Sausage with Polenta Pucks

Ingredients

2 14-oz Italian-style diced tomatoes (with juice)
6-oz can sliced mushrooms, drained
2 16-oz package polenta
3/4 lb hot Italian sausage
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 bell peppers chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 minced garlic cloves
1 tsp. dried rosemary

Directions

Fire up your grill to medium. On the stove, heat the oil in skillet over medium heat. Add the peppers, onion, and garlic. Cook for ten minutes, or until soft. Stir in the tomatoes, mushrooms, and rosemary. Boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low, and cook for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, slice the polenta into 1/2 inch thick pucks. Coat both sides with cooking spray. Slap the pucks and sausage on the grill and close the lid. Grill, turning a few times, for about 5 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Remove the sausage to a cutting board, slice it up, add it to the sauce, and cook for ten minutes. Dump the sauced sausage over the pucks.

Source: A Man, A Can, A Plan, A Grill, David Joachim, Rodale Books, 2003.

Review: I never had polenta before so I tried this recipe. Since it was the pre-made it was much easier. The hot sausage was good, I love things spicy.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts skinless and boneless
4 thin slices prosciutto di Parma
1/2 pound Gruyere, grated
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup panko bread crumbs
4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely minced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs
Extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Lay the chicken breast between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, gently pound the chicken to 1/4-inch thickness. Remove the top sheet of plastic and lay 2 slices of prosciutto neatly over the top to cover the breast and sprinkle a quarter of the cheese over the prosciutto. Tuck in the sides of the breast and roll up tight like a jellyroll inside the plastic wrap. Squeeze the log gently to seal and twist both ends tight to form a nice log. Repeat with remaining chicken.

Season the flour with salt and pepper. Mix the bread crumbs with thyme, garlic and kosher salt, pepper, and melted butter. The butter will help the crust brown. Beat together the eggs and season so the flour, the eggs and the crumbs are all seasoned.

Remove the plastic wrap. Lightly dust the chicken with flour, dip in the egg mixture and gently coat in the bread crumbs. Lightly coat a baking pan with olive oil and carefully transfer the roulades onto it. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until browned and cooked through.

Source

Review: This was a great recipe for the classic French dish. I did not use fresh thyme so I put dried basil mixed in with the bread crumbs. I had a little trouble wrapping them so I just folded them in half and it was fine, little messy while coating them to flour, egg, and then bread crumbs. I served with rice and brussel sprouts. I tossed in some parsaley in the white rice to make it more dynamic. This was the most advanced meal I made yet.

Prosciutto Wrapped Figs

Ingredients

4 large whole figs (or 16 small mission figs), quartered
Goat cheese
1 (3-ounce) package prosciutto
3 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

Cut a small hole in the center of the flesh of each fig. Fill each hole with 1/4 teaspoon of goat cheese.

Take a prosciutto slice and tear in half. Use 1 half to diagonally wrap around the fig, starting from the top. Tuck underneath at the ends. Repeat until all figs are wrapped. (Secure with toothpicks if necessary.) Place wrapped figs on prepared baking sheet, evenly spaced.

In a small bowl, combine honey and pumpkin pie spice. Drizzle honey evenly over each fig.

Place in the oven on the top rack and roast for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove and serve immediately.

Source

Review: I made these because we have a fig tree in our backyard and I know prosciutto and figs is a classic combination. There nothing like I expected to taste but that was fine because the were delicious. This would be a good appetizer for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Pebbles Marshmallow Crispy Treats

Ingredients

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine
1 pkg. (10-1/2 oz) miniature marshmallow (6 cups)
13 0z. Fruity Pebbles cereal (8-1/2 cups)

Directions

Microwave butter in 4 qt. microwavable bowl on high for 45 seconds or until melted. Add marshmallows: toss to coat. Microwave 1-1/2 minutes or until marshmallow are completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring after 45 seconds. Add cereal; mix well. Press firmly into greased foil-lined 13 x 9 pan. Cool. Cut into 24 squares

Source: Fruit Pebbles cereal box

Review: I saw this on a box and I had to make it because of the beautiful colors. They came out really good!

Sour Cream Hamburgers

Ingredients

2 lbs ground beef
1 8 oz carton sour cream
1 1 ounce packet dry onion soup mix
2/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp. black pepper
8 hamburger buns

Directions

1. In bowl, combine beef, sour cream, dry onion soup mix, breadcrumbs, egg and 1/2 tsp. black pepper. While your grill is heating up, form beef mixture into patties. Grill patties about 7 minutes on each side.

2. Place patties on buns and top with your favorite toppings.

Source: Best Burger Cookbook, Mad Puddle Books, 2007.

Review: It was juicy, creamy, and soft especially for a burger. The sour cream obviously did that. I made sweet potato fries with them. I tried mixing sour cream with cinnamon, it was a great condiment for the fries.

Easy Thai Coconut Rice

Ingredients

2 cups Thai jasmine-scented white rice
2 cups coconut milk
1 3/4 cups water
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. coconut oil, canola, or other vegetable oil
Optional: 1 tsp. white or brown sugar
Optional: 1/2 tsp. coconut flavoring
Optional: 1-2 Tbsp. toasted coconut (baking type) for garnish

Directions

1) Rub oil over the bottom of a deep-sided pot. Note: the pot will need a tight-fitting lid.

2) Place rice, coconut milk, water, and salt in the pot. Place pot on the stove over medium to high heat. Stir well.

3) Add the sugar and flavoring, if using. Continue to stir occasionally until the coconut milk & water come to a gentle boil (stirring will keep the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot and burning).

4) Once the coconut-water has begun to gently bubble, stop stirring and turn down the heat to medium-low (around 2.5 on the dial). Place lid askew on the pot, allowing some of the steam to escape.

5) Cook in this way for 15-20 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed all (or nearly all) of the coconut-water.

6) Now turn off the heat, but leave the pot on the burner. Cover the pot tightly with the lid and allow to rest 5-10 minutes, or until you are ready to eat. The rice will "steam" and have a nice, slightly sticky texture).
Tip: Your Coconut Rice can stay warm this way for up to 1 hour.

7) When ready to serve, remove the lid and "fluff" rice with a fork or chopsticks. Serve right out of the pot, or place in another serving bowl. If desired, top with a sprinkling of toasted coconut.

Source

Review: Great side dish! You do not need the Jasmine rice, regular white rice worked fine with for. I had this the pineapple party pork shown in my previous entry. I will definitely make this again. I did without the optional ingredients.

Pineapple Party Pork

Ingredients

6 oz can frozen pineapple juice concentrate, thawed
2 5 oz can pineapple chunks, drained
1 boneless pork loin, 3lb
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Directions

Dump the juice, soy sauce, and garlic powder into a large ziploc bag. Drop in the pork and stick it in the fridge for 8 hours or overnight, turning over occasionally. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Put the pork on the pan that came with your toaster oven (save the marinade). Roast for ten minutes. Reduce the heat to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Roast for another 2.25 hours, until the meet thermometer registers 155 degrees Fahrenheit. Boil the marinade in a saucepan for 5 minutes, until it thickens into a sauce. Chop 1/2 can of pineapple chunks and stir into the sauce. Pour some sauce over the pork, and garnish with the remaining pineapple. Serve with the remaining sauce.

Source: A Man, A Can, A Plan, Rodale Books, 2002.

Review: The pork was very juicy! The outside had a nice dark crust! Cooking it for the suggested time was plenty, I have no thermometer. This is the second pork recipe I made and they are great! The inside of the pork had no taste of the marinade but it was definitely moist.