Polenta Pie

Red and green and white, this is a dish in holiday colors.  And, since we've now entered the month of December and with the timely arrival of a snowstorm today, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around these parts.  Thus, my mind is turning toward what a flurry of activity this month becomes. 

Must. Slow. Down. And. Be. More. Intentional.   

I'm not going to say that this Italian style comfort food is going to solve all your challenges this month, but it is certainly a great one to keep in your back pocket--rounds of precooked, packaged polenta layered with garlicky sauteed spinach and creamy goat cheese then topped with zesty tomato sauce and final crunch of pine nuts.  All the ingredients can be kept on hand to pull out as an elegant dish for some impromptu entertaining or for a quick and easy meal on a night in between the Open Houses, Caroling, Sledding, Shopping, Decorating etc. 

And, can I just share that today I was struck anew at the awe and wonder of Christmas?  Emmanuel, God with us.  Wow. Wow. Wow.  I pray I can pause and be more reflective on that this holiday season... 

Polenta Pie
olive oil, several tablespoons
2 tubes packaged precooked polenta
1 6 ounce bag fresh spinach leaves
1 small onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 4-ounce log goat cheese
1 large jar favorite spaghetti sauce 
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
fresh basil leaves for garnish (totally optional since fresh basil is a bit more scarce in the winter)

Preheat oven to 350.  In a large skillet, heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat.  Slice polenta into rounds and brown in the olive oil, a couple minutes on each side, doing it in batches if necessary.  Remove from pan and set aside.  Scrape out pan and heat an additional tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat.  Saute onion and garlic, stirring frequently, until onion is softened, a few minutes. 
Add spinach and saute until wilted and liquid is evaporated, 2-3 minutes.  Remove from pan and set aside.  Grease a 2 quart baking dish, and layer half the polenta rounds in bottom of dish.  Spread sauteed spinach in an even layer on top of polenta.  Crumble 2/3 of goat cheese and sprinkle evenly over spinach layer.  Top with remaining polenta rounds and pour spaghetti sauce over top layer of polenta.  Sprinkle remaining goat cheese crumbles and pine nuts evenly over the top and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbling.  Garnish with fresh basil leaves to "up" the red, green and white factor, if desired.   

The original recipe author suggests serving with a tossed green salad and bottle of Chianti. : )

Slightly adapted from Mary at Lakewinds Grocery Store

Peach Banana-Berry Smoothies

Silas, my five year old, has just discovered his first loose tooth.  Loose teeth really give me the shivers. They are just plain creepy.  He is constantly wanting to show me its wiggly progress which makes me cringe.  His loose tooth has given him a bit of trouble when eating.  As the nice mother I am, I made these smoothies to give him an easy to eat breakfast (although maybe to expedite the loose tooth falling out process, perhaps I should be serving him whole apples to bite into...).

This recipe is obviously just a starting point.  Smoothies are a great opportunity to use just about any combination of fruits (and vegetables!) you have available.  Feel free to mix, match and customize!  I've gotten used to throwing in a handful of fresh spinach leaves and a spoonful of ground flax seeds to sneak in even more nutrition.  Those little extras are completely optional, but I can assure you that they blend right up and don't affect the flavor a bit.

Also, as I've been highlighting quick, weekday breakfasts, a smoothie recipe definitely needs to be included! 

Peach Banana-Berry Smoothies
makes about 3 cups
1 banana, peeled, frozen and broken into chunks
1 cup frozen blueberries
2 whole peaches or nectarines, pit removed and cut into chunks
1 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds (optional)
1 handful fresh spinach leaves, washed and dried (optional)
milk or fruit juice as needed

In the pitcher of a blender, place in order: yogurt, peaches, blueberries, banana chunks, spinach and flax seeds (basically, you want the more juicy kinds of fruit and any liquid on the bottom.  Blend on high speed, stopping and scraping down any stubborn pieces of fruit as needed, until smooth.  If mixture is especially thick, you can add a splash of milk or juice.  If it is too thin, a few ice cubes can help. Pour into glasses and enjoy, drinking through straws preferable. 

Note: I like to put any fruit that is starting to get close to past its prime into smoothies.  If I'm not going to use it right away, it's great to freeze it in chunks and have it ready to throw into the blender at a moment's notice.  Once bananas are overripe, I will peel them, place them in baggies and throw them in the freezer. 

