Polenta Pie

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• One 6-ounce package portobello mushroom caps, cut into cubes
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1-1/4 pounds ground beef or turkey
  
• Salt and pepper
• One 14.5-ounce can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes
• 1 cup instant polenta
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for sprinking
• One 10-ounce package frozen green beans, thawed and drained

Make it your own
Serve the beef mixture over couscous, pasta or rice.

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the mushrooms and onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the beef, season with salt and pepper and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, lower the heat and simmer.

2. In a medium saucepan, bring 3 cups water and 3/4 teaspoon salt to a boil. Whisk in the polenta until thickened, about 3 minutes. Whisk in the cream, parmesan and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until smooth; pour into a large casserole dish.

3. Stir the green beans into the beef mixture and cook over medium heat, stirring, until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon the mixture over the polenta and top with more parmesan.

Chicken and Scallions with Smoky Romesco

• 2 ancho chilies, stemmed and seeded
• About 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO )
• 1 1-inch-thick slice good-quality white bread, crust discarded and bread torn into small pieces
• About 1/2 cup blanched almonds (a couple of generous handfuls)
• 1 large Spanish onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, grated or chopped
• 1 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika
• Salt and pepper
• 3-4 tablespoons sherry vinegar or dry sherry (a generous splash)
• 2 large roasted red peppers, chopped
• 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs or 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 1/2 pounds large scallions (about 3 bunches)
• Olive oil cooking spray
• A generous handful of flat leaf parsley, chopped
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Crusty bread, for serving

Preparation

Pre-heat an outdoor grill or grill pan to medium-high.

Place the anchos in a small saucepan and cover them with water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and reconstitute until soft, about 5 minutes. Remove the anchos from the water (reserve the water) and pat dry, then coarsely chop.

In a large skillet, heat the EVOO , eight turns of the pan, over medium heat. Add the bread and almonds to the pan and toast until golden, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon. Add the onion to the pan, increase the heat a bit and cook for a few minutes to soften. Add the garlic and paprika; season with salt and pepper. Cook for a couple minutes more, stirring constantly. Stir in the vinegar (or sherry). Transfer the contents of the pan, the toasted bread and almonds, the chopped anchos and the roasted peppers to a food processor. Mix until smooth, adding a splash of the reserved ancho liquid, if necessary.

Spray the chicken and scallions with the cooking spray; season with salt and pepper. Arrange the chicken and scallions on the grill or grill pan and cook, turning once, until marked evenly, about 5 minutes for the scallions and 10-12 minutes for the chicken. Dress the chicken with the parsley and lemon juice and serve with the scallions, crusty bread and romesco

Korean-Style Chicken or Pork Noodle Bowls

• Salt and pepper
• 1 pound whole wheat spaghetti
• 1 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, grated
• 2 large cloves garlic, grated
• About 1/4 cup Tamari (dark soy sauce)
• About 3 tablespoons honey or agave syrup (eyeball it)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• About 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar (a couple of healthy splashes)
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce, such as Sriracha, plus more to pass around the table
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thigh meat, chicken breast meat or thin-cut boneless pork chops, cut into thin strips
• 1/4 small cabbage, very thinly shredded
• 1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced or chopped
• 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
• Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

Preparation

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain.

While the pasta is working, using a blender or food processor, combine a splash of the boiling water (before you add salt), the ginger, garlic, Tamari, honey (or agave), tomato paste, vinegar, sesame oil and hot sauce until smooth.

Get all of the remaining ingredients ready for a quick stir fry. In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil over high heat. Add the chicken or pork and stir fry until browned, about 3 minutes. Add the cabbage and bell pepper and stir fry for 2 minutes, then add the scallions and ginger sauce and toss for 1 minute. Pour over the drained noodles and top with the sesame seeds. Pass more hot sauce around the table.

Eggplant Marinara with Rigatoni and Zucchini

• 1 pound small, firm eggplant
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus more for drizzling, divided
• Salt and black pepper
• 1 pound whole wheat or whole grain rigatoni rigate or other short-cut rigate pasta
• 2 small, firm zucchini (about 1 pound), thinly sliced
• Flour, for coating
• 3 large cloves garlic, grated or chopped, divided
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• A couple sprigs rosemary, finely chopped, or a healthy teaspoon dried leaves
• A few sprigs thyme, finely chopped, or a scant teaspoon dried leaves
• About 1 cup chicken stock or vegetable stock
• 1 large roasted red pepper
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 can plum tomatoes in puree (28 ounces)
• Crushed red pepper (optional)
• A handful of fresh basil, chopped or torn
• A handful of fresh parsley, chopped
• Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for grating and passing around the table

Preparation

Pre-heat the oven to 450°F.

Halve the eggplant and score the exposed flesh with shallow crisscross cuts. Drizzle or lightly brush the cut surface with EVOO and season with salt and black pepper. Place on a baking sheet cut side down and roast until tender, 15-18 minutes.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain.

While the pasta is working, season the zucchini with salt and black pepper. Let it drain on a paper towel-lined plate for a few minutes. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons EVOO, two turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. Lightly coat the zucchini in flour. Working in batches, add the zucchini to the pan and cook, turning, until light golden, 1-2 minutes per batch. Add 1 clove garlic with the last batch. In a large, deep skillet or heavy saucepan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons EVOO, two turns of the pan, over medium heat. Add the remaining 2 cloves garlic and the onion and season with the rosemary, thyme, salt and black pepper. Cook until tender, 5-6 minutes.

Using a food processor, mix the chicken stock, roasted pepper and tomato paste until smooth. Stir into the onion mixture and bring to a boil for 1 minute. Stir in the canned tomatoes and crush with a wooden spoon or potato masher. Return the sauce to a boil for a minute or so. Season with the crushed red pepper, if using. Lower the heat to a simmer.

Remove the eggplant from the oven. Scoop out the flesh and add to the food processor. Puree for 20 seconds and add to the marinara sauce.

Toss the pasta with the marinara sauce and top with the basil, parsley, fried zucchini and a flurry of grated cheese. Pass more cheese around the table.