Quick and Easy Dinner

This recipe was inspired by one from Everyday Food, the miniscule publication from Martha Stewart and PBS television program. I think both the magazine and TV show present simple ways to use whole foods in innovative ways. The portabello mushroom is delicious, easily assembled and simply popped in the oven. I came up with the bean mash after watching Nigella Lawson do something similar to cannellini beans last week. I brightened mine up with an olive oil flavored with lemon that really complements the deep mushroom flavor. The garbanzo beans also add a little protein to the plate. If I were stranded on a dessert island, garbanzo beans would be my food of choice!

Recipe: Portabello Mushrooms with Leeks and Goat Cheese
2 leeks
4 portobello mushroom caps
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon olive oil
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 cups chopped fresh spinach (about 2 ounces)
8 oz fresh goat cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Trim the dark-green parts from leeks and slice into disks. Often I find leeks which don't have a speck of dirt in them, but its always best to wash them a bit. Place them in a bowl with cold water and move them around with your hand to loosen any dirt. Drain and repeat with fresh water until all of the grit is removed. Lift leek slices out of water, leaving grit behind; drain them thoroughly on paper towels and place in a bowl. Toss the leeks with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Lightly oil a foil-lined baked sheet. Place mushroom caps, gill sides up, on a rimmed baking sheet; drizzle with lemon olive oil and vinegar, and season with salt and pepper. Dived the leeks among the caps and bake until caps are just tender, about 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the and top with spinach and cheese; season again with salt and pepper. Bake until spinach wilts and cheese starts to brown, 10 to 12 minutes.

Recipe: Lemony Garbanzo Mash
1 16-oz can of garbanzo beans
2 tablespoons lemon olive oil
1 tsp lemon pepper
Salt to taste

Rinse and drain the beans and place them in a microwave-safe dish. Add the olive oil and microwave on high for two minutes until both are warmed. Use a fork or potato masher and smash around until they are coarsely mashed. You may want to add a little water until you reach a desirable, slightly creamy consistency. Add the lemon pepper and salt to taste. Mix and rewarm before serving.

Shopping list:
2 leeks
4 portobello mushroom caps
Olive oil
Lemon olive oil
Rice wine vinegar (I really like the ginger rice vinegar from O.)
2 cups chopped fresh spinach
8 oz fresh goat cheese
1 16-oz can of garbanzo beans
Lemon pepper

Yummy Soft Polenta

Sunday was a rainy, dreary day. What better way to cheer it up a little than a big pot of creamy, warm polenta? So that is what I did. April came over and we had a delightful meal and conversation.

The polenta was actually inspired by a bunch of leeks that came from the farm, which I wasn't sure what to do with. I cracked open a couple of cookbooks and found this recipe in the Bon Appétit from last year. It sounded like the perfect thing to do with leeks and the contrast between the creamy polenta and leeks was extremely satisfying. Polenta is pretty straightforward, but does require a little attention and a lot of stirring. There are a few leftovers and I'll probably do something fabulous with them later this week.

Recipe: Soft Polenta with Leeks
3 tablespoons butter
3 large leeks (white and pale green parts only), thinly sliced
2 1/4 cups (or more) water
2 cups good vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
1 cup polenta

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add leeks; stir to coat. Cover and cook until leeks soften, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add 2 1/4 cups water, broth and bay leaf. Bring to boil. Gradually whisk in polenta. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until mixture is thick and creamy, stirring often and thinning with more water if necessary, about 20-30 minutes.

Remove pan from heat. Discard bay leaf. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon butter and Parmesan cheese. Season polenta to taste with salt and pepper. Divide polenta among plates.


For dessert I had few cherries left from the last bag I purchased. These were a big and flavorful variety, so I pitted them and tossed with a couple of handfuls of Texas blueberries. To round out this antioxidant powerhouse dessert, I made a green tea whipped cream. I wasn't sure how this would taste with the fruit, but the slightly sweet and earthy flavor combination was inspired.

Recipe: Green Tea Whipped Cream
In a microwave-safe container, heat 1 1/2 cups of heaving whipping cream on high until it is steaming, about 4-5 minutes. Add four green teabags and let steep while the cream cools to room temperature. Squeeze every last bit of goodness from the bags and then place the cream in the refrigerator to cool. At this point, you can whip it (whip it good! sorry, i couldn't resist) conventionally with a hand mixer, adding 1 1/2 to 2 tbsp. of powdered sugar once it starts to thicken. (Since powdered sugar is cut with cornstarch, it aids the thickening process and is better to use than conventional granulated sugar.) You can also add the very chilled cream to a iSi Cream Whipper, add sugar and process. Either way, add generous dollops to the berry mixture for a wonderful summertime dessert.

Mangez!