Polenta with Butternut Squash, Sausage and Caramelized Onions

When it comes to grains and flours, I usually keep a fairly well stocked pantry.  So, barley, bulgar wheat, farro and quinoa are usually on hand right next to the white flour, whole wheat flour and cornmeal.  But when I'm planning my dinners, I sometimes forget to shop in my own pantry.  The cornmeal, for example, has been sitting there lonely and unused except for the occasional urge for cornbread.  When I'm in a restaurant, a dish of polenta always sounds so appealing so there was really no excuse for the canister of cornmeal not to be shown a little more respect

I picked up some good turkey sausage the other day and I thought that creamy polenta and sweet squash would be the perfect compliment to the slight heat and fennel bite of the sausage.  The result was a comfort-food style dish that I'll definitely be making again.  Enjoy!




Ingredients
1 Cup cornmeal
4 1/2 Cups water
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons olive oil
4 Links of your favorite sausage (I used turkey sausage)
1 Onion, peeled and sliced
2 Cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 lb. Butternut squash, peeled and cut into bite size pieces
1 Tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
Salt & pepper to taste

Start by placing the squash pieces in the microwave for 3 to 4 minutes or until they are tender.  Set aside.

Add one tablespoon of the olive oil to a large skillet or cast iron pan and, on medium high heat, cook the sausage for about 10 minutes or until the meat is cooked through.  Remove the sausage from the pan, add the remaining olive oil along with the onions.  Cook on medium high heat, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes or until the onions are soft and lightly caramelized.  Add the garlic, squash and thyme to the pan and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the squash is also lightly caramelized.  Slice the sausage and return it to the pan to warm up.  Season to taste.

While the onions are cooking, add the cornmeal and water to a pot and cook on medium low heat, whisking frequently for about 15 minutes or until its reached the consistency you like.  Stir in the butter and season with salt.  Spoon the polenta into serving bowls and top with the sausage, onion, squash mixture.  Makes approximately 4 servings.

Savory Beet and Gorgonzola Galette

Every couple of weeks, I come back from grocery shopping with a big bunch of beets.  I roast them, peel them, dice them and toss them into my dinner salads for a few nights.  Tasty and healthy.  But the last bunch was still sitting in the veggie crisper a few days later.  As much as I like roasted beets, I was clearly not motivated enough for even the simple task of wrapping them in foil and sticking them in the oven.  Beet boredom?  Something had to be done!

I happened to be looking at a photo of a fruit tart somewhere online and the idea of a savory beet tart began to form.  I love my recipe for olive oil dough and suddenly I knew exactly what I was going to do with that last bunch of beets.  Once done, I had to restrain myself from polishing off the whole tart, it was so good.  A sliver as an accompaniment to a dinner salad, a side dish for dinner, lunch, snack...all of the above.  Excuse me while I go grab another slice.  Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 Cup all purpose flour (white or wheat)
1/2 Teaspoon salt
1/2 Teaspoon baking powder
1/4 Cup olive oil
2 Tablespoons cold water
2 Golden beets (or red beets)
1/2 Cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
Salt & pepper to taste

To make the dough, combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.  Add the olive oil and stir to combine.  If the mixture seems too dry then add the water but it's not always necessary.  Form the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least half an hour.

While the dough is resting, prepare the beets by dropping them into a pot of boiling water.  Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.  Remove from the pot and allow to cool enough to handle.  Peel the beets and slice into thin rounds.  You can do this with a knife but it's far faster and easier with a mandoline.

Press the dough into an 8" or 9" round dish (I used a pie tin).  Begin layering the sliced beets in an overlapping circle but keeping about 1 1/2" away from the edge of the dough.  Season each layer with salt and pepper and sprinkle on about a tablespoon of the crumbled Gorgonzola cheese.  Roll the edges of the dough up and crimp them slightly.  Top with the remaining cheese and bake in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 40 - 45 minutes or until the dough is a light golden brown.  Makes approximately 8 servings.

