt, pepper and nutmeg; cook, whisking constantly, until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir the chard into the sauce and serve immediately.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 141 calories; 9 g fat (4 g sat, 3 g mono); 13 mg cholesterol; 10 g carbohydrate; 4 g protein; 2 g fiber; 369 sodium; 625 mg potassium.

Nutrition bonus: Vitamin K (463% daily value), Vitamin A (140% dv), Vitamin C (35% dv), Magnesium (24% dv).

1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 1 1/2 fat

TIP: Note: After washing the chard for these recipes, allow some of the water to cling to the leaves. It helps steam the chard and prevents a dry finished dish.

Tried this tonight and really liked it. I did add a packet of Splenda at the very end though, because the greens still had a little of their bitterness. But very tasty all around and pretty easy to follow.

Anonymous, Tarzana, CA

Adding the nutmeg to the greens was a perfect compliment. I will be adding nutmeg to other leafy greens when I steam them. This was a delicious recipe, but there was a lot of cream for the chard. It seemed to swim in it, rather than lightly glaze it. I'll just add half of the creamy mixture from now on.

Anonymous, Burlington, VT