Wedge Salad

I ordered a wedge salad and half a sandwich when I was out to lunch with a friend a few weeks ago and it reminded me how much I like a really fresh and crisp wedge salad.  The bacon and cheese combine with the creamy dressing for a knock out salad.  I made my own version with gorgonzola cheese the other day and I enjoyed it every bit as much as the restaurant version.

Wedge Salad with Gorgonzola

1 head iceberg lettuce
6 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 ounces gorgonzola cheese
1-2 ripe tomatoes, diced
red onion or green onions, optional

Dressing
2 ounces gorgonzola cheese
3-4 tablespoons buttermilk
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
1 garlic clove, mashed into a paste
salt and pepper

Whisk all of the dressing ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate while you prep the bacon and lettuce.  (The dressing can be made ahead of time, even a day or two.)  Cut the iceberg lettuce into 4-6 wedges and place on a cold plate.  Pour dressing over lettuce wedge and garnish with bacon, more gorgonzola cheese, tomatoes and onions.  Serve.

Chopped Salad

I think chopped salads are made for people that don't love salad.  They have a bit of lettuce, but there are so many other flavors and things going on that everyone finds something they like.  Add some chicken and bacon to the mix and you almost have an entire meal in a bowl.  I did a vegetarian option with a homemade honey dijon dressing this time because I needed to, but it is definitely better with the bacon!

Chopped Salad
adapted from here

1 head iceberg lettuce
1 head Romaine lettuce
1 red onion, minced
1 bunch green onion, thinly sliced
3 tomatoes, diced
1 pound ditalini pasta, cooked and cooled
1 cup gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional)
1 rotisserie chicken, meat remove and chopped (optional)
Honey Mustard Dressing or bottled vinaigrette

Wash and dry the lettuce and finely shop until the lettuce is about 1/2 to 1 inch pieces.  Combine everything in a large bowl and serve.  If you want to make this ahead of time, it is best to store the lettuce separate from the remaining ingredients and reserve the dressing until just before serving

Broccoli, Pasta, and Strawberry Salad

I've always really like the traditional broccoli salad served at church potlucks and picnics so I wasn't too surprised when I liked this version as much or more than the original.  I came up with this one day when I had extra broccoli, a pound of cooked pasta, and some strawberries in the fridge and I needed something to take to church for coffee hour.  I added poppyseeds to the dressing and it became an instant success.  Next time I might add some toasted pecans or almonds for a bit more crunch...but it was tasty without the nuts as well.

Broccoli, Pasta, and Strawberry Salad

1 pound cooked fusilli, cooled
1 pound fresh broccoli, washed and chopped
1 quart strawberries, hulled and diced
1/2 cup red onion, diced
1 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons poppy seeds
optional
1/2 cup cooked bacon, crumbled
1 cup chopped toasted pecans (candied pecans would be wonderful!)

In a large bowl combine pasta, broccoli, onions, strawberries, and any of the optional ingredients.  In a bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, salt, and poppy seeds.  Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat.

Everything Pasta Salad

I combined two recipes here and here and subbed enough ingredients to call this my own recipe so I am  going to call if Everything Pasta Salad.  It is the perfect salad to serve at any and all open houses, bbqs, or picnics you host or attend this summer. I know I will be making it again and again because it is easy and gets most of its flavor from pantry staples that I normally have on hand.

Everything Pasta Salad

1 pound cooked fusilli pasta, cooled
1 jar chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 can sliced black olives
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 garlic cloves, smashed into a paste
2 large tomatoes, diced
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1/2 head cauliflower, washed and chopped
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
salt and pepper

Combine everything in a large bowl.  Pour the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes over the whole bowl and toss to coat.  Season with salt and pepper and serve cold.

Strawberry Salad

This fresh Strawberry Salad is among my list of favorite salads.  I like that it is crisp, tender, crunchy, chewy, tart, and sweet all at the same time.  It is also so easy to prepare and there are so many variations on this salad depending on what you have in the fridge and pantry.

