Grilled Herbed Ratatouille and Polenta

Grilled Herbed Ratatouille and Polenta (adapted from Better Homes & Gardens, Servings: 4, Total Time: 45 minutes)

Ingredients

·         1 small eggplant

·         1 medium zucchini

·         1 small leek

·         ¼ cup olive oil

·         2 tsp. snipped fresh rosemary

·         ½ tsp. salt

·         ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

·         1 14 ½  oz. can Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained

·         1 cup cornmeal

·         2 cups water

·         1 tsp. snipped fresh rosemary

·         Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1.      Slice the eggplant, zucchini, and leek crosswise into 1/4-inch slices. In a small bowl combine the oil, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Brush the vegetables with the oil mixture.

2.      Preheat an open indoor electric grill on high setting, if available. Arrange half the vegetables on the grill rack. Grill 6 to 8 minutes until vegetables are crisp-tender and grill marks appear, turning once. Remove vegetables from grill rack or pan; set aside. Repeat with remaining vegetables.

3.      Meanwhile, mix cornmeal, water, rosemary, salt, and pepper in a small saucepan.  Mix until combined.  Add more water to get the polenta to your desired texture.  Allow to heat through.

4.      In a medium saucepan, heat the tomatoes until boiling. Add the grilled vegetables. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or to desired consistency, stirring occasionally.

5.      To serve, place a spoonful of polenta into a bowl; spoon the vegetable mixture over the polenta.

The original recipe called for ½ of an eggplant, 1 small zucchini, and 1 fennel bulb.  I chose to use the whole eggplant and a medium zucchini because the more the merrier!  Actually, it seemed that only that amount of vegetables wouldn’t be enough for the full meal.  I subbed a leek for the fennel bulb (1. Because there were no small fennel bulbs at the grocery store, and 2. Because I don’t like the licorice taste).  I found the meal to be lacking on taste, even with added rosemary to the polenta – just a bit bland.  I did add some Italian pizza cheese and that went a long way!  The recipe does not have much protein, but is high in fiber and low(er) on calories than other meals.  However, I do not think that I would make this particular recipe again. 

Cheddar Bay Biscuits, Cheesy Polenta, and Best Ever Meatloaf

Cheddar Bay Biscuits, Cheesy Polenta, and Best Ever Meatloaf (slightly adapted from ABCNews and AllRecipes respectively, Servings: 8 for Polenta & Meatloaf, 12 for Biscuits, Total Time: )

Biscuits Ingredients

• 2 ½ cups Bisquick baking mix
•  ¾ cup cold skim milk
• 4 Tbsp. cold butter (1/2 stick)
• ¼ tsp. garlic powder
• 1 heaping cup grated cheddar cheese

Topping Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. butter, melted
• ¼ tsp. dried parsley flakes
•  ½ tsp. garlic powder

Directions:

1.)    Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2.)    Combine Bisquick with cold butter in a medium bowl using a pastry cutter or a large fork. There should be small chunks of butter that are about the size of peas.

3.)    Add cheddar cheese, milk, and ¼ teaspoon garlic. Mix by hand until combined, but don't over mix.

4.)    Drop approximately ¼-cup portions of the dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet using an ice cream scoop.

5.)    Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until the tops of the biscuits begin to turn light brown.

6.)    After removing from oven, melt 2 Tbsp. butter in a small bowl in microwave. Stir in ½ teaspoon garlic powder and dried parsley flakes. Use a brush to spread this garlic butter over the tops of all the biscuits. Use up all of the butter.

My husband requested these for his birthday dinner, so I found a recipe and went at it.  They were soft and a tad flaky, very garlicky.  They had a little too much garlic and cheese for me (the horror!), but my husband thoroughly enjoyed him.  He said that they tasted slightly different (maybe because of skim vs. whole milk), but that he thought they were tasty.  I only had one, so he has successfully eaten all of them himself!

Polenta Ingredients:

• 2 cups skim milk
• 2 cups water
• 1 ½ tsp. sea salt
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 4 oz. (1 cup) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Directions:

1.)    In a large pot, over medium-high heat, bring milk, water, and salt to a boil. Gradually whisk in polenta.

2.)    Reduce heat to low, and cover. Cook 20 minutes, until creamy, lifting the lid and stirring every 3 or 4 minutes to prevent sticking.

3.)    Remove pot from stove, stir in pepper and butter. Gradually stir in cheese. Serve.

Along with the biscuits, I served this polenta dish and Best Ever Meatloaf.  The polenta was good, very cheesy, but a little spongey (I either overcooked it or it was because of the skim milk).  I still liked the taste and would make it again!

