Baked Polenta with Tomato Lentil Sauce

A rich, healthy, satisfying main course for winter.  Polenta is a pantry staple in Northern Italy made from cornmeal and is often flavoured with cheese or tomato sauce. This delicious, baked version is absolutely irresistible.

Baked Polenta with Tomato sauce and Lentils

Ingredients:

• 1 can tomato puree
• 1/2 c vegetable broth
• 1 can lentils
• fresh or dried oregano
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• polenta
• 1/2 tsp chili flakes
• 1 clove garlic (minced)
• 1/2 onion (minced)
• salt (to taste)
• pepper (to taste)

Method:

In a sauce pan add olive oil, garlic, onion, chili flakes and oregano. Cook over low-medium heat until the onions and garlic have carmelized (approximately 15 minutes).

Baked Polenta with Tomato sauce and Lentils

While your onions and garlic are carmelizing, pre heat oven to 425°.

Cut your polenta into 1/2 inch “steaks”.

Baked Polenta with Tomato sauce and Lentils

Using an oven safe frying pan or baking dish  lightly drizzle your polenta with olive oil and bake at 425 for approximately 20 minutes, or until your polenta has lightly browned.

Baked Polenta

While your polenta is baking, add your tomato puree, vegetable broth and lentils to your sauce pot, add salt and pepper to taste.

Baked polenta with lentils

Once your polenta is baked, place on a plate and cover with your lentil sauce.

Baked polenta with lentils

I hope you enjoy this healthy recipe, quick delicious and a healthy alternative to meat.

Gnocchi with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce and a Salted Garlic Whip Cream.

I know I have been making a lot of Gnocchi Dishes lately, although here is another one I think you’ll like. Making the whip cream is a extra little step but its well worth it in the end when you get to eat this!

Gnocchi with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce and a Salted Garlic Whip Cream.

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp Garlic
• 1 Yellow Onion
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Roasted Red Pepper
• 1/2 C Red Wine
• 2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
• 2 C Tomatoes Diced
• 1/4 Tsp Oregano
• 1/4 Tsp Thyme
• 1/2 C Vegetable Stalk

Salted Garlic Whip Cream

Ingredients:

• 250 ml whipping cream
• 1 Tsp garlic minced
• 1/4 Tsp salt

Method: 

In a medium sized pot add olive oil, garlic and onion. Simmer on low heat to caramelize the garlic and onions sweeting them up.

Caramelize Onions and Garlic

While the onions and garlic are caramelizing, slice your red pepper in half, remove seeds and drizzle with olive oil. Place in a oven safe dish and cook on broil flipping once each side get brown.

Roasting your Red Pepper

Once your pepper has been roasted on each side, add your roasted pepper, tomatoes, oregano, thyme, wine and balsamic vinegar to your pot.

Simmer all your Ingredients

Allow your ingredients to simmer for approximately 15 to 20 minutes allowing everything to soften up and break down. Once cooked add 1/2 cup vegetable stalk. Using your Hand Blender emulsify the vegetables and create a smooth consistency for your sauce.

Emulsify your Ingredients

Once blended smoothly allow the sauce to simmer on low heat until the rest of the meal is complete.

In a Large bowl, combine whip cream, garlic and salt, using a hand mixer whip on high speed until fluffy. Store in fridge until ready to use.

Salted Garlic Whip Cream

Grab a non stick frying pan, place on medium head add 1 tsp of olive oil and your gnocchi. Cook for approximately 10 minutes keeping the frying pan covered allowing the gnocchi to steam it’s self. This is a much easier method to cook gnocchi it ensures you wont over boil it!

Gnocchi cooked in non stick frying pan

Once everything is cook, place your Gnocchi on your plate, add roasted red pepper sauce and top with a big dollop of your Salted Garlic Whip Cream!

This dish might not be the most nutritious but it sure is delicious!

Gnocchi with roasted red pepper sauce and salted garlic whip cream

Rice Pasta with Spicy Sausage and Ricotta Sauce

Pasta made from rice flour or brown rice flour is typically available in health food stores although with more and more gluten-free diets grocery stores are starting to carry more of these specialized items.  It’s a great alternative to wheat flour-based noodles for individuals who are allergic to wheat or gluten.

The noodles do take a little longer to cook although I would monitor them because rice pasta is better under cooked then over cooked. Also don’t forget to put a generous amount of salt in the water before boiling the pasta is seasons the pasta internally as  it absorbs liquid and swells. The pasta dish may even require less salt overall.

You may have heard that you can avoid sticky pasta by adding oil to the pasta water. This can prevent sticking, but at a great price. Pasta that’s cooked in oily water will become oily itself and, as a result, the sauce slides off, doesn’t get absorbed, and you have flavorless pasta.

Adding oil may keep the pasta water from bubbling up and boiling over the rim, but this can be achieved by making sure you use a large pot and by reducing the heat a little.

 

Rice Pasta with Spicy Sausage and Ricotta Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1/2 Red Onion (Minced)
• 1 Tbsp Garlic (Minced)
• 3 Green Onions (Sliced)
• 4 Hot Italian Sausages
• Cherry Tomatoes (Halved)
• 1/4 Tsp Oregano
• 1/4 Tsp Red Chilli Flakes
• 300 G Ricotta Cheese
• Parmesan
• 450 G Rice Pasta

Method: 

1. In a large pot add water and a generous amount of salt, bring to boil.
   

   Tomatoes, Onions and Garlic

2. Using a large non stick frying pan add olive oil, red onion, green onion, garlic, oregano, chilli flakes and halved cherry tomatoes. Simmer over low-medium heat to allow the onion to caramelize but not burn, the onions and garlic will turn slightly transparent and sweeten up significantly!
   

   Adding the Italian Sausage

3. Slice sausage into the frying pan cover and allow to cook over low/medium heat for approximately 15 minutes or until sausage is cooked.
   

   Stir in Ricotta

4. Stir in Ricotta cheese, and continue to simmer over low heat.
5. Once pasta is cooked, drain and pour back into your boiling pot.
6. Pour your sauce from the frying pan into the pot and stir making sure your pasta is completely covered.
7. Sprinkle salt, pepper and parmesan cheese on top for extra flavour.

Serves 4