Every once-in-a-while I like to buy the pre-made polenta as sort of a "fridge/pantry stuffer" with no idea in site of what to do with it. Last week while cleaning out the fridge I realized I still hadn't cooked my polenta I bought a week or two before, and while not wanting food to go to waste, I whipped up a delicious meal. It was DELICIOUS!
Since I made this up from scratch, there aren't any measurements, but I definitely recommend making this for a easy, comfort food that doesn't take much skill.
1 Pre made Polenta "roll" sliced into 1/4 inch thick slices
Cherry Tomatoes (as little or as many as you want! I used the whole container)
Garlic (thinly sliced)
Fresh basil (chopped)
Sliced mushrooms (as many or little as you want)
Parmesan cheese
Fresh mozzarella cheese
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
*Pre heat oven to 350 degrees
•In a sauce pan combine, lightly heat up olive oil and add tomatoes (full).
•Add sliced garlic and mix. (Make sure the pan is not too hot to burn the garlic but let flavors and smell combine. )
•Add chopped basil and sliced mushrooms.
•Spoon in some of the fresh mozzarella cheese juice.
•Cover pan and let cook.
In another sauce pan:
•Heat olive oil
•Add sliced polenta, allowing it to lightly brown on the bottom before flipping over. (You may need to do two batches of these.)
Once all of the polenta has been cooked on both sides, take out a baking dish (Pyrex).
•Pour a little bit of olive oil on the bottom
•Place your first layer of polenta down. (Depending on size of baking dish you may be doing layers.)
•Sprinkle grated parmesan cheese over polenta. (Add pepper if you wish as well)
•Top with tomato/mushroom mixture.
If you have more polenta, make a new layer and layer with paremesan cheese and the rest of the tomato/mushroom mixture.
•Top with as little or as much shredded parmesan cheese and fresh mozzarella (cut into slices)
•Add any pepper to the dish
•Place in the oven.
•Cook until cheese has melted.
Serve onto plates and enjoy!
Monday, February 28, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Southern goodness!
Last Monday was reason for a real celebration - a day off from work! Tim and I both wanted to make a decadent and delicious dinner, and I was craving a slice of the south. We put together the following combination and it was AMAZING! And...the leftovers lasted all through the week. I highly recommend and, note to self, three pounds of meat is way more than enough. Even with our appetites. Oh my amazing - thank you, Martha S.!
Southern Pulled-Pork Sandwiches
Prep: 10 minutes Total: 2 hours 40 minutes
Pork shoulder, a well-marbled cut available at most supermarkets, turns fork-tender after long, slow cooking. Ours is especially succulent with a spice rub and vinegar.
INGREDIENTS
Serves 8.
1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3 pounds boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt), cut into 4 equal pieces
1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
4 garlic cloves, minced
8 soft sandwich rolls, split
Store-bought barbecue sauce, for serving (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in lower and upper positions. In a small bowl, combine sugar, cayenne, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper.
Place pork in a 5-quart Dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed pot; rub with spice mixture.
In a medium bowl, combine vinegar, garlic, and 1/2 cup water; pour over pork. Cover pot, and place in oven on lower rack. Bake until pork is very tender and separates easily when pulled with a fork, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
Transfer pork to a work surface, reserving pan juices. With two forks, shred meat. Transfer to a large bowl, and toss with pan juices to moisten (you may not need all the juices). Pile pork on rolls, and top with barbecue sauce, if desired.
Classic Creamy Coleslaw
The classic slaw. This tangle of cabbage and carrot is dressed with a balance of tangy mustard, mayonnaise, and sour cream.
INGREDIENTS
Serves 6 to 8.
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 small green cabbage, (about 1 3/4 pounds), finely shredded
2 medium carrots, cut into 1/8-inch-thick matchsticks or coarsely grated
1 small onion, coarsely grated (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Whisk together mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, salt, mayonnaise, and sour cream in a small bowl. Refrigerate dressing, covered, until ready to use, or up to 2 days.
Put cabbage, carrots, and onion (if desired) in a large bowl. Pour in dressing, and toss thoroughly. Refrigerate, covered, until slaw begins to soften, 1 to 2 hours. If not using immediately, refrigerate, covered, up to 2 days. Just before serving, toss coleslaw again.
Cucumber and Sweet-Onion Salad
Prep: 10 min Total: 10 min
INGREDIENTS
Serves 8.
3 English cucumbers, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 medium sweet onion, such as Vidalia, halved and thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh dill, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
Coarse salt and ground pepper
DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, toss together cucumbers, onion, dill, oil, lemon juice, and vinegar; season with salt and pepper.
Southern Pulled-Pork Sandwiches
Prep: 10 minutes Total: 2 hours 40 minutes
Pork shoulder, a well-marbled cut available at most supermarkets, turns fork-tender after long, slow cooking. Ours is especially succulent with a spice rub and vinegar.
INGREDIENTS
Serves 8.
1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3 pounds boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt), cut into 4 equal pieces
1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
4 garlic cloves, minced
8 soft sandwich rolls, split
Store-bought barbecue sauce, for serving (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in lower and upper positions. In a small bowl, combine sugar, cayenne, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper.
Place pork in a 5-quart Dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed pot; rub with spice mixture.
In a medium bowl, combine vinegar, garlic, and 1/2 cup water; pour over pork. Cover pot, and place in oven on lower rack. Bake until pork is very tender and separates easily when pulled with a fork, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
Transfer pork to a work surface, reserving pan juices. With two forks, shred meat. Transfer to a large bowl, and toss with pan juices to moisten (you may not need all the juices). Pile pork on rolls, and top with barbecue sauce, if desired.
Classic Creamy Coleslaw
The classic slaw. This tangle of cabbage and carrot is dressed with a balance of tangy mustard, mayonnaise, and sour cream.
INGREDIENTS
Serves 6 to 8.
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 small green cabbage, (about 1 3/4 pounds), finely shredded
2 medium carrots, cut into 1/8-inch-thick matchsticks or coarsely grated
1 small onion, coarsely grated (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Whisk together mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, salt, mayonnaise, and sour cream in a small bowl. Refrigerate dressing, covered, until ready to use, or up to 2 days.
Put cabbage, carrots, and onion (if desired) in a large bowl. Pour in dressing, and toss thoroughly. Refrigerate, covered, until slaw begins to soften, 1 to 2 hours. If not using immediately, refrigerate, covered, up to 2 days. Just before serving, toss coleslaw again.
Cucumber and Sweet-Onion Salad
Prep: 10 min Total: 10 min
INGREDIENTS
Serves 8.
3 English cucumbers, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 medium sweet onion, such as Vidalia, halved and thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh dill, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
Coarse salt and ground pepper
DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, toss together cucumbers, onion, dill, oil, lemon juice, and vinegar; season with salt and pepper.
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