Photo: Dana Treat

Yes! Those portobellos look good—and they are—but let me start with a quick update. Immediately upon returning from New Orleans, I got hit with a stomach bug. With a big project coming to a head (exciting details coming soon!) and having already taken a week off, the timing couldn’t have been worse. So, though I’m almost fully recovered, I feeling maxed out. Not good timing with so much to do and still having to put dinner on the table every night!
I know that you know the feeling. I’ve learned—the hard way—that I have to prioritize my work and life demands as soon as I start feeling maxed out. Otherwise, I run the risk of driving myself into the ground (yes, I’m one of those people). I hope you’ll be patient over the next few weeks as I close out my big project and rely heavily on go-to recipes, many of which I’ve already shared with you (ie, i’ll have fewer new recipes to post). During this time, I may not be able to consistently maintain the Weekly Digest and I’ll probably point to other people’s recipes more than usual.
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Photo: Roboppy

I’ve been working hard to eat less meat without substituting pasta and other carb-centric mains. And, because of this, cauliflower has become my best friend. It’s not only delicious and good for you, but also filling. Cauliflower makes a hearty curry and satisfying mash, and generally bulks up a meal while making it healthier, too. But, even so, I’ve never just all out made it the main entree. Didn’t even think of it until I saw “Cauliflower Steak” on the menu at famed farm-centric eatery Blue Hill. If Dan Barber could serve cauliflower as a main (at a pretty penny, I might add!), then I could too. As dinner. As all of dinner.
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Photo: Martha Stewart

I love risotto. (Who doesn’t?) Rich, creamy and endlessly versatile, it can be made to suit most any occasion, winter, spring, summer or fall. But despite this, risotto has a reputation for being a special occasion dish. Even I fall victim to this, sometimes thinking that it’ll take too much time or is unnecessarily fussy for a quick weeknight meal. I was recently reminded, though, that risotto is as basic as it comes. The most simple version is made entirely of pantry staples including olive oil, onion, rice and broth. And, as a 2-pot dish that has about an 18 minute cooking time and can be fed to kids as young as 8+ months, I’d say it’s a PERFECT family meal.
There are many classic risottos: milanese made with beef stock and flavored simply with saffron; risotto al Barolo made with red wine; seafood risotto, sometimes made black by the ink of squid or cuttlefish; and mushroom risotto rich in umami flavor from rehydrated porcini mushrooms. But these are far from the whole of your options. In fact, since risotto can hold (and make delicious) a huge variety of added ingredients, I’ve come to think of my weeknight versions as kitchen sink meals. I start by checking the fridge for unused veggies and build from there, adding stock (chicken, beef or veggie), cheese (traditional parmesan and pecorino, or any cheese that melts easily like feta or fontina), and herbs and flavorings (anything from leftover chives to lemon zest to dried mint). Simple as that.
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Photo: The Kitchn

Check out this week’s Food News, Things I Crave, Green Your Eats, Tips, Tools & Techniques, and Weekly Roundtable (a roundup of the most recent ChowMama posts). Plus, for a little while, I’ll follow the Weekly Roundtable with a quick update on my non-resolutions. Not that you should care (but maybe you do? I love me support from fellow ChowMamas and ChowPapas!), but it’s a way of keeping me honest.
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Photo:Gourmet

By now you know that I love making polenta. It’s hearty, quick and easy to make—a perfect alternative to pasta. I usually make polenta with chicken broth and mix in parmesan (and that’s honestly all there is to the cooking: boil liquid, mix in polenta, stir in cheese). This time, inspired by Rachel Ray (I told you—being home with an infant has turned me into a Rachel Ray and Days of our Lives watchin’ lady), I cooked the polenta with a combination of milk and chicken in hopes of a super creamy consistency. (It sort of worked, but not so much that I’m a convert to the method.) I also used grated smoked gouda instead of parm. Now that was a good move. The slight smokey flavor was delicious and still works with my favorite polenta toppers:

• chili
• roasted broccolini
• roasted cherry tomatoes

This polenta is fast enough to make at lunchtime or can be spread out (in a 1″ or so layer), cooled, and cut into squares to make a packed lunch or finger food.
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Photo: Food Network

No matter how hard I try to be good, Halloween week ends up being a bloodbath. (Is it just me?!) I do my best to keep it healthy, lower sugar, and all homemade, but the bottom line is that it’s sweets week! (And that’s fun, damn it!) One of the ways that I keep myself—and my family—in check is by serving lighter meals heavy on the veggies in between all the Halloween fun.
This meal was inspired by my to-die-for Polenta “Creamed” Spinach. I simplified this quick polenta side to make an even healthier vegetarian main. Now, if you’ve been reading ChowMama for a while, you know how vegetarian dinners usually go over in my house. If you haven’t been reading for a while, not well is the point. But this meal was a winner! Like pasta, this Spinach Parmesan Polenta is hearty enough to fill the boys’ bellies, especially topped with garlicky Roasted Broccolini. (No daydreaming of meatballs this time!)
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