Spinach Salad

Spinach
Granny Smith Apple or Pear
Strawberries or Raspberries
Almonds, Walnuts, Candied Walnuts, or Chow Mein Noodles
Raisins or Cranberries
Balsamic Vinegar

Toss your favorite mix of ingredients together and drizzle with balsamic vinegar and enjoy.

Crunchy Asian Salad

This Crunchy Asian Salad is light and refreshing and the perfect side salad to take on a picnic or serve at a bbq.  Here I substituted chow mein noodles because I had them but I normally serve it with crushed ramen noodles for even more crunch.  

Crunchy Asian Salad

1/2 head napa cabbage, shredded
1 carrot, peeled and grated
1/2 red pepper, thinly sliced
2 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup slivered or sliced almonds
1 package chow mein noodles (chicken flavor)
6 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional)

Sauce
1 package chicken flavor packet from ramen noodles
1/3-2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2-4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Toast almonds in a pan over low heat, remove from heat and let cool.  Mix cabbage, onion, pepper, carrot, noodles, bacon, and toasted almonds together in a large bowl.  Mix all dressing ingredients in a small bowl or jar and pour over salad.  Toss to coat.  Serve.

Salad in a Jar

Salad in a Jar is a terrific idea that I came across and wanted to share with everyone.  Lately I've found myself making up a few jars on Sunday night and eating them throughout the week.  I have found that they hold up really well in the fridge and last for 3-4 days. I look forward to lunch all week long when I know I have a fresh salad waiting for me each day.

Salad in a Jar  
Layer your favorite salad ingredients by placing the wettest ingredients toward the bottom of each jar and placing the lettuces on top.  It is best to use a wide mouth canning jar so you can easily get everything in and out.  When you are ready to eat just dump your salad onto a salad plate and top with your favorite dressing, an egg, croutons or Chow Mein noodles (like me) and enjoy.

Some of my favorite ingredients are:
Beans : kidney, pinto, or chick peas are my favorites
Green Onion or Red Onion
Cucumber
Red or Green Pepper
Carrot
Hard boiled Eggs (Leave the egg whole and place it on top of the lettuces.)
Feta cheese ( Place on top of the lettuces)
Ham
Cold Grilled Chicken
Bacon

There are no excuses when it comes to Salad in a Jar...even my kids can put them together with just a bit of supervision. As they like to say "Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy!"

Wilted Spinach Salad

We used to have Wilted Spinach Salad as kids, I'm not exactly sure what recipe my mom used, but this version was pretty tasty.  My dad loved it and now I see why.  It is an easy and very tasty salad.  If you think ahead and store a bit of the extra bacon drippings in the fridge you can heat it up and make fresh dressing throughout the week.

Wilted Spinach Salad

Two large handful of washed baby spinach
Red onion
Sliced mushrooms
1-2 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
1 hard boiled egg, chilled, peeled, and sliced

Dressing:
2 Tablespoons bacon drippings
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1-2 teaspoon sugar
Heat bacon drippings in a pan and then add remaining ingredients.  Whisk to combine and then pour hot dressing over salad.  Toss and enjoy immediately.

Broccoli Salad

I ate my first bowl of this broccoli salad when I was in college and I was instantly hooked. It is such an interesting combination of ingredients, but it all works wonderfully together. I have had it many many times since, but friends of ours recently made it with big chunks of cashews and I fell in love with it again!

Broccoli Salad

1 large head broccoli
1/2 cup bacon bits
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
1/2 cups dried cranberries or raisins
1/2 cup cashews
1 cup mayonnaise
2 T white vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Wash broccoli thoroughly and cut florets into bite-sized pieces. Place in a colander to dry for a few minutes. In a large bowl combine mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Whisk until smooth. Add all remaining ingredients to large bowl and stir to coat with dressing.

Corn salsa a.k.a Cowboy Caviar

This is my go-to pantry appetizer. I love it because I always have the supplies on hand and I can whip it up in a matter of minutes and everybody loves it with some crunchy corn chips...or even by the spoonful! I've even been known to take a gallon of it to the church coffee hour and return home with an empty bowl...and I never even got a bite of it!

