Fun with Polenta

Last night I tried to prepare a simple side dish of grilled polenta with mozzarella and pasta sauce.  Unfortunately, I don’t think I grilled them very well. I let the slices cook for about 4 minutes on each side on fairly high heat (I was using an indoor grill pan) with some olive oil, but they didn’t turn out quite brown. Regardless, I took them off the grill and placed them in the broiling pan, topped each slice with a dollop of marinara sauce and some shredded mozzarella, and popped them in the broiler for 2 minutes.

They turned out OK, but I think they could be better.

Tonight I think I’ll try another batch, but maybe this time fry the suckers with butter in my trusty cast-iron pan.

Nacho Supper

This recipe came to me by email not too long ago. Quick and easy when you’ve got a hankering for Mexican. Careful though … I think this packs a whopping 460 calories per serving, as well as 24g of fat and 26g of carbs. On the plus side, you get 34g of protein. A healthier option would be to turn this into a vegetarian dish by substituting the ground beef with soy crumbles like Boca’s Ground Burger.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 lb ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 tsp seasoned salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 (16-oz) can refried beans
1 package taco seasoning
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 can green chilies, chopped
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 cup picante sauce
Tortilla chips, for serving

Brown the beef and onion in a large skillet over medium heat; drain. Add the seasoned salt and cumin and stir to combine. Set aside.

Combine the beans, taco seasoning and Monterey Jack cheese in a medium mixing bowl.

Spread the bean and cheese mixture in a 9-by-13-inch pan. Cover with the beef and onions. Follow with the green chilies, cheddar cheese and picante sauce. Bake at 400 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips. Serves 4-6.

Candy Bars

Here’s a recipe from The Cake Mix Doctor (which I think is one of those books no wanna-be baker should be without) that I like to use. I love the versatility–use any sort of candy you have about the house! (Er, obviously, use only candy that’s actually still good to eat, and not a bar you might find under the couch.)

1 package plain yellow cake mix
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
8 tablespoons of butter, melted (I use salted)
2 large eggs
1 cup chopped candy bar pieces, such as Snicker’s, Butterfinger, etc.

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Set aside an ungreased 13×9 inch baking pan.

Place the cake mix, brown sugar, melted butter, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Blend again on low speed for 1 minute. Fold in the candy bar pieces until well distributed. Pour the batter into the an, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula so that it reaches all sides. Place the pan in the oven.

Bake the cake until it is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.

Cut the cake into 24 bars. Remove the bars from the pan with a metal spatula and serve. Store bars, covered in plastic wrap, at room temperature for up to 1 week. Or, freeze them, wrapped in aluminum foil, for up to 6 months. Thaw the bars overnight on the counter before serving.