Friday, April 29, 2011

Spicy Rosemary Polenta

This is one of my all time favorites for when I'm short on time. With a garlic press and some pre-shredded cheese, the prep is little more than measuring.  And it goes together so fast; you hardly feel like you're doing anything!

The second half of the recipe is great for left overs.  I often make extra and just pop it in the fridge, to pull out later in the week.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes (10 minutes for fried)
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 tbs minced garlic
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 1/2 cup Vegetable Stock
1/2 cup Yellow Corn Meal
1/8 cup shredded parmessan
1/2 tbs butter

Directions:
Heat olive oil in a sauce pan.

Add garlic, red pepper (more if desired), and rosemary.  Cook for about 1 minute.

Add stock and bring to a boil.

Stir in the corn meal gradually, whisking constantly.

Reduce heat to low and continue whisking constantly until thickened and bubbly.

Remove from heat and stir in parmesan and butter.

Serve immediately.


~*~ Or ~*~


For Fried Spicy Rosemary Polenta

Pour into a casserole dish and allow to cool completely.

Once cooled, cut into wedges.

Heat 1 tbs of butter or oil in a straight sided pan (to avoid splashing)

When hot, gently place the polenta wedges into the pan; they will be a little fragile so careful not to break them.  Cook until they're golden brown on each side, ~30 seconds.

Remove from oil and place on a paper towel to drain excess oil.

Serve immediately.

The Perfect Cookie

I have spent years perfecting this simple and classic dessert: The Chocolate Chip Cookie

After much trial and error, this is the recipe I have come to rely on as a go-to baking project for any and all occasions. Therefore, I feel it is an appropriate place to begin this collection.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes per tray, usually ~60 minutes total
Yield: 72 cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup White Sugar
1 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Butter (room temperature)
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Egg
2 cups Flour
2 cups of chocolate chips (or any other add in's you want!)

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 375-F

Cream the sugar and the butter together.

Add the salt, baking powder, vanilla, and egg.

Mix by hand or with a blender until you have an even gooey mixture.

Begin adding the flour in 1/2 cup at a time.  This is the part of the recipe that takes the most practice.  I've found 2 cups of all purpose flour is the most common measurement I use, but it greatly depends on the brand of flour you're using; for example some very airy flours work great for these cookies, but I need to use 3 cups in order to get the perfect cookie consistency.

So, add your flour slowly, and incorporate all of it before adding more.  You will know you're done adding the flour when the dough is no longer sticky, and begins to stiffen slightly, but is still easily mailable.  Again, this is usually around the 2 cup mark.

Once you have the dough to your liking; it's time for the best part; the add in's! This is where you can get creative, any kind of candy morsel will do, chocolate chips, mint chips, peanut butter or butterscotch chips,  mini m&m's, and chopped nuts are all items I've used to great success.

Stir the dough to evenly disperse your desired add in's.

Scoop the dough into tablespoonfuls and round them. Place them aprox 1-1.5 inches apart on a lined cookie sheet (silicone baking mats are fantastic for this).

Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes before removing from the tray.

They are best if enjoyed immediately; preferably with a big glass of milk!