Scones Spoken Here

If you had visited my home over the weekend, you would have noticed a thick layer of flour dust covering the entire kitchen, a large section of the dining room table and most of the dog.  (She sits at my feet when I cook and I can't make her move.)  The reason for this lapse in housekeeping is that I've been baking scones.  Lots and lots of scones.  My scone-loving mother taught me to appreciate them but she always bought them from a bakery.  I've spent my adult years in search of the perfect scone recipe and, while I've made lots of good ones, I'm always looking for the "perfect" version.

I was excited to see that The New York Times recently ran an article about biscuits and scones and gave what their editors believe is the master recipe.  I got out my flour and butter!  But, I didn't like them.  The taste was flat (lots more salt and sugar needed) and they didn't rise (oven temperature way too low).  I had stuck to the exact recipe but began to make tweaks in rounds two and three.  Still, something was missing.  Their recipe calls for heavy cream and advises against the tang of buttermilk.  But I concluded that it was that exact tang I was missing.  Many batches of scones later, I settled on what I think is the perfect ratio of salt, sugar and lift.  These are plain but they will be my basis going forward for flavored scones.  I'm sure there's a batch of lemon blueberry in my immediate future...and maybe in yours if you come clean my kitchen.  Enjoy!

Ingredients
3 Cups all purpose flour
1/4 Cup sugar
2 1/2 Teaspoons baking powder
1/2 Teaspoon baking soda
1 Teaspoon salt
1 Stick unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1" pieces
1 Cup buttermilk
2 Tablespoons melted butter, for topping
2 Tablespoons sugar, for topping

In a bowl, combine the flour, 1/4 cup of sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and butter.  Using a fork or pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles course crumbs.  Add in the buttermilk and stir until a dough ball forms.

Turn the dough out onto a well floured surface and roll out to a 1/2" thickness.  You can make the scones round, square or triangular but I used a 3" round cutter.  Place the scones on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, brush the tops with the melted butter and sprinkle on the two tablespoons of sugar.  Bake in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 15 - 20 minutes or until the tops are a very light golden brown.  Makes 8 scones that are best served fresh with a bit of your favorite preserves.

The Month in Review - February 2014

I can't pretend I'm sorry to say goodbye to February this year.  It was a challenging month on several levels, not to mention one of the snowiest on record.  Not that there's any great improvement today with arctic temperatures and yet more snow in the forecast.  But, if the adage is true about March coming in like a lion and going out like a lamb, I'll be hoping for sun and warmth soon.

Looking back on the month, though, we cooked a lot of healthy and delicious food, along with an indulgence or two.  And the cocktails were flowing over at the newly launched site, A Cocktail Life.  So let's take a look back to some great recipes and don't miss this month's selection of tempting drinks!

A Cocktail Life

A Cocktail Life, A Martini and a Sweet Pecan

Veggie Pot Pie with a Cheesy Crust

Bacon, Egg and Cheese Breakfast Pizza

Strawberry Cheesecake Heart Pie

Chocolate Mousse Pie

Brussels Sprouts Gratin

Banana "Nut" Scones

Skinny Spinach Tart with a Squash Crust

Roasted Red Pepper Corn Salad

Oven "Fried" Crispy Cauliflower Poppers

Sunchoke Hash with Bacon

Squash Dumpling Chili Pot Pie

Squash Dumpling Chili Pot Pie

With no let up on the cold weather around here, I've been craving a steaming hot bowl of chili for dinner.  OK, that's easy enough, but what to serve with it?  A chili mac would be delicious but I'm trying to stay away from pasta for a while.  Fritos are another yummy option but I love those too much and am always tempted to just eat the whole bag standing up in my kitchen.  Please tell me I'm not the only one who feels that way about Fritos.

