Polenta with Red Pepper and Walking Onion Pesto

Those who know me well know that I love making things from scratch - especially things that are often available in convenience forms!  Not only does it bring me a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction, but it also tastes infinitely better when you make something yourself.  You also have the added benefit of controlling exactly what is going into your dish (versus premade convenience food that often has preservatives and other junk). 

Polenta is one of those ridiculously simple but wonderfully flavorful Italian staples.  While it is time-consuming to prepare from scratch, once you try your own you will never go back to that nasty stuff in a tube!  The coarse texture, complex nuttiness, and comforting warmth of scratch-made polenta straight from your stove is miles away from the over-processed and flavorless stuff you find at the store.  When making this recipe, be sure to start with the best grain you can find!  I used Anson Mills' Red Trentino Flint Polenta Integrale, but the varieties are endless.  Just make sure you look for a coarse corn meal.  The label might say anything from "corn grits" to "corn meal" to straight "polenta" but they are all pretty much the exact same thing.  Just make sure you do not buy any "instant" polenta as it will not apply well to a slow-cooked recipe (but hey... if it is all you have time for, at least it will be better than the tubed stuff!).

My favorite way to eat this polenta is to have leftovers for breakfast with a poached egg on top.  It also makes an excellent dinner alongside a fresh, green salad. 


Polenta with Red Pepper and Walking Onion Pesto
Pesto:
1 cup toasted walnuts
3-4 walking onions, chopped (about 1 cup - may substitute green onions)
3 large roasted red peppers
2 lemons, zested and juiced
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup olive oil

Polenta:
7 cups water
1 T salt
1 3/4 cups coarse cornmeal (red polenta integrale works well)

Start the polenta.  In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, bring the water to a boil.  Add salt and pour polenta in a thin stream, whisking constantly.  Switch to a wooden spoon and stir constantly for two minutes.  Reduce heat to medium-low (so that you still get a vigorous bubble but not a full boil) and cover.  Check every five to ten minutes and stir vigorously for a minute or so each time.  The polenta is done when most of the moisture is absorbed and the mixture clings to the spoon, anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes. 

Meanwhile, make the pesto.  In a food processor, pulse the walnuts, onions, red peppers, lemon juice and zest, and salt until evenly chopped.  In a slow stream with the processor running, add the olive oil.  Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and process again until pesto is evenly blended.

When polenta is cooked, add 1 cup of the pesto to the pot and mix well.  You can serve immediately at this point or continue to the next step for polenta squares (this can also just be done with whatever you have left-over).  Grease a 9x9 square baking dish with a little olive oil and pour the polenta into the dish while it is still hot.  Use a spatula to flatten the top, then allow to cool in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight before cutting into squares.  To serve polenta squares, fry in a little olive oil until lightly browned on each side, or just gently warm them up in the oven or microwave.  Serve with a poached egg or a green salad (tossed with a little leftover pesto) for a light meal.

Tabouleh Salad

In honor of Obe's 33rd birthday this Monday, I decided to put together a Lebanese-style ensemble of mezze dishes.  Mezze are a little bit like Spanish tapas in style.  They are a collection of small-plate dishes served for either lunch or dinner, and the variety is almost endless!

Middle Eastern cuisine has always been a favorite in this house, especially since Obe is half Lebanese.  He is particularly fond of anything with a lot of garlic and lemon juice, and I love all the wonderful spices.  Most of my inspiration came from my new favorite cookbook, Saha by Greg and Lucy Malouf.  Not only is it filled with beautiful pictures and delicious recipes but they also include detailed stories of their travels through Lebanon.  It is a marvelous cookbook and I would highly recommend it to anyone who wishes to explore authentic Lebanese cuisine.

