Mamma Mia

Sometimes I like something different for my weekly pasta night, and polenta fits the bill! This is an easy recipe that can be made with store-bought or homemade polenta. I haven't braved the homemade yet personally. I like this better than my other half does, but I enjoy the Italian seasoning flavors from the canned tomatoes combined with the fresh parsley.

• 1 package or recipe prepared polenta
• 1 pound Italian link sausage
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 T parsley, chopped
• 14.5 oz can Italian stewed tomatoes
• 6 oz can tomato paste
• 1/4 c freshly grated Parmesan

1. brown sausage and garlic in large skillet and drain
2. cool slightly; cut sausage into 1-inch pieces and return to skillet
3. add parsley, tomatoes, and tomato paste and bring to a boil
4. remove from heat
5. cover bottom of pan 9x9 pan with half the polenta and top with half the sausage mixture; repeat
6. top with Parmesan and serve immediately
   

Holy Enchilada!

These enchiladas were a great make ahead recipe. Beware, though: you must like spicy food to like these! I had a little bit of trouble locating the salsas, but with a little careful reading in the Hispanic aisle at Albertsons I found the necessary ingredients.

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

• 1 bunch cilantro (yes, the entire bunch)
• 1 c sour cream
• 14 oz jalapeno salsa
  
• 14 oz green chile salsa
• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
• 1 onion
• 12 corn tortillas
• 2 c shredded cheddar cheese

1. in blender, combine cilantro, sour cream, jalapeno salsa, and 7 oz chile salsa and puree
2. combine chicken, onion, and remaining 7 oz chile salsa
3. fry tortillas in small amount of oil until very pliable
4. pour enough sour cream mixture in bottom of 9x13 pan to cover the bottom
5. put 2T chicken mixture in each tortilla and place seam side down in pan
6. pour remaining sauce over filled tortillas
7. cover with cheese
8. cover with foil (if making ahead, place foil-covered pan in refrigerator until ready to bake)
9. bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes--let sit for about 10 minutes before serving

More Quiche, Please

There is something comical about a large gun-loving cigar-smoking man asking for a quiche dinner.
Here's his current favorite quiche recipe. What man doesn't love bacon?

• 6 slices bacon
  
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 c light cream
• 1/4 t nutmeg
  
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 t black pepper
• 2 c chopped fresh spinach
• 2 c chopped mushrooms
• 1 c shredded swiss cheese
• 1 c shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 pie crust

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. brown bacon; crumble
3. whip eggs, nutmeg, cream, salt, and pepper
4. stir in bacon, spinach, 3/4 c each swiss and cheddar, and mushrooms
5. pour mixture in pie shell
6. top with remaining cheese (I also throw some freshly grated Parmesan on top)
7. bake for 35 minutues-let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving

Notes about bacon and nutmeg:

BACON: A chef at a high end restaurant once told me to try frying bacon in the oven instead of on the stovetop. I tried it once and was hooked. First of all, I don't have to babysit it (especially nice on mornings when I want to run and take a shower), and second of all it crisps up much faster. Place bacon strips on a foil-lined baking sheet in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until desired crispness. If you want to drain the fat off easier, place the bacon on baking racks so it will drip as it cooks.

NUTMEG: Freshly ground nutmeg has changed my life, especially in baking. Whole fresh nutmegs can be purchased locally at Central Market and run about 25 cents each. Invest in a fifteen buck micro grater and you're golden. As long as they're kept dry, the remaining nutmeg lasts for months.

Welcome

It seems appropriate that my first true blog is dedicated to cooking. Of my own choice, I probably spend more time in the kitchen than in any other room of the house, and the horseshoe shaped kitchen is one of the main reasons I fell in love with the home we recently purchased.

I have always loved to cook, but this love came to full fruition over a year and a half ago when I began dating M. The more I cooked, the more he bragged, and the more I cooked. Before I realized it, I was cooking breakfast every morning, cooking dinner every night, and packing M's lunch for the next day. It's a cycle I hope I always continue, as long as my rule is maintained: dinner on Friday and lunch and dinner on Saturday are eaten out.

This blog marks the beginning of my attempt to be more organized in my cooking preparation; namely, setting the next week's menu over the weekend and purchasing all ingredients in one trip to the grocery store instead of trekking to the store almost every day.

So far so good; wish me luck!

Bon appetit!