Polenta with Mushroom Sauce

The kiddo has become addicted to mushrooms, which means that we are eating way more mushrooms than before. You simply can't turn down a three year old asking for healthy food! This recipe uses dried mushrooms since that's what I had, but fresh mushrooms would be just as yummy. If you want a vegetarian version, omit bacon, and use vegetable stock.


Polenta with Mushroom Sauce
1 oz dried porcini mushrooms
1 cup chicken stock
4 slices bacon, chopped
2 tblsp tomato paste
2 tblsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup sherry
15 oz crushed tomatoes
polenta
1 tblsp butter
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Warm stock in microwave for 1 minute. Add mushrooms to warmed stock and cover with plastic wrap for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, brown bacon in large saucepan. Remove mushrooms from stock. Chop mushrooms. Strain and reserve broth. Add tomato paste, olive oil, and garlic to bacon. Stir and cook until tomato paste melts with olive oil and browns slightly. Add sherry. Reduce by half. Add reserved broth and crushed tomatoes. Stir to combine, cover, and simmer while preparing polenta. Prepare polenta according to package directions. Add butter and parmesan and stir until butter is melted. Serve polenta topped with mushroom sauce.

New Recipes Coming Soon!

Oh the honor and the shame contained in one little tweet! Today, MOM's Organic Market was kind enough to tweet about my humble little blog. (They really are my favorite store!) I was so excited and instantly horrified. I haven't posted since November! I've been cooking. I've been meaning to post. I've just been busy and/or exhausted. Enough excuses. I've been tweeted and I will get back to posting! So, new recipes are coming soon!


If you've been brought here by the tweet, I'm happy to have you! Welcome! I've been cooking since I was in middle school (many, many years ago), became a dedicated locavore about four years ago, and a stay at home mom a little over a year ago. I cook a ton because we only eat out about once a month. I think cooking is easy, so you probably won't find your next great cooking challenges on the site, but I hope you'll find delicious, accessible recipes that will get you into the kitchen. 


Tonight's dinner (a little pot of turkey chili) is cooking away on the stove. It seems perfect for a cold day like this! Come back soon to find the recipe.


Thanks,
Jessica