Stack of Stuff- Egg, Mushrooms, Spinach, and Onion Over Polenta

I'm on spring break this week. Please imagine me saying "spring break" with quotey fingers, because it's a bit of a joke. I'm, of course, still at work. I've still got chores to get done. And worst of all, plenty of homework so I'll be ready for the two tests awaiting me next week. Oh, and my poetry analysis is due too. Blerg. Anyway, I knew I needed to do at least a little cooking this week, even if I'm still plenty busy. Mushrooms were on sale this week, I had a little extra spinach in the fridge, and I've been craving eggs lately. I decided polenta, onion, and parmesan would round things out nicely. This was a pretty simple and quick dinner to put together. I need to remember things like this more often. Simple is key for me, with so little time on my hands.

Egg, Mushrooms, Spinach, and Onion over Polenta
Serves 2

1/2 tube firm polenta, in 1/2" slices, about 6
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
10 oz. mushrooms- cleaned, trimmed, and quartered
3 cups fresh spinach
2 eggs
Olive oil
Shaved parmesan
Balsamic vinegar

• Heat your polenta according to your taste- I pan fried in butter, then kept warm in a 250 degree oven while I prepared the rest of the ingredients.
• Heat 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat; add onion, season with salt; as onions begin to soften add mushrooms. Sprinkle with balsamic vinegar and stir occasionally. Cook until onion and mushroom are softened and golden.
• Cook eggs according to your taste- I fried ours sunny side up (except that I overcooked mine a little and broke the yolk of Josh's, oh well). Meanwhile, add your spinach to the onion and mushrooms and stir until wilted down.
• Plate your polenta, top with mushroom mixture, egg, and add some shaved parmesan, if you wish.
  

Harvest Month- Cumin Polenta Stuffed Poblanos

Here it is, the last day of November and my final Harvest Month recipe to share. This has been a fun experiment! The idea for this meal was sparked by a recipe I spotted while perusing a Better Homes & Gardens issue I inherited on a visit to Josh's grandmother. I've obviously used corn meal before, and used pre-made polenta, but never made my own. The recipe for Cumin Polenta called out to me and I almost immediately thought about filling some poblanos with it. A quick click using the Food Blog Search in my sidebar brought me Cara's Pumpkin Polenta & Manchego Stuffed Poblanos which helped fill in the rest of the picture the Cumin Polenta had started to form in my mind. I stuffed my peppers with the BHG polenta recipe, topped with Pepper Jack cheese, and followed Cara's lead by serving them over a black bean/tomato/chile ragout. Making this polenta wasn't nearly as hard as I thought it might be, and I'll definitely be trying some different recipes for it in the future.

Cumin Polenta Stuffed Poblanos
Serves 4














4 large poblano peppers
1 14 oz. cans reduced sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup diced yellow onion
1 clove minced garlic
1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 10 oz. can diced tomatoes with green chilies
1/2 cup grated Pepper Jack cheese

• Roast whole poblanos by your preferred method- stove, oven, grill, etc. I used the oven, and roast just long enough to soften, but not long enough to have to peel them.
  
• Meanwhile, in a large heavy saucepan combine broth and cumin; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; gradually whisk in cornmeal. Cook and stir until thick, about 6 to 8 minutes. Whisk in milk and butter. Season with salt and pepper.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray an oven-proof skillet with lid with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium-low heat. Cook the onions until soft, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add the diced peppers with green chilies and the black beans, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer.
• Carefully cut a slit into each pepper and scoop out all the seeds. Fill each pepper with polenta and place on top of the black bean mixture. Top each pepper with shredded cheese and cover the skillet. Bake for about 15-20 minutes.

My notes: This polenta doesn't really firm up enough to not escape from the poblanos, so next time I might not roast the peppers beforehand and instead just cut them in half and fill. And I realize my pepper-roasting instructions are a little vague- for the life of me I can't actually remember what I did. I mean, I know I roasted them in the oven, but I can't remember what temp or for how long. I really shouldn't wait so long to share recipes- this is what happens!

Red and Black Bean Pie

I was chided by my sister-in-law for not updating, so here we go! With the weather getting colder I was looking for some hearty recipes. Finding vegetarian options that meet my idea of hearty can be a little difficult, but this one met expectations. This recipe is from the October 2006 issue of Everyday Food, and is their 'Freeze It' feature. I halved this recipe, since it was meant to make enough for two in the first place. This is the first time I've worked with polenta in any form. It was easy and yummy, so I'll definitely use it again. Maybe next time I'll try it soft.

Red and Black Bean Pie
Recipe from Everyday Food; Serves 8


2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 bunches scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
coarse salt and ground pepper
2 15 oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
2 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 14.5 ox can diced tomatoes in juice
1 16 oz. tube plain prepared polenta, patted dry
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped, plus more for garnish
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, such as Tabasco
1 1/2 cup coarsely shredded Pepper Jack cheese
Salsa (optional)

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium; add white part of scallions and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until softened, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes. Add beans, tomatoes with juice, and 1/2 cup water. As you bring to a boil, mash 1/4 of the beans with the back of a spoon against side of pan to release starch. Reduce to a simmer; cook until mixture has thickened 10 to 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, brush eight 10- to 12-ounce ramekins or custard cups or 2 deep dish pie plates with remaining oil. Slice polenta crosswise into rounds- 8 for ramekins or 16 for pie plates. Place one round in each ramekin or 8 rounds in the bottom of each pie plate.
• Remove bean mixture from heat. Stir in green part of scallions, cilantro, and hot sauce; season with salt and pepper. Spoon bean mixture over polenta; top with cheese. Bake at 400 degrees, 15 to 20 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. If desired garnish with cilantro, and serve with salsa.
• To freeze- Let unbaked pies cool completely; cover with aluminum foil. Freeze up to 3 months. Bake frozen with foil on at 400 degrees until warm in center, 60-70 minutes for ramekins, 70-80 minutes for pie plates. Remove foil; bake until cheese is golden brown, about 15 minutes.

My notes: Aside from halving this recipe I also forgot to buy the cilantro. So in lieu of it I added a little cumin. I can't say any specific amount, I just sprinkled it in to taste. I think the next time I make it I'll do both cilantro and a bit of cumin. Also, instead of making double the pies I think you could definitely make one pie and use the leftover bean mixture for veggie burritos or even scoop and eat with tortilla chips. Yum!