Adventures In Spinach, Part 2

This is a bit more involved than a typical weeknight meal, but hey, it's Saturday. Live a little.

Polenta with Winter Squash Puree and Sauteed Cherries



I had an acorn squash sitting on the fruit tray for a couple of weeks, so I made this recipe up just to use that. It's 112 outside, so I didn't want the oven on the for the hour it would take to bake the squash, so I microwaved it. Or rather, Nate microwaved it; very helpful to have him at home while I was at work (yes, work on a Saturday...thank your vet next time you see him or her...) so I could just get started when I got home. This was a very autumnal meal and would be great at Thanksgiving. There's been entirely too much summer around here lately.

The end result was very tasty and could easily be made vegetarian by omitting the prosciutto. I really liked the cherries, as their tartness cut through the creamy layers of polenta, squash, and goat cheese. When cranberry season rolls around, those would be even better, as I wanted a little more tart than the cherries could provide.

I had visions of crispy, browned polenta cakes when I stuck them under the broiler. I could NOT get them to brown. They were under there for long enough to completely incinerate the parchment paper, but the polenta stayed a nice sunny yellow. I have no idea how to fix this other than to dredge them in flour and fry them, which would decrease the healthy factor in this recipe. Oh well, they were good, even if they were not pretty.




Lastly, this dish was screaming for some toasted walnuts to be sprinkled on top. I just forgot.

serves 3

1 medium acorn squash, halved and seeded
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 t dried sage
cooking spray
1/2 oz prosciutto, diced (optional)
1/2 c vegetable broth
1/2 c skim milk (or cream for a richer sauce)
1 1/2 oz soft goat cheese, divided
6 (1/2" thick) slices cooked polenta tube
1 c fresh cherries, halved and pitted

1. Place the squash halves, cut side down, in a microwave-safe dish and cover with plastic wrap. Cook on high for 8-10 minutes until soft. Carefully remove the plastic and let cool.
2. Puree the squash until smooth.
3. Spray a large pan with cooking spray. Over medium heat, saute the garlic and sage until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the prosciutto for 1 minute.
4. Stir in the squash, broth and milk and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Add more broth or milk if needed to thin the sauce.
5. In a small skillet, saute the cherries over medium heat until soft.
6. Heat the broiler. Arrange the polenta slices on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Place under the broiler for 5 minutes or until heated through and crispy on top.
7. To serve, place two polenta cakes on a plate, top with 1/2 oz goat cheese, and ladle 1/2 c heated sauce over the top. Top with cherries.


Creamed Spinach
by Martha Rose Shulman, NY Times 6/25/10



The is Part 2 of our Adventures in Spinach, my attempt to find a recipe that Nate not only tolerates but actually LIKES. The last attempt was a couple of nights ago, and the response was "meh." So I thought I'd go all out and douse the spinach in a creamy bechamel sauce; who wouldn't like that? Well, the response to this one was "double meh." He actually liked the steamed spinach with garlic better (I secretly loved that he didn't automatically like the heavy creamy dish better than the more refined steamed one).

I thought this recipe was very good (but I love spinach and I love bechamel), and an acceptable lightened version of your typical buttery-creamy classic, but maybe next time I should just go for the full-fat version to see if he'll like it, and then move down from there. This is how I learned to like coffee (this will make sense): I never drank coffee until my 3rd year of vet school, when we were sitting in a lecture hall for 8 hours a day, watching PowerPoint presentations in the dark about various fascinating topics like calcium metabolism in tortoises. I was desperate for caffeine, but all of my previous experiences with black coffee or coffee with skim milk had been revolting. So I tried a coffee with cream and sugar that was barely even a light beige color, and a caffeinated lightbulb went on above my head. THIS is why people drink coffee! It tastes like ice cream! So, natch, once I got a taste for the caffeine, I started weaning myself down to a more coffee-colored drink. Somehow this relates to spinach, I swear.

serves 2

1 T olive oil
1 T chopped shallot or onion (optional, I left this out for Nate's sake)
1 T flour
1 c 1% milk
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of nutmeg (pinch? Please! Nutmeg is the best part of a bechamel! I used probably 1/2 tsp)
8 oz baby spinach

1. To make the bechamel sauce, heat the olive oil and optional onion in a small saucepan. Whisk in the flour until smooth.
2. Gradually whisk in the milk, whisking constantly to avoid lump formation. Continue stirring over medium heat until thickened, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
3. Bring a sauce pan of water to boil and blanch the spinach for 3o seconds. Drain quickly and rinse with cold water immediately.
4. Squeeze the spinach dry and chop. Stir into the bechamel sauce and serve immediately.


And now (drum roll.....) for the highlight of my day:

Nate made homemade granola bars while I was at work. He toasted the oats and melted the chocolate and EVERYTHING, and he even photo-documented it for his blog like a True Foodie. These bars were a thing of beauty, and my heart melted a little bit when he showed them to me.

I think I am being out-kitchened in my own home. I have created a monster. I love it.