From the Ground

Summer Vegetable Variety and an Easy Eggplant Parmesan Recipe

July 19, 2011 By Fran 4 Comments

Summer produce is like artwork. Mother nature almost makes it too easy to photograph. And it’s so much easier to come up with meals and snacks that will fit into a weight loss plan like Weight Watchers, South Beach, or just a generic low fat, low calorie diet.

As you know, sometimes it’s important to have a lifesaver around in summer. You need it on hand at the pool. If you head out on a boat, you may very well be wearing one and when you’re fighting a craving to graze, having fresh fruits and vegetables in the kitchen can be one of the most important lifesavers you can have around during the dog days of summer — like we’re experiencing right now.

As you know, I’ve been on a something of a beet craze recently, but I think I’m about over it. No, it doesn’t mean I won’t eat a beet again, but I’ve made beet salad too many times to count in the last month so it’s onto other vegetables.

But first, one more look at these jewels.

And anyway, I don’t think beets are a summer vegetable anyway, so although I cut them into stars for the 4th of July and for a Spring Salad in June, it was time to hit up the Farmers Market.

Beets were in the past. This weekend it was eggplant. And how could I resist with these colorful spheres of goodness? I picked up two varieties at the farmers market that I haven’t seen before. The large purple eggplants are like the elongated purple ones I’m familiar with, but those little orange orbs are a first for me.

I watched as a couple ahead of me made their purchase and asked them what they were buying. I had no idea. I was told that they are eggplant with a less sweet taste than the typical eggplants we’re all used to and that they have a lot of seeds, but I thought I’d give them a try.

They were a bit bitter — in that way eggplant is when it’s not cooked thoroughly, but not offensive.

I also saw a bin of beans without a sign and had to ask the vendor how to prepare them. She looked at me and said they should be cooked just like black eyed peas — in that tone that said … you know, just like you always make black eyed peas. Not wanting to look like a Jersey transplant in the south who should know how to make black eyed peas but had no idea, I responded with a nod of acknowledgement and came home to look for recipes. I’ll get to it soon.

Basket-of-Produce

I picked up beautiful fresh apricots and juicy, cure the sweet craving, nectarines as well.

But it’s been the eggplant that’s captured my attention and I think my tummy is telling me to STOP! I have just one of the little orange ones left, so I’m on the downward swing of my eggplant extravaganza. Whew!

There’s not much to this Eggplant Parmesan recipe. Cook eggplant slices, spread on marinara sauce, top with cheese, cook and voila! Eggplant parmigana.

I know it’s blurry, but I wanted to you to see that there really was marinara sauce beneath the melty Provolone cheese.

Easy Eggplant Parmesan Recipe

Prep time: 10 mins

Total time: 10 mins

Serves: 2

This eggplant parmesan recipe has just a few steps and does away with breading and frying, which is great for a weight management plan

Ingredients

1 Eggplant, sliced into 4 portions
3 tablespoons Marinara Sauce — your own home made or your favorite store bought
4 slices Provolone Cheese
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan Cheese
Olive Oil Spray

Instructions

Spray a nonstick skillet with olive oil with about 10 sprays
Spray one side of each eggplant with olive oil spray to just cover — about 3 – 4 pumps each
Place the eggplant on the pan, oil side down
Spray the topside of each eggplant slice with 3 – 4 pumps of olive oil
Cook until beginning to brown
Turn, cooking on the other side until no longer opaque and very tender
Spoon a tablespoon of marinara sauce on each slice
Top with one slice of cheese each
Cover loosely with a lid or loosely with aluminum foil for a couple of minutes to melt the cheese
Remove from the pan and serve

Serving size: 2 slices Calories: 293.2 Fat: 16.3g Carbohydrates: 21.5g Fiber: 7.4g Protein: 17.7

Notes

This cheesy dish, worth 8 Weight Watchers Points Plus values will have vegetarian friends and family clamoring to get to the dinner table.

Filed Under: All Posts, From the Ground, Internationally Inspired Tagged With: Beets, Mexico, Recipe, Red, Salad, South Beach, Vegetable, Weight Watchers

A Recipe for Roasting Vegetables

June 24, 2011 By Fran 5 Comments

Just as the the summer sun glows like the yolk of an egg and the kernels on an ear of corn deliver the golden hue of a piece of fine gold jewelry, this roasted cauliflower with annatto-infused olive oil can bring summer into your kitchen on the gloomiest of days.

