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By Root 164 0

Cooking the polenta from scratch gives the best results, but you could also buy a roll of cooked polenta (find it near the pasta in the supermarket). Trim a little off the ends of the roll and slice it into eight slices. Brown two slices for each serving. –M

Serves 4

2 cups water

1 vegetable bouillon cube

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup uncooked polenta

1 clove garlic

1 red onion

1 zucchini

1 yellow squash

1 red bell pepper

3 tablespoons canola oil

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Line an 8- or 9-inch baking pan with plastic wrap.

Bring the water, bouillon cube, and butter to a boil in a saucepan. Slowly pour the polenta into the pan, stirring constantly. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring frequently, for 20 to 25 minutes, or until creamy. Spread the polenta evenly in the prepared pan and refrigerate until completely cooled, about 30 minutes.

While the polenta is cooling, peel and finely chop the garlic or pass it through a garlic press. Peel the onion, cut it in half, then cut into ¼-inch-thick slices. Cut the zucchini and yellow squash into ¼-inch-thick slices. Cut the bell pepper in half, remove the seeds and membranes, and cut into thin slices.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet and add the garlic, onion, zucchini, yellow squash, and bell pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the balsamic vinegar. Remove the vegetables from the pan to a bowl and set aside. Wipe the pan clean with a paper towel and return it to the stovetop.

Cut the cooled polenta into 4 squares, then cut each square into 2 triangles. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in the pan over medium-high heat and add the polenta triangles. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until lightly browned, then flip the squares over and cook for 4 to 5 minutes on the other side.

Place 2 pieces of crispy polenta on each of 4 plates and top with some of the vegetables. Serve immediately.

Bargain Shopper:

Polenta is a slightly coarser grind of corn than cornmeal, yet because of its gourmet connotations, it’s much more expensive. Using cornmeal instead of polenta in this recipe won’t make any difference in the taste, but it will make a difference in your wallet.

Spinach-Mushroom Crêpes

Spinach-Mushroom Crêpes

Crêpes are incredibly delicious and probably one of the most versatile foods you can make. They feel fancy and sound impressive, but are fairly cheap to make. When you make these, do not, I repeat do not use the so-called Parmesan that comes in a green shaker can. Use the real stuff; you’ll need about 3 ounces to make 1 cup. –J

Serves 4

4 eggs

1⅓ cups milk

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus extra for wiping pan

1 cup flour

1 small onion

8 ounces mushrooms

2 tablespoons butter

1 pound frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained (see Cooking 101, end of recipe), or 2 pounds fresh spinach

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

½ cup sour cream

Salt and pepper

Crack the eggs into a blender and pulse a few times to beat them a bit. Add the milk, oil, and flour and blend until smooth.

Heat an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place a small amount of oil on a paper towel and rub it over the surface of the pan. (You only need a tiny bit of oil; if you use more, the crêpes take much longer to cook and get greasy.) Pour in ¼ cup of the crêpe batter and quickly swirl and tip the pan, rolling the batter around until it covers the entire bottom of the pan. Cook for 2 minutes, or until the crêpe is set in the center. With a rubber spatula, loosen the edges of the crêpe and flip it over. Cook for 1 minute, then remove from the pan. Repeat the process with the remaining batter, oiling the pan before making each crêpe. Stack the cooked crêpes on top of each other and gently pull them apart when you’re ready to use them, or stack them separated by pieces of wax paper to keep them from sticking together.

Peel the onion and cut into ¼-inch pieces. Cut the ends off the mushroom stems, discard, and cut the