Roasted Vegetables with Polenta
If you read my post on Polenta with Feta, Tomatoes, and Kalamata Olives dated June 4, 2010 you know that we are fairly new to working with polenta. In that recipe we used a refrigerated polenta product found in the produce section of the store, and it was fairly good. However, this time around we tackled the procedure for making polenta from a recipe of ingredients including corn meal, milk, parmesan cheese, fresh basil, fresh garlic, and chili pepper flakes.
And the result, we will never go back to store bought polenta again!
Polenta is similar to grits in being a corn based product that is cooked with a liquid ingredient, along with spices, cheeses, and protein, then thickened up a bit and served either warm or paned, cooled and shaped. It has a similar characteristic in that of a blank canvas, add you own combination of spices, herbs, vegetables, protein, dairy, and you have an endless array of combinations and permutations with this polenta.
The vegetables in this roasted recipe can include any of your favorite, here are some suggestions; asparagus cuts, sweet peppers large diced, zucchini sliced, mushrooms quartered, yellow squash sliced, red onions sliced cauliflower florets, broccoli florets, baby carrots or slices, eggplant large diced, cucumbers. The vegetables used in this recipe are included in the ingredient list below.
The recipe…
| Ingredients |
| 6 |
Cups |
Vegetables: sweet green peppers large diced, zucchini sliced, mushrooms quartered, yellow squash sliced, red onions sliced, tomatoes large diced |
| ¼ |
Cup |
Plus 1 Tbsp Olive oil |
| ¼ |
Tsp |
Plus ½ Tsp Sea salt |
| ½ |
Tbsp |
Garlic, minced |
| ½ |
Tsp |
Crushed red pepper chili flakes |
| 2 |
Cups |
Milk, skim |
| 2 |
Cups |
Vegetable stock, divided |
| 1 |
Cup |
Cornmeal, yellow |
| 1 |
Tbsp |
Fresh basil, chopped |
| 1 |
Cup |
Parmesan cheese, shredded, divided |
| 2 |
Cups |
Mixed baby greens |
| Procedure Steps |
| 1. |
Preheat oven to 375°. In a large bowl combine the vegetables with ¼ cup of the olive oil and ¼ teaspoon of the sea salt. Toss well to evenly coat, then add the vegetables to a 9×13 roasting pan. Roast in oven, uncovered for about 15 minutes, the stir once and return to oven, continue to roast for another 15 minutes or until al dente, or crisp but not over cooked. |
| 2. |
Meanwhile, to prepare the polenta heat the 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Then add the garlic and red chili pepper flakes and saute for about a minute or two, stirring often. Stir in the milk and 1 cup of vegetable stock, and bring to just under a boil. The liquid will steam up just a bit, but will not be boiling. While the garlic / stock / milk mixture is simmering combine the remaining 1 cup of vegetable stock with the corn meal and stir together well to a smooth paste. Slowly add the cornmeal mixture to the hot milk mixture, stirring constantly. Bring this to a boil, and then reduce heat to low. Cook this uncovered for about 10 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened, stir frequently. Fold in the fresh chopped basil, and ½ cup of the shredded parmesan cheese along with the remaining ½ teaspoon of sea salt. |
| 3. |
To serve, spoon the warm polenta into a serving plate or bowl, then top with the roasted vegetables, then garnish with the remaining parmesan cheese and mixed baby greens. |
Optional: Pour the warm polenta into a greased sheet pan and smooth the mixture evenly into the pan. Allow to cool to room temperature and set up, then cut into portions, such as squares, or cut out rounds with a mold, then serve as above.
Dinner is served …another view…
Roasted Vegetables with Polenta…another view
Roasted Vegetables with Polenta…another angle
Bon appetite!
CCR
=:~)
©2010 CCR
Tags: 9x13 pan · Entrees · Vegetarian · Whole Foods Cuisine
Three Bean and Corn Turkey Chili
This is another crock pot slow cooker recipe that is sure to please any chili fan! Quick and easy to prepare, just add the ingredients to the crock pot and in about six to eight hours on medium heat you are ready to eat. I used a pint of my Fire Roasted Tomato Sauce for this recipe, and if you have the time or have some on hand this is a great sauce, if not, then 2 cups of other tomato sauce will suffice…I guess!