Then I thought about the squash crust I made recently for my skinny spinach tart and realized it could work like a corn bread topping.  And yes, cornbread is another really tasty option for this dish.  So I made a batch of my squash dough and loved the results.  It was lean, healthy and satisfied my craving for a bowl of hot chili on a cold night.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

Chili:
1 lb. Lean ground beef
1 Onion, peeled and chopped
4 Cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 Bell pepper, diced (any color)
1 Can (approx. 14 oz.) black beans
1/2 Cup tomato sauce
3 Tablespoons taco seasoning
2 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt & pepper to taste
Cayenne pepper to taste *

*  I prefer mild flavors but feel free to add as much heat as you like.

Crust:
1 Cup all purpose flour
1/2 Cup cooked squash (use any cooked squash including canned unsweetened pumpkin)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Teaspoon baking powder
1/2 Teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons low fat milk

In a large skillet, brown the beef and continue cooking it while adding the onion, garlic, bell pepper and seasonings.  Finish by adding the tomato sauce and beans and allow to cool slightly.  Pour into one baking dish or four individual ones the way I did.

To make the crust, combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.  Mix in the oil and then the squash and milk.  Knead with your hands until a dough ball forms.  If you're making individual portions, divide into four equal pieces and press down on each of your chili filled baking dishes.  Cook in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 35 - 40 minutes and serve hot.  Makes 4 servings.

Sunchoke Hash with Bacon

Have you ever tried sunchokes, also called Jerusalem artichokes for reasons I don't know?  For years, they were just these mysterious little brown orbs in the gourmet produce section of my market.  Their knobbly exterior doesn't exactly scream 'I'm delicious, eat me' so I kept walking.  But a restaurant meal I had came with a tasty sunchoke puree and suddenly I had to look into this.

My regular supermarket doesn't carry them but a gourmet produce mart nearby does and I love shopping there for interesting new ingredients.  I did a bit of research and, nutritionally, they are very similar to potatoes but with a much higher iron content.  They're also considered lower carb because the carbs they contain do not affect blood sugar.  I'm not concerned about that for myself but it was an interesting factoid.

At this point, I've tried roasting them and mashing them and I've liked both.  The taste is slightly sweeter than a white potato but nowhere near as sweet as a sweet potato.  I think they're quite delicious.  I had some left over from my experiments so I decided to make a breakfast for dinner style hash.  Normally I like adding bell pepper but I didn't have any so I tossed in some leftover Brussels sprouts and it was great.  Enjoy!

Ingredients
1/2 lb. Sunchokes, peeled and diced
1/4 Red onion, peeled and sliced
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Red bell pepper, diced (optional)
1/2 Cup lightly cooked Brussels sprouts (optional)
2 Slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
Salt & pepper to taste

Add the olive oil and diced sunchokes to a cast iron pan and cook on medium low heat for about 20 minutes.  Add the red onion and either bell pepper, Brussels sprouts or both.  Continue cooking for an additional 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and lightly golden brown.  Toss on the crumbled bacon and a sunny side egg, if you like.  Makes 1 serving.

Oven "Fried" Crispy Cauliflower Poppers

When I was growing up, there were a few "special" dishes in my mothers repertoire that I always looked forward to and even occasionally begged for.  Certainly she always knew what to cook for me for my birthday.  Her pot roast with mashed potatoes and onion gravy was my all time comfort dish and the special treat was a fried veggie on the side.

Yes, I said a veggie.  I was a child who ate and liked my vegetables but, of course, everything is better when its fried.  She would coat cauliflower florets in a generous layer of breadcrumbs and fry them until they were crisp and golden brown delicious.  They always soaked up a lot of oil but that didn't hurt the flavor, of course.  Oh, I miss those!  These days, my hips would prefer I lay off the oil but I still wanted those crispy bits of cauliflower.  I'm not suggesting these taste quite as good as mom's version but they were still golden brown and delicious.  Enjoy!

