A Life, Lived

Oven-Baked Polenta

The other day I posted the recipe for the slow cooked pork ribs in a tomato sauce. I should post the other part of the meal that made it a perfect dinner - polenta.

Polenta, in short, is a cornmeal porridge that's a common dish in Northern Italy. Long before corn was brought from the Americas to Europe, polenta was already a staple food—it just wasn't made from corn, obviously. The name originally comes from the Latin word for "pearled grain" (like barley), and the dish, a gruel that could be made with all sorts of grains and legumes, predates the Roman Empire.

There are a lot of rules people say you need to follow to make polenta, like using a wooden spoon, stirring in only one direction, adding the polenta to boiling water, and stirring constantly. And yet, of all the things worth knowing about how to cook great polenta, those might be some of the least important (and, frankly, partially incorrect) lessons.

Forget those. What's really important is using the right ratio of liquid to cornmeal and allowing the cornmeal to properly hydrate.

Now I am going to give you another tip - ignore those recipes and try this one.

I've made polenta on the stove top many times and I have always invariably been splattered with the hot, bubbling liquid. Lord, that stuff is like magma!

Do yourself a favour and make this version the bakes away in the oven. You mix it, cover it, pop it in the oven, and pretty well forget about it. No burned arms. No mess all over the stove to clean up. Delicious polenta every time.

You can play around with the recipe too. I like to add goat cheese. Sometimes I'll add chopped tomatoes. You can try different herbs as well - I used basil this time because I had some in the fridge that needed to be used up. The recipe is pretty well foolproof and you can play with a bit.

Enjoy!

Oven-Baked Polenta

3/4 cornmeal (sometimes labelled as polenta)
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3 cups water (you can sub in chicken or vegetable broth for more flavour)
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon chopped fresh marjoram

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees

In an ovenproof baking dish with a lid, whisk together the cornmeal, salt, pepper and water. Cover and bake for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through.

Remove from oven, add milk, butter and marjoram. Whisk briskly until smooth. Serve immediately.

 

Apple and Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal

This is a delicious variation on baked oatmeal, this Amish-style (which I never knew about before I found this recipe on GOOGLE) apple and cinnamon baked oatmeal is so easy and delicious (and can be made the night before.) The nice thing about this recipe for baked oatmeal is is can also be made the morning you need it making it a perfect spur of the moment choice.

It comes together quickly using ingredients that you'll likely have on hand.

We served it with some plain greek yoghurt sweetened with maple syrup and a dash of cinnamon.

YUM

Apple and Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar (more to taste if you like things a bit sweeter)
2 1/2 cups milk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons butter, melted
2-3 large tart, sweet apples (like Honey Crisp or Gala), peeled, cored and diced

Lightly grease a 8X12-inch or 9X13-inch baking pan or 9X9-inch (for super thick oatmeal) with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (don't preheat the oven if making ahead of time and refrigerating overnight).

In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and brown sugar.

In a large liquid measuring cup or medium bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, and vanilla.

Pour this mixture over the dry ingredients and add the melted butter. Stir or whisk to combine.

Arrange the diced apples evenly over the bottom of the baking dish and pour the oatmeal mixture over the top. You can cover and refrigerate overnight at this point or bake right away (uncover before baking the next morning).

Bake for 35-45 minutes until the top is golden and the mixture is setup and not super jiggly.

Serve warm or at room temperature with a little milk poured over the top, if you want.

 

Healthy Granola

I've been eating a lot of the Blueberry and Almond granola that I made last month. So much that I was running out last week. Instead of making a tried and true recipe I thought I'd branch out and make something new.

This 'healthy' granola is sweetened with maple syrup or honey. I found a lot of both when I cleaned out the pantry so was happy to use some up. It's made with oats, your favourite nuts and fruit. The nice thing about it is the flexibility.

It make a lot - about 8 cups. When you only use a bit to sprinkle on yoghurt or cereal that will last a while.

Now, how does it compare to the version I made last month?

This recipe makes a granola that is less sweet. It also doesn't form the larger clusters that the other recipe formed. I didn't like it as much. Don't get me wrong, it is good, just not as amazeballs good as the other version.

