Swiss chard with tahini sauce

Amazingly delicious, this is one of my favorite appetizers. I actually love it so much, I regularly eat it as a meal of its own with pita bread, olives and perhaps a salad (something with lots of lemon in it, such as this Kale Tabbouleh).

Ingredients (serves 4-6 as an appetizer)

- 1 bunch Swiss chard (rainbow or other type)

- sea salt

For the tahini sauce

- 1/2 cup tahini (ground sesame paste)

- 1 lemon, juiced 
- 2 garlic cloves (or less if very pungent)
- a few tablespoons of water

- a handful of freshly chopped parsley or 1 Tablespoon of dried parsley) 

- sea salt, to taste 

Prepare the tahini sauce by mixing the tahini with the lemon juice and salt. Gradually add in a tablespoon of water at a time, until you reach the consistency you prefer, then add in the garlic and parsley. Taste and, if needed, add more lemon, garlic or salt.

Trim the green part off the Swiss chard stems and save it to be used in a soup such as this one (replace the kale with the Swiss chard greens, or use both) or a salad. Cut the Swiss chard stems into 2 cm (1 inch) pieces, place them in a strainer and wash well to remove any dirt. Meanwhile bring a medium size pot of water to a rolling boil, add sea salt and the swiss chard stems. Lower the heat and boil for about 5 minutes or until fork tender. Drain and rinse under cold water then allow to drain completely. Place the Swiss chard in a bowl, add the tahini sauce and serve. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator. Enjoy!