Ingredients
2 Cups cauliflower florets, cut small (about 1/2 a large head)
1 Egg
1/4 Cup milk
1/2 Cup seasoned panko breadcrumbs
Non-stick cooking spray

In a bowl, whisk together the egg and milk.  Place the breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl.  Toss the small florets in the egg mixture and then toss in the breadcrumbs.  Spread out the cauliflower on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and spray with the non-stick cooking spray.  Roast in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 20 minutes, toss and return to the oven for an additional 20 minutes or until the cauliflower is golden brown.

You can serve these with your favorite dipping sauce but I just like popping these little crunchy treats into my mouth plain.  And while I've been known to put away quite a lot of cauliflower all by myself, this probably makes at least two servings.

Roasted Red Pepper Corn Salad

When I'm busy during the day, I find that I'm much more likely to eat a healthy salad for lunch if it's already prepped and waiting for me.  And salads certainly don't have to include lettuce.  So I spend part of my weekend making various bean and grain recipes that I can leave in the fridge for quick lunches or healthy snacks, if I'm hungry in the afternoon.

Chickpeas are a regular staple in my kitchen and I love how well they pair with corn.  And while I frequently toss in a diced bell pepper, this time I decided to try roasting it in the oven to add another layer of flavor.  The combination with the fresh herbs is absolutely perfect and this salad is going into regular lunch rotation around here.  Enjoy!


Ingredients
1 Cup cooked corn kernels
1 Cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 Red bell pepper
1/4 Cup mayonnaise (I used low fat)
1/4 Cup milk (I used low fat)
1/4 Cup feta cheese, crumbled (I used low fat)
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 Tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
2 Tablespoons chopped red onion
Salt & pepper to taste

If fresh corn is not in season, frozen or canned is fine.  Spread the kernels out on a baking sheet or in a cast iron pan and roast them in a 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes.  At the same time, roast the pepper on the same pan until the outer skin is slightly blackened.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool enough to handle.  Pull the peel off, remove the stem and seeds and dice the pepper.

In a bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, milk and lemon juice.  Add the red onion and cilantro and season with salt and pepper.  Add the corn kernels, chickpeas and diced pepper and fold in the crumbled cheese.  Makes approximately 4 servings.

Skinny Spinach Tart with a Squash Crust

Quiches and tarts and hand pies...sweet or savory....I love pretty much all foods in a crust.  The trouble is that, no matter how much you skinny up the filling, there's all that butter in the crust.  I have made olive oil doughs before that are tasty and much healthier but still contain the calories.  What to do?

My Pinterest feed is full of cauliflower crust pizza recipes.  Just an egg to bind it and bake away.  I had to try it.  And then I tried it again and added some flour to it.  It's good that I like cooked cauliflower because that's basically what I got.  I know some people like the results but, to me, it wasn't crust.  Squash, on the other hand, helped eliminate the need for most of the fat and gave me a crust that tasted like, well, crust.  You can use either white or whole wheat flour but this recipe isn't gluten free.  Just a skinnier way to shovel in crust.  And I was happy.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

Crust:
1 Cup all purpose flour
1/2 Cup cooked squash (use any cooked squash including canned unsweetened pumpkin)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Teaspoon baking powder
1/2 Teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons low fat milk

Filling:
1 Package (10 oz.) frozen spinach, thawed
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 Tablespoon all purpose flour
1 Cup low fat milk
Small pinch of nutmeg
Salt & pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

To make the crust, combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.  Mix in the oil and then the squash and milk.  Knead with your hands until a dough ball forms.  Press it into a 9" tart pan (preferably one with a removable bottom).  Using a fork, poke a few holes in the bottom of the dough and bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.  Remove and allow to cool for a couple of minutes but leave the oven on.

While the crust is baking, make the filling by adding the olive oil and garlic to a large saute pan.  Cook on low heat for a couple of minutes, just until the garlic softens but doesn't brown.  Raise the heat to medium, add the flour and whisk together until a paste forms.  Slowly whisk in the milk and continue cooking until the mixture thickens a bit.  Whisk in the nutmeg and add the spinach.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and allow to cool for a few minutes.