We made this dish as our contribution to the Wake Forest – Rolesville High School Band Parent’s Booster kickoff dinner meeting. The band gave us a preview of their halftime show routine, and then a short volunteer meet and greet, followed by the dinner. Since the meeting was set for 5:30, we needed something that would be easy to make and warm up, this fit the bill.
Monique even got to march with Ben in a short portion of the movements, it was a hoot! Each band member had one parent shadow them in the first movement of the routine and it was hysterical!
The recipe…
| Ingredients |
| 1 |
Tbsp |
Olive oil |
| 1 |
Lb. |
Ground turkey |
| 1 ½ |
Cup |
Red onion, diced |
| ¼ |
Cup |
Shallots, minced |
| 2 |
Tbsp |
Garlic, minced |
| 1 ¾ |
lb. |
Tomatoes, diced |
| 2 |
Cups |
Red kidney beans, cooked |
| 2 |
Cups |
Garbanzo beans, cooked |
| 2 |
Cups |
Black beans, cooked |
| 2 |
Cups |
Whole kernel corn |
| 2 |
Cups |
Fire Roasted Tomato Sauce |
| 1 |
Tbsp |
Worcestershire sauce |
| ¼ |
Cup |
Chili powder |
| ¼ |
Cup |
Smoky Paprika |
| 1 |
Tsp |
Cumin, ground |
| 1 |
Tsp |
Red chili flakes |
| ½ |
Tsp |
Cinnamon, ground |
| Optional |
Shredded cheese and sour cream |
| Procedure Steps |
| 1. |
In a large saute pan heat the olive oil then saute the onions, and shallots until translucent, and then add the garlic, and ground turkey meat. Brown the meat until pink is gone. |
| 2. |
Add the browned turkey mixture to the crock pot, then add the remaining ingredients and stir well. Cover the crock pot and turn on the slow cooker to a medium setting. Allow to cook in the slow cooker for 6 – 8 hours. |
| 3. |
Stir well occasionally, serve with shredded cheese and/or sour cream of desired. And garnish with fresh cilantro if desired. |
Dinner is served …another view…
Three Bean and Corn Turkey Chili
Bon appetite!
CCR
=:~)
©2010 CCR
Tags: College Life Cooking · Entrees · Mexican · Recipes · Slow Cooker
The times they are a changing, and seems like it get’s harder and harder to keep up every day. Benjamin learning to cook in the kitchen on his own, Sparky (our 14 year old mixed breed dog) escaping from the deck gate yesterday and today, and three kittens under foot, we have our hands full now. Not to mention what is happening in the outside world, what with the current egg recall, due to having “the potential to be contaminated with salmonella,” and deli meat recall with Listeria monocytogenes, all is spinning faster and faster these days!
Kittens in the Kitchen
Ryana asleep on Bryan’s lap
Yes, I said, kittens are underfoot! Three tuxedo kittens, named Ryana, Missy Bella, and Delilah! Backing up a little, it was just a year ago that our then fourteen year old cat “Kitty” had passed away, and about a month or so ago Monique and I started thinking of getting another cat. Well…three weeks ago we did just that, but times three! Yes, we have three kittens, they are ten weeks old now, but when we got them they were only seven weeks old.
Missy Bella with Bryan
We were at Pet Smart getting some treats for Paco (our tea cup Chihuahua) and started looking at the cat adoption section, and Monique started the process and paperwork for an adoption. Then we drove to the grocery to pick up a few things, and in the parking lot Monique thought we should check out Pet Mania, to see if they had any kittens. No kittens, but they did have a flyer posted on the bulletin board for FREE LOWE’S KITTENS!
Delilah sleeping on Ben
Yes, the Lowe’s cat, as it is named, because it lived in the Lowe’s grocery store parking lot for several months, was finally taken in by a kind family, but three days later they found out that it that it had six kittens. The kittens were in a box behind the grocery store, and were rescued by the same family.
Missy Bella up close and personal
Monique called the family and spoke with the ten year old granddaughter, who turns out had taken on the project of taking care of the cats, and she named all of them. Monique took down their address and made arrangements for us to meet with the family around eight o’clock that night. We hurried through the store and got to the “kitties” house shortly after eight thirty.