Healthy Granola

4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (use certified gluten-free oats for gluten-free granola)
1 ½ cup raw nuts and/or seeds (I used 1 cup pecans and ½ cup almonds)
1 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup melted coconut oil or olive oil
½ cup maple syrup or honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅔ cup dried fruit, chopped if large (I used dried cranberries)
Totally optional additional mix-ins: ½ cup chocolate chips or coconut flakes (I didn't add any of this in. Depending upon what you add the resulting granola may not live up to its name. LOL)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, nuts and/or seeds, salt and cinnamon. Stir to blend.

Pour in the oil, maple syrup and/or honey and vanilla. Mix well, until every oat and nut is lightly coated. Pour the granola onto your prepared pan and use a large spoon to spread it in an even layer.

Bake until lightly golden, about 21 to 24 minutes, stirring halfway (for extra-clumpy granola, press the stirred granola down with your spatula to create a more even layer). The granola will further crisp up as it cools.

Let the granola cool completely, undisturbed (at least 45 minutes). Top with the dried fruit (and optional chocolate chips, if using). Break the granola into pieces with your hands if you want to retain big chunks, or stir it around with a spoon if you don’t want extra-clumpy granola.

Store the granola in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 to 2 weeks, or in a sealed freezer bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. The dried fruit can freeze solid, so let it warm to room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Farro with Blistered Tomatoes, Pesto, and Spinach

Wow.

This recipe is amazing and you want to try it ASAP.

Here is an Italian-inspired recipe that uses store-bought or homemade pesto to season farro, which is then tossed with fresh spinach, roasted tomatoes, red onions and mozzarella for a complete vegetarian meal. Make it with fresh-from-the-market cherry tomatoes when they’re in season, but during the rest of the year, use grape tomatoes, as they tend to be more flavorful than cherry during the colder months.

It tastes delicious warm or cold the next day — and topping it with shrimp, chicken or scallops can make it feel new again.We served it with some roasted salmon fillets and it made a brilliant dinner.

Before reheating, add a bit more spinach, drizzle it with a little olive oil and give it a good stir.

Farro with Blistered Tomatoes, Pesto, and Spinach

Kosher salt and black pepper
1 cup farro, rinsed
2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes
1 small red onion, peeled, quartered and cut into 1-inch wedges
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for the farro
½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes
¼ cup store-bought or homemade pesto, plus more to taste
1 lemon, zested (about 1 tablespoon) and juiced (about 2 tablespoons)
2 packed cups baby spinach
1 (4-ounce) ball fresh mozzarella, torn into chunks, or 1/2 cup ricotta salata, crumbled (optional)
¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley or basil leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Bring a large covered pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the farro and adjust the heat to maintain a medium boil. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom, until tender and not too chewy, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, on a sheet pan, combine the tomatoes and onion wedges with the oil, making sure everything is well coated and glistening, then season with salt, pepper and the red-pepper flakes. Roast until the tomatoes blister and slightly deflate, 25 to 30 minutes.

When the farro is done, drain, then pour into a serving bowl or back into the pot. Toss with some olive oil, then mix in the pesto. Add the lemon zest and juice, then stir in the spinach. Set aside to cool slightly.

Scrape the onions, tomatoes and their juices into the farro; season with salt and pepper as needed. Add the cheese, if using, then garnish with herbs and serve.

Creamy Polenta

I posted the other day about the short ribs I made recently. I served them with creamy polenta instead of the more traditional mashed potatoes.

It's been some time since I made polenta on the stove. My go-to method is this baked polenta. Now I remember why - my goodness, polenta becomes like molten lava when it is cooking. That hot, viscous mixture bubbling up and exploding out of the pot is lethal! Happily the burns I sustained were minor.

Now I know that you really want to try this one out don't you?

Never heard of polenta?

Polenta is a porridge type dish popular in Northern Italy. In Italy it is often made with various ingredients, including cornmeal, ground rice, buckwheat, and chestnut flour. Here in North America, it is generally made exclusively with coarsely ground cornmeal. Think of polenta as an Italian version of grits.

