Polenta Lasagna

I usually make my own polenta from scratch, but occasionally I'll pick up a roll of the premade stuff. Typically I'll just fry it up in a little butter or olive oil, but this time I decided to get a bit more creative. This meal is the perfect compromise between homemade and convenience food, taking shortcut items like jarred marinara sauce and premade polenta and combining them with a pile of fresh vegetables and mushrooms for a lot of flavor in just a short time. That being said, because you're using shortcut items to build a lot of flavor, you better make sure they're good choices. Rao's is frequently regarded as the cream of the crop when it comes to jarred sauces, but it also comes at a pretty steep price. Newman's Own, which I happen to love, comes at a much more budget-friendly price, but use whatever you love (or honestly, just happen to have in the cupboard). I really pumped up the sauce by using not-quite frugal shiitake mushrooms, but this will also be delicious if you can only get your hands on creminis. This lasagna has all the flavor and comfort that a traditional lasagna does, but is a slightly sloppier affair because the polenta rounds don't form the seamless layers that lasagna noodles do. A pile of vegetables carefully disguised as comfort food, this decadent meal will happily feed kids, adults, gluten-intolerants, and vegetarians all from one generous dish without anyone feeling like they're missing out. Spring has finally made her subtle entrance, so seize the opportunity to make a last cold-weather indulgence before warm weather settles in for good.

Polenta Lasagna
adapted from Cooking Light
serves 4 to 6

1 (26-ounce) jar marinara sauce, divided (or homemade marinara sauce)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
8 ounces shiitake (or cremini) mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
One 10-ounce box of spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 (16-ounce) tube of polenta, cut into 18 slices
1 cup (4 ounces) preshredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Spoon 1/2 cup marinara sauce into an 8-inch square baking dish to cover bottom, and set aside.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, pepper, mushrooms, and garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sauté 6 to 10 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add remaining marinara sauce and spinach; reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Arrange 9 polenta slices over marinara in baking dish, and top evenly with half of vegetable mixture. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of cheese over vegetable mixture; arrange remaining polenta over cheese. Top polenta with the remaining vegetable mixture, and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.

4. Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Whole Wheat English Muffins

Even if something is commercially available at a reasonable price, I can't resist trying to make it myself at least once. I've long meant to try my hand at English muffins, but compared to other breakfast breads and pastries, whole grain recipes are hard to come by. I typically stick to a few trusted sources when it comes to recipe websites, but this time I ventured outside my comfort zone this time to achieve my whole wheat goal. Like almost any homemade version, these English muffins are not facsimiles of the commercial version, but absolutely delicious in their own right. By using mostly whole wheat flour and no dough stabilizers, these turn out somewhat denser than their commercial counterparts, but there are still plenty of nooks and crannies to soak up all manner of condiments with so much more flavor than the white flour variety. (If you'd like a lighter muffin, increase the portion of bread/AP flour). Fresh from the skillet they're simply delightful with only butter and/or jam, but they also make delicious breakfast sandwiches or Eggs Benedict. If the entire batch doesn't get devoured right out of the skillet, extras freeze beautifully for a homemade breakfast anytime.

Whole Wheat English Muffins
adapted from Cowgirl Chef
makes 6 muffins

1 package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon butter, softened
2 cups whole wheat flour
½ cup bread or all-purpose flour
¼ cup yellow cornmeal, or as needed
1 tablespoon canola oil, for greasing skillet

1. Place the yeast and warm water in the bowl of a mixer and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the sea salt, honey and butter and with the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed.

2. Add the flours and mix until all of the ingredients are blended, then increase the speed to medium-high until the dough is smooth, about 5 more minutes. Shape the dough into a ball, and put it in a lightly greased bowl, cover it with a towel, and let it rise for 2 hours in a warm (but not too hot) place. (Note: you can do all of this in advance, and let the dough rise overnight.)

3. To make the muffins, punch down the dough, and divide it into 6 pieces that you’ve shaped into discs. Set aside for 30 minutes.

4. Put the cornmeal in a shallow bowl or on a plate. Cover the top and bottom of each disc with cornmeal and cook in a lightly greased skillet over medium-low heat. Each side will take about 5 minutes. Let cool on a rack completely.

Spicy Stewed Potatoes and Spinach with Coconut Milk

Indian food is one of the cuisines I came to much later in life. I now live in a culinary utopia, but I grew up in an area where most of the people were only aware of Indian "culture" through Apu on The Simpsons. I was lucky to have parents who valued other cultures and taught me as much as they could about the worlds beyond my tiny hometown, but that still didn't change the fact that there wasn't anywhere to go out for curry and naan. Now that I'm cooking for myself, I find that Indian culinary tradition is one I go back to frequently, especially when I'm making vegetarian meals. This recipe combines hearty potatoes and gently cooked spinach with spicy chiles, fresh cilantro,and creamy coconut milk to create a filling dish that satisfies all of your taste buds. It is rather gentle with the traditional spices, using turmeric instead of the full suite of curry spices, and a nice way to gradually introduce novices to the lovely flavors of Indian cuisine. More adventurous palates or those better acquainted with Indian food may want to substitute the turmeric with curry powder, whose myriad ingredients are just as eagerly soaked up by the potatoes and spinach. Chicken, fish, or tofu would feel most at home next to this on your dinner plate, but it could be served over rice or quinoa for a hearty, starchy dinner.

