Broiled Polenta with Black Bean, Mango and Corn Salad

This is a meal that I threw together because I was really in the mood for polenta. I had only had it twice, once served broiled and once served soft. Although both ways are delicious, I think that I prefer the crispy crust the poleta gets when it is broiled for a few minutes. If you have never tried polenta before, you are really missing out. It is simply delicious! Honestly, I think that we will be having it a lot more often. It is inexpensive, and a great alternative to rice, pasta, or potatoes. I don't know about you, but I HAVE to have some kind of good starch with each meal. I love bread, potatoes, pasta, quinoa, couscous, and of course rice. Polenta is a welcomed change and will be making a lot more appearances on our table. Especially after this meal. My husband could not say enough about this meal! It was filling but light and packed full of flavor! I could honestly eat this for a week straight and still want more! This meal is composed of a few of my favorite things. Lime, cilantro, corn, black beans, fresh mozzerella, fresh veggies, mango, garlic, scallops (with my meal and steak wtih my husbands), and polenta! It may look like it takes a long time to make, but it really doesn't and it is very easy! You need to give this recipe a try...you won't be sorry!



Broiled Polenta

3/4 cup polenta (not quick cooking)
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1-2 tsp. butter (I use Smart Balance Light)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Bring 4 cups of water, salt and pepper to a boil. Add polenta in a slow stream and stir constantly. Continue to stir until thickened. Reduce heat to medium low and continue to cook, stirring frequently until polenta is smooth; about 10 minutes. When fully cooked, add butter and cheese and stir to mix. Lightly spray a small-medium bread loaf pan with non-stick spray and pour polenta into it. Let the polenta sit and cool before covering and placing in the refrigerator to set. I prefer to let it sit overnight, but it needs at least a couple of hours. When polenta is set, cut into 1/2 inch thick sliced and place them on a lightly oiled cookie sheet. Place slices under broiled for about 20-25 minutes, or until desired golden crust is acquired. Once polenta is broiled, you can put a slice of cheese (we used fresh mozzerella) and place under the broiler until melted.

Black Bean, Mango and Corn Salad
1 clove garlic, minced or grated
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp. salt
fresh ground black pepper
handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 tomatoes, diced
1/4-1/2 fresh mango, diced
5 scallions, sliced
1 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
1/2 jalapeno, minced (optional)

In a medium mixing bowl, combine all dressing ingredients and mix well. Add the remaining ingredients and toss to coat. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

*Note: This salad is also wonderful with diced avocado added just before serving.

I served this meal with a large fresh green salad, grilled shrimp and seared scallops (for me) and grilled steak for my husband. YUMMY!

Coconut Green Curry Chicken

I have been craving curry for a while now and am just now getting around to making some. I have never used curry paste before and thought I would give it a try. I could only imagine that in combination with coconut milk, this dish would for sure satisfy my curry craving. I found this recipe in the new cook book by Everyday Food. I did alter it just a bit by adding more veggies. I love my veggies and as is, I am sure the recipe with green beans alone would be enough veg for most people. I, however, like lots of veggies! I added 2 large carrots sliced on this diagonal and some frozen peas. Also, if you think you can go without the fresh basil on top of this dish...bad idea. It really needs the flavor of the fresh basil. I also sprinkled a bit of soy sauce on top after it was all dished up. I think that was necessary as well. I finished the dish with some salt and pepper.

I served this dish with toasted pita chips and hummus. It was a big hit and I will for sure be making this one again.

Coconut Green Chicken Curry
1 cup long grain white rice
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 Can (14.5 oz.) of chicken broth
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
12 ounces (about 3 1/2 cups) green beans, stems removed, halved crosswise
1 medium onion, halved and sliced
1-2 Tbsp. Thai green curry paste
4 roasted chicken breasts, skin and bones removed, meat cut into 1 inch pieces
1 (14.5 oz.) can coconut milk
1 cup torn fresh basil
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice (from 1 lime)

Cook rice according to package instructions. Meanwhile, place cornstarch in a medium bowl, whisk in2-3 Tbsp. chicken broth until smooth (reserve remaining broth). Set aside.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add green beans (and any other veggies). Cook stirring often until veggies are slightly tender.
Add curry paste to the veggies. Cook, stirring and scraping bottom of skillet until paste is slightly darkened, 3-4 minutes. Add chicken, coconut mil, reserved broth and cornstarch mixture. Simmer until vegetables are tender and sauce is slightly thickened, 5-8 minutes. Serve over rice and top with basil and a squirt of lime juice. Season with salt and pepper.