Now about the lethal part - the secret is to cook slowly. My stove was too hot. If you cook at a low temperature you can avoid the spatters of hot polenta over the kitchen (and yourself . . . more the issue to be honest).

Honest, I tried it again to see if was always so mean a dish to prepare and it turns out at a lower temperature it is quite manageable. Lesson learned.

This recipe is flexible - you can sub broth for the water. You can also sub goat cheese for the cream cheese. I had some left over from Christmas that i wanted to use up so this is what I did.

Enjoy!

Creamy Polenta

4 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt (or 1 teaspoon if using salted butter)
1 cup yellow polenta or coarsely ground cornmeal
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup cream cheese

Heat salted water (1 1/2 teaspoons of salt for 1 quart of water) to a boil over high heat in a thick-bottomed 2 or 3 quart pan. Slowly add the polenta into the boiling water, whisking while you add it to prevent any lumps from forming.

Lower the heat to a very low simmer and add the butter. Continue to whisk the polenta until it starts to thicken. Then cover the pan and let the polenta cook for 25 minutes. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon so that the polenta doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. The polenta should be soft and tender when done. If not, let it cook a little longer.

Add the cream cheese and stir it into the polenta. Taste and add more salt if necessary. (You can also add more cream cheese if you want it to be even creamier.)

Farro Salad with Tomatoes and Herbs

Farro, also called Emmer, is an ancient wheat strain similar to the very first wheat cultivated by ancient Mediterranean civilizations. Farro dominated the fields of the Near East, northern Africa and Europe until early farmers of Ancient Rome crossed wheat species to produce modern strains like durum. 

Chefs and home cooks around the world are rediscovering farro as a hearty side dish, a protein replacement or a salad compliment. Farro is very high in protein, with strong, cohesive gluten. It makes beautiful pasta flour—Italians have been making pasta with farro for centuries.

When I recently cleaned out the pantry I discovered that I had taken on a new role as 'farro hoarder'. In my defense, there was a period where it was quite hard to find here in the Toronto area so I used to bring back packages from trips to Italy. Rationale aside, I had plenty and needed to start using it up.

In the summer I enjoy making farro salads. Mom was over for dinner last week so of course I added this farro salad to the menu.

The recipe is easy to follow (yeah), quick (yeah), and tasted great (yeah), making this one to keep.

Farro Salad with Tomatoes and Herbs

4 cups water
10 ounces farro (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
1 pound tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 sweet onion (recommended: Walla Walla) chopped
1/4 cup snipped fresh chives
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Combine the water and farro in a medium saucepan. Add 2 teaspoons of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the farro is tender, about 30 minutes. Drain well, and then transfer to a large bowl to cool.

Add the tomatoes, onion, chives, and parsley to the farro, and toss to combine.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the garlic, vinegar, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Add the vinaigrette to the salad and toss to coat.

The salad can be refrigerated overnight. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Farro with Feta, Cucumbers, and Sun-dried Tomatoes

 

Whatever you choose to pair farro with the ever-versatile nutty Italian grain is sure to make the salad anything but boring! In fact, it just may be my favourite grain. It can be challenging to find here in Canada. I used to bring bags of it home from Italy (you can get large bags at the COOP for about $1.50). Then I found it for sale in the US and now I bring it home from there.

Farro cooks up quickly to a slightly chewy texture and has a sweet, nutty taste which pairs well with most anything. In this salad, from Skinny Taste, it is joined with mint, veggies, sun-dried tomatoes, and feta.

Paul whipped this together for dinner the other night and we both loved it!

 
Farro with Feta, Cucumbers, and Sun-dried Tomatoes

1 cup uncooked pearled faro
2 tbsp minced red onion
1/4 cup minced sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 cup fresh grated feta
2/3 cup finely chopped cucumber, seeds removed
1/4 cup finely chopped bell pepper
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp finely chopped mint or parsley
kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Cook farro in salted water according to package directions until al dente, about 15-20 minutes. Drain and let cool.

Combine with remaining ingredients and toss well. Serve chilled or room temperature.

