Polenta-Topped Turkey Patties

Candy canes.  Hot cocoa.  Fudge.  Things wrapped up with pretty bows.

These are December foods.  But sometimes you need something different.  Sometimes you need real food.

And really, I must say, it was good to be in the kitchen again.  I think I could get used to this.

Recipe inspired by Rachael Ray's Polenta-Topped Pork Patties with Green Beans,
Everyday with Rachael Ray, Dec. 2009

ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1/2 onion, finely chopped

• Salt and pepper

• 2/3 cup instant polenta or quick cook corn meal

• 1/3 cup heavy cream

• 1/4 ounce fontina cheese, shredded

• 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey

• 1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

• side salad fixings, your choice

directions

1. In a large, ovenproof skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, season with salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl; reserve the skillet.
2. In a small saucepan, bring 2 1/3 cups water and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a boil. Whisk in the polenta, lower the heat to medium-low and whisk until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cream, remove from the heat, then stir in the cheese; season with salt and pepper and keep warm.
3. Preheat the broiler. Add the turkey and parsley to the onion; shape into four 4-inch-wide patties. In the reserved skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the patties and cook, turning once, until browned, 6 to 7 minutes. Spoon the polenta on top and broil until golden, about 5 minutes.

COST: $8.64   COST PER SERVING (4): $2.16

(cost includes salad)

Tortellini with Butternut Squash, Sage, & Mushrooms

There are some meals that are good enough to make once but not good enough to incorporate into your regular options.  Then there are some that are all around great that you can't get enough.  This is one of those meals. 

First of all, look at these ingredients!  (And notice my shameless plug for KitchenAid.  I love me some KitchenAid.)  Sage... oh sage.  The smell alone is enough to make you want to add this fuzzy little leaf to your food.  Mushrooms are one of natures healthiest foods, at least according to all those lists floating around the health magazines and websites.  And Butternut Squash, well, YUM.

The first time I made this meal I nearly chopped my thumb off.  Or maybe my hand.  But I have since learned the proper technique on how to chop up this bad boy and enjoy its flavor and nutrients in my life.  High in fiber, low in fat, full of nutrients that help keep strong bones and reduce the risk of serious illnesses... how can you go wrong with that? 

(You can read all about the health benefits of this amazing vitamin-packer HERE.)

Other than amazing ingredients, it is simple:  Cut, toss, cook, and mix.  The end.  And that simplicity comes out tasting, well, amazing.  Which would be why this has become one of my go-to meals.

Company for dinner?  Here we go.
Want something vegetarian?  And again, here we go.
Running low on time?  Here we...  well, you get the point.

(I know, I know, SO MANY pictures of it.  But look at those colors and tell me you would have resisted the urge to capture its beauty.  Uh-huh.  That's what I thought.)

Recipe from Real Simple, October 2011

Ingredients

• 1 small butternut squash (2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/2 pound button or cremini mushrooms, stems trimmed and halved if large
• 1/4 cup fresh sage leaves
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 pound fresh or frozen cheese tortellini
• 2 ounces fontina or Gruyère, grated (1/2 cup), plus more for serving

Directions

1. Heat oven to 450° F. On 2 rimmed baking sheets, toss the squash and mushrooms with the sage, oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Roast, tossing once and rotating pans halfway through, until the vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cook the tortellini according to the package directions. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking water; drain the tortellini and return to the pot. Add the vegetables, fontina, ¼ cup of the cooking water, and ½ teaspoon salt and toss gently to coat (add more cooking water if the pasta seems dry). Sprinkle with additional fontina.

COST: $16.00                 COST PER SERVING (4): $4.00