Meatballs with Polenta

I have no idea where I got this book but I was looking through my recipe books a couple weeks ago and came across this recipe. I love meatballs and I'm starting to really like polenta so I thought I'd give it a try. I cut the meat in half and only used ground turkey-it called for 8 oz ground sirloin and 8 oz ground turkey-and it still made a lot of meatballs with just 8 oz ground turkey! So glad I decided not to include the sirloin as well. This recipe made more than the 4 servings it suggests. I added some ginger and garlic to the ground turkey since there wasn't a lot of spices that were involved. The only thing I didn't like about this recipe was the leftovers. The polenta hardened up and turned really thick and even after reheating it, it still remained chunky-not the smooth polenta I had originally made that night. I think I'd make this again, but I think I'd try to half it and only make up the polenta I would need for that meal at a time. I also added a lot of Parmesan cheese to this recipe and spiced up the polenta with garlic salt. I used panko instead of the soaked bread, mainly because soft bread makes me gag.

Meatballs with Polenta: 4 servings

8 oz ground sirloin
8 oz ground turkey
1 egg
1/2 c chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
1/4 c Parmesan, plus more for garnish
1/2 c tsp fennel seeds
Salt and pepper
1 slice whole bread, torn into small pieces and briefly soaked in milk (I used about 1/2 c panko)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp minced ginger
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch red pepper flakes
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 c dried polenta, prepared according to pkg directions

Preheat oven to 450. Combine sirloin, turkey, egg, parsley, Parmesan, fennel seeds, ginger, garlic and 1/2 tsp salt in large mixing bowl. Squeeze the excess milk from the bread and add it to the bowl (or use panko). Using your clean hands, gently mix the ingredients together. Form meatballs the size of golf balls, about 1" in diameter, being careful not to overwork the meat. Place the meatballs in a baking dish and bake for 25 minutes, until nicely browned all over.

While the meatballs bake, heat the oil in a a deep skillet/pot (the sauce will splatter as it simmers!) over med. Add the onion, garlic, and pepper flakes and cook for about 3 minutes, until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the tomatoes, plus salt and pepper to taste, and simmer while the meatballs finish cooking.

Transfer the meatballs straight from the oven to the sauce. Cook for at least 10 minutes (but preferable 20-30 minutes), turning the meatballs so that all parts have a chance to simmer in the sauce. Serve the meatballs and sauce over the soft polenta, topped with a bit of chopped parsley and grated Parmesan.




Meatballs ready for the oven...






Cooked meatballs...






Cooked meatballs added to the sauce...






Polenta...






Polenta topped with Parmesan...






Meatballs simmering in the sauce...






Enjoy!...

Polenta Bruschetta

This is what I was going to make as an appetizer for Easter but I was worried they would be too filling and I'm glad I waited since they are best served hot or warm. I used the salsa from the Red Lentil Rice Cakes recipe that I posted a couple weeks ago. I also used the pre-made log of polenta. All in all, it tasted pretty good. I only used half a log this time in case I didn't like it. Like I said, it tastes better hot or warm so make sure they are eaten right away. I think I sliced my polenta too thin since I had to eat it with a fork but you can slice it to any thickness you want.

Polenta Bruschetta:

3 plum tomatoes, diced
2-3 tbsp capers
1/4 c fresh basil, sliced
1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 log pre-made polenta
1/4 c shredded cheese, any flavor, optional
Garlic powder, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Slice polenta into 1-in rounds. Bake until set and crisp, 15-20 min. During last 5 min of baking, sprinkle each round with a little cheese, if using.

Meanwhile, combine tomatoes, capers, basil and balsamic vinegar in bowl and stir to combine. Let the bruschetta sit at room temp while the polenta bakes.

Once polenta is done baking, sprinkle with garlic powder and pepper. Top with bruschetta and enjoy!




Bruschetta...






Fresh from the oven...






Bruschetta topped polenta...






Enjoy!...

Fried Polenta

I've never tried polenta before, until about a month ago. I'd seen all kinds of recipes that included it, but I was always a little leery to try it. I mean, it can be fixed in so many ways that it kind of grossed me out. The definition of polenta is basically mushed cornmeal. Sounds appetizing right?

So one day, while at Trader Joe's, I ran into this version of polenta and decided it was time to try it out. I decided to fry it in a pan on the stove and add some salt and pepper and some cheese.
The first time I made it, I put too much salt in it so it wasn't that good. The second time I made it, I added less salt and more cheese and kinda mashed it up. It was really good! I ended up eating the rest of the 3/4 of the roll I had. I think it tastes kind of bland but with cheese, it's a good side dish. Next time I make it, I want to try baking it in the oven and then adding some tomato sauce....