This is the first week of summer. This steamy mid-June, too early for the dog days with their three H’s — Hazy, Hot and Humid — sucks all the desire to spend hours in the kitchen after a long day at work out of me, but there’s enough of me left to roast vegetables and quickly sauté a chicken breast.

To make this cauliflower special, I finally cracked open a jar of Annatto seeds that I’ve had in my kitchen since October. I was going to use saffron, but I only have a few threads left from my last purchase and while I would have liked to have had that field of crocuses flavor, these red seeds from the achiote pod not only lend an earthy flavor to the dish, but the color is simply beautiful. It glows.

Now, if you believe everything that comes from the pages of Wikipedia you might be tempted to stay far away from these color-inducing Annatto seeds because they may well induce more than color on your cauliflower. But who wants to be scared away from the potential to break out in hives, or worse? Not me. I’m a risk-taker and these seeds are no match for me.

In the end, the cauliflower was tasty and colorful and a great accompaniment to my dinner of grilled chicken tortillas with more of that lip-puckering Aji Verde. You know, the other day, a friend suggested I bottle the stuff. I think she’s got the right idea! And don’t think I won’t try.

Annatto Infused Cauliflower Steaks

Recipe Type: Side

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 35 mins

Total time: 45 mins

Serves: 8

These cauliflower steaks can be made with Saffron to give it that sunny hue, but I opted for the less expensive Annatto seed

Ingredients

1 large, firm head of Cauliflower rinsed and cut into “steaks” by slicing vertically through the core
2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 teaspoons Vinegar
1 teaspoon Annatto Seeds
2 teaspoons ground Sea Salt

Instructions

Preheat an oven to 425º
Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper
Combine all ingredients except the cauliflower in a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a paper towel
Heat in a microwave for 30 seconds
Carefully place the cauliflower steaks on the baking sheet, taking care not to break the florets
Using a pastry brush, spread 1/2 of the infused oil mixture on the cauliflower
Transfer to the oven and cook for 20 minutes
Turn and brush the other side of the cauliflower with the remaining oil and roast for an additional 15 minutes or until the cauliflower begins to brown
Remove to a plate and serve

Serving size: 1 slice Calories: 56.1 Fat: 3.6 Carbohydrates: 5.5 Fiber: 2.6 Protein: 2.1

Notes

This sunny side dish has a Weight Watchers Points Plus value of 2 and is just 56.1 calories.

Filed Under: All Posts, From the Ground, Side Dishes Tagged With: Aji Verde, Cauliflower, Recipe, Roasting, Summer, Vegetables

Crazy Kitchen Carnage and a Recipe

June 4, 2011 By Fran 7 Comments

Brilliant Beets

How about that headline for some great alliteration? I’ll bet it scared you for a minute seeing all that red beet juice splayed all over the cutting board, didn’t it? Well, now that you’ve calmed down, it’s time to talk bright red beets.

I’ve mentioned beets in the past. I’ve said that beets are not my thing. I’ve said that beets were one vegetable I don’t remember having as a kid. And I mentioned how, in just about every salad I had in Argentina, chunks of bright red beets were never left out and although they were beautiful, I’d avoid them because beets, to me were not far from Papaya. I found them mushy and lacking in flavor.

I expect a brilliant splash of tropical flavor with every piece of papaya I’ve bitten into and am always disappointed and the same goes for ruby-red jewel toned beets. With a vegetable so brilliant in color, I expect a brilliant flavor and yet, have never found it — until now, that is.

As I mentioned, or I meant to mention in my post on FRANtasticFood when I wrote about my recent Spring Break tour of the south, one of the delicious dishes I had (a couple of times) was Beet Salad and, get this … I LOVED it!

The salads were both done with a vinaigrette which was the perfect way to add flavor to the vegetable. I don’t know exactly how the recipes were done, but I knew I tasted citrus and wanted to be sure to capture that flavor in my salad. I added shallots and pine nuts and it was delicious! So much so that I have had this salad four — or is it FIVE — times since I got home 2 weeks ago.

And now for the fun part. My sister told me she often adds shape to her beets with a cookie cutter! Yes. She cuts her beets into shapes and not to get kids to eat them, but just to add fun and to take the salad one step further.

