Monday
Polenta with spinach, black beans, and goat cheese (recipe in the comments)
Fresh pears
Hot tea
Valentine chocolates
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We needed a fast prep meal for tonight because we are actually cooking two dinners. Tomorrow is the anniversary of when M and I started dating and as we're celebrating the actual night at home, we wanted a festive, but EASY meal for tomorrow. As is so often the case when we're looking for a low pressure meal, we've turned to our slow cooker. Stay tuned for our amazing Beef Daube recipe. Anyway, tonight's dinner is unexpectedly easy and very unusual - a great, if atypical combination for a fast meal. The sun-dried tomatoes (not a typical favorite of mine) blend so well with the spinach and goat cheese. That complex and, yet harmonious, flavor is perfectly complimented by the creamy polenta. Even if you're skeptical, make this and you'll have a new busy night favorite.
Prep Notes
Difficulty: Super easy
Chopping: Garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, pears
Time: 20 minutes
Make ahead: So long as you do the polenta last minute, you're fine.
Reaction
J: "Yummy, filling, and surprisingly speedy."
M: "Culinary sunshine."
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It's been said that the average American family is stuck in a ten dinner rut, meaning they repeat the same ten meals over and over, week after week. I can't believe that's true, so here's a forum to write about "what's for dinner?". I want to cook a wide variety of meals that are tasty, easy to prepare, inexpensive, healthy, and sustainable. Is that too much to ask? I don't think so.
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1 comment:
Polenta with Spinach, Black Beans, and Goat Cheese – Cooking Light
Serves 3
5 garlic cloves
¼ cup jarred (chopped) oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1 t olive oil
½ cup chicken broth
½ t ground cumin
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
6 oz. baby spinach
3 cups water
1 cup quick cooking polenta
1 T butter
½ t salt
2-3 oz goat cheese
Pepper
Chop garlic and sun-dried tomatoes separately in a mini-chop or food processor, or mince by hand.
Heat oil in a large skillet. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute or until just beginning to turn golden. Stir in tomatoes, broth, cumin, and beans. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and add spinach in large batches, tossing to combine and wilt leaves.
Cook polenta according to package instructions for 1 cup of dry polenta (for ours, this is 3 cups boiling water + 1 cup polenta, keep at a low boil for 5 minutes). Add butter and salt to finished polenta and stir to melt butter.
Serve bean mixture over polenta. Sprinkle each serving with a desired amount of goat cheese (varies widely, 1 ½ T for J and 3 T for M). Garnish with fresh pepper.
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