Missy Bella with Monique
Once in the sectioned off kitchen area of the house we finally got to meet the five kittens that were remaining, all girls, the lone boy was given away earlier. After introductions and several minutes of watching the kittens and mother playing I took a seat on the floor and started playing with the kittens. With my legs crossed, one of the kittens named Riana climbed between them and curled up and went to sleep. The family said that she has never gone to anyone before, and I was the first one it has ever approached. The story about Riana is that at first they thought she was a boy, and originally named her Ryan. Well, after that story how could I not keep her, I have renamed here Ryana.
Delilah resting on the bed
Missy Bella took to Bryan really well, in fact when we debated about which cats to take, every time we reconsidered Missy Bella she would look up at Bryan with those cute eyes full of love, we could not let her go. And the same with Delilah, she took to Ben really well, in fact, they both fell asleep in their laps and arms. It was so hard to say no to all three kittens.
Ryana in Ryan’s lap
Cooking with Benjamin – Beef Kabobs
Betty Crocker’s New Boys and Girls Cookbook, 1973
Emeril’s There’s a Chef in my Soup cookbook, 2002
This summer was the first that Ben would be home alone most of the time following the traditional school schedule, the past three years he was on the year-round with 9-weeks of school followed by 3-weeks off. Now, with three contiguous months of time off he would be fending for himself with lunches. Until a few weeks ago, Ben was heating up frozen dinners, leftovers, or making the odd sandwich.
All this changed several weeks ago when Monique and I decided to approach Ben with the idea that he starts learning how to cook on his own two feet. Our two-pronged approach to saving money, and teaching Ben lessons on being self sufficient were enough to get his attention.
So with some quick brainstorming and ideas of grilled cheese sandwiches, hot dogs, salads, burgers, and such, Monique got Ben searching in several cook books with a bent on helping children prepare their own meals. Inspiration came from the old “Betty Crocker’s New Boys and Girls” cookbook from 1973 that was given to Monique when she was nine years old, and the other cookbook is Emeril’s “There is a Chef in my Soup”, from 2002, and Ben picked out three recipes, Beef Kabobs, Hamburgers, and Sloppy Joe’s, all beef related meals. With Monique and I starting up a twelve week regimen of the ETL diet we would not have much meat in the house, so Ben wanted to make up for that fact.
Ben’s menu planning and grocery list
With instructions to write down the reference pages for the recipes in the cookbooks and a separate list for the ingredients, Ben had completed his first task of meal and menu planning. With our shopping lists in hand we all took a trip to BJ’s and Lowe’s grocery to procure the ingredients.
Once home and all the spoils put in their proper places, I assisted Ben with prepping his first meal, the Beef Kabobs.
First, we got twelve bamboo skewers out and into a large flat container, and then covered them with cool tap water. Soaking the skewers for several hours or days in the water prevents them from burning while cooking under the broiler or on top of the grill.
Sloppy Joe recipe in the Betty Crocker cookbook
Merry Christmas Monique 1974
The original recipe called for sirloin steak, we found some tenderloin filets that were only a few dollars more, so they were snagged up instead. Demonstrating the technique for cutting the silver skin and fat from the tenderloin filets, I always make a point of the fact that you always make cuts away from yourself, thus preventing any possibility of cutting your own skin. Once the filets were trimmed I showed Ben how to cut them into 1-inch chunks, then he finished the last of them.
Ben put together the marinade which consists of soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt and pepper, steak sauce, and a little olive oil. Once mixed well the beef tenderloin chunks are well coated and allowed to marry for several hours.
Onions, mushrooms, and sweet red peppers are then prepped and cut into large 1-inch chunks, these are all tossed together into a large bowl and covered until ready too make and cook the kabobs.
When it is time to eat, preheat the broiler to the highest setting, or if grilling, get your coals hot and ready.
Ben threading the ingredients on the skewers for kabobs
Get the marinated beef chunks and prepped vegetables to the preparation table. With the soaked bamboo skewers start with a mushroom, then an onion, and then a sweet pepper, then a chunk of beef, repeat until you have two beef chunks and end with another mushroom. Set up two skewers per person, and then return the remaining ingredients to the fridge.
