I was surprised that several of you have never tasted deep-dish pizza, so I found this shortcut recipe to share. Although it's simple enough to make at the end of the week, it's delicious and filling. The traditional heavy tomato sauce is replaced with a mixture of sun-dried tomatoes, radicchio, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese. If you dislike this combination of toppings, get creative: Italian sausage and garlic, or pancetta and mushrooms would be scrumptious.
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When planning a menu for a Halloween dinner, choose festive dishes that are creative, but not too childish. Have an oozing, baked brie waiting for guests to arrive. Serve the brie with crisp pretzels shaped to look like fingers and toes. A molded shrimp cocktail that resembles a scary cerebrum will jump start conversation. For the main course, offer a gooey slime soup and crisp pumpkin polenta salad. Although most of the dishes are vegetarian, the menu is filling, balanced, and delicious.
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This casserole of polenta and vegetables uses canned beans and store-bought pesto to cut down on preparation time, but the slow cooker does all the hard work.
The recipe calls for an Italian cheese blend and specific vegetables, but feel free to mix things up with an American or Mexican cheese blend and different beans and vegetables, if you like.
To learn more about this easy-to-make, one-pot meal, read more
A member of the beet family, Swiss chard is a dark, leafy green that's in season now. Chard's somewhat bitter taste can be neutralized by cooking.
In this vegetarian recipe, chard, the stellar ingredient, is sautéed with garlic. Placed on a bed of creamy polenta and topped with tangy blue cheese, this dish is filling and soothing. Bring Fall into your kitchen with this recipe when you read more
If you've never had pizza with a cornmeal crust, I highly recommend you give this recipe a try. It's a simple technique that combines precooked polenta with water and flour until it makes a dough like consistency. The crust is prebaked before being topped with tomato sauce, red peppers, and green onions. To take a look at this scrumptious, vegetarian pizza, read more
Sometimes there just isn't enough time to make a complete meal from scratch, so don't be ashamed to take help from the grocery store. If you enhance the taste by mixing in a couple of fresh ingredients, your family will never notice that you took help from the supermarket. This delectable dinner combines fresh mushrooms, basil, and fontina — with premade polenta and pasta sauce. The final vegetarian dish is filled with flavor and surprisingly delightful.
To check out the recipe — another great one from our friends at MyRecipes.com — read more
Sometimes warm oatmeal seems too heavy and mundane when it comes to a Spring weekend breakfast or brunch. I like to mix it up and make some polenta and adding spices used in chai tea make it seems extra special – not to mention tasty.
Polenta is cornmeal (I've heard it called "Italian grits"); it is a low fat food and full of potassium. Plus a half cup contains 5 grams of fiber, as well as 5 grams of protein. Cardamom, is one of my favorite spices and I like any excuse to use it. It is good for digestion and might just help spice up your sex life too, due to its aphrodisiac qualities, although they have yet to be proven.
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If you love the texture of cheesecake, but wish it was savory, then check out this three-cheese polenta pie. The savory ricotta mixture is encased in a polenta crust. — Culinary in the Country
Multi-tasking is a great way to create flavorful quick meals. In this recipe, the vegetables are roasted while the polenta cooks on the stove. The two finished components are then combined to make a delicious, well-rounded meal. Using several cooking techniques also adds layers of flavor. If you do not have saffron, simply omit it from the dish. To make this hearty meatless meal tonight, you'll need the recipe, so read more
A scramble doesn't necessarily have to include eggs. This scramble, for example, is a mix of veggies, polenta, and shredded cheese. All the ingredients are tossed together and quickly cooked in a sauté pan. You should be able to find poblano chilies in your local grocery store and pepitas are hulled pumpkin seeds sold in health food bulk bins. This dish is excellent alone, paired with beans, or topped with fried eggs. To make it tonight, get the recipe, just read more