Also, lots of surprising fruits are great in smoothies---try whole grapes, chunks of cantaloupe or honeydew, kiwi, peeled oranges, pineapple, kiwis, mango...I know a friend who always throws a few baby carrots into hers and another friend who puts raw beets into her smoothies (I hear they make it a lovely pink color, but I've yet to try). 

Quick Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette over Spinach Salad

Homemade salad dressing doesn't get much easier, or tastier, than this sweet and tangy vinaigrette.  Usually, I make the dressing with raspberry preserves (and you should try doing that sometime, too!), but strawberries and balsamic vinegar are a classic combination and make for a fresh, seasonal dressing.  Shake it up in a glass jar for an instant salad topper and to keep the leftovers (if there are any).

 Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette
1 teaspoon Dijon or brown grainy mustard
2 tablespoons seedless strawberry preserves or all fruit preserves (try raspberry or apricot for a twist)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

In a small jar with a lid, stir together mustard and preserves until smooth.  Pour in balsamic vinegar.  Top with olive oil.  Fit lid of jar securely and shake vigorously until vinaigrette is well-combined and is thick and smooth.  Season to taste with salt and pepper as needed, shake again to combine.  If you make the dressing ahead of time, shake the jar just before serving.  Pour over prepared salad as desired.

Suggested Salad:
Fresh baby spinach leaves
walnut pieces (toasted, optional, sliced almonds would be good too!)
fresh sliced strawberries
crumbled goat cheese (or blue or feta)
fresh ground pepper to taste
thinly sliced red onion (optional)

Toss together all salad ingredients in a large or individual bowls.  Drizzle with salad dressings. Serve immediately.

Spinach and Goat Cheese Baked Risotto

I think most people when they think of risotto (and that's if they think of it at all...) would consider it a "restaurant food."  I know that I always loved to order the creamy rice dish (preferably with lots of shrimp and scallops in it) when I'm eating at Italian restaurants that are not the Olive Garden (nothing against the OG and its amazing salad and breadsticks, I just can't remember it ever being on the menu...).  I guess risotto is intimidating because it's supposed to be so hands on in its preparation (read: constant stirring for long periods of time).  Enter: baked risotto.  All of the yummy, creamy, heart-warming goodness and none of the arm-cramp-inducing stirring.  And, when you add garlicky, sauteed spinach and tangy goat cheese to the mix, you end up with something glorious.  Thank you to Martha Stewart and Jamie Oliver for your recipes, when I married them together, they made quite a delicious baby!


Spinach and Goat Cheese Baked Risotto
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided (plus more for serving)
4 tablespoons butter, divided
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup Arborio rice
1/4 cup dry white wine (optional)
2-2 1/4 cups hot water
1/2 cup homemade or low sodium canned chicken stock
kosher salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
5 1/2 oz fresh spinach, washed and dried
ground nutmeg, preferably fresh
a big handful or two of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 lemon, zest removed and reserved
7 oz. soft goat's cheese, crumbled 



Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large skillet, heat one tablespoon each of oil and butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring to coat the grains with oil, about 1 minute. Stir in the wine and cook until it has completely evaporated, about 1 minute. Stir in 1 1/2 cups water, the stock, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil.  Pour rice mixture into an ovenproof baking dish and cover.  Transfer to the oven, and bake, covered, until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice, 20 to 25 minutes. 

Meanwhile, place an additional tablespoon each of olive oil and butter along with garlic in a large skillet over medium heat.  When butter is melted, add spinach.  Cook, stirring constantly, until spinach is wilted down.  Season with salt, pepper and grated nutmeg to taste.  Chop finely or blend up in a food processor.  Cover and set aside to keep warm.
When rice is cooked through, remove from oven and stir in spinach mixture, 2 additional tablespoons butter, a good squeeze of lemon juice, Parmesan and half of the goat cheese.  Stir until butter and goat cheese is melted and rice is creamy.  Season with additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed.  Spoon into bowls and top with additional crumbled goat cheese, a sprinkle of lemon zest and a drizzle of olive oil.  Serve immediately as a main dish or hearty side.  