Creamy Oven-Baked Polenta

Making polenta could be described as a workout for your upper arms, since most recipes require lots of stirring.Then there is the 'joy' of being splattered with thick, boiling hot polenta as your stir.

But making creamy polenta doesn’t have to be so much work. This Creamy Oven-Baked Polenta is as simple as combining chicken broth and polenta in a baking dish and popping it into the oven.

The dish only needs to be stirred once, and the end result is delicious, perfectly cooked polenta that you can use as a side dish or as a base for a hearty ragout (like the one I posted yesterday)

While the polenta is simply flavoured with a little butter, salt and pepper, feel free to add shredded cheese, fresh herbs or finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes at the end of cooking. I had some heirloom grape tomatoes that had gone wrinkly - I threw them in with the polenta and they added a lovely tomato flavour to the dish. Just before it was finished I stirred in some leftover chevre that I found at the bottom of the cheese drawer.

YUM!

Creamy Oven-Baked Polenta

4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup polenta
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine chicken broth and polenta in a 3-quart oven-proof baking dish and place in the oven. Bake for 1 hour, stirring after 30 minutes. Remove from oven, stir in the butter and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Butternut Squash Polenta with Sausage Polenta

It is amazing how our cooking changes as soon as the weather turns cooler! Out come the crock pot, dutch oven, and soup pots. Suddenly I am roasting, braising, and stewing again. I think I've only had the grill on twice since I have been home from vacation!

This recipe is a perfect example of what we call 'fall food' - it's hearty, substantial, and fills you with delicious warmth! I originally found it when I was looking for ways to use up a butternut squash which had arrived in our CSA.

I seem to always find interesting sausage which we're out on our wanders and the freezer is becoming overrun with it! I thought that creamy polenta and sweet squash would be the perfect compliment to some of that sausage.  The result was a comfort-food style dish that I'll definitely be making again.

Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Polenta with Sausage Polenta

1½ teaspoons kosher salt, more as needed
1 bay leaf
1 cup fine polenta (not quick-cooking)
5 ounces seeded and peeled butternut squash, coarsely grated (1 cup)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Black pepper, as needed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed
1½ pounds sweet or hot Italian pork sausage, sliced into ¼-inch rounds
2 teaspoons minced rosemary
1 teaspoon fennel seeds (optional - we used this)
2 small onions, peeled, halved lengthwise and sliced into ¼-inch half moons
Rosemary sprigs, for garnish (optional)

In a large pot over medium-high heat, combine 4½ cups water, the salt and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Slowly whisk in polenta. Stir in squash. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring frequently, until polenta and squash are very tender, 20 to 30 minutes. If the mixture gets too thick while cooking, add a little more water to the pot. Stir in butter and black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

While polenta cooks, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage, rosemary and fennel seeds if using. Cook, stirring occasionally, until meat is golden and cooked through, seven to 10 minutes. (Do this in batches if necessary, adding oil if the pan looks dry.) Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.

Add more oil to the skillet if it looks dry, then add onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they are tender and golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Return sausage to pan and stir to heat through. Spoon polenta into bowls and top with sausage and onion. Garnish with rosemary if you like.

Roasted Broccoli and Farro Salad with Feta

Jeans a little snug? Here's recipe to make your body, as well as your palate, happy; the dish leaves you content, and tummy full without adding a ton of calories or fat.

If you've never roasted broccoli you're in for a treat. The essense of broccoli flavor, as other vegetables sweetly transformed in the oven, emerges and is marvelous with the earthiness and chew of farro.

This salad was amazing either hot, cold, or at room temperature - what is not to love about THAT? You might want to just start off by doubling the recipe because you'll want more. -)

Roasted Broccoli and Farro Salad with Feta

2/3 cup dry farro
4 cups (bite-sized) broccoli florets
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 cup crumbled feta
2 scallions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped parsley

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 400 degrees.

Cook farro, according to package instructions, in boiling salted water until tender, 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile toss florets with 2 tablespoons of the oil and spread in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. Roast in oven 15-20 minutes or until browned in spots.

Whisk together remaining tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon vinegar. Toss with feta, scallions, parsley, cooked farro and roasted broccoli. Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.