What a great idea! I headed to the closet, pulled out my boxes of cookie cutters, picked a couple that were just the right size and Voilà! Beets in the shapes of hearts and stars. Pretty and delicious, what more could I ask for? Even the cut out parts are fun and don’t go to waste.

So, if you love beets, but have never had them in a salad with a citrus vinaigrette, try this. I’m sure you’ll be won over. And if you’ve avoided beets all your life, I implore you — try this! Really, you’ll be happy you did. Either way, let me know what you think.

Oh, and one warning — BE CAREFUL with those red beets. They will stain. I mean really. STAIN! I was very careful, but if you’re not, beware of the beautiful red color of anything they touch.

Hearts ‘n Stars Beet Salad Recipe

Recipe Type: Side Dish

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 75 mins

Total time: 1 hour 25 mins

Serves: 4

Pairing beets with citrus, oil and vinegar makes for a bright and vibrant salad that is really refreshing

Ingredients

2 bunches beets — any color
Olive Oil spray
2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground Pepper
1 large shallot — sliced thinly
1 tablespoon extra virgin Olive Oil
1 teaspoon red wine Vinegar
1 Orange
2 tablespoon Pine Nuts, toasted

Instructions

Pre-heat an oven to 400º
Cut the tops off the beets and rinse to remove any dirt.
Line a baking pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil and place the whole, un-peeled beets on the pan. Hit the beets with the olive oil spray until they’ve all been coated. About 1 or 2 pumps a piece on each side.
Roll the beets around. Run to the sink to wash your hands so that you don’t end up scaring yourself when you wake up with red fingers the next morning.
Cover with foil and roast for 40 – 45 minutes or until fork tender.
Remove from the oven and let steam for 10 minutes.
While the beets are resting, make the vinaigrette.
In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, vinegar and orange juice.
Using your fingers, remove the skin.
Slice or cut into wedges or chunks. If you’re going to cut into shapes, slice thinly, about 1/4 – 1/2 inch wide or it will be rather difficult to cut. I used a paper towel on top of the cookie cutter to make it easier.
Put the beets in a bowl.
Add the Shallot slices.
Pour the dressing on top.
Sprinkle with Salt and Pepper.
Let sit for 30 minutes.
Plate and sprinkle toasted pine nuts and toss.
Serve

Serving size: 1/2 cup Fat: 6.6 Carbohydrates: 19.9 Fiber: 5.3 Protein: 3.6

Notes

Weight Watchers Points Plus Value — 4 per serving

NOTE: When using golden and white beets, please note that they will also turn a reddish color.

Filed Under: All Posts, From the Ground, Side Dishes Tagged With: Beets, Cook, Kitchen, Orange, Recipe

Sweet Mango Salad and Bagoong

June 3, 2011 By Fran 3 Comments

I Want to Be Your Mango Mentor!

Let’s talk mangoes. I found out today that I am a finalist inthe Mango Mentor competition that was launched at BlogHerFood a couple of weeks ago. I’m not confident I’ll win, but it was worth a whole lot of belly laughs at the office this morning and any morning that begins with a rip-roaring bout of laughter is money in my book. If you take a moment and watch my “How to Cut a Mango” video and can peel yourself away and back to the keyboard after a sidesplitting laugh, can you please vote for me? Yes, even though it appears I think the only thing worthy of children after cutting a mango is the skin. What I meant to say was that they could go to town sucking out the remaining flesh in the skin of the fruit, and that they could gnaw on the seed, but it appears I handed over the skin and left it at that.

There are some things we just don’t hear about in mainstream grocery stores in the US. Take Bagoong for instance. Bagoong is an acquired taste for some, an everyday condiment for others and for some, something to run from.

Just as Beets and Lima Beans are often regarded with fear and disdain, bagoong alamang is frowned upon by the uninitiated. Why? Well, the fact that it’s fermented shrimp paste may have something to do with it. WHAT?! Fermented and Shrimp on the same sentence? Sure. If you’ve ever fallen in love with a Thai or Vietnamese dish, I’ll bet you’ve had fish sauce.

Click the arrow and it will take you to the Facebook page where you can view the video!