Recipe adapted from: Martha Stewart's Oven-Baked Risotto and Jamie Oliver's Spinach and Goat Cheese Risotto from Cook with Jamie

Homemade Ricotta and a use for it

 I am not sure what took me so long to catch on to this idea: Homemade ricotta cheese.  I stumbled across the recipe in Barefoot Contessa's new book, "How Easy is That?" and was really surprised at how truly simple it is to make at home.  Before this, I thought home cheese making was relegated to hermits in Vermont, Lancaster County and the Little House on the Prairie series.  Yet, in 20 minutes I had homemade cheese that was fresh, creamy, pure-tasting and ready for all ricotta cheese uses (and there are a lot of them beyond just Italian pasta dishes, although that tends to be my favorite--see post on Artichoke and Pesto "Stuffed Shells" Bake.  I did use some of my leftover ricotta to make a lemon cornmeal pound cake, but that is a post for another day).  See below for another extra fast(!) pasta dish using your homemade ricotta cheese (here's a teaser).

I don't plan on making my own Artisan Smoked Aged Gouda or the like anytime soon, but I will definitely be making my own ricotta in the future!  

Homemade Ricotta
Makes about 2 cups
5 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons white vinegar

Set a large sieve over a deep bowl.  Dampen 2 layers of cheesecloth with water and line the sieve with the cheesecloth. 

Pour the milk and cream into a heavy-bottomed pot.  Stir in the salt.  Bring to a full boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  Turn off the heat and stir in the vinegar.  Allow the mixture to stand for 1 minute or until it curdles.  It will separate into the thick parts (the curds) and liquid parts (the whey).

Pour the mixture into the cheesecloth-lined sieve and allow it to drain into the bowl at room temperature until desired consistency.  The longer you let the mixture drain, the thicker the ricotta (mine ended up on the thick side, almost like crumbled goat cheese...I will probably catch it sooner next time). Transfer the ricotta to a bowl, discarding the cheesecloth.  Discard the liquid whey (unless you want to save it for another use--I read in a blog that a cheese making expert suggests boiling pasta in the liquid but I haven't tried that yet.  It just seems a shame to throw out so much liquid if there is a good use for it).  Use immediately or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.  Use within 2-3 days.  

recipe heavily adapted from Barefoot Contessa How easy is that?

                                              Pasta with Ricotta, Parmesan and Spinach

This is really a non-recipe recipe.  I needed to use up some of my homemade ricotta and we needed some lunch fast.  It was great as is or topped with jarred marinara sauce, it tasted like spinach lasagna.  The best thing was that the longest part was waiting for the pasta water to boil. 

Pasta With Ricotta, Parmesan and Spinach
serves 2-4
8 oz. dry shaped pasta (I used small shells because that's what we had on hand)
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
small pinch of ground nutmeg
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
big handful of fresh baby spinach
jarred pasta sauce (optional)

Cook pasta to al dente according to package directions, reserving a cup or so of the cooking water to use as needed.  Drain and set aside.  In the pot, combine ricotta and Parmesan cheese.  Add some of the reserved pasta water, a little at a time, thinning to make a sauce until desired consistency.  Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.  Stir in pasta, tossing to combine.  Reheat over medium heat stirring frequently, if necessary.  Toss in a big handful of fresh spinach and stir just until wilted.  Pour into bowls and top with additional shredded Parmesan and warmed jarred pasta sauce, if desired. 

Ham and Spinach Strata

I love brunch foods.  I love breakfast foods.  I could eat morning foods anytime of day.  This is a dish that is especially versatile.  A strata is a savory egg casserole using day old (read: stale) bread and this time, it's filled with Mediterranean style flavors--spinach, red bell peppers, feta cheese and diced ham to make it even more substantial.  The lovely thing about a strata is that it's begging for you to use any fillings you have on hand (read: a great way to use up leftovers--see my note below for some suggestions).  Simple, economical and able to be assembled ahead and popped into the oven whenever you're ready, this is an excellent dish to keep in mind for upcoming brunch-centered celebrations (read: Easter, Mother's Day, Baby Showers) and also lazy Saturday mornings. 

