Once Upon a Tine

I've recently discovered polenta. I cut it into squares and fry it in coconut oil for amazing croutons!!

I'm branching out now and creating ways to work in in to my family's meals. Tonight I will serve it with the pork chops for a hearty, satisfying meal.

This mushroom sauce has such sophisticated flavor, you won't believe how easy it is to make.

If you can't find fontina, substitute another melting cheese, such as Gruyère or Swiss.

1 16-ounce tube prepared plain polenta, sliced into 8 rounds

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup minced onion

mushrooms, such as white or cremini, stemmed and sliced shiitake mushrooms

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream

2/3 cup shredded fontina cheese (see Note)

2 teaspoons minced fresh tarragon

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

2. Arrange the polenta on the prepared baking sheet and bake until crispy on the bottom and heated through, about 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in mushrooms, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms are softened and most of the liquid has evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes.

4. Pour in wine; bring to a boil and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce the liquid until the pan is almost dry, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in sour cream and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat, stir in cheese and tarragon. Serve the sauce over the polenta.

I'm a on the hunt for warm and cozy recipes! What's for dinner tonight??

Pork Chops with Pomegrante Sauce!

3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

3/4 teaspoon ground coriander

3/4 teaspoon black pepper

/2 teaspoon salt

2 pork chops or 1 tenderloin (each about 3/4 lb)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup plain pomegranate juice (such as POM Wonderful)

3/4 teaspoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon water1 to

2 teaspoons Sherry vinegar

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Special equipment: an instant-read thermometer

Stir together cumin, coriander, pepper, and salt in a shallow bowl. Pat tenderloins dry and dredge in spice mixture until evenly coated.Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Reduce heat to moderate and cook pork, turning occasionally, until meat is browned on all sides and thermometer inserted diagonally into center of each tenderloin registers 145°F, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer pork with tongs to a cutting board (reserve skillet) and let stand 10 minutes.While pork stands, pour off and discard any fat from skillet, then add pomegranate juice to skillet and boil over moderately high heat until reduced to about 2/3 cup, about 3 minutes (if side of skillet begins to scorch, reduce heat to moderate). Stir together cornstarch and water and whisk into juice, then boil sauce until thickened slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add Sherry vinegar to taste, then swirl in butter until incorporated. Pour sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and skim off any fat. Season with salt. Slice pork and serve with sauce.

One 10-ounce box couscous
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice plus 1 lemon, thinly sliced
Four 8-ounce tilapia fillets
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

1. Preheat the oven to 375°. In a large bowl, combine the couscous, almonds, sun-dried tomatoes and cumin and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the 1/4 cup olive oil and the lemon juice.

2. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Arrange the tilapia fillets in a single layer in the dish, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Cover the fish with the couscous mixture and arrange the lemon slices on top. Pour 2 1/2 cups water around the fish, cover with foil and bake until tender, about 25 minutes. Top with the parsley.