Fun with Polenta

Don't be intimidated of polenta - it's just ground cornmeal (ever heard of grits?) and is both delicious and really versatile.

This was my first attempt at cooking polenta, and it turned out really well. I bought a tube of pre-cooked polenta, sliced it into 1 inch rounds, and sauteed the slices in a pan with a little olive oil over medium heat, about 5 minutes per side, until golden.

I topped the rounds with basic marinara sauce that I doctored with some extra veggies. I sauteed 1/2 of a large red onion (sliced into strips), 1 red bell pepper (sliced into strips), and 3 garlic cloves (chopped) in olive oil until they were soft, about 5 minutes, and then added marinara sauce from a jar. Just because, I also added some frozen veggies (a pre-packaged mix of broccoli, carrots, snow peas, and kidney beans) from the back of my freezer solely because they had been in there forever and I wanted to get rid of them to make space.

Top with grated parmesan cheese and you have a really quick, inexpensive dinner. One log of polenta fed myself and my two hungry roommates. I had tons of sauce leftover, which I will use for another quick vegetarian meal later this week.

Super Easy Marinara

This recipe is so simple, but I wanted to post it since it's one I use all the time, almost always using ingredients I already have in the pantry. We talked about the great marinara at Tutto Bene, but this one is also delicious and is one of the easiest things you'll ever make. I never use spaghetti sauce from a jar any more, because this one is cheaper, healthier (because you control the ingredients), and tastes better.

Olive Oil - 3 tbsp

Onion* - 1/4 to 1/2 (depending how big it is), diced

Garlic - 2 large or 3 small cloves, chopped

Crushed Tomatoes** - One 28 oz can

Garlic Powder - 1/2 tsp

Dried Oregano - 1 tsp

Crushed Red Pepper - 1/4 tsp

Salt and Pepper - to taste

(If you have fresh basil, oregano, or parsley in the fridge, throw this in the sauce too. If not, don't worry about it.)

*I like to use a sweet yellow onion, such as Vidalia, but use whatever you have on hand.

**Try to use good quality canned tomatoes, as this is really what makes the sauce good. My favorite brand is Cento. If you like chunkier sauce, use diced tomatoes instead of crushed.

Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, then garlic, and cook until onion becomes translucent, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and reduce heat to medium low. Stir in garlic powder, oregano, crushed red pepper, and fresh herbs if you're using them. Cover and allow to simmer for at least 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve over pasta***, drizzled with extra olive oil and covered with grated cheese.

***My go-to meal when I'm feeling tired or lazy is whole wheat angel hair pasta with this sauce, a basic tossed salad with olive oil and red wine vinegar, and a bottle of cheap red wine. I eat a lot of pasta (most vegetarians do, because it's easy), so I try to stick to whole wheat so that I don't load up my body with empty carbs. If you're not into the taste of whole wheat pasta, try mixing it with half regular white pasta to get yourself accustomed to it. I've also been told that Dreamfields pasta is a really good alternative, though I admit that I haven't tried it.