Kale Salad with Avocado, Almonds & Apricots

After a weekend full of LOTS of food, what is better than a nice healthy salad??  We made this for dinner on Saturday night after lots of rich and indulgent foods over Thanksgiving.  This was the perfect thing to get back on track with!  Kale is a hearty green that is packed with flavor.  This recipe calls for kind of an odd pairing of ingredients, but all the flavors really come together!

Servings:  2

Size:  Main course salad

Points Plus: 7pp

Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time:  n/a

Rating: 3 stars – Good

Ingredient List:

A large bunch of kale
10 dried apricots, diced
¼ cup almonds, sliced
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, flakes
½ avocado, diced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

Directions:

Wash and chop the kale into small, bite-sized pieces; add to a large bowl.  Dice the apricots and add to bowl along with almonds and parmesan cheese.  Add salt and pepper and mix thoroughly.  In a small Pyrex measuring cup, whisk together the olive oil and red wine vinegar; pour over the salad and mix well.  Just before serving, dice the avocado and add to the top of each serving.

Tip:

It's really important to get yourself back on track after a holiday weekend!  Eat lightly and pack in a lot of salad, broth-based soups and other low pp value meals early in your week.  Take advantage of zero pp fruits and veggies for snacks too!

XOXO Megan

Pico de gallo + homemade refried beans

Welcome to TOMATO week!  Each day this week we will posting a recipe posting the summer fav - TOMATOES!

And to kick things off, what is more 'tomato-y' than fresh salsa! I had a bunch of fresh ingredients on hand to whip up this easy and flavorful salsa.  And the best part is all you need is a knife and cutting board to pull this together.  I have also been wanted to try to make home made re-fried beans and O.M.G. were those delish!  I will never eat canned again.  Anywoo - I whipped up some tacos with corn tortilla + re-fried beans + fresh salsa, enjoy!

Servings: 3 + leftover salsa
Serving size: 2 corn tortillas + 1/2 c. re-fried beans + salsa
Points Plus: 7pp
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 7-10 minutes
Rating: 5 - Excellent

Ingredients:
Salsa
3 large tomatoes, chopped small
1/2 red onion, chopped small
1 jalapeno, remove seeds and chop small
3 small red peppers, chopped
2 t. cumin
Salt + pepper to taste

Re-Fried Beans
1 T. olive oil
1 15 oz. can pinto beans
1/2 white onion, chopped
1 t. chili powder
2/3 c. chicken stock
Salt + pepper to taste

For tacos you will also need 6 corn tortillas

Directions:
To make salsa, combine all ingredients, stir and put in fridge!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  When oven is preheated, add tortillas to warm, about 3 minutes. To make beans - heat olive oil in a sauce pan or skillet. Add chopped onion and saute about 3 minutes. Add chili powder and stir, cook about 1 minute longer.  Rinse beans and add them to the pot.  Add chicken stock and bring to a boil until almost all liquid is gone, about 5 minutes.  At this point taste the beans, they may or may not need salt and pepper! Remove pot from heat and squash beans with the back of a wooden spoon until they are to the constancy that you desire!

To assemble - put 2 tortillas on a plate and top each with 1/4 cup re-fried beans and as much salsa as you want (because this salsa is FREE!!).  These tacos have so much flavor, they are delish!

Tip:
If you like re-fried beans that are totally smooth (like the canned type), try putting them into your food processor and give them a few pulses.  Also, add some iceberg lettuce to the top of these tacos for some additional crunch!

XOXO - Katie

Couscous Salad with Tomatoes, Green Onions & Feta

This is a really quick salad that I like to serve as a light meal.  Check it out - feel free to add different ingredients if you want to change up the flavor profile!  Starting with a base of a plain couscous mix, your options are unlimited.

