Polenta of Creamy Cheesy Hominy

According to Wikipedia, before the 15th Century and the arrival of corn to Italy, polenta was made from a wide variety of other grains. This creamy polenta is prepared with southern white hominy grits but you could also use southwestern coarse yellow corn meal, or finer Italian polenta cornmeal, for that matter. Either way, they make a smooth polenta base for fish, meat or tofu, or just a nice side dish. For a more Asian flare, see ginger garlic grits.3 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup old fashioned grits, or yellow polenta
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp dried dill weed
¼ tsp dried red pepper flakes
¼ tsp garlic powder
4 oz. cheddar cheese, grated

Bring water to a boil in a saucepan. Whisk in the grits and the spices, and lower to a simmer. Cook another 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the cheese it melts.

Lamb and Artichoke Ragu over Trottole

10 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 shallots, peeled and minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red pepper, diced
1 1/2 lb ground lamb
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp Herbes de Provence or Italian herbs
1 jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp lamb or beef stock starter reduction paste
1 /2 cup red wine
1/2 cup water
Dash red pepper flakes
1 lb Trottole pasta

Heat a large sauté pan and toss in the mushrooms. Let them cook dry, shaking the pan for a minute or so, tip in a bit of olive oil and cook them until they release their water and brown up a bit, about 10 minutes. Set mushrooms aside in a bowl. In same pan, sauté the shallot, garlic and red pepper in a bit of olive oil until the pepper softens a bit and begins to brown. Set aside with mushrooms. In same pan, brown the lamb with the cumin and herbs. Add the tomato paste, stock starter paste, wine and water. Stir to mix well and then add the onion and pepper mixture, the artichokes and red pepper flakes. Stir gently, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and simmer for at least 15-20 minutes, stirring gently every so often. Add more water if mixture dries out too much - it should be thick but moist.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Stir in the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and distribute among plates. Top with Ragu and serve.

Butternut Squash Gratin

1 large or 2 small butternut squash, peeled and cubed 1-inch (about 6 cups)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp crushed dried rosemary
1 tsp coarse salt
fresh ground pepper

1 cup Ricotta cheese
1 egg
¼ cup cream
dash of nutmeg (fresh grated preferably)
2 green onions, sliced
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
4 oz cheddar cheese, grated

½ cup Panko bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 450F. Toss the squash together in a large bowl with the oil and spices. Tip out onto a rimmed baking pan and roast for 20 minutes, turning once. Reduce oven temperature to 375F.

Mix together the Ricotta, egg, cream, nutmeg, onion and cheeses. Fold in the warm squash and tip into a greased 9x13-inch casserole. Top with bread crumbs. Bake for 20 minutes, or until nicely browned.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

You may wonder why I am blogging something so mundane as spaghetti and meatballs. But this is one of our son's and my favorite meals, and he asked for this meal for his birthday. Because there are so many different variations around, it can be daunting to know what to do. Here; this is straightforward and dependable and absolutely delicious.Sauce:
1 small onion, finely diced
2 stalks celery, finely diced
1 carrot, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp herbes de Provence, or Italian herbs
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
1 28-oz cans diced tomatoes, or whole tomatoes broken up by hand
1 Tbsp sugar
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
1 cup red wine
1 6-oz can tomato paste
palmful of fresh basil leaves (if available)

Meatballs:
2 lb ground beef
½ cup Italian bread crumbs
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup ketchup
1 small onion, minced
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
1 egg

1 lb spaghetti

Prepare sauce by sautéing onion, celery and carrot in a bit of olive oil in a sturdy 4-5 quart pot. Cook about 10 minutes, then add garlic and herbes. Cook another 2 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Set to simmer for at least an hour.

Meanwhile prepare the meatballs by mixing the meatball ingredients well together with your hands. Form into 1- to 1 1/2-inch meatballs. Heat a bit of olive oil in a large non-stick skillet. Brown meatballs on all sides for about 8-10 minutes (you’ll have to work in batches). As you brown batches, fold meatballs gently into the simmering sauce, as you finish browning the remaining meatballs.

Prepare spaghetti according to package directions. Reserve a few ladles of pasta water. Drain spaghetti and tip into a large serving bowl. Add a few ladles of sauce, and a bit of pasta water and mix well. Top with meatballs and more sauce.

Savory Turnovers

There are unlimited ways to fill a savory turnover - think of them as hot sandwich pockets. Granted they are a bit more involved than pulling together a quick sandwich, or even a warm panini, but they offer an unmatched crispy, cozy, and sometimes gooey-cheesey warmth for a cold winter day's lunch, such as Christmas. They only take 15 minutes to bake, and the crust whips together quickly in the food processor. But you should let the dough rest for 30 minutes, so a bit of advanced planning is in order. Here are two possibilities of many.

Broccoli Walnut Tofu Turnover

1/2 recipe cheesy crust
1 egg whisked together with 1 Tbsp water

1/4 cup walnuts
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 1/2 cup cooked broccoli flowerets, chopped finely
1/2 brick firm tofu, cut to 1/4-inch dice
4 oz. cheddar cheese, grated
Dash red pepper flakes

Prepare the crust and allow to sit 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Then divide the dough in fourths and roll out into circles of about 6 inches.

Preheat oven to 450F. Pulse the walnuts and garlic together in a small food processor to form a fine grain, but stopping just before becoming too much of a paste. Toss together the broccoli, tofu, cheese and red pepper. Divide the walnuts amongst the four dough disks and spread to within 1/2 inch of the edge. Top the bottom half of each with a fourth of the broccoli mixture.

Paint the edges of each disk with eggwash and fold dough over to a half-moon shape, pressing gently to remove air pockets. Paint the surface of the dough with eggwash and use tines of a fork to seal the edges together. Poke a few vent holes in the dough with a fork. Bake 15 minutes.

Makes 4 turnovers.

Italian Turnovers
You can use any Italian cold cuts you like for this.

1/2 recipe cheesy crust
1 egg whisked together with 1 Tbsp water

4 large slices ham
8 slices salami
4 slices Provolone cheese
4 tsp pesto
4 Tbsp tomato sauce
4 Tbsp chopped cooked spinach
1 egg, whisked with 1 Tbsp water

Prepare the crust and allow to sit 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Then divide the dough in fourths and roll out into circles of about 6 inches.

Preheat the oven to 450F. Slather one tablespoon tomato sauce in the center 5 inches of the circle. Then lay the ham, salami and cheese on the bottom half, leaving a 1/2 inch border of crust free for sealing. Top with the pesto and a tablespoon of spinach. Paint the border of the crust with eggwash. Fold over to a half moon shape and use the tines of a fork to seal the edges. Paint the surface of the turnover with eggwash and poke a few vent holes in the crust with a fork. Bake for 15 minutes.

Makes 4 turnovers.