Ham and Spinach Strata
6 cups cubed (or torn into bite sized pieces) bread: day old French bread is lovely, croissants are elegant, you can even use leftover hot dog buns if that's what needs to be used up--sometimes they do!
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 medium onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 red bell pepper, diced (about 1/2 cup)
1 12 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups (1 8 oz package) shredded cheese (Italian blend is nice, feel free to experiment)
1/4 cup feta cheese (optional)
2 cups diced ham
8 eggs
1 cup milk or half and half
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

Directions: Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish.  Spread half of the bread cubes in the bottom of the dish.  Set aside.  In a large saute pan, melt butter over medium high heat.  Add onion, and saute, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened (2-3 minutes).  Add bell pepper and saute for 2-3 minutes longer or until bell pepper is crisp-tender.  Stir in chopped spinach and season with garlic powder, salt and pepper.  Spoon spinach mixture evenly over bottom layer of bread pieces.  Sprinkle cheeses over spinach layer and cover with remaining bread cubes.  In a large bowl, beat together eggs and milk. Stir in dry mustard and season egg mixture with additional salt and pepper.  Pour over casserole.  At this point, you can cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. 
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350.  Bake uncovered until puffed and golden, about 45-55 minutes. 

note: Experiment with different combinations depending on what you have on hand: Chopped broccoli and cheddar cheese, breakfast sausage and mushrooms, asparagus and Swiss cheese, green chiles, corn and pepper jack...the possibilities are endless.

Strawberry Salad with Short-cut Poppy Seed Dressing

I have some serious Spring Fever.  The last few days have been really mild and gorgeous and it makes me so excited for warm weather to come for a longer stay.  I know that we will have plenty of winter left here in Colorado, but as the first California strawberries are making their way into the supermarkets (and coming down in price), I thought I would celebrate a hint of Spring with this cheery salad.  A staple of baby and wedding showers, it's kind of Old School, but there's a reason it's a classic.  It's refreshing and lively and a perfect pick-me-up!  And, as a bonus, it's pretty healthy and pairing the Vitamin C-rich strawberries with the spinach in the salad helps you get the full nutritional benefits of that green Super-Food!  Oh, and the leftover dressing is also really good drizzled on fruit like berries, melon and peaches too!

Strawberry Salad and Short-Cut Poppy Seed Dressing
Salad:
1 head Romaine lettuce, washed and cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 9 oz bag of Baby Spinach
1 quart sized container fresh strawberries (give or take a couple for quality control sampling)
1/4 medium-sized red onion, thinly sliced
toasted sliced almonds for garnish (optional)

Dressing:
1/3 cup mayonnaise (I use reduced-fat)
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons white sugar
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
3 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
salt and pepper to taste

To assemble salad, toss together Romaine lettuce and spinach in a large salad bowl.  Place the sliced onions in small bowl with some ice water and allow to soak for about 10 minutes.  This will help remove some of the spicy raw bite.  After soaking, drain and scatter over the greens.  Remove caps and stems from strawberries and thinly slice length-wise.  Add strawberries to salad.

For dressing, in small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar and mustard until smooth.  Stir in milk until desired consistency.  Stir in poppy seeds and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Just before serving salad, stir dressing one final time to make sure it's fully mixed and pour over salad, tossing to combine.  Garnish with toasted sliced almonds if desired.

Italian Turkey Soup

 Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving weekend!  We had a very delicious holiday that I managed to forget to take pictures of EVERYTHING.  Guess I was too busy enjoying the weekend.  Oh well. Last night, we had a previous recipe, Chicken Wild Rice Soup (but with turkey, of course!). I'm not sure how many of you still have leftover turkey, but this recipe for Italian turkey soup another very un-Thanksgiving recipe to maybe help use up the last of it.  And, in case you don't, it's also good with chicken or ground turkey!

 Italian Turkey Soup 
Serves 6-8
1 20 oz. package lean ground turkey or 2 cups leftover shredded cooked chicken or turkey
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
6 cups chicken broth (about three 15 oz cans), or turkey broth
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes with basil and garlic (undrained)
1 15 oz. can white beans drained and rinsed
1 8 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained (or a couple big handfuls of fresh spinach)
2 cups frozen or refrigerated cheese tortellini or mini ravioli
2 tablespoons pesto (optional)
shredded parmesan cheese for garnish

In large soup pot, brown ground turkey (or if using precooked meat, skip to next step).  Season with salt, pepper, garlic and herbs.  Once turkey is browned, pour in chicken broth, can of tomatoes and beans.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes over medium-low heat.  Add tortellini and simmer another 7-8 minutes or until tortellini is cooked through.  Stir in spinach and simmer a couple more minutes until spinach is heated through.  If using, swirl in pesto right before serving. Pass shredded Parmesan cheese for sprinkling on top.