Add the spinach filling to the crust and sprinkle on the Parmesan cheese.  Return to the oven for an additional 25 minutes.  Makes 8 servings at less than 150 calories per slice.

Banana "Nut" Scones

• “This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™ and Post Pebbles, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #PostWalgreens http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV.”

Did you know that February is American Heart Month?  Yes, I realize that many of us spent the weekend munching on Valentine's candy but let's move past that right now.  To help us eat heart healthy, the folks at Post cereals contacted me to let me know that they've partnered with Walgreens to offer some of their healthy cereals.  You'll be able to pick up a box of Post Honey Bunches of Oats, Fruity Pebbles, Great Grains or Grape Nuts so, that's just what I did.

So, now you're thinking dry cereal, huh?  Yawn.  You'd rather have a warm scone, fresh from the oven, wouldn't you?  Coming right up!  Scones are great.  They're quick and easy to make, low in sugar and can be sweetened up with fruit and interesting toppings.  And I decided to make them even greater by adding banana for moistness and Grape Nuts cereal for crunch and extra protein.

There was a wonderful aroma while they were baking and I was definitely ready for my treat.  Maybe danish and doughnuts aren't the best heart healthy choice for breakfast but you can still have your morning pastry with these scones.  Lots of healthy protein and fiber and less than 250 calories each sounds like a healthy breakfast I can look forward to.  Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 3/4 Cups all purpose flour
3 Tablespoons sugar
2 Teaspoons baking powder
1/2 Teaspoon salt
1/4 Teaspoon baking soda
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1" pieces
1 Egg
1/2 Cup low fat buttermilk
1 Teaspoon vanilla
1 Banana, preferably over-ripe, and mashed
1/2 cup Post Grape Nuts cereal
1 Tablespoon buttermilk for topping
1 Tablespoon sugar for topping
1 Tablespoon cereal for topping

Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda and butter to a large bowl.  Using a pastry cutter or fork, work the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles course crumbs.

In a separate bowl, mix together the egg, buttermilk, vanilla and mashed banana.  Add the wet ingredients into the dry and mix.  Fold in the cereal and turn the dough out on a floured board.  You can either shape it into a disk (about 9") or place it into a shallow pie dish.  Brush the top with the tablespoon of buttermilk and sprinkle on the sugar and cereal. 

Bake in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 20 - 25 minutes or until the scones are a light golden brown.  Slice and serve warm.  Makes 8 scones.

Happy Valentine's Day & The Month in Review - January 2014

You may have noticed that I usually do the month in review posts at the very beginning of the month and here we are on the 14th.  What can I say?  Sometimes life gets in the way and plans go awry.  But, happy Valentine's Day and I hope you're celebrating with something sweet.

January can be a tough month.  The glitz of the holidays is over, it's cold and we have all those resolutions to contend with.  Around here there was some healthy cooking going on to make sure we have a healthy year.  And there were some sweet treats, too, to make sure we have a happy year.  So while we're digging into those boxes of Valentine's chocolates, let's take a quick look back.

Chunky Veggie Soup with Gruyere Cheese Toast

Baked Matzo Ball Dumplings

Cinnamon Streusel Banana Bread

Cheesy Butternut Squash Barley Bake

Creamy Onion Gratin

Beautiful Beet Salad with Walnuts and Gorgonzola

Portable Chocolate and Peanut Butter Pots

Crunchy Loaded Chicken Salad

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Martini

Cheddar and Thyme Cornbread Loaf

Sweet, Spiked and Spicy Hot Chocolate

Roasted Cauliflower and Gruyere Soup

Cinnamon Bread Pudding with Salted Chocolate Rum Sauce

Cheesy Roasted Red Pepper Skillet Soda Bread