Ben with two kabobs ready for the oven
If broiling the kabobs, just place them on a lightly coated sheet pan and broil about 6-inches from the heat, turn after six minutes, then continue for six more minutes for medium, less time for medium rare beef, or more for well done beef. On the grill, place them over the hot coals, and turn after six minutes, follow the same time remaining as for broiling, depending on the doneness that you proffer.
Ben, the proud chef and his broiled kabobs
When the kabobs are done, use a fork to gently release the ingredients from the skewer and slide them onto your serving platter or individual plates.
Ben removing the broiled ingredients with a fork
We used one and a half pound of tenderloin made six meals for Ben, or about twelve total kabobs.
Of course, I would image that lamb chunks from the leg meat would be just as good in this recipe also.
The recipe…
| Ingredients |
| 1 ½ |
Lb. |
Beef tenderloin, cut into 1-inch cubes |
| 1 |
Tbsp |
Finger Lickin’ Rub |
| ¼ |
Cup |
Soy sauce |
| 1 |
Tbsp |
Worcestershire sauce |
| 1 |
Tbsp |
PickaPeppa sauce |
| 2 |
Tbsp |
Balsamic vinegar |
| 1 |
Tbsp |
Olive oil |
| 1 |
Tbsp |
Garlic, minced |
| ½ |
Lb. |
Button mushrooms, cleaned and stems trimmed |
| 1 |
Lg. |
Sweet Red pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces |
| 1 |
Lg. |
Onion, cut into 1-inch chunks |
| Procedure Steps |
| 1. |
If using bamboo wooden skewers you will want to cover them with cool tap water and soak for at least several hours before using them on the grill. |
| 2. |
Place the cubed beef in a medium bowl then coat well with the Finger Lickin’ Rub. Add the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and garlic. Stir well to combine, then cover and marinate chilled for at least 2 hours. Can be left to marinate for several days under refrigeration. |
| 3. |
Have mushrooms, sweet red pepper, and onions prepped and ready in another bowl. |
| 4. |
When ready to cook, pre-heat the broiler to the highest setting. Thread a chunk of beef, then an onion, then a pepper, then a mushroom, and repeat this process until you have two or three of each on the skewer. |
| 5. |
Place the skewers on a baking sheet pan and then broil 6-inches from the flame for six minutes, then turn and broil until your desired doneness, continue for six more minutes for medium, less time for medium rare beef, or more for well done beef. |
| 6. |
Using a fork, push the cooked ingredients from the skewer and onto a plate. Serve immediately. |
Dinner is served…
The Beef Kabobs
Ben and his kabobs!
Ben and the kittens reclining after dinner…
Missy Bella and Delilah resting
Ben and the kitten taking a break
Bon appetite!
CCR
=:~)
©2010 CCR
Tags: Children · College Life Cooking · Entrees · Recipes
Stuffed Sweet Pepper
The trip to Philadelphia back in May of this year was mostly work, but we did get to dine around and taste some of the fine cuisine in the city where Freedom Rings. One such place was the hotel’s standard restaurant, 13 Restaurant, which was a good place to sit, relax, enjoy a cocktail, and wind down from a day of conferencing.
13 Restaurant, Stuffed Sweet Peppers
On our first night in town after a day consisting of travel and then walking about town for most of the afternoon, back at the room we decided to just make it to the lobby and wander into the restaurant, which was fine for us, we were beat.
13 Restaurant Menu
The restaurant boasts an eclectic menu of seafood, meats, and some vegetarian offerings as well. I selected the sweet peppers vegetarian item, and Monique ordered the crab cakes. Both were great, in fact, the crab cakes were mostly crabmeat, which is far and few between most restaurant fare these days.
Therefore, on to the stuffed sweet peppers, this dish is worthy of a remake, especially since at this time, we had just wrapped up our 6th week on the ETL diet. Moreover, vegetarian entrees at traditional restaurants are always a welcome treat!
The real challenge is the ability to take an item from a restaurant menu without a recipe, deconstruct the ingredients, proportions, preparations, flavors, and methods, and then recreate it from the bottom up. This is exactly what I did with this recipe. Knowing the foundations of how a bell pepper gets stuffed, constructing a balance of the stuffing ingredients, and improving on the flavor are the keys to this dish.