Corn Salsa
1/2 bag frozen corn...I like the tender and sweet white and yellow mixed variety
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1 avocado, diced
1 lime
cilantro
1 tsp chili pepper
1 tsp cumin
salt

Mix everything together in a large bowl. Stir to combine. Add more seasoning, depending on your taste. Try to make ahead at least 2 hours so the flavors have time to develop. This will easily keep for a few days in the refrigerator.

Fresh Panzanella

We finally have fresh tomatoes to go with the fresh basil from our garden. Today I made a quick and easy panzanella for my lunch. I toasted up some day old bread under the broiler with olive oil, salt, pepper, basil, and a little oregano. Then I diced up the tomato and added basil, fresh mozzarella, and some seasonings. I tossed it all together with a little balsamic vinegar. What a fresh, tasty, and healthy lunch. I think it definitely tastes great alone but even better knowing that I grew some of the ingredients that went into it!!

Panzanella-serves 1
1 cup toasted bread (I drizzle 2 slices of hearty bread with olive oil and broil until toasty and brown)
1 large tomato, cubed
2 oz. fresh mozzarella, cubed
basil
balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

Toss cread, tomato, and cheese in a medium bowl.  Drizzle with balsamic vinegar, add a bit of basil, and season with salt and pepper.  Enjoy!

Orzo with Roasted Veggies and Feta

This recipe is loosely based on one I found in a health guide that came with some workout videos. I actually really like it and would enjoy it regardless of the calorie count. It is pretty simple and there is no sauce for the pasta, a splash of balsamic vinegar and the feta work to bring the dish together. We enjoyed it with some whole grain orzo from Whole Foods, which I highly recommend.

Orzo with Roasted Veggies and Feta

1/2 pound whole grain orzo

1 zucchini

1 red onion

1 medium red pepper

1 medium green pepper

(mushrooms, fresh diced tomato, and cauliflower work well too)

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

1 cup feta cheese

olive oil

1 T balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper

Heat oven to 400 degrees. All of the vegetables work best if they are chopped and left rather large since they will shrink as they cook. Place on a foil-lined tray and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with chopped rosemary, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat and roast vegetables for 25-30 minutes or until tender. Set aside.

Cook orzo according to package directions. Drain and place in a large serving bowl. Add roasted vegetables and balsamic vinegar. Toss to coat. Crumble feta on top of warm pasta and serve.

Tabbouleh

Tabbouleh is a traditional middle eastern parsley and bulgur salad. It is served at nearly every function I've attended with my husband. Growing up I wasn't much of a fan of this salad, but I've gotten used to it and now I even make it for my own family. Surprisingly my young son really enjoys this salad and will ask for it specifically. So, I made a small batch of it to take with us on a picnic the other day. He ate almost half of it all on his own!! I do put a bit more grain and a little less tomato in it which is to his liking.

3/4 c #1 Bulgur (cracked wheat)
4 lemons, juiced
2 bunches fresh curly parsley
1 handful fresh mint
1 large tomato, diced
6 green onions, sliced thinly
1 english cucumber, diced
1/2 c olive oil
salt
Place bulgur in a large bowl and pour boiling water over the grain until it is just covered. Cover bowl and let sit for 30 minutes. Fluff it with a fork and let it cool completely.
While that is working, pick the curly parsley off the stem. This takes awhile, but is worth it. Wash it well. You can use the sink, bowl, or a colander but it is very sandy so be sure to wash it well. Remove and place it in a towel or salad spinner. Make sure to dry it well...you do not want any excess water. Chop parsley in batches and place in a large mixing bowl. Add all remaining ingredients and adjust seasonings according to your taste. You might like more or less tomato, oil, lemon, or salt. I usually add the juice of three lemons and slowly add more after tasting. It should taste bright, lemony, and fresh!

Steak Salad

This steak salad was delicious. It has a few steps, but I think I only used one pan, one pot, and the grill. The polenta croutons are so good. Make more than you think you should!!!