This recipe is a playful twist on Tabouleh.  It has all the main elements of Tabouleh but with some feta to add richness and romaine lettuce to add bulk and crunch.  It can be served as a mezze dish or in larger servings as a lighter-than-air but incredibly flavorful entree.  Enjoy it right away and you get lots of heat from the pungent raw garlic.  Allow it to sit overnight and the garlic flavor mellows and the parsley and lemon juice have a chance to infuse the bulgar to make for a more complex taste.  Either way, this salad is absolutely delicious! 

Tabouleh Salad
serves 4 as a main course

1/2 cup bulgar
juice of 1 large lemon
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 head Romaine lettuce, chopped
1-2 ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 large cucumber, seeded and diced
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

First, soak the bulgar.  In a small bowl, add dry bulgar and enough cold water to just barely cover.  Allow to soak until the water is absorbed and the bulgar has expanded to about 1 1/2 cups (at least 30 minutes). 

Meanwhile, assemble the dressing.  In a medium bowl, add lemon juice with a pinch of salt and pepper to start.  Using a microplane, grate the clove of garlic into a paste and whisk into the lemon juice.  Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking constantly.  Add feta and whisk to break up the larger crumbles and incorporate the cheese into the dressing.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, add the bulgar, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber and parsley and toss to combine.  Pour dressing over the mixture and toss well.  Taste and adjust salt and pepper if necessary.  Serve with warm flatbread or naan, if desired. 

*Storage note:  If you wish to make this salad ahead of time (or are planning on having leftovers) keep the lettuce and tomatoes separate and combine dressing with remaining ingredients.  When ready to serve, add lettuce and tomatoes and toss to combine. 

Creamy Strawberry Farro Porridge

If you haven't yet jumped on the farro bandwagon, here's a great recipe to start with!  Farro is an ancient grain which was, perhaps, among the first cultivated crops in the fertile crescent.  Its relatively low yield (compared with wheat and other grains) caused it to fall out of favor over time, but farro remains popular in Italy and has received a lot of attention lately in food-nerd and health-nut circles across the country.  It has a soft, chewy texture and a richly complex and nutty flavor.

Although farro usually plays a role in savory dishes, I am just crazy about having it for a sweet and tangy breakfast!  This recipe uses a little coconut milk to make the porridge rich and creamy (although whole milk would work well, too).  The strawberries fall apart in the heat to give the dish a gorgeous pink hue and a sweet tanginess.  To round out the flavors, I like to drizzle a little balsamic cream over the top.  It may sound a little weird, but trust me...  strawberries and balsamic vinegar go together like peanut butter and chocolate.  If you don't have balsamic cream you can either make a homemade balsamic reduction (just lightly simmer balsamic vinegar with a little bit of cornstarch until it thickens) or just use some good, thick balsamic all by itself. 


Creamy Strawberry Farro Porridge
serves 4

1 cup farro
2 cups water
1 tsp salt
1 cup coconut milk
1 10 oz package frozen strawberries (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup brown sugar
balsamic cream (optional)

In a medium saucepan over high heat, add farro, water and salt and bring to a boil.  Cook, uncovered, until about 1/2 the water is absorbed (about 10 minutes) then add the coconut milk and strawberries and stir well.  Bring mixture to a boil then reduce heat to low and cover.  Cook for about 15 to 20 more minutes, stirring occasionally, until the farro is tender and chewy and the porridge reaches a creamy consistency.  Add brown sugar and mix with a wooden spoon.  Use the spoon to smash any remaining whole strawberries into smaller pieces.

Remove from heat.  Drizzle each serving with the balsamic cream (or some good balsamic vinegar) and serve immediately.

Banana-Almond Breakfast Barley

Barley for breakfast might seem like an odd concept for some, but whole grains make truly excellent morning fare.  They have lots of fiber and even some protein, two things a good breakfast should definitely contain.  They also end up being far less expensive than packaged cereal (though you always want to try and find whole grains in bulk, as packaged grains tend to be marked up significantly).   Make it ahead of time and you'll have a hot breakfast in less than two minutes the next morning and throughout the week! 

