Skinny Alfredo Sauce

I found this recipe at one of my favorite recipe blogs Our Best Bites. My pickiest eaters asked for seconds on their pasta and loved the sauce. I double the recipe so I could freeze the leftovers. Here is the original recipes because as always, I made some changes.

1 1/4 C skim milk
1/4 c half & half
1/3 C (3 oz) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
2 T flour
1 t salt
1 T light butter
3 garlic cloves, chopped finely
1 C finely grated Parmesan cheese

Toss the milk, cream cheese, flour, and salt in a blender. Process until smooth and set aside. In a non-stick pan, melt butter on med-high heat and add garlic. Let the garlic saute for about 30 seconds. Then add milk mixture to the pan. Stir constantly for about 3 or 4 minutes or until it just comes to a simmer. Keep stirring and let it cook for a few minutes more. It should be much thicker now.

When it's thick (it should look as thick as a normal alfredo sauce) remove the pan from the heat. Add the cheese, stir it up and then cover immediately. Let stand for at least 10 minutes before using. It will continue to thicken upon standing.

Freeze leftovers. When ready to use thaw in the fridge. Just re-heat and add a little milk and it will be back to normal again.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole With Polenta

I made this for dinner last night so delicious!

1 cup cooked polenta (or 1/2 tube)
3 cup shredded cooked chicken
1 can corn, drained/rinsed
1 shallot, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes (pureed)
1- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped, from can
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 tsp cumin,
1 tsp garlic powder,
1 tsp chili powder,
dash salt
1 small can sliced black olives
2 cup red. fat mexi-blend shredded cheese
light sour cream
extra cilantro

Preheat oven to 350. Slice polenta into 1/2" slices. In large skillet, combine olive oil and butter and heat over medium heat. When butter melts, add half of the polenta slices; cook until well browned on one side, then turn and cook on second side. This should take 5-7 minutes total. Drain on paper towels. Line 13x9 baking dish with sliced/cooked polenta. Mix pureed tomatoes, chipotle peppers, cilantro, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder and salt - set aside. Layer in the following order: chicken, corn, black beans, shallot, & tomatoes mixture. Cover & bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with black olives and cheese. Bake an additional 10 minutes uncovered or till cheese is melted & bubbly. Serve with extra cilantro and sour cream as toppings.

CB Chicken Salad

This is a knock-off of Corner Bakery's D.C. Chicken Salad. I made it last week when the 4th grade was responsible for teacher lunch day. Here is the original recipe because I made changes below.

Dressing:
1/2 c light Miracle Whip
1/2 c skim milk
1 tbsp lemon juice
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper

Salad:
4 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped into cubes
1/3 c small shallot, finely chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
1/2 c granny smith apple, chopped
1/2 c pear, chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice (keeps apples and pears from turning brown)
1/4 c dried currant
1/2 c slivered almonds,toasted

Combine (with a whisk) the MW, milk, lemon juice, salt and pepper until smooth. Set dressing aside. Mix salad ingredients together and then top with dressing to evenly coat the salad. Serve with croissants, bread, crackers or on a bed of lettuce.

Bruschetta with Grilled Polenta

Bruschetta Topping:
12 Roma tomatoes , skinned, seeded and chopped
3 cloves garlic , crushed
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 Tbsp. Italian parsley , coarsely chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh basil , finely chopped
Shaved Parmesan cheese , enough to garnish
roasted pine nuts (optional)

OR instead of tomatoes add Melon salsa, parmesan & roasted pine nuts

Grilled Polenta Cakes:
1 tube polenta
Extra-virgin olive oil to season hot grill pan
Kosher salt to taste
Cracked pepper to taste
To make bruschetta topping: Score the tomatoes by making an X, and plunge into rapidly boiling water for 30 seconds.

With a slotted spoon, put the tomatoes into a bowl and immediately run cold water over them. The skins should pull off easily. If not, place them back into the boiling water for 15 seconds more.

Cut the tomatoes in half from the top of the stem to bottom with a paring knife. Dislodge the core and scrape it out along with the seeds. Cut the tomatoes in strips, then chop into small pieces and place in a glass bowl.

Add garlic, olive oil, parsley, basil and pepper. Cover and chill. Just before you are ready to serve, add the salt and mix. Serve over grilled polenta or crostini bread!