Servings:  6

Size:  1/6 of the salad

Points Plus: 7pp

Level of Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Rating: 3 stars – Good

Ingredient List:

1 box couscous, plain
1 cup water
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1 cup feta, reduced-fat
Salt & pepper to taste
Directions:

In a saucepan, cook the couscous according to the directions on the box.  I used 1 cup water and 1 cup chicken broth to add some extra flavor.  I also reduced the olive oil by half to cut down on pp.  While the couscous is cooking, you can wash and prep the cherry tomatoes and green onions.  After the couscous is done, transfer it into a large mixing bowl.  Stir in the veggies, feta and any salt and pepper to taste.  Enjoy!
Tip:
You can subsitute in other types of couscous if you want.  They do make a whole wheat version.  My other favorites include parmesan and toasted pine nut varities!

XOXO Megan

Turkey and Feta Stuffed Peppers

I found this recipe on Pinterest and it comes from the eatliverun blog.  This was an easy weeknight meal for Paul and me.  I loved that it made four servings too – sometimes it’s so nice to have leftovers and not have to cook again!

Servings:  4

Size:  1 stuffed bell pepper

Points Plus: 7pp

Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time:  30 minutes

Rating: 4 stars – Very good

Ingredient List:

4 large green bell peppers

1.5 lbs ground turkey

1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 small onion, diced

1 Tbsp. olive oil

2 tsp. minced garlic

2 Tbsp. tomato paste

2 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. dried basil

¼ tsp. red pepper flakes

2 tsp. kosher salt

1 cup crumbled feta cheese, reduced-fat

Directions:

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add in the diced onion and garlic – sauté until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes.  Add in the tomato paste and mix well.  Next, add the ground turkey, breaking into smaller pieces; cook until browned.  Add in the can of diced tomatoes along with the oregano, basil, red pepper flakes and salt.  Simmer and cook the mixture for about 15-20 minutes to help reduce the sauce down.  While the turkey is browning, wash the green bell peppers and slice off the top and remove the seeds and fleshy part inside the peppers.  Line a cookie sheet with tinfoil and place the peppers on it.  Once your turkey stuffing is done cooking, scoop the mixture into each pepper.  Top each pepper with crumbled feta.  Place another piece of tinfoil over the tops of the peppers to seal.  Bake your peppers in a 350° oven for approximately 30 minutes.

Tip:

My pepper stuffing mixture ended up being very runny – I would recommend trying to drain out some of the liquid from the can of diced tomatoes to help cut back on this.

XOXO Megan

Cous Cous with Peas & Summer Squash

Here is a delish one pot meal (or side dish) for you! This recipe is a slight mortification of this one, using what I had on hand. The last thing I want to do when it is hot is clean, and clean the kitchen especially.  So I loved that this recipe only required a pot (with a lid), cutting board and knife. Simple!  It also came together really fast, from start to finish probably 10 minutes!

Servings: 4
Size: 1 cup
Points Plus: 7pp
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Rating: 4 stars - Very Good

Ingredient List:
1 T. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup uncooked cous cous
1 1/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup onion, raw
1/2 cup peas, raw
1 cup summer squash, raw
2 oz. soft goat cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 
Heat 1 T. olive oil in a dutch oven.  Add onion and garlic and sautee for about 2 minutes.  Add squash and cook for an additional 3 minutes.  Add peas and chicken stock and bring to a boil.  Add cous cous and cover for five minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle each serving with 1/2 oz. soft goat cheese.

Tip:
This might sound totally nasty, but I have the tried and true way to prevent tears when cutting onions.  Simply place a piece of raw bread in your mouth while cutting.  It gets a bit soggy but this REALLY works!

Harvest Quinoa Salad

As you know, I love mixing quinoa with a variety of things.  Below is one of my favorite blends.  It is the perfect mix of sweet and salty, and can be eaten as a full meal of just a side.

Servings: 4
Size: 1/4 of salad
Points Plus: 7pp
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Rating: 3 stars - Good

Ingredient List:
1 cup uncooked quiona
2 cups vegetable stock
2 T. apple cider
1/3 c. craisins
1/3 c. sliced almonds
1/3 c. chopped celery
1/3 c. light feta
1 apply sliced
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Add quinoa, veggie sotck and apple cider to rice cooker.  Turn rice cooker on and cook until rice cooker says quinoa is done!  Put cooked quinoa in a bowl and mix in craisins, almonds, celery, feta and salt and pepper to taste.  Eat and enjoy hot OR cold.

