This is the season for polenta. The Northern Italian stapleis a cool weather basic must have thanks to its' versatility.It can be made a number of ways, from starters to sides. The big surprise?This hot corn mash can even be used for south of the border dishes as well.
Polenta is usually reserved for such traditional dishes as chicken cacciatore. This is an easy dish to make, using only the chicken's thighs and breasts along with canned tomatoes (or fresh, if you still have them around.).It's then sauteed with olive oil and garlic along with oregano and rosemary. The polenta acts as the perfect foil for the thin gravy, sopping up the almost watery sauce.Of course, polenta can be used with much heartier dishes too. Venison, one of the North's prime meats is excellent with a side of it. The mash's mildness again compliments the rich heartiness of the ragout. Now here's a kicker - polenta is also a wonderful side for Mexican chili. It serves a s creamy base for this dish and it's neutral flavor absorbs the chili's fieriness.
Grilled polenta is also good. You can use it as a side or a starter. To make it pour polenta into a loaf pan, let it cool and then cut the slices. You can brush on melted butter or olive oil before it hits the grill.Some cooks add spices as a dash of oregano or rosemary along with sea salt and pepper to make it more flavorful.. It can be sliced and even be used as a bread for a version of Eggs Benedict. A slab of grilled polenta makes a wonderful base for any braised vegetable such as cabbage,broccoli rabe or tomatoes. It can also be used as an appetizer with caramelized onions and Gruyere or Fontina cheese melted on top.
Polenta has so much versatility .It goes with anything from veggies to meats with such facility. You can make a variety of dishes with it, and each will be unique and different.
Showing posts with label cook grilled cheese. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cook grilled cheese. Show all posts
Friday, October 14, 2011
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Can We Grill Yet?
Even though we're edging towards fall, we can still participate in summer activities. We can still spend the weekends at the beach. We can still wear shorts and tees. Best of all we can still grill.Just because autumn is a week away, doesn't mean we have to stop having our favorite warm weather favorites.
This is the time of year when you can combine the best of the two seasons. Apple, that autumn requisite, can be added in a variety of ways to your grilling. Apple wood can add to any outdoor cooking,by imparting a smoky, fruity flavor. This is a great taste for chicken but also for pork. You can either buy a bag of it or gather fallen branches from your local orchard. To get more apple taste try making an apple relish or chutney to go with your grilled meats.
This is also the time to think about adding a little spice to your barbecue. Sage is one of those spices that are added to all sorts of autumn dishes. You add a dash of it to dry rubs for pork and beef. The fall classics, cinnamon and nutmeg, usually reserved for desserts can also be used in dry rubs for extra zing. Cinnamon has a very , dominant, fiery taste that would work well with grill pork kabobs or even chops Nutmeg is just as potent but has a more subtler taste. It works well with chicken but you can also use it on turkey too.
Yes, you can still grill This is the perfect weather for it. You can add some autumnal twists to this fun summer way of cooking.
This is the time of year when you can combine the best of the two seasons. Apple, that autumn requisite, can be added in a variety of ways to your grilling. Apple wood can add to any outdoor cooking,by imparting a smoky, fruity flavor. This is a great taste for chicken but also for pork. You can either buy a bag of it or gather fallen branches from your local orchard. To get more apple taste try making an apple relish or chutney to go with your grilled meats.
This is also the time to think about adding a little spice to your barbecue. Sage is one of those spices that are added to all sorts of autumn dishes. You add a dash of it to dry rubs for pork and beef. The fall classics, cinnamon and nutmeg, usually reserved for desserts can also be used in dry rubs for extra zing. Cinnamon has a very , dominant, fiery taste that would work well with grill pork kabobs or even chops Nutmeg is just as potent but has a more subtler taste. It works well with chicken but you can also use it on turkey too.
Yes, you can still grill This is the perfect weather for it. You can add some autumnal twists to this fun summer way of cooking.
Friday, July 22, 2011
A Good Roast Beef Sandwich
There's nothing like a plain roast beef sandwich for a summer lunch or dinner. It's the easiest to make .It's also the easiest to serve. Best of all it's easy to tote to the beach or the office. A roast beef sandwich is a no brainer idea for what to eat during these hot days.
As far as the filling you can easily make a roast in this weather. A better method is cooking it with just a brush of olive oil on the e grill. Cooking roast beef leaves it tender and that makes for a melt in your mouth slice. It also has an added smokiness that's brought out by just a simple sprinkling of sea salt and freshly ground pepper.If it's too hot to cook, then go to your local deli or deli counter at your grocery store.I've found that the butchers there always give you the pinkest, tenderest slices, perfect for the best sandwich. Stay away from the prepackaged stuff. It tends to be overly salty and sometimes slimy.