Steak Salad

1 Porterhouse or NY Strip

Lettuce - I used half red leaf and half romaine

1 red pepper

1/2 onion, sliced thin

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

Prepared polenta, see recipe here

Prepared blue cheese dressing

In a hot cast iron pan add 2 teaspoons of olive oil, mushrooms, salt and pepper. Saute over medium heat until mushrooms are cooked through and starting to brown. Remove from pan, add a little more olive oil and sliced onions and seasonings. Cook until tender. Remove from pan. Wipe pan out and add enough oil to coat bottom of pan.

Cut polenta in 1-inch squares lightly toss in flour and fry in olive oil until browned on both sides. Drain on paper towel.

While cooking above, heat grill. Coat red pepper with a little oil and place directly on hot grill. Cook until blackened on all sides. Place in a paper bag for 5 minutes. Remove from bag and peel skin off. Slice into strips. Place seasoned steak on grill and cook until desired doneness.

Assemble all on plate and enjoy!

This would also be delicious with a fresh buttermilk blue cheese dressing and a little extra blue cheese on top.

Seafood and a Trio of Desserts

I really do like Valentine's Day. I like the idea of it, not so much for the cards or the flowers, but just the idea that I can spend the whole day creating things for 1 person. It is a calm holiday without guests or gifts or much hoopla at all. It actually creeps up out of nowhere and is gone in a flash.
Each year I spend the better part of the day preparing special dishes that will excite our taste buds but ooze romance as well. This year I decided to focus on seafood simply because it is out of the ordinary. I should say fish is out of the ordinary. Shrimp makes a regular appearance at our house. I love shrimp in all forms and I think it has been a staple at every holiday event I've hosted for as long as I can remember. I thought Joseph would see that coming...so I decided to play a little switch-a-roo on him. This year I went with big succulent scallops and a cod dish. We've eaten cod before, but I had never cooked any so I knew he would never guess it was coming. The salad course came from epicurious and I must say it was a huge hit. I was totally thrilled with it all around. First of all, it came together in just a couple of minutes, I got to try cooking escarole-I'd never actually put lettuce in a hot pan before, and the prosciutto chips were so so tasty.
The cod on chowder dish was terrific as well. I was able to make the chowder an hour or so in advance and simply sear off the cod right before serving which made it pretty easy as well. I wouldn't mind eating the chowder on it's own...or the cod for that matter. It was just a super tasty dish. So good, in fact, that I didn't end up making the mushroom ravioli I had planned(my back up plan in case the other two went up in flames) and we went straight to the desserts. I made three tiny desserts, two of which were terrific, and the third was just okay. There was a texture issue with the lemon custard...next time I will be replacing it with lemon cheesecake. The chocolate mousse was terrific though. It totally made up in the texture department where the other was lacking. Gabe loved the mousse, he kept licking his spoon saying "ice cream," we just nodded and smiled as he enjoyed his "ice cream." Finally, the third was delightful as well. It actually reminded us of strawberry shortcake - even with it's blackberry cream.

Warm Escarole Salad with Seared Scallops
adapted from epicurious.com

2 paper-thin slices prosciutto
2 T olive oil, divided
1 head escarole
4 sea scallops
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 t grated lemon peel
First, brush each side of the prosciutto olive oil. Slice each piece of prosciutto into 3 strips. Heat a heavy medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add slices of prosciutto. Cook until bottom is lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Turn prosciutto over and cook until bottom is browned, flattening with spatula, about 1 minute longer. Using tongs, transfer prosciutto to paper towels to crisp. Reserve skillet.
Slice head of escarole into quarters. Drizzle two of the quarters with olive oil. Place in a large skillet over high heat. Cook until slightly wilted on edges and warmed. Remove and roughly chop.
Sprinkle scallops with salt and pepper. Heat remaining oil in reserved skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallops and cook until brown and just opaque in center, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to plate. Add lemon juice, lemon peel, and a touch more olive oil to drippings in skillet. Bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Pour pan juices over greens and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide salad among 2 plates and top with scallops. Garnish with prosciutto chips and serve.