Tip:
Cook your quinoa in a rice cooker, adding just a tad more liquid than suggested (usually when cooking quinoa it is a 1:2 quinoa:liquid ratio.  I love how it comes out using the rice cooker, my quinoa normally turns out soggy when cooking on the stove!

XOXO Katie

Baby Shells & Asparagus in Marinara

This week has been a busy one and has left me with little time to dedicate to the kitchen.  I found this recipe on Skinnytaste and knew it would be a quick meal to bring together.  The recipe can easily adapt into more servings if need be – just increase the amount of pasta you boil as well as the marinara sauce.  If you love asparagus as much as I do, I would even increase asparagus spears if you are making this for more than 4 servings.

Servings:  4

Size:  1 ¼ cups

Points Plus: 7 pp

Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time:  15 minutes

Rating: 3 stars – Good

Ingredient List:

8 oz small pasta shells

1 bunch thin asparagus, tough ends removed

1 ½ cups marinara sauce

¼ cup Pecorino Romano cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Bring about 4 inches of water to boil in a large pot.  Once your water is boiling, add asparagus and cook for about 3 minutes until the spears are just tender.  Drain the asparagus spears and chop into small, bite-sized pieces for the pasta dish.  Bring another large pot of water to boil, make sure to salt the pasta water.  Cook the pasta until al dente.  Meanwhile, heat up 1 ½ cups of marinara sauce in a small saucepan.  When your pasta is done cooking, reserve a ¼ cup of pasta water.  Return the pasta to the large pot, toss in the heated marinara sauce and asparagus pieces.  Use the reserved pasta water as needed to help loosen up the sauce.  Serve in pasta bowls and top with fresh salt and pepper and grated cheese.

Tip:

The original recipe calls for homemade marinara sauce.  I can only imagine how much better this would have tasted had I made my own sauce.  However, I was short on time and decided to just grab a jar of the store-bought kind instead.  I used Newman’s Own marinara which was quite good!  As leftovers, the pasta had absorbed a lot of the sauce so I would recommend you add some extra marinara to your leftover servings.

XOXO Megan

Blueberry Stuffed French Toast

Brunch! I hosted a brunch this past weekend and served this amazing blueberry stuffed french toast.  I originally had this recipe at a bridal shower, and have been thinking about it ever since....(and that was over a year ago).  The egg base if not too sweet and goes SO WELL with the blueberry topping.  When making the topping you cook half of the berries (you could use any fruit!) until they are soft, then add the second half at the end.  This creates two different berry textures which make the dish so much more interesting.  This re-heats up well too, and I am sure the topping would be amazing on ice cream :)

Also, in case you didn't know, making an egg dish that has to sit overnight is so ridiculously wonderful and easy. I made two overnight egg dishes and it took me less than 15 minutes.  Just pop them in the oven in the morning, stress-free entertaining!

Servings: 16
Size: 1/16 of 9X13 inch baking dish
Points Plus: 7pp
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 10 minutes!
Cook Time: 1 hour, also must sit overnight
Rating: 5 stars - Very Good


Instructions:
I copied the recipe word for word (except smaller servings), so here you go!

Tip: 
The recipe asks for cubed cream cheese.  I don't really know how you would cube cream cheese unless it was frozen, so I just held it with one hand and broke off tablespoon sized chunks, distributing evenly over the bread mixture. With clean hands of course!

XOXO - Katie

Roasted Vegetable & Refried Bean Tostadas

As I was going through old magazines, I came across this easy recipe from Real Simple.  This is a great meatless meal that is full of ingredients and will definitely leave you feeling full.