A good sandwich demands a good bread. Italian or French bread is the perfect foil. They're both crunchy and chewy, absorbing any leftover juice. Another good choice is a simple hearty white like Pepperidge Farm 's sandiwch bread. This has a soft yet textured crumb to it and its mild,yeasty taste goes well with the meat's robust flavor. Avoid kaiser or any other kind of rol.s There's almost too much bread which overcomes the roast beef's flavor. Hamburger buns are too squishy . Avoid them too.
Nothing beats a simple roast beef sandwich on a summer's day. It's just two ingredients simple enough but layered with richness. It's easy perfection with the best flavors!
As far as the filling you can easily make a roast in this weather. A better method is cooking it with just a brush of olive oil on the e grill. Cooking roast beef leaves it tender and that makes for a melt in your mouth slice. It also has an added smokiness that's brought out by just a simple sprinkling of sea salt and freshly ground pepper.If it's too hot to cook, then go to your local deli or deli counter at your grocery store.I've found that the butchers there always give you the pinkest, tenderest slices, perfect for the best sandwich. Stay away from the prepackaged stuff. It tends to be overly salty and sometimes slimy.
A good sandwich demands a good bread. Italian or French bread is the perfect foil. They're both crunchy and chewy, absorbing any leftover juice. Another good choice is a simple hearty white like Pepperidge Farm 's sandiwch bread. This has a soft yet textured crumb to it and its mild,yeasty taste goes well with the meat's robust flavor. Avoid kaiser or any other kind of rol.s There's almost too much bread which overcomes the roast beef's flavor. Hamburger buns are too squishy . Avoid them too.
Nothing beats a simple roast beef sandwich on a summer's day. It's just two ingredients simple enough but layered with richness. It's easy perfection with the best flavors!
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Grill Season
This is the season - and weekend - for grilling. All over the US Webers and other brands will be cleaned, primed and prepped for endless dogs, burgers and ribs. The 4th of July seems like the easiest holiday meal to cook, yet it's not. There's a lot to cooking meat on a simple grill.
The New York Times Dining section handled this yesterday in a good should be cut out article by Dining regular, Steven Raichlen. He interviewed several chefs, gleaning their secrets on how to create the most flavorful and the most tender meats. After all grilling is the most primitive and basic of any cooking technique. It's wild and unpredictable, appealing to our savage side which is why we go mad for a spot at the barbecue. However it is cooking and should have a certain level of sophistication. Grilling sadly enough, cooks almost every meat and veg the same way, sometimes giving everything the same smoky flavor .Of course that changes with both the grill prep and food prep.
Sometimes all it takes is a minor change to make a barbecue memorable. This means switching from simple charcoal to wood chips. Most regular barbecuers use hickory however for real taste try cherry or apple wood chips. This imparts a sweetness to the meat without adding anything else. others such as Belgian chef , Peter DeClercq ofMaldegem's Elckerlicj adds broken staves of beer kegs along with a whole range of herbs and spices to his grilled meat. Others such as Spanish chef, Victor Arguinzoniz of Axpe Spain's Extebarri prefers to use calibrated heat and just simple olive oil for his simple grills. Home cooks can try these methods themselves to create a tasty meal for themselves and guests .
Before grilling look at what you have. Ask yourself how you can make it the best and most flavorful. Add a few wood chips or different spices to create a really unique and different grill everyone will love ..
The New York Times Dining section handled this yesterday in a good should be cut out article by Dining regular, Steven Raichlen. He interviewed several chefs, gleaning their secrets on how to create the most flavorful and the most tender meats. After all grilling is the most primitive and basic of any cooking technique. It's wild and unpredictable, appealing to our savage side which is why we go mad for a spot at the barbecue. However it is cooking and should have a certain level of sophistication. Grilling sadly enough, cooks almost every meat and veg the same way, sometimes giving everything the same smoky flavor .Of course that changes with both the grill prep and food prep.
Sometimes all it takes is a minor change to make a barbecue memorable. This means switching from simple charcoal to wood chips. Most regular barbecuers use hickory however for real taste try cherry or apple wood chips. This imparts a sweetness to the meat without adding anything else. others such as Belgian chef , Peter DeClercq ofMaldegem's Elckerlicj adds broken staves of beer kegs along with a whole range of herbs and spices to his grilled meat. Others such as Spanish chef, Victor Arguinzoniz of Axpe Spain's Extebarri prefers to use calibrated heat and just simple olive oil for his simple grills. Home cooks can try these methods themselves to create a tasty meal for themselves and guests .
Before grilling look at what you have. Ask yourself how you can make it the best and most flavorful. Add a few wood chips or different spices to create a really unique and different grill everyone will love ..
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Clean That Grill Get Ready For This year's barbecues!
June is the time to reopen the pool, dust off the lounge chairs and of course clean and prep the grill. It's a nasty chore but someone has to do it. You should also be looking at your cooking instruments and deciding if they're worth cleaning or tossing. After all a successful barbecue begins with a well functioning grill and good utensils.