Look at the photo at the top, the one of the lone stuffed pepper, that is representative of this recipe.
Do you notice anything different between that one and the second image of the sweet peppers that the restaurant served?
Notice how our pepper is standing up with a firm yet al dente flesh, no sauce, and is garnished with micro greens. Now, look at the restaurant stuffed peppers, they are limp, laying on their sides, and charred on the top, and with the tomato garlic sauce on the bottom of the plate. The main differences in how we prepared our stuffed peppers and how the restaurant did theirs is that we did not par-boil our peppers, we did not char-broil the tops to brown the cheese, and there is no sauce with our version.
This is how the item is displayed on the Thirteen dinner menu:
Stuffed Sweet Peppers Garbanzos/Spinach/Mushrooms/Rice/Tomatoes/Vermont Cheddar/Chunky Tomato Sauce 16
What follows is our take on the recipe based on the menu description and more from the look and taste of them, I ate this dish on both visits to the restaurant. Our version is so moist that there was no need for the chunky tomato sauce with garlic, however, it would not take away any of the flavor from the sweet pepper should you decide to incorporate one into the recipe.
The recipe…
| Ingredients |
| 4 |
Large |
Sweet peppers, red, yellow, or orange |
|
Spray olive oil |
| ¾ |
Cup |
Red onions, fine chop |
| ¼ |
Cup |
Shallots, minced |
| 1 |
Tbsp |
Garlic, minced |
| 3 |
Cups |
Mushrooms, sliced |
| 1 |
Tbsp |
Lemon juice |
| 2 |
Cup |
Tomatoes, diced |
| 1 |
Cup |
Brown rice, cooked |
| 1 |
Cup |
Garbanzo beans, cooked |
| 4 |
Cups |
Spinach, fresh, chopped |
| ½ |
Cup |
Vegetable stock |
| To taste |
Salt and white pepper |
| 1 ½ |
Cups |
Vermont cheddar cheese, shredded |
| ½ |
Cup |
Parmesan cheese, shredded |
| ½ |
Cup |
Warm water |
| Procedure Steps |
| 1. |
Slice each pepper in half at the equator; remove any seeds and ribs from the inside. Place the eight halves with the open side up in a 9×9 pan. Pre heat oven to 450° F.
Prepped sweet peppers ready for filling
|
| 2. |
Using an oil mister, spray enough olive oil to coat the bottom of a sauté pan. Add the onions, shallots, and sauté until soft and translucent over medium high heat, then add the garlic and continue to sauté, stirring often. Add the mushrooms and lemon juice and continue to sauté until mushrooms are soft. Add the tomatoes, stir well, and then cover to stew down for about ten minutes. |
| 3. |
Remove the cover and allow the moisture to reduce to almost dry, and then add the rice and garbanzo beans stirring well. Mash several of the garbanzo beans to help thicken up the stuffing. Add the vegetable stock and stir well. Season the filling with salt and white pepper. |
| 4. |
Toss in the spinach and stir well, then turn off the heat. The spinach will wilt gently into the filling, and stir well to spread out the ingredients among the filling.
Stuffing for the Sweet Peppers
|
| 5. |
Spoon the filling evenly between the eight open peppers. Combine the two shredded cheeses and evenly sprinkle over the tops of the filled peppers.
Sweet peppers filled, ready for cheese
Shredded Vermont Cheddar and Parmesan cheeses top the stuffed peppers
|
| 6. |
Pour in the ½-cup of water, or about ¼ inch of water into the pan, making sure you do not get any water in the peppers. |
| 7. |
Cover the pan with heavy-duty foil and place in the pre-heated oven for 35 minutes. |
| 8. |
Remove the foil and continue to bake in the oven for 10 more minutes or until the cheese is melted and slightly browned. |
Once out of the oven allow the peppers to cool for about 10 minutes, then serve them on individual plates.
This recipe will serve eight.
Stuffed Sweet Peppers out of the oven
Dinner is served!