Servings:  4

Size:  2 tostadas

Points Plus: 7 pp

Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time:  35 minutes

Rating: 4 stars – Very Good

Ingredient List:

10 oz. button mushrooms, trimmed and quartered

2 zucchini, thinly sliced

1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1 ½ inch pieces

2 Tbsp. olive oil

Kosher salt

Black pepper

8 corn tortillas

1 15 oz. can refried beans

4 oz. cheddar cheese, reduced-fat, shredded

Optional (these are not calculated into pp value):

Fresh cilantro, chopped

Light sour cream

Hot sauce

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450°.  On a large, rimmed baking sheet, toss the mushrooms, zucchini and peppers with 1 Tbsp. olive oil.  Generously season the veggies with salt and pepper.  Roast the veggies, tossing once hallway through, until they are tender (about 20-25 minutes).  Place the tortillas on baking sheets.  Lightly brush each tortilla with olive oil, then spread with a generous layer of refried beans.  Top each tortilla with ½ ounce of cheddar cheese.  Bake the tostadas until the cheese is melted, about 5-7 minutes.  Top each tostada with roasted veggies, dividing evenly among all 8 tostadas.  Serve with sour cream, fresh cilantro or hot sauce if want.

Tip:

A really handy tool that works great for spreading the refried beans is Pampered Chef’s small spreader.  I love Pampered Chef products!  All of their products are great quality and they make such a variety of useful kitchen tools.  Check them out!

XOXO Megan

Sweet & Sour Chicken

You will not believe this sweet and sour chicken is homemade!  It honestly is exactly the same as the breaded kind you would get in a restaurant  but waaaaaay more healthy.  There are several radical and unique things about this chicken.

1) You make your own sweet and sour sauce, which is actually very easy.

2) This chicken looks breaded.  This chicken TASTES breaded.  But this chicken isn't breaded!  The breaded effect is made by dipping the chicken cubes in cornstarch and egg, and then frying them slightly before baking them slowly with the sauce.  This slow bake + the sticky and sweat sauce + the egg is a truly amazing process to watch in the oven, so turn on the light! This will easily become a weekly favorite. I adapted the below recipe from here.

Servings: 4

Size: About 1 cup

Points Plus: 7pp

Level of Difficulty: Medium

Prep Time: 15 minutes if chicken is defrosted

Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes, this includes frying and baking

Rating: 4 stars - Very Good

Ingredients

Chicken

1 lb boneless chicken breasts

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup cornstarch (you should have about 1/2 cup leftover)

2 eggs, beaten

Cooking spray or MISTO with EVOO

Sauce

1/3 cup sugar

2 T. ketchup

1/2 cup white vinegar

1/2 t. soy sauce

1/2 t. garlic salt

Instructions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Rinse chicken and cut into 1 inch cubes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Prepare one bowl of egg and one bowl of cornstarch. Dip chicken into the cornstarch to coat then dip into the egg.  Spray a non-stick skillet and cook chicken until browned but not cooked through. Place the chicken in a baking dish. Wisk together sauce and evenly pour over chicken. This would be especially helpful. Bake for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Don't feel like you have to serve with an Asian inspired side.  I have paired with any steamed veggie, TJ's Harvest Grains Blend or even on it's own!

Tip:

When sauteing the chicken don't crowd it.  Fry it in batches so that the chicken pieces don't touch, this will make the browning process a lot smoother!

XOXO Katie

Sausage & Yellow Pepper Breakfast Tacos

These breakfast tacos are not only tasty, but after I made them I realized they have almost EVERY color of the rainbow in them.  They are so pretty!  You can put whatever you have on hand in breakfast tacos (or regular tacos for that matter). For these I choose to use some yellow pepper, mixed greens, spicy sausage and queso fresco and chipotle laughing cow cheese.

