I have bought tubes of polenta, but never made my own until now. This recipe was easy, economical, and definitely the best polenta I have ever tasted. If you’ve been thinking that polenta is just bland mush, this recipe may change your mind.

1/2 c. yellow cornmeal
1 1/2 c. vegetable broth, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c. (2 oz.) crumbled feta cheese

Combine cornmeal and 1/2 c. broth in small bowl; mix well. Set aside. Pour remaining 1 c. broth into large heavy saucepan; bring to a boil. Add garlic and moistened grits; mix well. Return to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover; cook 20 minutes. Remove from heat; add feta cheese. Stir until cheese is completely melted. Spray a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Spoon mixture into prepared pan. With wet fingertips, press polenta evenly into pan. Refrigerate until cold.

Spray a frying pan with nonstick cooking spray. Turn polenta out onto cutting board, cut into squares, and then cut each square diagonally into 2 triangles. Cook over medium-high heat 1 minute or until bottoms are lightly browned. Turn triangles over; grill until browned and crisp. Serve warm or at room temperature.

My cooking club theme this month was “Maple”, and we had a great dinner. The menu included Maple Glazed Ham, Maple Butternut Squash, a green salad with Maple Dressing, and the Maple Corn Pudding which I made. For dessert, we had a delicious Maple Apple Crisp.

This recipe has the consistency of cream corn. It tasted fine, but is not something I would make again.

4 eggs
1/2 c. pure maple syrup
1/2 c. butter
20 oz. frozen whole kernel corn

Beat eggs until foamy. Add maple syrup. Melt butter and add, mixing well. Place frozen corn in greased baking dish. Pour egg mixture over the corn. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour until crusty brown.

-Farm & Ranch Guide Recipes

If you are looking to try something new, quinoa is a healthy whole grain with a slightly nutty taste. Ancient Harvest brand (sold at Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s) does not need to be rinsed. Otherwise, you need to use a coffee filter to rinse the natural outside coating from the grain.

The original recipe called for almonds, but I had walnuts on hand. I really enjoyed this dish, but it has a very mild flavor. If you want to add more spice, consider red pepper or curry.

1 c. uncooked quinoa
2 t olive oil, divided
3/4 c. chopped onion
3/4 c. finely diced carrot
1 garlic clove, minced
2 c. vegetable broth
1/4 t salt
1/4 t ground cinnamon
1 1/2 c. finely diced unpeeled Granny Smith apple (about 1)
3 T chopped walnuts
Freshly ground black pepper

Rinse quinoa thoroughly.

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, and garlic to pan; saute 5 minutes or until onion is tender and carrot begins to brown. Stir in broth, quinoa, salt, and cinnamon; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat. Fluff with a fork; keep warm.

Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add apple to pan; saute 7 minutes or until apple begins to brown. Add apple, walnuts, and pepper to quinoa, tossing to combine.

-Adapted from Cooking Light

You can use pre-cut butternut squash to save time.

2 small butternut squash
1 T olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 rib celery, diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 t red pepper flakes
3/4 c. quick-cooking barley
1-3/4 c vegetable broth
1 T chopped fresh sage or 1 t dried
1 T chopped fresh parsley or 1 t dried
Salt and pepper to taste
4 oz FF feta cheese, crumbled

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Slice the squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and boil squash until just tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from the water and let cool until you can handle them. Use a small, sharp knife to cut the skin away from the flesh. Cut the flesh into 1/2″ pieces and discard the peel. Preheat oven to 350F. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Saute onion, celery and bell pepper until soft, about 5 minutes. Add red pepper flakes, barley and vegetable broth. Cover and cook 5 minutes. Add diced squash, sage and parsley and cook an additional 5 minutes, until squash and barley are tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer vegetable mixture to a lightly oiled 2-qt baking dish. Top with crumbled feta. Bake, uncovered, until cheese is golden brown, about 25-30 minutes.

-The Charlotte Observer

Any kind of beans will work well in this recipe. If the beans look dry as they’re cooking, add a little bit more Diet Coke.

3 cans (16oz each) beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 c. tomato puree or catsup
2 T spicy brown mustard
1 T cider vinegar
1/2 t salt
1/8 t ground black pepper
1 1/2 c. Diet Coke

Turn into a greased 8″x8″ pan. Cover and bake at 375F until beans are hot and bubbly, about 1 hour.