For a vegan version use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth – both in the polenta and in the mushroom ragout. Skip the Parmesan
For a meat version, add 8 oz ground beef (or turkey, or bison) and sauté with onion and mushrooms
I make a double recipe of the mushroom ragout and freeze half to use another day.
Can serve it with pasta or over Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes (simply mash the same amount of cooked potatoes and cooked cauliflower, add milk, 1 tablespoon butter, salt and pepper to taste).
Sometimes I make extra polenta for breakfast with eggs.
Press remaining polenta onto a buttered baking sheet, cover and refrigerate over night
In the morning put into preheated broiler for 5 – 8 minutes until edges start to crisp. Meanwhile make a couple of eggs, sunny side up or poached.
Served eggs over polenta
Can also add arugula or baby spinach between the polenta and egg
Polenta with Mushroom Ragout
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Variations
• For vegan version use vegetable instead of chicken broth both in the polenta and in the mushroom ragout. Skip the Parmesan
• For a meat version, add 8 oz ground beef (turkey, bison) and sauté with onion and mushrooms
• Mix in1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped, before removing pot from stove
Variations
• For vegan version use vegetable instead of chicken broth both in the polenta and in the mushroom ragout. Skip the Parmesan
• For a meat version, add 8 oz ground beef (turkey, bison) and sauté with onion and mushrooms
• Mix in1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped, before removing pot from stove
In a medium saucepan bring broth to a boil. Slowly pour in polenta, stirring constantly with a whisk until it is smoothly mixed in. Bring to a boil, reduce heat low, cover and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until polenta is cooked and smooth.
Mix in Parmesan, season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside, covered.
Mushroom Ragout
Heat olive oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sauté until they start to turn transparent.
Add mushrooms and sauté 8 – 10 minutes until they begin to brown. Add garlic, cook 2 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add tomatoes and chicken stock; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook 10 more minutes.
Mix in fresh herbs, season with salt and pepper to taste and turn off.
Spoon polenta onto plate, place mushroom ragout on top. Sprinkle with the chives (green onions) and serve.
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I tend to avoid Tex-Mex food because it is so heavy and leaves me feeling like I’ve eaten a tank.
Then I made Sweet Potato Enchiladas from Oh She Glows cookbook and I discovered crazy delicious, digestible enchiladas.
Casting about for something to take to a friend’s house for the Superbowl today, enchiladas seemed to be a Superbowlish kind of food.
I was astonished at how fast they were eaten, from the 3 year-old and up, everyone enjoyed them.
Variations:
Make it vegan: use 1 1/2 cup cooked lentils instead of ground meat
Make it spicy: keep the poblano seeds or add 1/4 – 1/2 red pepper flakes
Make it chicken: use chopped up leftover (or rotisserie) chicken instead of ground meat
Next time I’ll make a double recipe and save half for a second dinner later in the week.
1. Shepard pie with mashed sweet potatoes OR
2. Stuff a spaghetti squash (scoop out seeds first), sprinkle cheese on top and cook in oven for 30 – 40 minutes.
I’ve discovered it’s easy to make taco seasoning. I double the recipe (without onion powder or garlic powder simply because I never have any) from Family Fresh Meals and keep it in a small mason jar.
Heat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with avocado or olive oil. Set aside.
Heat avocado oil in a pot over medium heat until it just starts to shimmer. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Add ground meat and cook, stirring occasionally until no longer pink.
Mix in garlic and taco seasoning. Cook 2 – 3 more minutes.
Mix 1/4 cup of enchilada sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add poblano and bell peppers, tomato and black bean. Mix again and cook just until poblano and bell peppers soften. Stir in 1/2 cup chopped cilantro.
Set up an assembly line with tortillas, enchilada sauce, ground beef mixture, and cheese. Spread two tablespoons enchilada sauce over the surface of the tortilla, then about 2 large spoonfuls of ground beef mixture. Roll up the tortilla and place,
Spread remaining enchilada sauce on top of the tortillas.
Sprinkle 1 1/2 - 2 cups shredded cheese on top, (depends how cheesy you prefer.
Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.
Remove from oven, sprinkle another 1/4 cup chopped cilantro on top and serve.
Of the bijillion hours (or so it seems) I’ve spent happily cooking, this is only the second time in my life I’ve cooked lamb. The first time was last Christmas requested by my cousin Dax and was possible thanks to my very dear friend Lorena who patiently coached me through it, taking my multiple frantic calls on Christmas Eve. The results (after panic subsided that I was either burning it or potentially serving it raw) exceeded my expectations and encouraged me to try again, this time venturing with seasonings.
As will all meat I purchase, I buy organic. Yes it’s crazy expensive, but this is a once, maybe twice a year expense.
The secret to lamb, Lorena taught me, is to trim ALL the fat off.