Roast Cod with a New Engliand Chowder Sauce
adapted from Alfred Portale's Simple Pleasures
2 oz slab bacon, diced
1 cup clam juice
1 T oil
1/2 c diced onion
1/2 c diced leek
1 t finely chopped garlic
2 medium white potatoes, diced
2/3 c heavy cream
1/3 c milk
salt pepper
4 skin-on cod fillets (4 oz each)
2 T olive oil
green onion or parsley to garnish

(I took a shortcut and used clam juice and skipped the first step of steaming 16 littleneck clams. If you happen to like eating those little rubbery guys do as suggested and steam the clams and serve the dish with the clams as well.)
Heat a large pot with 1 tablsepoon of oil and add bacon. Cook until fat has been rendered and bacon is crisp. Remove bacon.
Add the onions ot the pot of rendered fat and saute until soft, but not brown, about 4 minutes. Add the leeks and the garlic to this and cook an additional 2 minutes. Return half of the bacon to the pot along with the potatoes, cream, and clam juice. Season with salt and pepper. Raise the heat to high, bringing to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat.
In a large saute pan heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat. Season cod with salt and pepper on both sides and then place skin side down in the pan. Cook until golden, about 4 minutes. Turn and cook through...roughly 3 minutes depending on how thick of a but you have.
Serve cod atop chowder. Garnish with reserved bacon and green onions or parsley.

Check out Bea's blog for the chocolate mousse/custard: http://www.latartinegourmande.com/2007/09/28/dark-chocolate-custard/
(Here I changed out bittersweet for semi-sweet, personal preference)
She also inspired the lemon custard dessert: http://www.latartinegourmande.com/2006/11/30/blackberry-tartlets-with-lemon-cream-tartelettes-aux-mures-et-creme-au-citron/
The strawberry dessert, again roughly inspired by Bea: http://www.latartinegourmande.com/2007/04/15/revisiting-the-idea-of-a-fraisier-idee-de-fraisier-revisite/

Our First Meal From the Garden

This is the day I've been waiting for. I've spent weeks and weeks hoeing, planting, watering, and weeding our garden all in hopes of bringing home fresh things to eat. My first harvest of the year was what sprung up from my salad mix seeds. These tender and tasty little lettuce leaves were the first things to come up and first things to mature enough for me to bring home. I was so eager to pluck them yet it almost hurt at the same time...knowing that I was killing something I had spent so much time caring for kind of hit a cord. But, I must say it was worth it. We enjoyed this fresh salad tremendously...not only was it delicious but I enjoyed each bite even more, knowing that I grew this out of nothing. What joy such simple things can bring!

Wilted Lettuce Salad
Dressing
4-6 slices cooked bacon (rendered fat reserved)
3 T apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 T sugar
1/2 t salt
freshly ground black pepper
(Hard boiled egg and green onions, optional)

Crumble sliced bacon and set aside. Heat bacon drippings in a small saucepan and add all remaining ingredients. Bring to a simmer. Add in crumbled bacon. Pour warm dressing over lettuce leaves and serve immediately.

Caesar Salad

I have always liked a good Caesar Salad. So, I decided to enter it in this week's round of Weekend Cookbook Challenge hosted by Running with Tweezers.  I pulled out my copy of From Emeril's Kitchen and found a good basic recipe for caesar salad.

Caesar Salad

adapted from From Emeril's Kitchen

Dressing

1 large egg, room temperature

2 anchovy fillets, drained

1/2 t minced garlic

1/4 t kosher salt

1/4 t freshly ground black pepper

2 T freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1 T fresh lemon juice

1 t Dijon mustard

1/4 c extra-virgin olive oil

1 t Worchestershire Sauce

Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Add the egg and cook for 30 seconds. Drain.

Combine the anchovies, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and mash to a paste with a fork. Break the egg into the mixture and whisk well to blend. Add the cheese, lemon juice, and mustard and whisk well. Add the olive oil in a steady stream, whisking constantly to form a thick emulsion. Add the Worcestershire and whisk well to combine. Cover tightly and refrigerate until ready to use. (The dressing will keep refrigerated for up to 1 day.)

For the Salad

Put one 18-ounce bag of Romaine hearts in a large bowl. Toss with the dressing to taste. Top with croutons and cheese; serve.