Servings: 2

Size: Two tacos

Points Plus: 7pp

Level of Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Rating: 4 starts - Very Good

Ingredient List:

4 eggs

4 corn tortillas

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 yellow pepper

1 scallion

1 garlic clove

1 spicy turkey sausage

1 wedge queso fresco and chipotle laughing cow cheese

1 squirt Sriracha

1 splash of milk

Mixed greens

Salsa

Salt & pepper to taste
Cooking spray OR MISTO of EVOO

Directions:

The timing of this recipe is a little tricky and you have to do stuff fast.  Cutting and prepping everything before you start will make this recipe stress free! Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Chop pepper, scallion and garlic clove. Heat oil in skillet and add chopped veggies, cooking on low heat. (is garlic a veggie??).  Chop turkey sausage into small pieces and add to veggie mixture after about five minutes.  In the meantime, beat four eggs, add a splash of milk, a squirt of Sriracha and salt and pepper to taste.  Spray a second skillet and add eggs, cooking them on very low heat. When your oven is preheated, throw in the tortillas for a few minutes to warm.

To assemble:
Remove tortillas from oven and spread each with a quarter wedge of cheese. Equally distribute eggs and veggie mixture onto each, then top with salsa and lettuce.  Enjoy!

Tip:
Cooking eggs at low heat makes them more fluffy.  Give it a whirl!

XOXO Katie

Mexican Quiche

Quiches are one of those dishes that are SUPER impressive and SUPER easy.  I think they are impressive because of their unique name and easy because you basically add some ingredients to a pie crust, pour a few beaten eggs over them and bake. This recipe contains re-fried beans which help to keep the custard mixture from soaking into the bottom crust.  Degree of spiciness is controlled by the amount of hot sauce used. This Mexican inspired quiche is a veggie recipe and great for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner or snack time (whenevs)!  There are a ton of flavors and textures going on with this dish. I served this for a small casual dinner party with two side salads, a two bite appetizer and mini cheesecakes! (and wine)

Servings: 8
Size: 1/8 of pie tin
Points Plus: 7pp
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Rating: 5 stars - Excellent 

Ingredients:

1 Pillsbury pie crust (9 inch), unbaked

1/2 package (4 ounces) 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened

1 cup fat free re-fried beans

1 t. oil

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

6 ounces mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 small onion, diced

1/8 tsp ground cumin

1/8 tsp chili powder

Few drops of hot sauce (optional)

3 eggs

1 cup milk

1 cup (4 ounces) low fat grated cheddar cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and remove your Pillsbury pie crust from the freezer. Once you are easily able to unroll your crust use your rolling pin to even out the sides and make it a  'perfect' circle. Place in pie plate and make it look pretty, making sure to press down the bottom so that it is flush with the bottom and side of the dish. (I am sure you can do a drastically better job at this than my quick version above). Spread cream softened cream cheese over bottom of pie crust, then spread beans over that layer.

Combine eggs and milk, beat slightly and add cheese. Set aside. 

Add one teaspoon vegetable oil to a skillet, and saute green pepper, mushrooms and onions until tender (not too soft). Add cumin, chili powder and hot sauce with measurements above or more to taste. Pour veggie mixture over beans. 

Pour egg and cheese mixture over veggie layer. Make sure it doesn't overflow. Bake for 40 minutes, until top is browned and eggs are set.  Let quiche stand for 10 minutes with a piece of tin fol loosely placed on top.

Tip: 
Practice makes perfect in the case of making a nice looking pie crust edge.  Start by making sure you are placing the rolled out crust in the very center of your pie plate. This will make the 'make it look pretty' part a LOT easier.  Feel free to cut off excess 'side crust' or fold it over to hid it.  

XOXO Katie

Summer Fiesta Bean Salad

This recipe is delicious and packed with fiber and healthy fats.  It’s good to find ways to fit power foods into your daily eating because they tend to keep you feeling satisfied longer after eating.  This dish is packed with power foods! I served it as a main dish the first time I made it, but you could easily use it as a side and serve it with grilled chicken or fish.

