Budget Cooking

Polenta with kale and Portobello Mushrooms

  
Polenta with kale and Portobello Mushrooms ($2.10/person)
Every Day with Rachael Ray, April 2009
SERVES 4 PREP 45 min BAKE 20 min

Ingredients:

• Salt and pepper

• ¾ cup instant polenta
• 3 ½ tablespoons butter
• 4 ounces Portobello mushroom caps, coarsely chopped
• 1 bunch kale (about 12 ounces), stems trimmed and leaves chopped
• 1 ½ tablespoons flour
• 1 cup milk
• 3 ounces provolone cheese, shredded (about ¾ cup)

Directions:
Grease an 8-inch square baking dish. In a heavy, medium saucepan, bring 3 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt to a boil over high heat. Add the polenta in a thin stream, whisking constantly. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring constantly, until thick, 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Spread evenly in the prepared baking dish. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons water, then add the kale in batches, allowing each batch to wilt slightly before adding the next. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 8 minutes; season with salt and pepper. In a small saucepan, melt the remaining 1 ½ tablespoons butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, about 3 minutes. Slowly pour in the milk, whisking, and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes; season with salt and pepper.
Preheat the oven to 400°. Top the polenta with the kale mixture. Spoon the cream sauce evenly over the kale mixture and top with the provolone. Bake until warmed through, about 15 minutes. Increase the temperature to 450° and bake until golden, about 5 minutes.

Hot-Sauce Chicken with Grilled Beans (Rachael Ray)

I love Rachael Ray's recipes from her magazine, Every Day with Rachael Ray. I admit, I don't get to try them all, but I wanted to share a few with you. You can make this one for just $2.31/person!

Hot-Sauce Chicken with Grilled Beans ($2.31/person)

Every Day with Rachael Ray, April 2009

SERVES 4 PREP 15 min (plus marinating) COOK 20 min

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, smashed and peeled
• Strips of peel and juice of ½ lemon
• 2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce
• 1 ½ tablespoons sugar
• 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, halved
• Salt and pepper
• 1 pound green beans, trimmed
• 1 red onion, thickly sliced crosswise

Directions:

• In a measuring cup, stir together 3 tablespoons olive oil, the garlic, lemon peel, lemon juice, hot sauce and sugar until the sugar dissolves.
• Pour all but ¼ cup of the marinade into a large bowl. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and to the bowl and toss to coat. Cover and let marinate for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large saucepan of boiling, salted water, cook the green beans until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes; drain.
• Heat a frill pan over medium-high heat. Working in batches, grill the chicken, turning once, until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and drizzle with the reserved ¼ cup marinade; toss to coat. Cover to keep warm.
• Heat the grill pan over medium-high heat. In a small bowl, drizzle the onion with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Grill the onion, turning occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes; transfer to the platter.
• Add the green beans to the grill pan and cook until lightly charred, about 2 minutes; transfer to the serving platter. Lightly toss the chicken with the vegetables and season with salt and pepper.