Barefoot Contessa's Parmesan Chicken & Rosemary Polenta

Last year we had the nicest grocery store open up right across the way from our home. I was thrilled to say the least. Upon entering it was apparent that this market was different than the usuals...each department had it's own separate room. for instance there were rooms for Baking, Seafood, Canned Goods, Bakery, Deli, Meats, Baby, Laundry, etc. They carried quality goods, however they came at a quality price. Needless to say most shoppers were more price-conscience than quality conscience and went elsewhere. So, this market, one of the few places that carried fresh mozzarella, parmigiano-reggiano, quality baked breads, and made to order sushi closed it's doors. I was so disappointed that I refused to go to the closeout sale, and I sent my husband instead. I remember him calling me while in the store reporting how the shelves were half barren and did I want whole wheat flour because there were a couple of bags left. Sad. All summer I've been trekking to another market miles away to get needed goods...and turning away as I drove past the old building that was no longer alive. Partway into the summer months I learned that another grocer had purchased the building. My spirits were lifted a bit, knowing that we would once again have something closeby, although I was sure it wouldn't be the same. For the past few months I actually brought myself to drive by the old store to spy in the windows hoping for some progress. Then, at last, I noticed a sign go up, then a job fair, and then a sign marking the opening day. For weeks I've been waiting...and finally it came. Wednesday the new store opened it's doors and it didn't take long for me to make my way there.
Walking in I was apprehensive, but as I peeked in the windows I could see that almost everything looked the same in terms of structure. A little relief set in and I continued on and was thrilled to see how much of the old store was still intact, and that it may even be an improvement. Things had been organized slightly different to accomodate additional products and the organic section was moved across the store...but the deli was spectacular. I've never seen a selection of meats and cheeses quite like it. As I made my way through the store I was pleased to find out that it was actually started by an Italian family and they import many goods from overseas. They also offer a huge amount of freshly made products such as fresh ricotta, fresh desserts, breads, arrancini (these are cooked balls of breaded risotto...I tried my hand at these last month...I didn't write a post so you can imagine how that experiment went), pannatone, etc. It was remarkable. I actually returned later in the day, after the crowds died down, to take a second look. The second time was even more pleasing than the first and I feel a sense of happiness after months of feeling a small heartache.
Here is our celebratory meal.

Parmesan Chicken
Recipe adapted from Barefoot Contessa Family Style

3 boneless, skinless chicken cutlets
3 T all-purpose flour
1/2 t kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan chesse
Unsalted butter
Olive oil
Salad greens
Lemon Vinaigrette (1 squeezed lemon, 1/4 c olive oil, salt and pepper.)

1. Combine the flour, salt, and pepper on a dinner plate. On a second plate, beat the egg with 1 T water. On a third plate, combine the bread crumbs and cheese. Coat the chicken in flour, then dip into the egg mixture, and finally dredge both sides in the bread crumb mixture. Heat 1 T of butter and 1 T of olive oil in a large saute pan and cook the chicken breasts on medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side.
Toss the salad greens with the vinaigrette. Place a mound of salad on each hot chicken breast. Serve with extra grated Parmesan Cheese.


Rosemary Polenta
adapted from Barefoot Contessa Family Style

1/4 stick unsalted butter
2 T c olive oil
2 t minced garlic
1/4 t crushed pepper flakes
1 t minced fresh rosemary
1/2 t kosher salt
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
1 c chicken stock
3/4 c half-and-half
3/4 c milk
3/4 c cornmeal
1/4 c Paresan Cheese
Flour, olive oil, and butter, for fying

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Saute for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock, half-and-half, and milk and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and slowly sprinkle the cornmeal into the hot milk while stirring constantly with a whisk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for a few minutes, until thicken and bubbly. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan. Pour into an 8 X 8 pan and refrigerate until firm and cold.
Cut the chilled polenta into 4 squares. Make a diagonal cut through each one. Dust each triangle with flour. Heat 1 T butter and 1 T olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Cook the polenta for 3-5 minutes or until browned on each side.

We really enjoyed this meal...although I was partial to dipping my polenta in ketchup, much to my husband's disgust!