Best Ever Meatloaf (adapted from KraftRecipes, Servings: 6, Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes)

Ingredients

·         2 pkg. Morningstar Farms MealStarters Burger Crumbles

·         1 egg

·         1 cup ground Stove Top Stuffing

·         1 pkg. onion soup

·         1 can tomato soup

·         ½ green pepper

·         ½ cup shredded carrots

Directions

1.      Combine crumbles, egg, stuffing, onion soup, tomato soup, green pepper and carrots.

2.      Spray a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.  Spread mixture into pan.

3.      Bake at 350°F for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

This is my husband’s favorite “meat”loaf recipe.  He won’t stop eating it when I make it!  He likes that there is the onion soup mixture instead of onions (which he doesn’t like).  I added the whole can of tomato soup to act as a binder with the crumbles.  It worked!  It stays together nicely after being cooked.  The loaf has a nice texture to it, creamy with a slightly crispy edge from the cooking and the stuffing.  I really enjoy this one, too!

Spicy Vegetable and Polenta Casserole

Spicy Vegetable and Polenta Casserole (Total Time: 1.5 hours, Servings: 6)

When we were on vacation in San Francisco, I ordered a delicious Polenta Lasagna at an Italian restaurant.  The polenta was creamy, the sauce was a thick marinara, there were a few veggies mixed in with the ricotta – overall, it was a pleasing stack of food to look at and eat!  This was my try at somewhat replicating this dish while trying my hand at a homemade pasta sauce. 

I started the process by making a homemade Arrabbiata Sauce from AllRecipes:

Ingredients

•  Approx.. 28 oz. canned diced tomatoes – I used two 14.5 oz. petite diced, one 14.5 oz. chipotle, and one 14.5 oz. with green chiles.
•  2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
• ½ tsp. salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, combine tomatoes, olive oil, and red pepper flakes. Simmer 30 to 40 minutes, or until sauce is thickened.
2. Stir in garlic, and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in basil, salt and pepper.

While that was cooking, I moved on to a quick and easy polenta recipe from AllRecipes:

Ingredients

• 4 cups water
• 1 cup polenta

Directions

1. Bring water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Pour in polenta steadily, stirring constantly.
2. Continue to stir until polenta is thickened. It should come away from sides of the pan, and be able to support a spoon.

The original recipe only call for 3 cups of water, but I added more because when I was stirring it, I knew that it would be too stiff for the lasagna.  I also added some fresh oregano and basil (maybe 1 Tbsp. each), some grated mozzarella (about ¼ cup),and some garlic salt (about ½ Tbsp.) to the polenta mixture.  

While the pasta and polenta cooked, I also fried some thinly sliced strips of zucchini and yellow squash in a dash of olive oil.  I had sprinkled some salt and pepper on them prior to cooking.

After all of the components of my dish were complete, I made into casserole.  I started by spreading a scant amount of sauce on the bottom of an 11 x 13 pan (just enough for a light “dusting”).  I  added all of the polenta, layered strips of zucchini and yellow squash, poured the remaining sauce over the vegetables, and sprinkled some Italian shredded cheddar on top.  I covered the dish in foil and baked it at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.

The casserole/lasagna tasted good, but I think that next time I’ll add even more liquid (perhaps some vegetable broth) and cheese to the polenta – after I baked the dish, the polenta was kind of tough.  I will also add some parmesan or garlic powder to the veggies when I cook them.  My husband enjoyed the dish and it was not too spicy for him!  In the future, I made add some more red pepper flakes (or cayenne) to the sauce to give it a little more kick. I may also add some soy sausage to get a little more protein into the meal.  Enjoy!

Mexican Polenta Pie

Mexican Polenta Pie (8-10 servings, Total time: 1 hour, 10 minutes)

Adapted from BHG.com

I like using polenta, and, as you can tell from my other posts, I love Mexican.  This sounded like a great opportunity to combine these two items – and it certainly was.  My only changes are that I would add some Tabasco to increase the hotness factor and make my own polenta.  NOTE – if you want a top crust to this, you can use a second tube of polenta.

Ingredients

• 1  medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
• 1 medium green sweet pepper, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 package Morningstar Farms Burger Crumbles
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 14 ½ oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 cup bottled salsa
• 16 oz. tube refrigerated cooked polenta
• 1 cup shredded Nacho or Mexican cheese
• 2/3 cup chopped fresh tomato

Directions

1.) Preheat oven to 375 degree F.

2.) In a 12-inch skillet cook onion, sweet pepper, and garlic in 1 tablespoon hot oil until tender. Add Burger Crumbles, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne. Cook until Burger Crumbles cooked through, stirring to break apart crumbles. Add beans, canned tomatoes, and salsa. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.

3.) Meanwhile, spray a 3-quart rectangular baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Cut 1 tube of polenta into 1/2-inch cubes and press evenly into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the cheese over polenta in dish. Top with meat mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and fresh tomato. Bake, uncovered, for 35 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand 15 to 20 minutes before serving.

