Fried Polenta with Creamy Mushrooms

Posted on May 8, 2013 by Stella

For the polenta
1 cup polenta
2 cups water
1 tsp salt
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
olive oil

For the creamy mushrooms
2 cups cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 heaping tsp white flour
1/3 cup rosé wine
1/2 cup heavy cream

To garnish
balsamic vinegar (optional)
4 Tbsp finely grated parmesan
2 Tbsp pine nuts
1 handful fresh basil, shredded

Equipment
Large saucepan
Whisk
Rectangular baking dish
Large skillet
Medium skillet
Large knife

1. In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add salt. Slowly add polenta and whisk to combine. Reduce heat to low, cover, and allow to simmer for about ten minutes, stirring frequently, until water is fully absorbed. Remove from heat. Stir in one tablespoon of butter. Pour into a rectangular dish. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes on the counter top, then place in refrigerator. Cool for at least four hours, until polenta has set. To speed the process, you can cool it in the freezer for 30 to 45 minutes instead.

2. Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium-high heat (about five minutes; watch carefully and don’t let them burn!). Set aside.

3. To make the polenta sticks, turn the dish upside down on a plate or cutting board. The polenta should be fairly loose and slide out easily. If it doesn’t, gently loosen it from the sides of the dish with a splatula. Make sure it is completely cooled through. Using a large knife, cut the polenta loaf into half-inch-wide strips, then half again horizontally, so that you are left with nice polenta sticks (see picture).

4. Melt remaining butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil. Place polenta sticks in the skillet and fry on each side until just browned, about ten minutes per side. Flip carefully with a spatula. Each piece of polenta should be ever-so-slightly crispy and golden brown.

5. Meanwhile, in a smaller pan, melt half the butter for the mushrooms over medium heat. Add mushrooms, salt, and pepper. Sauté for about five minutes, until mushrooms are just cooked. Deglaze pan with the wine, and continue stirring, allowing the mushrooms to absorb the flavor as the alcohol evaporates. Add the other half of the butter and the flour and stir continuously until a roux is formed. Reduce heat to low. Add cream and stir thoroughly for an additional two or three minutes, until cream is heated through and well mixed. You will now have a very flavorful, creamy mushroom sauce. For a thicker sauce, add flour; for thinner, add water.

6. To serve, splash some balsamic vinegar on each plate (if desired), then add the fried polenta strips, using a slotted spatula to remove them from the pan while draining off most of the grease. Top with a dusting of parmesan, then spoon the creamy mushrooms over the top. Add a sprinkling of toasted pine nuts and the shredded basil, and serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Pan-Fried Salmon and Sage Spaghetti

Posted on December 6, 2012 by Stella

This one’s a bit late, but here’s another way to sneak in that weekly fish serving. As always, the beautiful, fresh Atlantic salmon you see above is from Wheatsville Co-op. Fresh sage courtesy the amazing gardener Eric.

I used to make something similar to this in the UK, but it took the form of a casserole and involved a lot more cheese. This is a lighter, tastier version that’s still perfect for cool, late autumn nights (or indeed, weekend brunch—it’s also great with a fried egg, over-easy!). And, of course, my secret ingredient is horseradish.

1/2 lb spaghetti or linguine
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 Tbsp butter, halved
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lb fresh salmon, filleted and de-boned
~1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup fresh sage leaves
1 tsp horseradish sauce
1/3 cup grated Asiago cheese
extra salt and pepper, to taste

1. Bring about four cups salted water to a boil over high heat. Add spaghetti and cook for about eight minutes, or until al dente, stirring occasionally.

2. Meanwhile, is a large skillet (I suggest cast iron), melt 2 Tbsp butter and olive oil over medium high heat.

Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about two minutes. Add the salmon to the pan, flesh-side down (if skin is present).

Fry for about three minutes, until the underside is somewhat browned, and flip over. Don’t worry if the salmon starts to fall apart.

Cook on the other side for about three minutes, then flip again. Now the skin will probably slide easily off or crumple; discard (or give to your cat as a snack!). Reduce heat to low and continue to cook until salmon is cooked through. Use your spatula (non-metal if using a cast iron skillet) to further break up the salmon into bite-sized chunks.

3. As salmon cooks, drain pasta and return to the pot. Add remainder of butter and stir thoroughly to prevent sticking.

Stir in salt, pepper, horseradish sauce, and cheese. Cover and set aside.

4. Using your spatula, create a small, empty area in your pan. Add sage leaves to the buttery salmon juices and fry for about one minute, until just crispy but not blackened.

Stir sage and salmon; scrape contents into pasta pot and stir thoroughly.

5. Spoon out into pasta bowls, adding additional cheese, salt, and/or pepper as desired. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

You can actually reheat this the next day for an amazing brunch or lunch; and it paired well with a cheap moscato (pictured). Heh.

Farfalle with Chorizo and Cream

Posted on October 22, 2012 by Stella

Here’s an easy, ridiculously satisfying dinner for any budget: a simple, quick pasta dish that’s creamy and comforting while delivering a little kick of spice.