Spicy Stewed Potatoes and Spinach with Coconut Milk

adapted from Eating Well

serves 4

1 pound Yukon Gold or red potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
2 dried red chiles, such as Thai, cayenne, chile de arbol, or guajillo, stemmed
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup firmly packed fresh cilantro
4 large cloves garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon salt, divided
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric (or curry powder, to taste)
1/2 cup light coconut milk
8 ounces baby spinach

1. Place potatoes in a medium bowl; cover with cold water to prevent browning. Place chiles in a small heatproof bowl and pour the boiling water over them. Set aside until they are reconstituted, about 15 minutes. Reserving the chile-soaking water, coarsely chop the chiles (do not seed).

2. Pile cilantro, garlic, 3/4 teaspoon salt and the chopped chiles in a mortar. Pound the ingredients to a pulpy mass with the pestle, using a spatula to contain the mixture in the center for a concentrated pounding. (Alternatively, mince the ingredients in a food processor.)

3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the spice paste and cook, stirring, until the garlic is honey-brown and the chiles are pungent, 1 to 2 minutes. (Make sure to use adequate ventilation.) Drain the potatoes and add along with turmeric; cook, stirring to coat the potatoes with the yellow spice, about 30 seconds. Pour in the reserved chile-soaking water and scrape the pan to loosen any browned bits; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are fork-tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

4. When the potatoes are tender, pile the spinach leaves over them, add remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, cover and cook until the spinach is wilted, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the coconut milk mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve promptly.

Quinoa-Spinach Bake

When it comes to healthy grains, quinoa is king. It is a complete protein, gluten-free, and quick-cooking, so you can serve a crowd with all manner of dietary restrictions with minimal time and effort. Quinoa is a relative newcomer to the American food scene and some might be a little surprised by its flavor and texture, but I've come to really adore each nutty, chewy bite. This dish can't feed quite everyone (sorry vegans!), but it makes for a fantastic side or main for everyone else. I was a bit skeptical at first that it would turn out dry and crumbly, but the moist quinoa, vegetables, and delightfully salty pockets of cottage cheese were held together perfectly by just a couple of eggs. Fresh thyme and rosemary imbue each bite with a lovely herbal quality and generously perfume the house as it bakes. The contrast between the crunchy outside and tender center is a real treat, the cascade of textures throughout each bite elevating what would be a delicious, but monotextural, combination of ingredients to something much more special. I ate this as a main with roasted vegetables on the side, but it would also be a lovely accompaniment to meat or eggs. Whether you're feeding vegetarians, gluten intolerants, or just health-minded individuals, this dish is a crowd-pleaser appropriate for any meal or season.

Quinoa-Spinach Bake
adapted from Whole Living
serves 4 as a main or 8 as a side

• Olive-oil cooking spray

  Breadcrumbs, for baking dish
  One 10-ounce box frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed as dry as possible
  2 teaspoons olive oil
  1 yellow onion, peeled and diced
  2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  1 tablespoon picked fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
  1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
  1/4 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
  2 cups cooked quinoa (about 1 cup uncooked quinoa), made according to package directions
  1 cup low fat cottage cheese
  1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8-by-8-inch glass or ceramic baking dish with olive-oil spray. Coat with breadcrumbs; set aside.

  
  

  2. Heat the olive oil in a medium saute pan. Add onion, garlic, thyme, rosemary, and red-pepper flakes, and saute until translucent, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat; transfer to a medium bowl.

  
  

  3. Add spinach, quinoa, cottage cheese, pepper, and eggs to the onion mixture, and stir until well combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish, and place in the oven. Bake until set and edges are brown, 60 to 70 minutes. Slice, and serve warm or at room temperature.

  

  
  

Thai Tofu or Chicken Salad

These below average temperatures are really getting on my nerves. All I can think about are flip flops, shorts, planting gardens, and all the other wonderful things that come with spring, especially the culinary ones. Despite all of that, the sunshine creeping into the evening is giving me hope that soon the snow will be gone and I'll be awash with spring vegetables. This salad is made with local spinach, available all year long, and carrots, a fall/winter vegetable, but the Thai flavors in this salad make it feel quite spring-like in my opinion. Too often both salad and tofu get a bad rap, but neither needs to be boring or leave you hungry, and this recipe is proof of that. A delicate sprinkling of feta and peanuts add the perfect level of saltiness to accent the fresh and crunchy carrots and spinach and the tofu or chicken make it a filling and complete meal. This same collection of ingredients could also be adapted into a stir-fry or noodle bowl for something even more hearty, but this should satisfy most appetites with just a crusty piece of bread or roll on the side.