I like (surprise! after all there is a reason this food blog is Color My Food) color in my food first because it’s pretty and second because color generally means more nutrients, so I looked for the multi-colored potatoes and was glad to find them. My second option was to use 1 1/2 pound diced russet potatoes mixed with 1 1/2 pound diced sweet potatoes.
Rosemary Roasted Leg of Lamb with Tri-Color Potatoes
Mix zest in a small bowl with 4 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary, 2 tablespoons minced garlic, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper.
Place leg of lamb in roasting pan. Cut slits all over lamb and rub rosemary mixture over lamb, rubbing into slits.
Place leg of lamb into oven for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut potatoes in half.
Mix 2 tablespoons chopped rosemary, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 tablespoon oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sprinkle over potatoes and mix.
Turn heat down to 350°F. Remove lamb from oven and place potatoes around lamb. Put back in oven and roast 40 – 50 minutes, stirring potatoes occasionally, until meat thermometer registers 140°F
Remove from oven and let rest for 15 minutes.
Transfer lamb to a cutting board and slice thin across the grain. Place on serving platter, surround with potatoes and garnish with parsley or a few rosemary sprigs.
Recipe Notes
A Color My food recipe
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The simplicity of this dish makes it one of my favorite ways to prepare pork tenderloin. Rosemary has a lovely fragrance and flavor, but did you know it also has strong health benefits?
Some of the most interesting and unique health benefits of rosemary include its ability to boost memory, improve mood, reduce inflammation, relieve pain, protect the immune system, stimulate circulation, detoxify the body, protect the body from bacterial infections, prevent premature aging, and heal skin conditions.ertain types of cancer, offer protection against asthma and heart disease and delay aging and body degeneration.
Make it vegan by leaving out the beef. It’s also an easy way to make a dinner for both omnivores and non-vegans. Cook the ground beef separately, set aside. Once the chili is cooked split it into two pots and add the cooked beef into one of the pots. I’ve made it vegan, with ground turkey, bison or beef.
Heat heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook until beef is brown, crumbling with fork about 5 minutes. Drain well, and put in separate dish. Cover and set aside.
Heat oil in the pot over medium-high. Add onion, leeks, red bell pepper, green bell pepper and sauté until onion is tender, about 8 minutes. Add garlic, marjoram, oregano and basil and cook 2 -3 more minutes.
Add beef, lentils, tomatoes, water, chili salt and pepper and mix in. Cover and simmer until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 1/2 hours.
Place cheese, onion, parsley and yogurt in small bowls.
Ladle lentil chili into bowls and let everyone top off their chili with cheese, onion, parsley and/or yogurt to their liking.
https://www.colormyfood.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/IMG_Lentil-Beef-Chili.jpg24483264Diana Galindohttps://www.colormyfood.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/color-my-food-logo-325.pngDiana Galindo2016-02-10 11:14:382018-02-01 09:17:55Meatless or Not Lentil Chili
I find bison a better alternative to beef, because bison are grass-fed and industry standards don’t allow the use of hormones or routine antibiotics, which are often given as growth promoters to cattle.
Meatballs are usually associated with spaghetti sauce, but this recipe takes them to another level, rich, hearty and satisfying.
My daughter eats just about everything, but she balked at the wine sauce, so here are two options to make it child friendly:
– Omit the brandy and replace 1 cup of wine with another cup of beef broth for a total of 2 cups of broth. It tastes much lighter. Some adults might prefer it this way too.
– Reserve some of the baked meatballs and serve them to children without the sauce.
My favorite way to serve this is with rice, but is also pairs nicely with roasted potatoes, or even noodles with poppy seeds in a goulash-like style.
To make the meatballs, mix all the meatball ingredients—oats, ground bison, eggs, onion, parsley, salt, and pepper and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or up to 4 hours.
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375°F. Lightly oil a metal roasting pan.
Using your wet hands rinsed under cold water, shape the meat mixture into 18 equal meatballs. Arrange in the roasting pan and bake until lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes.
Transfer the meatballs to a plate.
Meanwhile, start the sauce. Heat canola oil and butter in large saucepan over medium heat and add the mushroom and onion. Stir occasionally, until browned, about 7–8 minutes. Stir in the carrot. Sprinkle with the flour and stir well. Stir in broth, wine, brandy, tomato paste, and thyme and bring to a boil. As soon as it boils, reduce to low heat and simmer until lightly thickened, about 10 minutes, checking periodically to make sure it does not dry. Add a couple of tablespoons of water if needed.
Return the meatballs to saucepan and cook another 10–15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
https://www.colormyfood.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Depositphotos_11973702_m-2015.jpg666999Diana Galindohttps://www.colormyfood.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/color-my-food-logo-325.pngDiana Galindo2016-01-22 13:35:002016-02-05 12:11:42A Healthy Twist on a French Classic