Adding some diced cremini mushrooms, onions, or fresh chopped basil would also be great!

1 lb. dried farfalle (bowtie) pasta
2 Tbsp olive oil, halved
15 oz. Mexican chorizo
1 tsp garlic powder
8 oz. tomato sauce
2 Tbsp Cholula sauce
1/2 cup heavy cream
~15 black olives, sliced
1 Tbsp black pepper
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese (optional)

1. Bring a medium sized pot of water to the boil and add pasta. Boil for about ten minutes, or until al dente.

2. Meanwhile, warm half the olive oil in a large frying pan. Squeeze chorizo out of its casing into the pan and break up with a spatula or fork. Cook over medium high heat for about ten minutes, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium low.

3. Add garlic powder, tomato sauce, and Cholula and stir. Allow chorizo to simmer until the liquid is well mixed and absorbed, about another seven minutes. Add heavy cream and olives, stir thoroughly, and reduce heat to simmer.

4. Drain pasta, return to pot, and then stir in the remaining olive oil and the black pepper. Add cheese and turn over repeatedly with a large wooden spoon until the cheese has fully melted into the pasta.

5. Spoon pasta out onto your serving plates and top with creamy chorizo. Serve immediately.

Serves 4-6.

I like to make a big pot of this, have it for dinner with the boy, and then put the rest in Pyrex leftover bowls in the fridge, for workday leftovers or a lazy weeknight dinner.

Zucchini and Feta Frittata

Posted on July 5, 2012 by Stella

1/2 small white or yellow onion, finely diced
1 small zucchini, chopped into matchsticks
4-5 cremini mushrooms, stems removed, finely sliced
3 tablespoons butter
10 eggs
1/3 cup cream
salt and black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup crumbled feta

1. Preheat the oven to 400°.

2. In a large non-stick skillet (I use cast iron), melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and sauté for a couple of minutes until translucent. Add zucchini and mushrooms and continue to sauté, stirring frequently, until done (about five minutes).

2. Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl, crack all eggs. Add salt and pepper, and whisk lightly. Drizzle in cream, continue to whisk for about 30 seconds.

3. Pour beaten eggs into pan over vegetables and cook until they just start to set (about 8-10 minutes). Add feta, distributing it evenly across the pan.

4. Remove from heat and turn of burner. Bake entire pan in the preheated oven for about five minutes, or until the frittata is golden brown and firm.

5. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a couple of minutes, then slice and serve. Garnish with additional feta, hot sauce, or sundried tomatoes.

Serves 4. Can be refrigerated for eating later, either cold or reheated.

Pizza Eric

Posted on June 14, 2012 by Stella

This recipe was inspired by the Pizza Sagra at—you guessed it—Sagra Trattoria and Bar. Now that Eric has mastered the fine art of a crispy thin crust pizza, we decided to try one at home, complete with our not-so-secret favorite ingredient: eggs!

The first time I ever encountered the eggs-on-a-pizza thing was at Pizza Express, a chain in the UK. Their Fiorentina pizza with spinach, grana padano, garlic oil, black olives, and a cracked egg blew my mind. This is how unsophisticated my palate was! So, you see, I’ve actually come a long way! (Besides, I never said I was a role model.) And now I’ve convinced Eric that eggs are the ultimate pizza-perfecting ingredient.

At a loss as to what to name this one, and considering that it includes some of his other favorite inclusions (like fresh kale and homegrown herbs), I’ve decided to christen it simply “Pizza Eric.”

First, make Eric’s Easy Pizza Dough.

Pizza Eric
Dough (as prepared ahead, above)
6 oz. tomato paste (small can)
1 tsp fresh chopped oregano
two eggs
fresh mozzarella, too taste*
1 cup shredded kale
1/3 cup chopped basil
1/4 cup finely grated parmesan
2 Tbsp olive oil, halved***
salt and pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 300°. Meanwhile, drizzle one half of the olive oil on the pizza stone and spread with your fingertips.

2. Next, take the ball of pre-made dough in your hands, and spread it out on the stone so that it covers the whole thing thinly and evenly, curling up at the edges. You can make the crust as thin or as thick as you like, but for this recipe (and according to my personal taste), you will want to spread it comparatively thin.

3. Once dough is evenly spread on the stone, bake it in the pre-heated oven for 10 minutes.

4. Remove the stone from the oven and turn up the heat to 425°. Meanwhile, spread the remaining olive oil evenly over the dough using a spoon. Next, spread tomato sauce. Crack the two eggs over the pizza, and add oregano, salt, and pepper as desired. Bake for 10-15 minutes.

7. Remove the stone from the oven; add mozzarella, basil, and kale, and return entire to oven. Bake at 425° until the crust is brown and crispy around the edges and the center looks firm.

9. Carefully remove the pizza from the oven, sprinkle the parmesan over it, and let it cool for a few minutes. Cut with a pizza cutter or wheel, then serve immediately.

You won’t have any leftovers.

*Enough to cover the pizza, as desired. Here, we used a couple of mozzarella balls, sliced and spread out over the pizza. You could grate it if you prefer.