Taking the first bites from the Stuffed Sweet Pepper
If you are in downtown Philadelphia and want to try out 13 Restaurant…
13 Restaurant
Marriott Philadelphia Downtown
1201 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 625-6795
Breakfast: 6am-11:30am
Lunch: 11:30am-2:30pm
Dinner:
Monday – Thursday 5pm-10pm
Friday – Saturday 5pm-11pm
Brunch
Sunday 11-2pm
Payment Information:
American Express, Carte Blanche, Diners Club, Discover, Master Card, Visa
Bon appetite!
CCR
=:~)
©2010 CCR
Tags: Entrees · Healthy · Recipes · Vegetarian · Whole Foods Cuisine
Taking a traditional fried catfish recipe that has been in the repertoire for decades and only changing the final cooking method, results in an easier to prepare at home meal for anyone who loves to eat fried fish.
Back in the restaurant days, we would run through about 100 pounds of catfish filets every Friday, it was the featured fish. Served with hush puppies or French fries and this was always a sell out menu item!
Marinated catfish with breading and pan
Using our yellow mustard, crushed red pepper flakes, and red wine vinegar marinade, then dredging the coated fillets in the seasoned corn meal and corn flour mixture creates the crispy crust coating that pleases most aficionados of fried catfish; this really is a crowd-pleasing fried catfish.
Breading and panning up the catfish filets
The yellow mustard and red wine vinegar add a tasty twang flavor, sort of a hot and sour to the catfish, which permeate the tender flesh, then hidden beneath the crispy corn meal / flour coating provides an explosion of tongue tantalizing delicacy!
The catfish filets breaded and ready for the oven
Crispy crust on the outside, hot and sour catfish on the inside, this dish guaranteed to become one of those gastronomic sensations that are certain to add fond memories for you and your dining guests.
The recipe….
| Ingredients for Marinade |
| 2 |
Lb. |
Catfish filets |
| 1 |
Cup |
Yellow mustard |
| ½ |
Cup |
Red wine vinegar |
| 1 |
Tbsp |
Crushed red pepper flakes |
| 1 |
Tsp |
Salt |
|
| Procedure Steps for Marinating the Catfish |
| 1. |
Combine the yellow mustard, red wine vinegar, crushed red pepper flakes, and salt in a large bowl, then mix well. |
| 2. |
Gently add the catfish filets and coat them well with the mustard marinade. Allow to sit covered and chilled for several hours. |
The high oven temperature of 475° F ensures that the catfish filets get the same treatment as with deep-frying, yet without all the mess and bother of cooking with a large pot of hot oil at home!
| Ingredients for Coating |
| 1 |
Cup |
Corn meal, yellow |
| 1 |
Cup |
Corn flour, yellow |
| 1 |
Tsp |
Garlic salt |
| 1 |
Tsp |
White pepper, ground |
| ½ |
Tbsp |
Garlic powder |
| ½ |
Tbsp |
Onion powder |
| ½ |
Tbsp |
Cajun Spice blend |
|
|
Cooking spray |
| Steps for Coating and Baking the Catfish Note: Pre-heat oven to 475° F. |
| 1. |
Combine all the coating ingredients into a large shallow dish or pan with high sides. Stir well to ensure that all the seasonings and the corn meal and flour blend well. |
| 2. |
Lightly coat a sheet pan with the cooking spray, then dredge one catfish filet at a time into the coating mixture ensuring that all surfaces of the filet are well and evenly coated with the corn meal / flour mixture. Gently transfer the catfish filets to the cooking sheet pan with the flat side of the filets down. Make sure there is some space between the fillets, you want to ensure even baking, and inch or so of space should be good. |
| 3. |
When all the filets are coated and panned, place them in the 475° F oven for 15 minutes. Then check on them, you may want to turn the pan around for even cooking, and continue another 5 to 10 minutes, or until they are browning on top. You know when ready, as they flake easily when tested with a fork. |
Oven Fried Catfish out of the oven and ready to serve
Dinner is served, the Oven Fried Catfish is accompanied with two sides which I will provide recipes in future posts, the Rockin Herb Roasted Potatoes, and the Braised Cucumbers.
Oven Fried Catfish is served, along with Rockin Herb Roasted Potatoes and Braised Cucumbers
Bon appetite!
CCR
=:~)
©2010 CCR
Tags: Cajun · Entrees · Recipes · Seafood