Thai Tofu or Chicken Salad
serves 1

2 cups spinach, salad greens, or baby lettuce (about 2 ounces), washed, dried and chopped
1/4 cup grated carrot (about 1 ounce)
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
3 ounces cooked chicken or baked tofu
2 tablespoons chopped roasted peanuts
2 tablespoons crumbled feta (about 1/2 ounce)
Salad dressing, for serving

1. Combine spinach, carrot, green onion, and cilantro in a bowl or on a large plate and toss to combine. Top with chicken/tofu, peanuts, and feta cheese. Drizzle dressing of choice over top, and enjoy!

Skillet Tuna Noodle Casserole

I make sure to eat seafood at least once a week. Sometimes it's high end sushi, most often it's salmon, but sometimes it's just canned tuna. Luckily for me, affordable canned (or rather pouched) tuna was perfectly suited for my latest craving - tuna noodle casserole. Cookbooks and websites abound with recipes for tuna casserole, but I couldn't easily find one that suited my needs when I was dining solo. Since I crave variety and can't keep up with recipes I have bookmarked, I'm always trying to find and develop and recipes to feed only one or two. Recipes often don't scale down easily for just a couple of diners, but it was easily to build this basic tuna noodle casserole recipe from the ground up. I started with a simple bechamel sauce, using it to blend together whole wheat pasta, peas, and tuna, a healthier riff on the traditional condensed soup and egg noodle version. Whole wheat bread crumbs and nutty Parmesan add a lovely layer of crunch and flavor on top and just the right amount of texture to this creamy dish. It's basic and satisfying, but the bechamel could easily be punched up with whatever herbs and spices you have on hand. Whether you're craving a homemade bowl of comfort now to combat this winter that just won't end or wait until spring peas make their first appearance, this cozy meal is sure to please.

Skillet Tuna Noodle Casserole
serves 1 hungry person or 2 light appetites

2 ounces whole wheat fusili or other small pasta
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup low-fat milk
One 2.6-ounce pouch tuna
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
1 tablespoon whole wheat bread crumbs
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bring a medium pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook pasta to just shy of al dente, about 9 minutes, adding peas during last minute of cook time. Drain, reserving ~1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.

2. Meanwhile, melt butter in a small oven-proof pan. When butter is melted, add flour and stir well to combine. Cook, stirring constantly, until the roux is light brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add milk, stirring constantly, and bring mixture to a simmer. Simmer until mixture is thickened, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add pasta, peas, and tuna, stir to combine, and season to taste with salt and pepper and red pepper flakes (if using).

3. Combine bread crumbs and Parmesan in a small bowl. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the pasta Place the pan in the oven and cook until mixture is bubbly and bread crumbs are toasted, about 5 to 10 minutes. Serve promptly.

Chickpea and Roasted Broccoli Salad with Feta

 

I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw fresh broccoli at the farmers' market. Although Madison, Wisconsin is home of the country's largest producer-only farmers' market in the summer, in winter the variety of fresh local produce is not quite so plentiful. It's true you can get root vegetables and greens all winter long, but the arrival of each new veggie is an occasion to be treasured. Even though it's grown in a greenhouse, this first taste of broccoli will be short-lived so I tried to put it to good, if simple, use. And when in doubt, roast it! I eat roasted broccoli and cauliflower in absolutely ridiculous amounts, but every so often they make it into more elaborate recipes. The vegetal element of this salad is threefold - deeply flavorful roasted broccoli, sharp and crunchy red onion, and tender greens showcase so much of what vegetables bring to a dish. The chickpeas make the salad truly substantial and the salty feta cheese is the perfect foil for both the deep caramelized flavors and the sharp and fresh ones. The vernal equinox just around the bend and soon after it all the wonderful ingredients of spring, but until the snows disappear this hearty salad is just what the season ordered.

Chickpea and Roasted Broccoli Salad with Feta
serves 1

4 ounces cauliflower or broccoli, cut into small to medium florets with at least one flat side
Olive oil cooking spray
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 ounces salad greens or lettuce
1/2 ounce red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup canned chickpeas, thoroughly rinsed and drained
1/2 ounce crumbled feta or goat cheese
Salad dressing, for serving

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Toss the cauliflower with olive oil to coat and season to taste with salt and pepper. Roast until tender and browned, about 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, spread salad greens on a plate, topping with red onion and chickpeas. Once the cauliflower or broccoli is done roasted, sprinkle on the salad and top with cheese. Drizzle with salad dressing of choice, and enjoy!