This is a tasty dish, like chili on top of polenta, instead of rice.  The tomatoes on the top of the casserole did not really dry out because the cheese and “meat” mixture kept them moist.  This dish has a good protein kick, is relatively low in fat, and has a lot of vegetables.  A great all-around meal that is also yummy.  My husband really enjoyed it; he is usually my measure of success with healthy dishes.

Earnest & Scott Taproom - Wilmington, DE

http://www.ernestandscott.com/

This new restaurant in Wilmington recently opened at the site where Public House used to be.  It has the same owner as Chelsea Tavern, so I was very much looking forward to trying it.  Overall, it was a nice experience, but they need to work out some of the kinks in regards to service and availability.  They had items on the beverage menu that were not availability and our server didn’t come to our table for over 30 minutes – even though they were not overly busy.  I hope that this is just “new opening” jitters and that my next experience is more positive.

I ordered the Crispy Chickpea Veggie Burger as my entrée.  When it came out, the burger was twice as large as the bun – absolutely huge!  When I was eating it, about half of it ended up on the plate because the consistency was soft enough that if it was in the air and there was no bun for support, it was going to fall apart.  It was served with lettuce, tomato, red onion confit, beer mustard, and Vidalia catsup.  Super tasty!  I actually cannot wait to order it again, but hope that it isn’t as huge so that I can actually eat the whole thing.  The sandwich is not served with fries or chips, so if you want that, be sure to order as a side.  One of the girls in our party ordered the Crispy Polenta (with cheddar cheese and fine herbs).  This had a nice crispy outside and soft, warm, chewy inside.  Not too much cheese on the top, either – delicious!

For dessert, my husband and I shared the Chocolate Torte. I don’t remember what it had in it other than chocolate, but it was some kind of fruit – it wasn’t that good and was very small.  I would definitely not order it again.

I look forward to my next visit to the Taproom – and hope that the service and menu are all up-to-date!


8/12/2013 Update:

My husband and I returned to Ernest & Scott Taproom for some more culinary pleasure.  I asked the server about the Sweet Pea Risotto and this time she said it was vegetarian!  (Previously, I was told that it was made with chicken stock.) 

Since I was not getting the Veggie Burger this time around, we ordered the Truffled Pommes Frites as an appetizer.  The fries were coated with truffle oil, shredded parmesan cheese, herbs that I could not identify, and sea salt.  I liked them – none of the ingredients was overpowering, but I think that they add the cheese and herbs at the end as only the fries on top had those!  Still, good with ketchup (Heinz, of course)!

When the risotto came out, I took a moment to admire the dish: it is a mixture of rice, peas, shiitake mushrooms, asparagus, pearl onions, carrots and herb ricotta cheese and topped with a  poached egg.  The confetti of color was appealing and resulted in a tasty dish.  As would be expected, it has a sweet taste – the peas and pearl onions really do their job!  The vegetables – especially the asparagus and carrots – stayed crunchy and gave a nice texture component to the creaminess of the risotto/cheese.  I fully enjoyed this dish – both that night and for leftovers (although I did eat the whole poached egg the first night!).  I definitely recommend it to anybody stopping by Ernest & Scott.

Capers & Lemons - Wilmington, DE

http://www.platinumdininggroup.com/capers_and_lemons/
My husband and I ate at Capers & Lemons over Labor Day Weekend.  It has been a little over a year since our last experience there, so I was very excited to check it out again.  We started our meal with the Fried Polenta Sandwich.  The layers of Fontina, Spinach and Polenta were all fried as one, then topped with some tomato sauce.  It did not meet our expectations – a bit bland (especially the tomato sauce and polenta).  The next time we go, I think that we’ll try the Eggplant Florentine (my other choice).

Next, I ordered the “House” Garden Salad with tomato-balsamic dressing.  The salad was pretty large – which was awesome.  Field greens, tomatoes, a touch of onion, and awesome dressing.  A good mix of healthy vegetables.  They also served bread accompanied by lemon dipping oil.  I am not a fan of lemon, so this was not a win with me.

As my entrée, I had the Mushroom Stuffed Rigatoni.  AWESOME!!  Rarely do I finish a whole entrée, especially when I’ve had a salad and appetizer, but this was so amazing.  There were 6 small mushroom rigatonis topped with mushrooms, carrots, and haricot verts smothered in amazing truffle butter.  A nice salty taste mixed with the crunchiness of the carrots and haricot verts made this number one in my book.  The soft and moist mushroom mixture inside the rigatoni was very good, too.  The thing that made this dish, though, was the butter.  I also loved this because it didn’t leave me feeling overly full at the end.  It’s great to have three courses and still want dessert!

Speaking of…we decided to try the Warm Chocoalte Cake, topped with vanilla gelato, but skipped the raspberry glaze.  The center was very gooey and tasty, the gelato on top mixed very well with the cake.  My only complaint is that I wish there was more gelato J

Check out this restaurant – you won’t be disappointed!