I’m no expert, but there’s not much about fish sauce (nam pla) that’s different than this jar of shrimp paste you’ll see if you scroll down just a bit. Fish sauce is what rises to the top in a barrel of fermenting anchovies.

I became acquainted with bagoong when I moved to the Philippines and was introduced to green mangoes. My first Philippine mango experience was mango juice.

Ohhhh, I thought! “I can’t wait for a nice, tall glass of mango juice,” I said to my new landlords as the tropical sun was baring down on the nipa hut we were relaxing in as the husband and wife team were getting to know the woman from America that was going to be spending a hell of a lot of money to live in their brand-spanking new house in Angeles City. Ok, so I wasn’t shelling out the dough for rent, my employer was, but that was a concept that may not have been quite understood — until the first rent check arrived from AOL’s corporate account, that is.

Nevertheless, I was there to prove that I would be a great tenant and wanted to show that I was appreciative of their hospitality and and the cooling beverage they were offering.

So, with glass to mouth and a fear of unfiltered water weighing heavily on my newly in-country stomach, I took a swig of an icy cold gulp of mango juice.

Ack! My lips puckered in revolt! What was this? It was tart! It was bitter! This was not the sweet, fragrant mango juice I had imagined. When my hosts saw the look on my face they chuckled and with a knowing look, told me that mango juice is most often served using green mangoes rather than sweet mangoes.

“Green mangoes? What does that mean,” I asked? And that’s when I became an informed expat. A green mango is an unripe mango. It’s known more as a savory fruit and while I never really warmed up to green mango juice, my friends Benji and Carina showed just how delicious a green mango can be. I took a ride to their home in Antipolo and we went out for a fun lunch with other expats to a restaurant that served local fare and it was there that they helped me find a new love — Green Mangoes with Tomatoes, Onions and Bagoong.

I liked mangoes well enough, but always found them rather stringy and not very juicy. That all changed when I moved to the Philippines and discovered the bright yellow little “diamond mangoes” that were hanging from trees all around the call center in season. It was at that point I realized I had never had a really good mango experience. When I moved back to the US I was sad. Sad that we didn’t have these small, packed with flavor mangoes available to us.

And then A year later I relocated to Bangalore, India where the sweet little fruit was abundant once again and the debate over which mango was better — the Philippine or the Indian mango. I have to say, although I fought for the Philippine mango … being my first expat experience I was loyal to my Philippine “heritage,” but in reality, they were both so similar that if you did a blind taste test I probably couldn’t tell the difference.

I had many food experiences in the Philippines that will not only live with me forever, but which make up most of the fond memories I have of my life there and some I have brought home with me. This Sweet Mango Salad with Bagoong is one of them.

It’s got a very low Weight Watchers Points Plus value is quick and easy to put together and makes a sweet side salad which pairs well with so many dishes, but is an especially delicious accompaniment to a grilled dinner. If you’re serving other vegetables you can cut the salad in half or serve 2 – 4 people as a condiment.

So … let’s eat! Masarap!

Sweet Mango Salad

Recipe Type: Side Dish

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Total time: 20 mins

Serves: 2

A sweet mango pairs well with tomatoes, onions and a fresh vinaigrette

Ingredients

1 small, sweet (ripe) Mango
2 tablespoons minced Onion
1 cup sliced or chopped Tomatoes
1/2 small jalapeño pepper minced
1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Red Wine Vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste (omit the salt if serving with Bagoong)

Instructions

Cut the mango into large or small dice (watch my Mango Mentor video to see the technique for doing this)
Add the onions, tomatoes, and pepper
In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper together
Pour over the mango mixture, let sit for 10 – 30 minutes and serve

Serving size: 1/2 Cup Calories: 127 Fat: 7.0 Carbohydrates: 17.6 Fiber: 1.9 Protein: 0.5

Notes

This small salad (or condiment) has a Weight Watchers Points Plus Value of 4. A tablespoon of Bagoong Alamang is worth 1 point. Serve the dish with hard boiled eggs for a more substantial salad and add 2 points for each egg.

Filed Under: All Posts, From the Ground, Side Dishes Tagged With: Bagoong, Mango, Shrimp Paste

Colorful Red Quinoa Salad

May 28, 2011 By Fran 8 Comments

Quinoa is my current habit. Well, that and beets, but we’ll talk about beets in a future post. I’ve tried quinoa before, but struggled to find the culinary attraction in this strange looking grain with the little whilte curlycue tail. I’m happy to report that I’ve crossed over to the “gotta have it often” side of the ancient grains camp.

