After taking a night off from cooking (thanks to my hubby), I decided to make something really gourmet for dinner. Before the cooking began, we wanted to work out like we had been doing 2 months ago. We realized that summer is over. Did you know that?? 🙂 Every tennis court has removed their nets down, and even though we have had great weather, it is impossible to play. It looks like we will be searching for indoor tennis or raquet ball courts!
Well, after taking a stroll I prepared dinner within an hour. These recipes were all new to me and pretty much my own creations. I have always seen polenta in many recipes and I have eaten several times, but I got to say I have never made it myself. What a quick process! I also had never used balsamic vinegar for anything other than my delicious salads, so I ventured marinating some stew meat. I was very happy with results and I think you would too! After serving it to my hubby I was glad that I tricked. He said he was going in for a bite and thought he was eating mash potatoes until he noticed they were not mashed potatoes! I like surprising people especially my hubby! We had an enthusiastic thumbs up last night!
Balsamic-Marinated Beef and Polenta
serves 2
Marinade
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp garlic powder
3 tsp Italian seasonings
1 tsp mustard powder
Beef
1/2 pound beef stew meat, cut in 1/2 inch pieces
1 onion, julienned
1 Tbsp olive oil
Heat olive oil in pan. Add onions and fry the onions until they start caramelizing (for 10 minutes).
Meanwhile, prepare the marinade and add the beef to the mixture. Add the beff mixture to the onions and cover for 10 minutes. Uncover and let the juices start to evaporize. Serve with polenta immediately to savor full flavors.
Polenta
1 cup cornmeal
3 cups water
2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp salted butter
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup half-and-half
2 tsp ground pepper
1/2 cup orange bell pepper, chopped
1/2 fontina cheese, shredded
Boil water, cornmeal, and salt in a pot until the mixture starts to thicken (starts in 5-10 minutes). Start adding the rest of the ingredients until it becomes creamy. Must be served hot.
