Parmesan Polenta and Spicy Sausage Sauce

This recipe had me at Parmesan Polenta. I found this on MyRecipe.com. I prepared the Sausage portion of this on Sunday. Tonight when I got home tonight I made the polenta. I love instant polenta! This recipe was originally from Cooking Light, that makes it even better.

Parmesan Polenta and Spicy Sausage Sauce,  from MyRecipe.com
Ingredients -
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 ounces (2 links) sun-dried tomato chicken sausage (such as Al Fresco), sliced
1 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 (14.5-ounce) cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil, divided
2 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
3/4 cup quick-cooking polenta
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Method - 
Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan, swirling to coat. Add sausage; sauté for 3 minutes or until browned. Add onion; sauté for 5 minutes or until tender. Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Add oregano, pepper, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1/4 cup basil to pan; cook 5 minutes or until sauce thickens.

Combine broth and water in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Add polenta; reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until thick, stirring frequently with a whisk. Stir in half of cheese. Place 2/3 cup polenta in each of 4 bowls; top with about 3/4 cup sauce. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon basil and 1 tablespoon cheese.


As you all know there was a devastating tornado that touched down in Oklahoma yesterday. If you can help these people who now have nothing here is a link a for Midwest Tornado Relief Fund. 100% of your donation goes to the victims.

 And anyone who follows of this blog knows I have a soft spot for animals. 

This is such a touching video of a woman who finds her dog during an interview. 

As she is speaking take a look around at the destruction that is surrounding her.

Bullfighter's Beef

I have had this recipe saved on Pepperplate since February. Today it was a rainy and damp day. Perfect for Bullfighters Beef. I put the meat in around 2:30 and wow the house smelled delicious. I picked up some fresh peas and made mashed potatoes as sides. The recipe was fun to follow. Okay I had some wine when I added it to the pan... the recipe said to! Chris was delighted with this meal. And it was so darn easy. Some work in the beginning and a bit at the end but you have 3 hours to kill while dinner is in the oven. Do you want the recipe? Click Here!

Our Usual Summer Saturday Night Fare

Steak, potatoes and grilled zucchini. Ah summertime!

 

Chicken Piccata

  

Tonight we had a family favorite. Chicken Piccata. The recipe is from Giada De Laurentiis. It is fast and fool-proof.

For side dishes we had a vegetable saute. Broccolini, red pepper and zucchini. Love Broccolini!

And we tried something new. Accents Sprouted Quinoa Trio. This was a nice change from rice. It was very light and had a little bit of a nutty flavor.
 

The Best Chicken Cutlet Recipe

Bold statement? Perhaps if you have never made this recipe. It is my mom's recipe which I got from my sister. The cutlets were so perfectly cooked and the breading is light and fluffy. Fluffy? Yes fluffy. The secret to this recipe is separating the eggs you use for dipping. You beat the egg whites until frothy and then add the yolks. Try it. Trust me....

Did you notice there is a new button on the right side. Follow me on Bloglovin. It is a service that will deliver the latest blog posts directly to you email. I know you hate missing any of our exciting dinner adventures! Try it and please let me know if you like it. If not I can always remove it.

The Best Chicken Cutlet Recipe -

Have 2 dishes set out. In one put bread crumbs. In the second put in the eggs but first separate the eggs. Beat the egg whites then mix in the yolks. Dredge the cutlet in bread crumbs, then dip in to the eggs. (I added fresh chopped parsley to the egg wash) Let as much egg drip as off possible before adding to the hot oil. Do not touch the cutlet until it looks like the eggs is set. You will be tempted to move it around but do not!

Once the egg is set flip the cutlet to cook the other side. Drain fried cutlets on paper towels and put in 350˚ oven for about 15 to 20 minutes to finish cooking.

These freeze beautifully so make a big batch!

Not a Meatless Monday

First steak on the grill of the summer season. Okay it is not warm out tonight but the grill is officially open. We started out this season with my favorite cut of meat. The Porterhouse. Anyone who knows me and has eaten out with me knows I usually opt for veggies. I love veggies and I think it is important to eat more of them. But this was a Porterhouse steak. On the grill. Cooked perfectly between Medium Rare and Medium. So good. So very good.
Side note to self- get out summer trays!

Side dishes were a salad with spring greens, roasted beets, feta cheese, hot cherry peppers, olives, tomatoes and I had some fried onions in the pantry so they went in the salad.

And we had another of my favorite summer foods. Grilled baguette. It was the bread left over from last night's dinner.

Not bad for a Monday!

Tuscan Roast Pork in A Baguette & Quiona Tabbouleh Salad

Tuscan Roast Pork in a Baguette is from The Italian Dish blog. I am sure I have mentioned this blog before. If you have not visited there do so now. Now really click on the link in the first line and check it out. Don't worry if you click on that link, it will open in a new window so you can get back here. I am not even putting the recipe on my blog. You will find it here.

So how was this? Really amazing. The house smelled so good. The meat was cooked perfectly. The bread was crunch on the top and soft on the bottom from the meat juices and olive oil. Yum!

Our side dish was also a hit. Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad. The recipe is from TasteFood. This will certainly be made again.

Ingredients -
1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed

Salt

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

3 scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced

1 large carrot, peeled, finely grated

1 medium sweet red pepper, stemmed and seeded, finely diced

1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed and seeded, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

Method -
Place quinoa, 2 1/2 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until water is absorbed and the grains release their germ, about 15 minutes. Transfer quinoa to a large bowl. Add oil and stir to coat. Cool to room temperature.
Stir the remaining ingredients except the fresh herbs into the quinoa. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if desired. (Tabbouleh may be prepared in advance to this point. Cover and refrigerate up to 6 hours). Before serving, fold in the fresh herbs. Serve chilled or at room temperature.