This recipe is also a really wonderful way to use overripe bananas.  How many of us have thrown out brown bananas because we knew we'd never get around to making banana bread?  Instead, remove the fruit from its peel, throw it in a container or plastic bag and freeze it.  Frozen bananas are great to have around if you like to make smoothies, or you can think of other creative ways to use them up!

Banana-Almond Breakfast Barley
makes 6 to 8 servings

2 T butter (or non-dairy substitute)
5 overripe bananas (about 2 cups)
1 1/2 cups pearled barley
3-4 cups milk (or substitute - almond or coconut milk work best)
2 tsp salt
1 tsp herbs de provence (optional)
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Add butter to a large saucepan and melt over medium-high heat.  Add bananas and allow to lightly caramelize in the butter for about 5 minutes.  Add barley and stir.  Reduce heat to medium and add 2 cups of milk, salt and herbs de provence.  Allow barley to simmer, uncovered, reducing heat to medium-low once liquid starts to bubble.  Stir frequently until barley has absorbed most of the liquid.  Add another cup of milk and repeat the cooking process.  Barley will take at least 30 minutes to cook.  It should be chewy but not at all chalky in the center (if after 3 cups it still doesn't taste done, add one more cup and repeat cooking process).  Once the barley is cooked, add sliced almonds.  Taste and adjust salt if necessary.  Mix well and serve.

Winter Vegetable Risotto

The wonderful thing about risotto is that you can take a few humble vegetables, stock, and arborio rice and you end up with an elegant, one-pot meal.  True, if you are not a well-practiced cook it might take a few tries to get it right, but once you know the basics you can make it a thousand different ways with excellent results.

There are a few things worth noting before you get started.  First, the dish needs a lot of supervising, so I like to have other projects going in the kitchen to keep myself busy, while having to constantly stir the pot.  For instance, you can clean and put away the dishes, bake something, or read a good book.  Just don't forget to keep stirring!  Second, keep an eye on the pot.  It is OK to walk away for a minute or two when you have liquid protecting the rice, but once you get to the stage when most of the stock is absorbed, that's when it is very important to keep stirring.  Otherwise, the ingredients will stick to the pot and make an unpleasant mess to clean up.  Lastly, once the risotto is ready you want to serve it right away.  I usually turn the heat off as soon as the rice is on the chalky side of al dente (soft enough to chew, but still a little "raw" in the center).  As I take a few minutes to get the table set, the rice has a chance to reach al dente perfection! 

This dish, in particular, is a more wholesome take on the traditional Italian risotto.  I use olive oil instead of butter and there is no wine or cheese (although, a grating of parmiggiano reggiano on top would be a lovely addition).  I find that when the butternut squash starts to dissolve it adds a body and creaminess that replace the need for cheese, and this dish has so much flavor you won't miss the wine at all.  I also like to add a handful of crispy kale on top, for some color and crunch (not to mention nutrients!).  Either way, it is a very comforting and satisfying dish that will help keep you warm through all those cold winter evenings. 

Winter Vegetable Risotto
serves 6

4-6 cups of vegetable stock
2 T olive oil
1 large leek, sliced and washed
4 cups butternut squash (about 1/2 a small squash), peeled and large-diced
1 cup arborio rice
2 cups crimini mushrooms (about 8 oz), chopped
2 T fresh sage, chopped
Crispy kale (optional)

Add stock to a small saucepan.  Bring to a simmer over high heat, then reduce to low heat and keep warm on the stove.  In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-high.  Add leeks and squash and saute until vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes.  Add rice and stir to combine.

Add a ladle of stock (or about 1/3 a cup) to the rice and stir well.  Continue to stir as the liquid is absorbed and when most of the liquid is gone, add another ladle.  Repeat this process of adding liquid and stirring until most of the stock is gone, or the rice is al dente (20 minutes or more).  Add mushrooms and sage in the last couple of minutes, stirring well to combine.  Serve immediately with crispy kale on top, if desired.