To make grilled polenta cakes: Preheat oven to 350°. Slice the polenta into 1/2-inch pieces. Brush both sides of the cakes with olive oil. Sprinkle on a healthy pinch of salt and pepper.

Heat a grill pan until really hot. Add the polenta cakes and grill for 5 minutes on each side. Arrange on a platter and sprinkle on fresh, chopped basil and parsley. Then, top with bruschetta topping and garnish with shaved Parmesan cheese.

Soft Polenta

I love polenta and grits, but not until a couple of days ago had I ever made them at home. I found this recipe and made it for the first time last night and it was very easy. I froze two portions to use later and have found several recipes on-line for other variations I want to make. I will post them after I make them.

1 to 2 fresh or dried bay leaves
1 tablespoon coarse salt, or as needed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups "instant" polenta
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Bring a kettle filled with about 4 cups of water to a boil, then lower the heat to very low and keep warm. Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a 3- to 4-quart heavy saucepan. Toss in the bay leaves and 1 tablespoon salt and stir in the olive oil.

Working with a small handful of the cornmeal at a time, let it fall through your fingers into the boiling seasoned water, while stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. (Pay special attention to the corners as you stir; it is there that the polenta will stick and scorch first.) It should take about 5 minutes to add all the cornmeal.

When all the cornmeal is added, the mixture should be smooth and thick and begin to perk like a little volcano. Lower the heat so the polenta continues to perk slowly, and cook, stirring constantly, until it is smooth and shiny, about 5 minutes. If at any point during the cooking the polenta becomes too thick to stir easily, add some of the water from the kettle--about 1/2 cup--to loosen the consistency a little. It is possible that you will not need to add all the water in the kettle before the cornmeal is tender. The polenta is ready to serve at this point, or you can choose to cook it an extra minute or two, to intensify the flavor.

Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the butter and cheese, and pour into a ceramic serving bowl. Let the polenta stand for up to 10 minutes before serving. The longer the polenta stands, the firmer its texture will be.

Cheesy Chorizo Strata

Monday, I taped Oprah because her show was taped at our State Fair. Peter Clarac's delicious recipe won Best of Show in the cheese contest at the 2009 State Fair of Texas. I can not wait to try this recipe, but I will probably try to figure out how to bake it in a 9x13 casserole dish.

1/2 pound chorizo sausage, cooked and drained
1/2 cup mild green chilies, chopped
1 fresh jalapeno, seeded and diced
1/2 pound Monterey Jack cheese, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
3 cups French bread crumbs
4 eggs
1 tsp. cumin powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 2/3 cups milk
1/2 stick butter, melted

Preheat oven to 300°Generously grease four 10-ounce ovenproof ramekins. Spread an even amount of chorizo over the bottom of each ramekin and top with the chilies and jalapenos. Spread half of the cheese cubes evenly among the ramekins, reserving the rest for later. Top with bread crumbs.In a medium bowl, whisk the egg with the cumin, salt and pepper, followed by the milk. Drizzle each ramekin with the melted butter, then divide the egg mixture evenly among them. Top with the remaining cheese. Chill at least 2 hours, but its best if chilled overnight.

Set ramekins in a bath of hot water and bake at 300° for 45 to 50 minutes, or until puffed and set. Set the ramekins under the broiler for 5 to 7 minutes to get a nice, crispy, cheesy top. Watch carefully. Serve with your favorite salsa.

Prosciutto-Wrapped Crostini with Melon Salsa

1 long loaf Italian Bread or French Bread
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup Parmesan
1 small red onion, minced
2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
1 ripe cantaloupe
Salt
2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley
12 slices prosciutto, sliced in 1/2 crosswise

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cut the loaf of bread in half crosswise, then cut each half lengthwise into 1-inch thick slices. Lay the slices in a single layer on baking sheets. Generously drizzle the top side of each slice with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the slices. Cook in the oven until golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside.

Marinate the onions in the vinegar for 5 minutes. While the onion is marinating, peel, seed and dice the melon and place in a bowl. Add the diced melon to the onions, season with salt and stir to blend together. Add the minced parsley and stir to combine.

Wrap the end of each crostini with a piece of prosciutto. Arrange on a platter and spoon a tablespoon of melon salsa on each and serve. Serve remaining salsa on the side.