Spinach "Souffle" and Riso Verde

I realized I still had leftover egg whites from the most recent banana cream pie I had made.  If I had been smart and 1) combined the leftover egg whites from all my pie-making escapades last week and 2) had been careful to make sure I didn't get any yolk in one of the batches of egg whites (egg whites won't stiffen up if there's even a smidge of fat--i.e. egg yolk--in them) I would have made an angel food cake.  I adore angel food cake...
That said, with the original egg whites, we just had some very healthy scrambles last week and with the three most recent egg whites, I thought I would try and do a quick, healthy version of Stouffer's frozen spinach souffle.  If I had had more time, I probably would have made the riso verde (see recipe and notes below), but I think this was a pretty good (and guilt-free!) substitute!


Spinach Souffle
(makes about 2 servings, feel free to double all the ingredients except for the egg whites--up that to four--to make a bigger batch)

6 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and extra water squeezed out
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons half and half
1/4 cup Italian blend shredded cheese
3 egg whites, beaten until stiff
cooking spray
grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Combine spinach, seasonings, half and half and shredded cheese.  Fold in egg whites and transfer mixture to small baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Sprinkle top with grated Parmesan. Bake for about 20-30 minutes or until souffle is browned and no longer "jiggly."
(or, if you're in an even bigger hurry, microwave on high for 2 minutes and then finish off in the oven for about 5 more)

The inspiration for the above recipe was this Riso Verde.  I think the original recipe came from one of my mom's friends.  I loved this as a kid and have recreated it many times since then.  It's very rich and has a lot of room for nutritional improvement (I have experimented quite a bit by reducing the amounts of butter and cheese), but this is pretty close to it's indulgent glory.

Riso Verde (Green Rice)  Serves 6-8

1 8 oz. package frozen chopped spinach thawed and drained (can substitute broccoli, if preferred)
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped parsley
4 cups cooked white rice, cooled
4 oz. grated Parmesan cheese
8 oz. shredded Swiss or Monterrey Jack cheese
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 eggs, separated

Beat egg whites until stiff.  In a separate bowl, stir together egg yolks, cheeses, seasonings, onions and spinach.  Add rice and stir until well-combined.  Fold in egg whites just until combined.  Pour into greased baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes and top is lightly browned.

Spinach, White Bean and Sweet Potato Enchiladas with Goat Cheese

I know, this sounds like a really strange combination. It turned out really good. Trust me. It's hearty, substantial and my husband went back for thirds. And it all came together because I hadn't been to the grocery store in about two weeks and had a rather odd assortment of odds and ends that needed to be used up. The little bit that was left over made an excellent lunch the next day as well! Walk on the eclectic side and give it a try!

Spinach, White Bean and Sweet Potato Enchiladas with Goat Cheese

1 medium sweet potato
1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 15 oz. can white beans (cannellini)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
4 oz goat cheese
2 cups shredded monterrey jack cheese, divided (or another Mexican style cheese)
1/4 cup green chiles, chopped (or one small can)
1/2 cup pico de gallo or jarred salsa
about 8 corn tortillas
non stick cooking spray

Topping:
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream or plain yogurt
1 cup green salsa
1/2 teaspoon cumin
big handful of cilantro, washed (about 1/4-1/2 cup)
fresh squeezed juice of 1/2 lime

Wash sweet potato and poke holes in it. Microwave on high for about 5 minutes or until tender. Cut open and allow to cool until easy to handle. Cut into bite-sized chunks. In a medium-sized bowl, combine sweet potato, half of shredded cheese and rest of ingredients up to the corn tortillas. Stir until well-combined. The goat cheese should give it a creamy consistency. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a blender or a food processor, combine topping ingredients. Blend until it becomes a smooth sauce and set aside.

Grease a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Warm the tortillas in the microwave for about 30 seconds or just until pliable. Take one tortilla at a time, spread a large spoonful (about 1/4 cup) of filling on middle of tortilla, roll the tortilla up and place, seam side down, into baking dish. Repeat with filling and tortillas until used up.

Pour sauce over top of enchiladas and top with remaining half of shredded cheese. Cover dish with foil and bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until enchiladas are bubbly and cheese is melted. Remove foil and allow to bake about 3-5 minutes longer, just until cheese starts to brown.

Top servings with additional pico de gallo and sour cream, if desired.