Baked Polenta with Spinach and Chicken Apple Sausage

I know I say this a lot about the recipes I post on my blog, but I really mean it: this meal was absolutely delicious. I mean, lick the plate (mindfully) delicious. I came across this fun blog called "Oui, Chef" when searching for polenta recipes. Blogger Steve uses Oui, Chef as "an extension of [his] efforts to teach [his] kids a few things about cooking." The recipes are fun, creative, and feature a lot of real and whole foods.

Steve's Baked Polenta with Spinach and Chicken Apple Sausage, originally featured at Whole Foods, uses few ingredients and is a great alternative to lasagna. It's appropriate for people with gluten intolerance, as polenta is made with corn meal. Make sure to get organic polenta to avoid genetically modified corn. (Shopping tip: organic polenta can be found at Trader Joe's.)

Also, make sure to read the ingredient list when shopping for marinara sauce. Opt for organic marinara made without soybean oil or high fructose corn syrup. The Trader Joe's brand is made with soybean oil, so I used Whole Foods generic organic marinara sauce (made without any added sweeteners and with olive oil).

Give this recipe a chance - you will be happy to be eating its leftovers the next day for lunch!

Baked Polenta with Spinach and Chicken Apple Sausage

Ingredients:

2 18 ounce tubes of pre-cooked polenta

1 medium sized yellow onion, finely chopped

1 pound baby spinach

2 pounds chicken sausage (use any flavor that you like, we used "apple")

3 cups marinara sauce

12 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

EVOO

Method:

Preheat the oven to 375 ℉, and grease a 9"x13" baking dish with butter.

Open cooked polenta, and working with your hands break it up and press it into an even layer in the bottom of the baking dish. Work it well with your fingers to eliminate any lumps and ensure a nice even texture. Season this layer with a little kosher salt and some freshly ground pepper.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat, and cook the onion about 3-4 minutes until just starting to take color. Add the spinach, and season with a little salt and pepper, cook until wilted and spread evenly over the polenta.

Remove sausage meat from casings. Add a little more oil to the pan, and over medium-high heat, cook the de-cased sausage meat until nicely browned on all sides, breaking the meat up into small pieces as you go. When just cooked through, add the marinara to the pan with the chicken and stir well to incorporate.

Spread the chicken mix over the spinach, top with the shredded mozzarella and bake, uncovered, for about 30 minutes, until the cheese is light brown and bubbly.

Serve immediately with a nice side salad, and some rustic bread. I made crusty, warm gluten-free bread in the bread maker and also served this with steamed zucchini and carrots topped with raw shaved parmesan; a pomegranate, raspberry, and mixed greens side salad with fig dressing which I will feature next week; and raw, healthy fudge for dessert.

Enjoy!

*M*

Chicken and Butternut Squash Millet Risotto and Clean Week 3

Clean Week 3 was perhaps the most difficult, yet most revealing week yet. I was traveling for work and under an incredible amount of stress. I managed to get the flu while in my hotel (not recommended) and was cooped up for a day in my room, sans room service. Despite all of this, I still stayed within the guidelines of the program and was able to get over the flu rather quickly. A wonderful coworker brought me ingredients to make chicken and rice soup in my room kitchen, and it certainly hit the spot when nothing else sounded good.

Stress is a bad thing. I carry stress in places like my throat and back, and I definitely attribute my contracting the flu to the fact that I put a lot of pressure on myself during the week. The Clean Program guidelines clearly state that detox should be a time of rest and relaxation, but it was quite the opposite for me. At the end of the 3 weeks, I felt like I had survived an emotional hurricane.

I'm still glad I did the Clean Program this time. It has re-set my taste preferences, and I crave vegetables and fruit. It feels weird eating later than 6 at night, and my allergies have definitely calmed down. I did learn that I need to relax - no, seriously - and that I can't survive with so much stress. It just doesn't work for me anymore.

I actually made the recipe below last night, post-cleanse. It is so good and yet is gluten- and dairy-free. I adapted it from the Clean Program recipe book (click on GOOP recipes), adding butternut squash instead of artichokes and including organic chicken for protein. My husband loves it and adds siracha for some spice. It's especially delicious paired with a big, fresh salad and homemade gluten-free bread with organic pasture butter (Whole Foods)!

