Cheddar Beer Triangles and Polenta with Leek & Mushroom Ragu

Having finally gotten to the store, I have a fresh batch of recipes I'm looking forward to making. First on the list is a recipe for biscuits that are unbelievably soft, fluffy and delicious. They bare a striking resemblance to The Red Lobster biscuits. To make them, combine 2C Bizquick, 3/4C cheese (mozzarella or cheddar), 1/2C beer (I just used Keystone), 1T minced garlic, a bit of basil basil, oregano and thyme until well combined, then keep stirring in a kneading motion for a few minutes. Then, shape into a 6-8 inch circle and cut into 8 triangles. I used saran wrap sprayed with Pam to shape, then a lightly Pam'd knife to cut. Bake at 450 for 8-10 minutes, or until the tops are lightly browned. When you take them out, lightly brush with butter and dust with Old Bay seasoning. I had trouble getting the camera before eating them all, they are really delicious. Based on http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cheddar-Beer-Triangles/Detail.aspx

Next, I wanted something new to make on a Sunday, so I found a recipe for Polenta with Leek and Mushroom Ragu. Polenta is a cornmeal-based dish, and is generally bought rather than made, and for some reason has a reputation for being difficult to make, however I found quite the contrary.

To make the polenta, start off by bringing 6 cups of water with 3/4T of kosher salt to a rolling boil. Then, whisk 1 3/4C into the water, pouring it in a thin stream to avoid clumps. Then, bring to a very low simmer and cook for ~45 minutes, stirring every few minutes, or until it becomes smoother and more porrage-like; add more water if it appears to become too think while cooking. Once it reached the porrage-like state, add 3/4C Parmesan and 2T butter and stir to melt and combine.

When you start the polenta, also start the Ragu. To make it, sauté 2-3 leeks (just the white and tender green parts, cut into thin semicircles), 4 cloves of minced garlic, 1/2t sea salt and cayenne pepper to taste in 2T olive oil until softened. Then, add 1T parsley and 1 pound sliced mushrooms and cook until browned. Then, add 1/2C dry white wine to deglaze.

To serve, put polenta in a bowl and the ragu on top. Then add feta crumbles and a drizzle of good balsamic vinegar. Makes a filling, delicious meal, and enough to serve 4-5 people. Based on http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/03/vegetarian-polenta-with-a-leek-and-mushroom-ragu-recipe.html

Finally, I organized my spice cabinet (more than 45 different spices, thank-you-very-much), and thought I'd include a picture of what some college students work with. Also, I'm quite proud of the organization, given the variety of sized containers.