Servings:  4 (recipe will make 4 1/3 cups)

Size:  A little more than 1 cup

Points Plus: 7 pp

Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time:  n/a

Rating: 5 stars – Excellent

*Recipe from Skinnytaste.com

Ingredient List:

1 clove garlic, minced

3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp. cumin

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

½ tsp. salt

15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 c. canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 c. cherry tomatoes, halved

¼ c. red onion, finely diced

¼ c. cilantro, chopped

1 medium avocado, diced

Directions:

Combine the garlic, lime juice, oil, cumin, crushed red pepper and salt in a small Pyrex measuring cup; whisk until mixed well.  In a large bowl, add the black beans, chickpeas, tomato, onion and cilantro; mix well.  Pour the cumin-lime vinaigrette over the salad and mix together.  Add the avocado and gently fold in; serve immediately.

Tip:

If you plan to eat the entire recipe in one sitting, feel free to add the avocado.  If not, I would recommend you only add avocado to what you plan to serve.  Although the lime will help keep the avocado from browning, you will want to use fresh avocado every time so you are eating fresh looking and tasting ingredients.

XOXO - Megan

Toasted Almond, Orange and Pea Pod Salad

This is a salad I threw together a few weeks ago.  Given it is spring (despite the still winter-like weather here in MN); I was craving some spring flavors.  I made this salad again this week and it was just as good as the first time.  My fiancé claims I ‘hit it out of the park’ with this salad – pretty good for a made up recipe! 

Servings:  2

Size:  Main course salad
Points Plus: 7 pts (this includes 3 pts for the mustard vinaigrette dressing)
Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time:  5 minutes

Rating: 3 – Good

Ingredient List:

Mixed greens

1 orange

1 c. snap pea pods

½  c. sliced almonds

Homemade Vinaigrette 

Directions:

Toast the sliced almonds in a small pan over the stove; about 5 minutes or until browned.  Wash your mixed greens and plate out two healthy servings. Peel and section the orange; split between the two servings.  Wash the pea pods and add to each salad. Your almonds should be toasted by now; add to the salad and serve immediately.


 

Tip:

Serve with the homemade mustard vinaigrette featured earlier this week on our blog!  Or you can choose your favorite Asian inspired salad dressing.  I really like the low-fat Sesame-Ginger from Newman’s Own as another option that goes well with this salad.

XOXO - Megan

Baked Polenta Fries

I. Love. Polenta.

I also love recreating dishes that I have had at restaurants, and loved.  One of my favorite hot spots in Minneapolis is Muddy Waters, and they serve the most amazing polenta fries.  They pair them with a green ketchup aioli that has a hint of spice.  After some internet research, I came up with the below recipe which was wonderful.  By cooking the polenta fries at a high oven temp, they turn out crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside.  I created a twist on the dipping sauce by mixing marinara with sriracha, the perfect amount of spice. Enjoy these as a side dish in place of french fries.  Oh and swing by Muddy Waters the next time you are in MPLS!

Servings: 2
Size: 1/2 of polenta log
Points Plus: 7pp (including sauce)
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes (or less depending on oven)
Rating: 5 stares - Excellent

Ingredient List:

1 log of polenta

Cooking spray

Lowry's seasoning salt

Fresh ground pepper

1/2 cup marinara

Sriracha

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Unwrap and cut polenta in half crosswise.  Then cut each half lenghthwise into small sticks. Spray with cooking spray, sprinkle with seasoning salt and pepper.  Bake, turning once, until golden and crisp, about 45 minutes.  If you cut your fries into smaller pieces cook time will be less.  While polenta is baking, heat 1/2 cup marinara.  I LOVE Trader Joe's brand marinara.  Almost every kind is only 2pp per half cup.  Add Sriracha to taste.  Enjoy!

Tip:

Polenta is a very versatile food. If you have not had it before, it is sort of a salty cornmeal. You can purchase it dry and add water to create sort of a porridge texture. OR you can purchase it in a log near the cornmeal at the grocery store.  The second option is a lot easier for a dish like this one! Be sure to cut the tube open over the sink, it has a bit of water in it that you will have to drain.

Happy Weekend! 

XOXO Katie