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.

Cookie Dough Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream

One of our members on the NS message boards just posted this cupcake recipe. I think I started salivating as soon as I read “chocolate buttercream” … I’d eat a whole bowl if I didn’t know any better.

Makes 22 to 24 cupcakes (2½ inches each)
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 23 to 27 minutes
Assembly time: 10 minutes
24 paper liners for cupcake pans (2½-inch size)

Ingredients:
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain yellow cake mix
1 package (3.4 ounces) vanilla instant pudding mix
1 cup whole milk
1 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 package (1 pound) frozen cookie dough (see “The Cupcake Doctor Says” below)
Directions:
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners. Set the pans aside.

Place the cake mix, pudding mix, milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again if needed. The batter should look well blended. Spoon or scoop a heaping 1/4 cup batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it two-thirds of the way full. (You will get between 22 and 24 cupcakes; remove the empty liners, if any.)

Cut the frozen dough pieces in half to make 24 pieces. Place a frozen cookie dough piece on top of each cupcake. Place the pans in the oven.

Bake the cupcakes until they are golden and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 23 to 27 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for five minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edges of the cupcake liners, lift the cupcakes up from the bottoms of the cups using the end of the knife, and pick them out of the cups carefully with your fingertips. Place them on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes before frosting. They may sink a bit in the center.

Meanwhile, prepare the Chocolate Buttercream.

If you use the 18-ounce logs of refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough (instead of the one-pound packages of frozen dough), cut them into 24 equal pieces and freeze them before using them in this recipe. It’s important to use frozen dough, because you don’t want it to bake completely and become a cookie. You want the center to be gooey when you bite into it.

Chocolate Buttercream
Makes 3 cups, enough to frost 24 cupcakes (2½-inch size) generously
Preparation time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
3 to 5 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:
Place the butter and cocoa powder in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed until the mixture is soft and well combined, 30 seconds.
Stop the machine and add the confectioners’ sugar, three tablespoons of the milk, and the vanilla. Blend with the mixer on low speed until the sugar is incorporated, one minute. Increase the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, one minute more. Add one to two tablespoons more milk if the frosting is too stiff.

Place a heaping tablespoon of frosting on each cupcake and swirl to spread it out with a short metal spatula or a spoon, taking care to cover the tops completely. The cupcakes are ready to serve.

Five Tips for Making Buttercream Frosting
About three cups of confectioners’ sugar produces the right amount of buttercream frosting for a batch of 24 cupcakes.
Use one tablespoon liquid to one cup sugar to two tablespoons plus two teaspoons butter.

Sift the confectioners’ sugar to prevent lumps in the frosting.

Begin with soft butter. If needed, soften the butter in the microwave.

For a white buttercream frosting, begin with unsalted butter. Beat it on medium-high with an electric mixer to lighten the color. Use milk as the liquid.

To store:
Store these cupcakes, in a cake saver or under a glass dome, at room temperature for up to three days or in the refrigerator for up to one week. Or freeze them, wrapped in aluminum foil or in a cake saver, for up to six months. Thaw the cupcakes overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

Snow Family Spaghetti

I’ve been dying to make this ever since I saw Sara Snow make this on her show (Get Fresh with Sara Snow on Discovery Health). It looks real simple, but what I’m really looking forward to is just how hearty and healthy it is. It’s not even 5pm right now, but I think I’ll head off to the kitchen and start dinner early tonight.

1 large onion
2 garlic cloves
1 package mushrooms
1 pound spinach
2 medium zucchini
1/2 pound tofu—firm, drained and mashed (or use meatless soy crumbles)
1 jar organic spaghetti sauce
1 can stewed, chopped tomatoes
salt & pepper
bay leaf
oregano
1/2 tsp. sugar or tamari

Saute onion, garlic, mushrooms, spinach, and zucchini. Cover and cook; mushrooms should be about 1/2 their original size. Add tofu (or soy meat substitute). Add spaghetti sauce, tomatoes, and seasonings. Balance with sugar or tamari (to taste).

Serve over whole wheat spaghetti or your choice of pasta. Don’t forget the fresh parmiggiano reggiano!

Pesto Tortellini Salad

I found this recipe in one of my old issues of Cooking Light. I only modified it a bit to make use of what I had on hand.

4 cups zucchini (halved and thinly sliced)
2 cups sugar plum tomatoes (halved)
10oz package of fresh cheese tortellini
3 tbl prepared pesto
1 tbl bottled crushed garlic
olive oil cooking spray
kosher salt and pepper
parmiggiano reggiano (shaved)

Cook tortellini according to package directions.

While the torellini is cooking, cut the zucchini into thin half-moon slices and set aside. Next, halve or quarter the the sugar plum tomatoes, then set aside. Spray a large skillet with the cooking spray and set at medium heat. Add the crushed garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the the zucchini and sautee until tender (approximately 10 minutes), adding 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and freshly ground pepper.

When the tortellini is done, drain but reserve 1/4 cup of the liquid. Place the tortellini in a large bowl and add the zucchini. Toss gently to combine. Then, add the pesto, tomatoes, cooking liquid, and an additional 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper (or more to taste). Toss gently to combine.

