Rosemary Porcini Meatballs with Polenta

This meal was a great discovery for me- the realization that I can incorporate one of my favorite foods (cheese grits) into an Italian dinner, posing it as the ever so fancy "polenta" which is in fact the same thing as grits.  (NOT the same as your instant grits however)  I love cheese grits for breakfast, and they pair nicely with shrimp, or jambalaya, but somehow I've missed the delciousness of polenta in my Italian cooking.  It turned out savory and creamy, the perfect pair with the sweet tomato sauce and rich porcini, rosemary, ground beef meatballs.  This recipe is bound to turn any grits-hater into a polenta lover! Not to mention how easy the meatballs are to make- broiled and then finished off in the tomato sauce.  No slaving over a pan and worrying about evenly browning the meatballs, OR having to clean up the greasy mess afterward.  All in all, this was a definite winner!  Recipe adapted from Serious Eats.

Ingredients:
1 oz dried porcini mushrooms
1 lb ground beef (or turkey)
1 egg
1/4 cup bread crumbs*
2 tablespoons milk*
1 1/4 cups finely grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary, plus one whole stem
4 tablespoons chopped parsley
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 jar of tomato sauce- about 3 cups
1 1/2 cups dry polenta
2 tablespoons butter
*Note- I forgot to add the bread crumbs and milk when I made these and they turned out fine.  But who's to say it wouldn't make them better?  I'll try it out next time...

Directions:
Bring one cup of water to a boil, add the mushrooms with a pinch of salt, cover, and remove from heat.  Let them steep for 15-20 minutes and then drain, reserving the liquid for the tomato sauce.  Chop up the mushrooms finely and reserve.

In a mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, milk, 1/4 cup cheese, chopped rosemary, 2 tablespoons parsley, garlic, and olive oil.  Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and some freshly ground black pepper.  Add half of the porcini mushrooms, and gently mix well until just combined.  

Form the meat mixture into balls, about 1 1/2-2 inches in diameter.  I made 20 total, but it doesn't matter how many you make as long as they are pretty much the same size.  Set your oven to broil (high, if it gives you the option), and meanwhile bring 5 cups of water to a boil with 1 teaspoon salt, for the polenta.  Place the meatballs on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and broil for 8-10 minutes.

While the meatballs are broiling, combine the porcini liquid, remaining mushrooms and parsley, whole rosemary stem, and tomato sauce in a pot over medium heat.  Bring to a simmer.  The porcini liquid adds an additional dimension of flavor to the sauce, along with the fresh rosemary. 

When the meatballs are done broiling, remove them from the oven and add directly to the sauce to finish cooking.  This will also allow them to soak up some of the delicious sauce and stay juicy.  Taste the sauce and add more seasoning to your liking.  I ended up throwing in some red pepper flakes to balance out the sweetness.  Keep the pot uncovered to reduce the sauce down a bit. 

When the polenta water comes to a boil, whisk in the dry polenta, cover and simmer, stirring pretty often with the whisk to avoid clumping.  It should thicken up pretty nicely in about 15-20 minutes.  Add the butter and remaining shredded cheese, and taste for additional salt and pepper.  

Serve the polenta in bowls, topped with the meatballs and sauce.  Garnish with additional rosemary and/or more cheese and serve hot. 

Grits Muffins

I've mentioned previously how much I love grits, and this is a great way to use your leftovers.  I used to dread the "recipes" my mom would come up with on her own when I was a kid, because in general they just weren't that good.  (or so I believed at the time and refused to try them).  But, this was one she came up with that I loved.   Using the grits as part of the batter makes the muffins buttery and moist with a bit of texture and density that is surprisingly delicious.  These are a great addition to a full breakfast, or as a side dish with dinner.  It's worth making extra grits on purpose just so you can make these the next day!  I made these with leftovers from our jambalaya.  

 Ingredients: (makes 10... I'll have to figure out adjustments to get it to a full dozen)

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup cooked grits
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional) 

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.  Whisk together your wet ingredients (minus the grits).  Mix in all of the dry ingredients next, and finally fold in the grits and cheese if using.  The mixture will be a little lumpy but that's okay.

Pour into a greased muffin pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the tops have started to brown.   

Let them cool slightly before gently removing.  Serve hot.  (leftovers can be microwaved to reheat but they won't be quite as good)

Jambalaya with Grits

Anyone who knows me well knows that I love grits, especially cheese grits.  So when making jambalaya I took the opportunity to serve it over grits instead of cooking rice into the dish.  The jambalaya is full of flavor from the shrimp, sausage, and chicken combination, and goes well with the creamy and mild grits.  It would also be good over rice or pasta if preferred.  As always, adjust the spiciness to your own taste level.

Ingredients:
1 yellow or white onion, finely diced
1 green pepper, finely diced
2 celery stalks, finely diced
1 jalapeno with seeds, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced 
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons cajun seasoning (or more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3-4 fresh tomatoes, cored, seeded, and diced
1 lb chicken, cut into bite sized pieces (I used boneless skinless thighs, but white meat is fine too)
3/4 lb raw medium shrimp
3/4 lb smoked sausage, or spicy andouille sausage, diced
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken broth
3 green onions, thinly sliced 
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

 


For the grits:
4 cups water
1 cup old fashioned grits
1 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese
dash of garlic powder
freshly ground black pepper





Directions:
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add the onion, celery, green pepper, garlic, and jalapeno.  Sprinkle in some kosher salt (1/2 teaspoon or so).  

While this mixture is sauteing, heat a skillet over medium-high.  Add the last tablespoon of oil and let it heat.  Sprinkle one tablespoon of cajun seasoning over the chicken and mix until it is evenly coated.  Place the chicken in the skillet and cook for 5-7 minutes until it is browning on the outside and cooked through.  Remove to a bowl.

Next, cook the shrimp.  Before placing them in the skillet, sprinkle them with cayenne pepper with some salt and pepper and mix until even.  Cook them for 1-2 minutes on each side until they are opaque and remove to the bowl with the cooked chicken.  

While you are cooking the proteins- remember to occasionally stir your veggies which should be reduced to medium-low.  They should be pretty soft by now, so add one tablespoon of cajun seasoning to the mixture, along with the tomatoes.  Next, on to the sausage. Add it to the empty skillet and cook for about 5 minutes until it starts to brown.  Remove it and place in the bowl with chicken and shrimp.  

Add all the cooked proteins to the vegetable mixture with 1 cup chicken broth and the final tablespoon of cajun seasoning.  

Put the butter in the skillet that has all of the sausage drippings, and reduce heat to medium-low.  Let the butter melt, and whisk in the flour.  The roux should start to bubble up as it cooks.  After about 5 minutes, add the remaining cup of chicken broth and whisk until it thickens.  This gravy will thicken the jambalaya mixture.  

Mix it in to the jambalaya and let this cook, covered over medium-low heat for about 5-10 more minutes before serving.  Make sure to taste it as you are cooking so it's seasoned properly!

For the grits- I would recommend starting them around the time the chicken is cooking.  Heat your water with salt to a boil and whisk in the grits.  Cover and turn heat to low.  Let this simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes.  

Add the cheese, garlic powder, and more salt and pepper if needed.  Remove from heat until ready to serve.


Place a couple large spoonfuls of grits into a bowl, and top with jambalaya.  Top with sliced green onions.  Enjoy this spicy, savory, and creamy dinner!