Potato Rosemary Pizza

I apologize for the horrible picture. It does not do this pizza justice. After finishing the last slice, my husband said how sad he was that it was all gone. Sad to say, this giant sized pizza only lasted two days at our house. Did I mention there are only two of us? Yes, we managed to polish off an entire extra large pizza in just two nights. I am pretty sure that the slices of pizza we each ate were double the size of our heads. Oh well, I think that is a good sign that we liked it! At first, my husband was a bit hesitant to try it. I mean, potatoes on pizza?! Try it. You'll love it just like us. The flavors melted so wonderfully together. Between the garlic roasted potato slices, fontina cheese, rosemary, chicken sausage and caramalized onions, we were honestly both in heaven. I did not follow a specific recipe for this pizza. Almost every potato rosemary pizza recipe I looked at called for bacon and we are not really bacon eaters here. I took the ingredients that were common in each of the recipes (fontina cheese, potatoes, and rosemary) and added a few of my own ingredients. I added chicken sausage, shredded chicken, caramalized onions, olives and sliced bell peppers (only on my half). It was DIVINE! I have to admit, I make one mean pizza crust too! I think that between rolling the dough out thin and cooking the pizza on a pizza stone, I have never had a better pizza crust. And that's the truth. Also, I like to cook the crust for a few minutes before putting the toppings on. That really helps keep the crust from getting soggy.

Potato Rosemary Pizza

2 medium yukon gold potatoes, sliced thin

2 cloves garlic, minced or grated

olive oil

cooked chicken sausage

1-2 Tbsp. minced rosemary

1 large onion, sliced thin

1/2 red bell pepper, sliced

shredded chicken

grated fontina cheese

2 Tbsp. ranch dressing

sliced black or kalamata olives

1 recipe of pizza crust or 1 pre made pizza crust

Pre heat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with non stick spray and lay the potato sliced down. Sprinkle the minced garlic over the top, drizzle a bit of olive oil on top and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in the oven for about 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are tender but not browned. In a medium skillet, heat a small amount of olive oil and add onion slices. Cook over med-high heat until slightly caramalized. Turn off the heat and set aside. When you are ready to top the pizza, spread 2 Tbsp. ranch dressing, sprinkle with cheese, and layer the potatoes on top. Sprinkle the rosemary on top of the potatoes, add the sausage, sliced olives, bell pepper, onions and shredded chicken. Sprinkle with more cheese and bake until it looks done. I usually cook pizza on 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Enjoy!!!!

Turkey Tacos

We are officially big fans of ground turkey. There are so many different things you can do with it and it is a nice change from chicken. Ground turkey makes great burgers, sloppy joes and tacos! There isn't anything super special about these tacos. Other than the fact that they are made with homemade pico, guacomole a fresh rice, these tacos are basically like regular ground beef tacos. That's right! These tacos were made with a packet of taco seasoning. We were in need of a quick, simple meal. Mexican food always seems to hit the spot. I made the pico by dicing up 4 roma tomatoes, slicing 3 scallions, juicing 1/2 lime, chopping up some cilantro and adding a slight sprinkling of salt and tossing everything together. I like to let it sit overnight to let the flavors soak through. Once the pico and guacamole are made, we layer the tacos in this order: Cheese, taco meat, non-fat plain yogurt, guacamole, pico and olives. Wrap it all up in a tortilla and enjoy!! These make for a great week night meal!

Asparagus, Mushroom and Onion Frittata with Chicken Sausage

I have really been craving eggs lately for some reason. It has been a while since I made a frittata, so I thought this would be the perfect time to make one! I had some leftover veggies in the fridge, so really, this frittata was the perfect thing to make. I sauteed some asparagus, mushrooms, a handful of black beans and 1/2 red onion. I also had a link of chicken sausage in the freezer that I wanted to use up, so I thawed it and cooked it up. This was such a yummy light meal that used up a bunch of leftovers. It was also easy, fast and really inexpensive! Any vegetables could be used. Some bell pepper, zucchini, broccoli and egg plant would all be great too...feel free to experiment. I served this for dinner with a green salad and fresh homemade foccacia bread.

Asparagus, Mushroom and Onion Frittata with Chicken Sausage

1/2 red onion, sliced

1/2 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 link sausage, casing removed and cooked into crumbles

6 whole eggs

6 egg whites

1/3 cup black beans

1/2 tsp. dried rosemary

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

salt and pepper to taste

small handful of your favorite cheese

In a large mixing bowl, combine whole eggs, egg whites, rosemary, thyme and a dash of salt and pepper and beat until combined. Spray a medium saute pan that is also oven safe with cooking spray and over medium high heat, saute onions, asparagus and mushrooms until soft. Add cooked sausage and black beans to veggies. Puor the egg mixture over veggies and lower the heat just a bit. Let the egg mixture just begin to set. Pull the edges away and tilt the pan to let the uncooked egg run to the bottom of the pan. Once the egg is mostly set, sprinkle the frittata with cheese and place it under the broiler for about 4 minutes or until egg is set and the top is slightly golden. Remove it from the oven and let it sit for a few minutes before cutting into it.