Serve with freshly shaved parmigianno reggiano.

Cheesy Zucchini

I made this zucchini side dish last night for some friends I had over for dinner. The basic recipe was taken from Giada DeLaurentiis’ Everyday Italian(the only variation I made were the types of cheese I used).

One pound of zucchini
2/3 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup freshly grated fontina cheese
2/3 cup shredded cheese (I used a four-cheese blend with mozzarella and more fontina)
2/3 cup freshly grated parmigiano reggiano
2/3 cup plain bread crumbs
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease the bottom and sides of an 9-inch square baking dish.

Cut the zucchini cross-wise into 1-inch thick slices. Place a single layer of zucchini in the baking dish and sprinkle salt and pepper suited to your tastes (though 1/4 teaspon of each is suggested). Pour 1/3 cup of heavy cream over the zucchini. Add 1/3 cup each of the three cheeses, followed by a 1/3 cup of the bread crumbs. Repeat until you’re out of zucchini with a layer of bread crumbs on top. (With the amount I had, I made two layers; if you end up having more zucchini for another layer, just repeat with another 1/3 of the ingredients.)

Place dish on a baking sheet and place in the center of the oven. Cook for 40 minutes, until the bread cumbs on top have turned golden. Serve, and enjoy!

(The layers can be arranged in the baking dish for up to 8 hours. This helped me time it just right for when the main dish was going to be done. Just cover the baking dish and refrigerate. Take it out 10 minutes prior to putting it in the oven.)

Mozzarella in Carozza

This is Mario Batali’s idea of a grilled cheese sandwich. I made some earlier today for a late lunch, and I just LOVED them! Go easy on them though; any more than two half-pieces and you’re gonna want to reach for a defibrillator. All that cheese, oil, butter, egg, and cream is quite heavy on the heart (and the stomach).

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh buffalo mozzarella, cut into 4 equal pieces about 3 inches by 4 inches
• Eight ½-inch-thick slices firm white sandwich bread
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• A grating of nutmeg
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Preparations
Place the mozzarella on 4 slices of the bread. Cover with the 4 remaining slices to form sandwiches. Trim the crusts off to make perfect 4-inch squares.
In a wide shallow bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the cream, thyme leaves, salt, and nutmeg and whisk until well blended.
In a 10- to 12-inch nonstick sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat until smoking. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and cook until the sizzling subsides. Dip 2 of the sandwiches into the egg mixture, turning to coat, place in the pan, and cook until golden brown on first side, about 2 minutes. Flip over and brown on the other side. Transfer the sandwiches to individual plates and repeat the process with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon butter, and 2 sandwiches. Cut in half, and serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

Spaghettini con Carciofi, Menta e Aglio

If I were to pick a single favorite type of food, and if chocolate isn’t an option, then I would be pretty content if I ate Italian dishes every day. I’m always on the hunt for new recipes, because frankly, as lovely as it is, pesto gets pretty tiring if you make it each week.

I’m also a sucker for celebrity chefs, and Mario Batali is one of my heroes. I picked up Molto Italiano not too long ago, excited at the thought of whipping up fancy (and “authentic!”) Italian dishes. Sadly, the book quickly humbled me into admitting what a novice I really am and I haven’t opened it since.

I’m not giving up though. Tonight I came across Mario’s Spagettini con Carfciofi, Menta e Aglio. I’m hoping to try this out this weekend. Baby artichokes shouldn’t be too hard to find, but … Frascati??

20 baby artichokes
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
12 cloves garlic, peeled
6 ounces Frascati or other dry white wine
1 tablespoon red chile flakes
1/2-cup mint leaves
1 pound dry spaghettini

Peel and trim the artichokes, leaving the stems intact. Place in acidulated water.

Place the olive oil and garlic cloves in a 12 to 14-inch pan and place over medium high heat. Cook until the garlic is light golden brown. Drain the artichokes and place in a pan with the garlic and cook until tender (occasionally spritzing with wine, when necessary, to slow the cooking), about 10 minutes. Add the chili flakes and mint, stir through, season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons salt.

Cook the spaghettini according to the package directions, until tender yet al dente. Drain the spaghettini and toss into the pan with the artichokes. Toss all over high heat 1 minute, then divide evenly among four warmed pasta bowls and serve immediately.

Penne with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

This is probably one of my favorite recipes. I love pesto because it’s so easy to make; the sun-dried tomato in this recipe makes it absolutely divine. The recipe comes from Giada De Laurentiis’ Everyday Italian cookbook (as well as on Food Network).

I would advise using good parmigiano reggiano that you grate yourself. Once you use the real stuff, there’s no going back to those tubs of parmesan at the grocery store.

12 ounces penne pasta
1 (8.5-ounce) jar sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
2 garlic cloves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, blend the sun-dried tomatoes and their oil, garlic, salt and pepper, to taste, and basil in a food processor and blend until the tomatoes are finely chopped. Transfer the tomato mixture to a large bowl. Stir in the Parmesan.

Add the pasta to the pesto and toss to coat, adding enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Season the pasta, to taste, with salt and pepper and serve.