I’ve made it ~~three~~ FOUR times this week and always serve it as a cool salad. It’s quick and easy and oh so healthy and fits well into a weight loss program! The texture is tender while crunchy, satisfying that need for something to chew on.

People I know that struggle with diabetes find it’s a grain they can process with little to no negative effects and I find it cures the carbohydrate cravings I have at mealtime. It’s like rice, but with a satisfying crunch.

The inspiration for this dish came from a whole wheat couscous sample provided by Bob’s Red Mill, at BlogHerFood this past weekend and liked how they served it — as a salad. I went back twice, although I prefer regular couscous to the whole wheat verison. With that inspiration I made my own version using quinoa. In my research to find a link to Bob’s Red Mill I found a link for the Moroccan Whole Wheat Couscous recipe they used at the demo table, but it was for a quinoa recipe that looks great as well, although not quite what they sampled.

I had a package of red quinoa in the pantry and while I find it has a bit more earthy flavor than golden quinoa, I needed to use it. I love the color, especially with the contrast of cucumber and parsley.

No matter the recipe, quinoa is wonderfully versatile. Give Quinoa a try. I’ll be surprised if you don’t find you love it and I hope you let me know. I’d love to hear from you!

Quinoa Salad

Recipe Type: Side Dish

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 35 mins

Serves: 2

The ancient grain makes a great side dish at any meal

Ingredients

1/2 cup quinoa (red or golden)
1 cup water
1/2 cup diced cucumbers
1 small shallot, sliced thinly
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon smoked sea salt (or regular sea salt if not available)
a few grinds fresh black pepper
1 tablespoon roasted, salted peanuts

Instructions

Bring the water to a boil on high heat.
When the water is boiling, stir in the quinoa and bring back to the boil.
Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
Remove from the heat and let rest, covered for 15 minutes.
While the quinoa is resting, whisk the oil and vinegar in a small bowl.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper and stir unti combined.
When quinoa has rested, let cool until it’s just warm to the touch, or put in the refrigerator to chill. I like to stir the oil and vinegar into the quinoa when it’s warm to the touch. The result is creamy quinoa.
When cooled, add cucumber, shallot and dressing and stir to thoroughly combine.
Sprinkle nuts on top and stir.
Serve

Serving size: 1/2 cup Calories: 272 Fat: 11.2g Carbohydrates: 35.9g Fiber: 4.1g Protein: 8.8g

Notes

This delicious side dish will cost a Weight Watchers Points Plus value of 7 points.

Feel free to add your favorite vegetables and herbs. I’ve made the dish with fresh, thinly sliced radishes and a tablespoon of fresh baby peas. Cilantro, cumin and minced jalapeño peppers give the dish a South of the Border flavor.

If you’ve got vegetable broth in the house, use it to boil the quinoa. If you’ve got the points to spend, chicken broth would be delicious. Take a chance, use your imagination, you really can’t go wrong.

Filed Under: All Posts, From the Ground, Side Dishes Tagged With: Beets, Bob's Red Mill, Points Plus, Quinoa, Recipe, Salad, Weight Watchers

A Right Recipe for Palak Paneer

April 29, 2011 By Fran 2 Comments

The Spinach Shines

Can you imagine spinach so creamy without a hint of cream? Take a look at this and you’ll see the creamiest, smoothest, greenest spinach you’ll ever put your eyes on — at least today. This is the Indian dish called Palak Paneer.

I made the Paneer (Indian Cheese) last night, cut it up and posted the photos and information here and knew that I was going to dine on the spinach goodness of Palak Paneer tonight.

I used Manisha, of Indian Food Rocks’ recipe for tonight’s dish. I used 1 tablespoon of oil for the spinach and pan fried the cheese with a few pumps of olive oil spray until golden brown. I’m linking to the recipe here because I want to give credit where credit’s due. I chose the recipe because of how vibrant and verdant it looked and I really can’t claim to have adapted this simple recipe.

