Sweet Corn Polenta

Recipe from Erin Alderson of Naturally Ella

Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

Makes 4 generous servings

This was a beautiful comforting meal on a chilly autumn day.  I used sweet corn (and garlic chives) from the farmers market, but I think frozen corn would work just fine.  

2 ears of sweet corn, shucked (or about 2 cups fresh sweet corn kernels)

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

3 cups vegetable broth

1/2 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt

1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (Gruyere works as well.)

3/4 cup polenta

Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

3 Tablespoons fresh garlic chives, chives or scallions, chopped (optional)

Remove the kernels from the corn cobs.  Melt the butter in a large saucepan.  Saute the corn kernels for about 5 minutes.  Add the vegetable broth and salt. Bring to a boil.  Slowly add the polenta, stirring constantly.  Lower the heat to a simmer and cook the polenta, stirring frequently, until thick and bubbly, about 20 minutes or so. Turn off the heat and add the cheese, the pepper, and chives, if using.  Stir until the cheese is completely melted.  Serve along with 2 cups of your favorite baked beans and a nice green salad for a great comfort meal.

Turkey Cheeseburger Soup

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Serves 6

Recipe from Skinnytaste.com

Adapted and Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

If you are craving some comfort food, this soup is the answer.  This is a more healthful version of other cheesy soups, but it tastes so good that you won’t feel cheated.  In fact, we thought the soup tasted best the day after it was made which means this would make a great casual dinner party meal served along with a crisp salad and some whole-grain bread.  As you cut up the veggies for this soup, be sure to cut some extra carrot, celery and cauliflower pieces to pop in your lunchbox or to eat for a crunchy snack.

½ pound lean ground turkey

1 Tablespoon unsalted butter

1 medium onion, chopped

2 medium carrots, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons whole-wheat flour or all-purpose flour

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

3 ½ - 4 cups low sodium chicken broth (or homemade chicken broth)

10 oz. Yukon Gold potatoes, finely diced (peel, if desired)

¼ of a large head of cauliflower, florets cut up into bite size pieces*

1 cup to 1 ¾ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

2 Tablespoons chopped scallions, for garnish (optional)

Spray some cooking spray into a large soup pot.  Add the ground turkey to the pot and turn on the heat to medium.  Break the turkey meat up into small clumps as it browns.  Drain and then set aside in a small bowl.  Add the butter to the same pot.  Once it melts, add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic.  Cook, stirring often, until softened.  Sprinkle with the flour, salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring, for about 1 minute to cook the flour.  Return the turkey to the pot.  Add the broth, potatoes, and cauliflower.  Bring to a boil.  Then turn down the heat and cook, covered, until the potatoes and cauliflower are tender, about 25-30 minutes.  Transfer 1 cup of the soup to a blender and blend until smooth. (If you have a stick blender, just place the stick blender into the soup and blend for a few seconds.)  Stir the puree back into the soup.  Stir in the cheddar cheese.  Top with the scallions, if using, and serve.

**Nutritional Information:

Yield: 6 servings (1 ½ cups per serving) Calories 254; Total Fat 11.5 grams (Saturated Fat 6 grams); Cholesterol 52 mg; Sodium 670 mg; Carbohydrates 19 grams; Fiber 3.5 grams; Sugars 5 grams; Protein 20 grams; Freestyle Points 7, Points +

Notes:

*The original recipe calls for ¼ of a large head of cauliflower, stem attached.  Then when the cauliflower is tender from cooking, you would then remove the entire stem with the florets attached and add them to a blender along with 1 cup of liquid.  Blend and then pour back into the soup.  However, I like having the soup a bit chunkier (plus I don’t like having to clean up another appliance) and so I cut up the florets. Then I just used a stick blender and blended just a few seconds to make the soup somewhat creamy.

**You can cut back on the fat by using 1 cup of cheese (I thought that was plenty.) You can cut back on the sodium by using homemade chicken broth.  You can increase the fiber of the soup by not peeling the potatoes or the carrots and by using whole-wheat flour.

Broccoli-Cheddar Hash-Brown Casserole

Serves 8

Recipe from Martha Stewart

Husband-Tested in Marimar’s Kitchen

(Alice’s Daughter-in-Law)

On our last visit to Mexico to see our family, our daughter-in-law made this delectable, decadent dish.  Because it’s so sinfully wonderful, make this for a special occasion breakfast or brunch. This casserole is a riff on a Swiss rosti.  It tastes like a loaded baked potato and has the crispness of hash browns.

4 medium russet potatoes (about 2 ½ pounds total)

Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

2 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (8 oz.)

4 teaspoons Dijon mustard

½ cup Greek yogurt, plus more for serving

½ cup sliced scallions (about 4) plus more for serving

4 cups broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces

5 large eggs, lightly beaten

8 oz. bacon (about 8 slices)

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

In a medium pot, bring potatoes, to a boil unsalted water; cook 10 minutes.  Drain; let cool completely.  Combine cheese, Dijon, yogurt, and scallions in a large bowl.

Peel the potatoes; grate into large shreds (about 6 cups). Fold potatoes, broccoli, eggs, 2 teaspoons slat and ½ teaspoon pepper into the cheese mixture. Cover with plastic; refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.

Preheat the oven to 400F with a rack in the top third of the oven.  In a large ovenproof skillet, cook the bacon over medium-high until crisp, about 8 minutes; transfer to paper towels to drain.  Add butter to the skillet; when it foams, add the potato mixture.  Press to form an even layer and cook, scraping sides with a spatula to prevent burning, until it starts to set, about 8 minutes.  Transfer to the oven; bake until golden, 22-25 minutes.  Let it cool slightly.  Crumble the bacon on top and serve with sliced scallions and yogurt.

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