Consider cleaning your grill like cleaning your oven. The main idea is here is to get rid of that yucky left over fat and food bits that have been stuck there all year. You can use a special grill cleaner (found in your grocery's cleanser's aisle) or just use regular oven cleaner. The oven cleaner works just as well and probably doesn't cost as much. There is also a method involving tin foil too but I think the soap and water method is the best. The other is putting the foil over a hot grill and letting the food remnants turn to ash. To be honest I don't know if this really cleans it or not. Otherwise use a wire brush and some Comet or Bon Ami to get it clean and then rinse. Don't be too hard on the scrubbing otherwise you can ruin the metal. Also rinse out the pit used to hold the charcoal. This probably has a buildup of dust and debris from your garage (you should have all grills covered in the winter).
For a gas grill, you 'll have to take it apart. Lift everything out layer by layer until you get to the burners . Make sure you inspect these carefully. Check to see if they're not clogged otherwise you'll have uneven heat coming through and half cooked foods. While the grill is empty clean it with soapy water . Put all the cleaned layers back in and then do a priming to burn off any soapy residue (otherwise your first barbecue will taste like cleanser. )Your grill should now be ready for use and a whole season of good cooking.
Get everything ready for the summer ahead. That means clean the grill and prime it for some ribs, burgers , chicken and kabobs. It'll make for tastier eating and better cooking.
Consider cleaning your grill like cleaning your oven. The main idea is here is to get rid of that yucky left over fat and food bits that have been stuck there all year. You can use a special grill cleaner (found in your grocery's cleanser's aisle) or just use regular oven cleaner. The oven cleaner works just as well and probably doesn't cost as much. There is also a method involving tin foil too but I think the soap and water method is the best. The other is putting the foil over a hot grill and letting the food remnants turn to ash. To be honest I don't know if this really cleans it or not. Otherwise use a wire brush and some Comet or Bon Ami to get it clean and then rinse. Don't be too hard on the scrubbing otherwise you can ruin the metal. Also rinse out the pit used to hold the charcoal. This probably has a buildup of dust and debris from your garage (you should have all grills covered in the winter).
For a gas grill, you 'll have to take it apart. Lift everything out layer by layer until you get to the burners . Make sure you inspect these carefully. Check to see if they're not clogged otherwise you'll have uneven heat coming through and half cooked foods. While the grill is empty clean it with soapy water . Put all the cleaned layers back in and then do a priming to burn off any soapy residue (otherwise your first barbecue will taste like cleanser. )Your grill should now be ready for use and a whole season of good cooking.
Get everything ready for the summer ahead. That means clean the grill and prime it for some ribs, burgers , chicken and kabobs. It'll make for tastier eating and better cooking.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
End OF Summer Food Blues
Sometimes all that grilling and chilling can get to you. All that smoky barbecue taste, that once was so appealing is now nauseating. If you feel that way it's time to get back into the fall way of cooking.
Even though some parts of the country can be as toasty as an oven you can still cook a simple hot meal for yourself. Boil up any pasta and serve with a simple sauce. You can even make it easier on yourself by just creating a pasta burro which is just melted butter over spaghetti or linguini. Another quick hot and easy meal is take sliced roast beef or turkey , layer it on an open roll and pour canned gravy over this. Even though the notion of canned gravy can be scary there are some good ones out there that taste like the real thing.
For quicker meals think instant soup or a grilled cheese. You can create an easy vegetable soup by using bouillon cubes and tossing in any produce you picked up form your local farms. Serve with warmed rolls or crusty Italian or French bread. Grilled cheese is a fun meal that's warm, gooey and satisfying. Add some sliced tomato or bacon to make it special.
If you're tired fo summer foods , it's easy to move on to autumn ones. Pick out simple dishes that are not only hot but easy to create. Then you can clean your grill and put that away.
Even though some parts of the country can be as toasty as an oven you can still cook a simple hot meal for yourself. Boil up any pasta and serve with a simple sauce. You can even make it easier on yourself by just creating a pasta burro which is just melted butter over spaghetti or linguini. Another quick hot and easy meal is take sliced roast beef or turkey , layer it on an open roll and pour canned gravy over this. Even though the notion of canned gravy can be scary there are some good ones out there that taste like the real thing.
For quicker meals think instant soup or a grilled cheese. You can create an easy vegetable soup by using bouillon cubes and tossing in any produce you picked up form your local farms. Serve with warmed rolls or crusty Italian or French bread. Grilled cheese is a fun meal that's warm, gooey and satisfying. Add some sliced tomato or bacon to make it special.
If you're tired fo summer foods , it's easy to move on to autumn ones. Pick out simple dishes that are not only hot but easy to create. Then you can clean your grill and put that away.
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