It was the first time I made it, so I decided to follow it to the letter. Manisha says it’s not about adding flavors, that it’s about the ginger and lemon and while I was yearning for onion and garlic, I decided to stay true to the recipe — a feat for me. I’m happy I did. The ginger shone through and I added a little more lemon because my cheese wasn’t quite tart enough, but it’s one of those things you can taste as you go.

Key to the recipe for me was taking it off the stove as soon as the spinach was wilted and letting it whirl around in the VitaMix until it was silky smooth. I considered shocking the spinach in an ice water bath, but the recipe didn’t direct me to take that step and as you can see, it wasn’t necessary. Often, I’ll shock a green vegetable like green beans after cooking to retain that incredible green color, but that wasn’t an issue here. It took less than a minute to get to this consistency and while I could have let it spin in the blender until it became serving hot again, I put it back in the pot to simmer for just a few mintes before adding a few cubes of Paneer and serving as the recipe directed.

I can’t wait to hear what my Bangalore friends have to say about this effort. I’m sure it’s a surprise to all that I have this thing about cooking. In a year in India, I never allowed my cooking habit show. and that if I added up all the posts in my various blogs these past 4 years, Indian food appears most often. I’m happy to add another untried dish to my repertoire.

This Palak Paneer will cost you a Weight Watchers Points Plus value of 9 with the following breakdown:

Fat 27 g
Protein 21 g
Fiber 4 g
Carbs 7 g

Filed Under: All Posts, From India, From the Cow, From the Ground, Internationally Inspired, Side Dishes Tagged With: Cheese, India, Palak Paneer, Spinach, Vegetable

A Surprising Polenta and Marinara Sauce Recipe

April 21, 2011 By Fran 4 Comments

Pan Fried Polenta and Marinara Sauce

Polenta and Marinara sauce are like an Italian marriage made in the kitchen and it usually requires a lot of watching and stirring and, oh yeah, tasting!

And here’s the surprising part … in the interest of time and temptation, I veered off the totally made from scratch, no packaged or jarred food routine I usually adhere to and bought a tube of polenta and a jar of marinara sauce. ::::::GASP:::::: !!

Ok, I’ll admit it, I always keep a small jar of Rao’s Marinara in the fridge. It’s my emergency stash. I often make Rao’s Marinara Sauce using this recipe, but scaling it back. I’m not feeding the neighborhood, after all, but I am not wonder woman and sometimes need help during the week.

This meal takes no more than 10 minutes to get from package to table and while you spend those 10 minutes hovering over a hot stove, it’s easy work and the results are well worth it for your 3 points, the effort is minimal and the taste and texture are just what you desire. Crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside.

Polenta Cakes with Marinara Recipe

Recipe Type: Side Dish

Prep time: 2 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Total time: 12 mins

Serves: 1

Crispy pan fried polenta cakes are a delicious Italian side dish with marinara sauce

Ingredients

6 pumps of Olive Oil spray
2 Polenta slices cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons Marinara Sauce
Grated fresh Parmesan Cheese

Instructions

Heat 6 pumps of olive oil spray in a skillet over medium heat.
While oil is heating, slice polenta into 1/2-inch pieces.
Place the polenta slices in the pan and cook over medium high heat.
In the meantime, spoon the marinara sauce into a microwave proof bowl and heat to take the chill off, about 45 seconds or heat in the other side of the skillet on top of the stove.
When brown and crispy, using a flexible spatula, turn and cook on the other side until also brown and crispy.
Remove to a plate and serve.

Serving size: 1 Calories: 71 Fat: 0 Saturated fat: 0 Unsaturated fat: 0 Carbohydrates: 15 Sugar: 0 Fiber: 1 Protein: 2

Notes

This is a quick and easy side dish that can be cooked and on the table in 10 minutes. I don’t make a habit of using prepared food, but there are times when products like these — Polenta Tubes and a Jar of Marinara Sauce are the perfect answer to a weeknight dinner.

I use the tube of polenta found in the vegetable aisle of my local grocery store. It’s quick and while I sometimes make it from scratch, for a last minute pan-fried polenta treat, I find the tube works well.

Remove to a plate and spoon a tablespoon of marinara sauce over each cake.

Grate cheese over and serve.

This side dish is worth 2 Weight Watchers Points Plus Values

Filed Under: All Posts, From Italy, From the Ground, Internationally Inspired, Side Dishes Tagged With: Italian, Marinara, Polenta

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