Herb Polenta with Chicken Sausage

August 29th, 2011 | Posted by Nicole in Recipes - (0 Comments)

I have had a container of organic yellow cornmeal sitting around for a while just begging to be cooked before it went bad. And PS: it was dirt cheap at the Dekalb Farmer’s Market. I saw a few recipes on the internet using polenta, and it gave me the idea to make polenta from that cornmeal.

I didn’t know how much liquid to use with the cornmeal, but made a guess and then realized it was definitely not enough!

Herb Polenta with Chicken Sausage Recipe:
Makes 6 to 8 servings; Cut in half if you like, but the recipe reheats very well.

  • 4 Cups Water
  • 3 Cups Reduced sodium chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1 Cup Milk (I used fat free to keep it light)
  • 1.5 Cups Fresh corn (if you have it) or 1 can corn (no salt added)
  • 1/4 Cup Fresh basil, chopped
  • 2 tsp. ground rosemary (If you don’t have, just use more fresh or dried rosemary)
  • 2 Tbsp. Fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 2 tsp. Garlic powder
  • 2 Cups Yellow cornmeal
  • 6-8 Links Chicken sausage (The leanest you can find; I found some at 100 calories per link and 4 grams of fat at Costco)

Directions:

  1. In a large saucepan (must be slightly larger than an 10 cup saucepan), bring the liquid ingredients to a boil.
  2. Slowly stir in the cornmeal while whisking to avoid lumps. Reduce heat to a simmer.
  3. Cook uncovered for about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the corn and all the dried spices during cooking.
  4. While the polenta cooks, heat up a grill pan to medium-high and place the sausages on the grill pan. Cook about 10 minutes until golden brown. I used pre-cooked sausages.
  5. Add any fresh herbs just before the polenta is done. You will know it is done when there is no extra liquid, and you can pleasantly eat a bite with no hard grittiness. *You may have to add extra liquid as it cooks.

Eat the meal with a side of veggies, and you are all set! I went back for seconds of the polenta as well :)

, , ,

Healthy Appetizer: Cucumber on Flatbread Crackers

August 24th, 2011 | Posted by Nicole in Recipes - (1 Comments)

When I am trying to use up vegetables that will go bad soon, I can get creative with my snacks. I had a large bag full of cucumbers, and decided to make a Greek yogurt dip to go with them. The dip turned out not to be a favorite, but when spread on crackers with the cucumber, it was delightful.

Here is the boyfriend holding the flatbread cracker topped with cucumbers, yogurt sauce, and sun dried tomatoes.

You can make all kinds of variations of this by using olives, artichokes, pesto, other seasonal veggies–get creative!

Happy Hump Day :)

, , ,

Roasted Eggplant

August 22nd, 2011 | Posted by Nicole in Recipes - (3 Comments)

I love eggplant, and I like it cooked every way. I am so glad it is in season now until about October.

I tried to roast eggplant for the first time, and I have not yet perfected it. It turned out pretty good, but I think a longer roasting would dehydrate the pieces even more to make them more tender, and they would have more texture. My roasted eggplant came out a little mushy, and the skin was still a little tough.

To make roasted eggplant: Cube one large eggplant. Preheat your oven to 400 F. Toss eggplant with salt, pepper, and 1 Tbsp. olive oil. I roasted the eggplant for about 35-40 minutes, and I recommend to try 45-50 minutes unless you like the larger pieces that are slightly mushy. **Be sure to stir halfway through, or the eggplant will stick to the pan.

I served it as a side with chicken and zucchini Parmesan. You could do anything with this eggplant: add it to a salad, sandwich, or stir it in a pasta dish.

Nutrition Facts: Eggplant is not rich in any vitamins or minerals, but it is packed full of antioxidants. Eggplant is healthy for the brain, and like other veggies with antioxidants can help ward off cancer.

, , , , ,

Zucchini Ribbon Salad

August 14th, 2011 | Posted by Nicole in Recipes - (2 Comments)

I had been seeing people make cold salads with zucchini all over the internet, and I thought I should give it a try. While it is summer, and zucchini is fresh and cheap, it is a great ingredient for recipes. And, I was getting tired of eating lettuce-based salads. I may make a zucchini lasagna in the future too!

Zucchini Ribbon Salad
Makes about 4 servings
Ingredients:

  • 3 large zucchinis (I used organic zucchini because I would be eating the skin)
  • 4 oz. of good hard Parmesan cheese, sliced into thin shavings
  • Juice of 1 lemon, and the zest of that lemon (about 1/2 Tbsp.), or use lemon pepper seasoning if you don’t have a lemon on hand
  • 1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning (Parsley, Oregano, Basil, etc.), or 1/4 Cup of chopped fresh parsley if you have it
  • Splash of light Italian dressing (2-4 Tbsp.) or, use olive oil and vinegar
  • salt and pepper

Directions:

  1. Heat a grill pan on medium heat.
  2. Using a mandolin, thinly slice the zucchini in long strips (lengthwise). This doesn’t have to be perfect.
  3. Place the zucchini strips on the grill pan to wilt them down, about 5 minutes. Stir to distribute the heat evenly to all the zucchini.
  4. Remove zucchini from grill pan and place in a bowl over ice to cool. Toss zucchini with spices, and lemon.
  5. After zucchini mixture has cooled enough, add Parmesan shavings.

Nutrition Facts (Approx. Per Serving): 180 calories, 10 g fat, 10 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 11 g protein, excellent source of vitamin A, calcium, and phosphorus.

Mine didn’t turn out quite as pretty as I hoped, but it was refreshing, and the Parmesan cheese made it even better.

, , ,

Twilight Bachelorette Party

August 8th, 2011 | Posted by Nicole in Miscellaneous - (7 Comments)

My friend just got married this past weekend, and my sister threw her a Twilight themed Bachelorette. It was so creative, and we had a blast. We had a few red drinks labeled type A, B, O, AB, and “drink up”. We also had some blood red wine. We love any reason to throw a themed party and decorate! Cute plates on which we served a cake I made (the cake can not be shown for other reasons). The key to excellent chocolate cake is adding a box of pudding to the recipe. Almost ready. Decorating the bar. Love this decoration. And finally, the pose next to Edward:

,

Healthy Snack Idea: Cheap and Easy Store Bought Hummus

August 1st, 2011 | Posted by Nicole in Food Review - (0 Comments)

I found this hummus on sale for $1.70-something, and decided it would be better to try than buying the $4 small container of pre-made hummus or spending time making my own from scratch. One box makes about 2 cups which is more than is stated on the box. So, this is a very good value for the price.
This boxed hummus is made of dehydrated chickpeas, and your standard hummus ingredients (see below):

Simple ingredients. No problem with that! All you have to do to make the hummus is add 1 1/2 cups of hot water, and a few tablespoons of olive oil, and stir. It was ready in less than a minute. And this hummus tasted very lemony, and delicious.

Now, on to the nutrition facts:

This hummus is actually a little lighter than your average pre-made, store bought hummus. Definitely a great snack, or for a spread on sandwiches. I highly recommend it, and will be buying it again. But, I am slightly worried they discontinued it because I haven’t seen it in stores lately.

Update: You can actually buy the hummus on amazon:Fantastic Foods Original Hummus, 6-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 12)
Figures… you can buy anything on amazon!

, , , , , ,