meatless, part iii

Wow! Our meatless month is really flying by. Only two more weeks on the vegetarian trial diet; I will be sure to post my general assessment once it is completed.  Doug and I are sorting out next month's lifestyle challenge.  We were originally intending to try out the "paleolithic" diet, but we are starting to worry that it will require too much pre-planning and preparation to maintain, which might be a challenge for our insanely busy schedules. So, we might be putting that idea on the back-burner.  At the moment, I am considering a gluten-free diet for next month.  We are officially finished with our vegetarian adventures next Friday, will enjoy a brief weekend of indulgence (we really want cheeseburgers!), and will begin the next epicurean experiment on October 8th.  If anyone has any gluten-free meal suggestions (that are not red-meat heavy - I'm not looking to undo all this month's work!) I am all ears.

As for now, here is our latest meat-free masterpiece.  Another recipe from my beloved Epicurious, this meal was made just for Doug, who loves corn in all forms, particularly polenta.  This creamy version of the Italian staple (daintily referred to as "grits" stateside) was a hit with luxurious mascarpone and sautéed mushrooms.  I decided to serve it with some garlic green beans (blanched and then tossed in a pan with some garlic, salt, pepper, and toasted almonds).  

Ingredients for Polenta:

4 1/2 C water

1 C coarse stone-ground grits

1/4 C heavy cream

2 T finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Ingredients for Mushrooms:

1 lb assorted fresh mushrooms, chopped (recipe calls for "exotic" types, I used button and portobello)

3 T extra-virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove, smashed

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 C water

3 T cold, unsalted butter

1 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice **

1 T chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

For Serving:

1/2 C mascarpone

2 T finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

**I wasn't a huge fan of the lemon flavor with the mushrooms, I think I will omit this the next time I try this recipe

Directions for Polenta:
1. Bring water to simmer in a 3-4 quart heavy saucepan
2. Add grits in a slow stream and simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid is absorbed (about 30 min)
3. Remove from heat and stir in cream, cheese, salt and pepper.

Directions for Mushrooms:
1. Heat olive oil in a heavy skillet on moderately high heat
2. Sauté mushrooms, garlic, salt, and pepper until the liquid from mushrooms is evaporated
3. Add water, butter, lemon juice, and parsley until butter melts and liquid forms a sauce

To Serve:
Top each serving of polenta with mushroom mixture and mascarpone.
Sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano

And there you have it!  Super easy... admittedly a bit messy, but all the pots and pans wiped up without much effort (even the sticky polenta) and it was definitely worth it to eat a creamy, delicious home-cooked meal.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!