Millet is an easily digestible, hypoallergenic whole grain that's a good source of B vitamins and fiber (5 grams!). It mimics rice in this risotto because it has a creamy, delicious consistency and doesn't even need cheese.

Chicken and Butternut Squash Millet Risotto

Ingredients:

1 cup millet
6 T extra virgin olive oil, divided
3/4 cup red onion
1 cup mushrooms
1 tbsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp thyme
1 butternut squash
4 cups organic low sodium chicken broth
1 lb. organic chicken breast or thighs
1/3 cup walnuts for garnish (optional)

Assemble your ingredients:


Wash the squash. Cut off the ends:



Peel the skin with a vegetable peeler:



Cut down the center and scoop the seeds out with an ice cream scoop:



Cut each half into bite-sized pieces:


Toss in a bowl with 2 T olive oil, sea salt, and pepper. Spread evenly on a baking sheet:


When the squash is done, remove from the pan and set aside:


Cut the chicken into bite size pieces. Toss with 1 T olive oil, sea salt, pepper, and rosemary. Roast at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, or until the edges are slightly browned.



Spread the chicken across the bottom of a small glass baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until the centers are no longer pink. Remove from the dish and set aside to be used when the millet is finished:


Note: I pop the squash and the chicken in the oven together and allow them to bake while I start the millet. Once the squash and chicken are done, I set them aside until the millet is done.

In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat the oil with the shallots and mushrooms, and cook, stirring frequently until softened (about 5 minutes):




Add cup of water, bring the heat to high, and add the millet:



Then lower heat to medium heat and start to add the stock 1/2 cup at a time, stirring after each addition, every few minutes.


When the stock has been almost completely absorbed after each addition, keep adding more, so the mixture isn’t quite soup but stays very moist.


Keep doing this until millet is tender and has at least doubled in size (about 20 minutes).
Add herbs, squash, and chicken at the last few minutes of cooking and taste for texture.
Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle in walnuts (if using). Serve warm.

I could honestly eat this every week, it's that good! It takes a bit of time to prep, but it sits in our fridge all week and makes for a great warm lunch at work or quick dinner paired with veggies. I am so happy I came across this recipe!

Enjoy!
*M*

Gnocchi with Zucchini Ribbons and Parsley Brown Butter

Every week I get inspired to browse the Eating Well and Whole Living websites to find something new and delicious to cook. I really wanted to make something that used farm fresh vegetables from the North Scottsdale Farmers' Market and was quick and delicious.

In stumbling upon this gnocchi recipe, I was a little skeptical...nutmeg? In gnocchi? The multiple positive reviews swayed me, and boy am I glad I made it! This was absolutely delicious, and the nutmeg added a subtle depth of flavor. My husband, the true test of a flavorful dish, gobbled up every last bit the next day. Great success!

Gnocchi with Zucchini Ribbons and Parsley Brown Butter

Serves 4 (1 1/2 cups each)

Ingredients

1 lb fresh or frozen gnocchi (I used dried whole wheat from Trader Joe's)
2 T organic butter (I used 3 because of the recommendations)
2 medium shallots, chopped
1 lb zucchini, about 3 small, thinly sliced length-wise
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 tsp. Redmond's sea salt
1/4 tsp. grated nutmeg
Black pepper to taste
1/2 cup grated (organic raw) parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Instructions
Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Here's the gnocchi I used. It's not homemade, but it has a pretty decent ingredient list and a ton of fiber (8 grams)! For a packaged food, it's pretty good.


Cook gnocchi until they float, 3 to 5 minutes or according to package directions. Drain.

Here are the veggies (minus the shallots) that I cut up. To make the zucchini ribbons, use a veggie peeler or mandolin.


Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until the butter is beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add shallots and zucchini and cook, stirring often, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes.


Add tomatoes, salt, nutmeg and pepper and continue cooking, stirring often, until the tomatoes are just starting to break down, 1 to 2 minutes.


Stir in Parmesan and parsley. Add the gnocchi and toss to coat.


Serve immediately. It goes great with a big green salad!


Enjoy :)

*M*