It’s tempting to buy prepared polenta in those handy-dandy refrigerated tubes.

Easy? You bet, but you’re missing out if you haven’t tried making polenta from scratch.

Store-bought polenta logs can be rubbery or too firm, not nearly as dreamy-creamy as our handcrafted variety.

Make a batch one Sunday afternoon and refrigerate for meals during the week.

Keep it simple and top with marinara for quick and easy comfort food, or use as a base for stewed lamb or beef. Also delish grilled with grilled veggies or fish.

Warm, creamy squares of polenta are the Italian answer to our favorite Southern grits.

Spiked with fresh rosemary and crumbled feta cheese and topped with garlicky, just-wilted spinach, roasted red peppers and toasty pine nuts, we can’t help but swoon over this earthy peasant fare of the Mediterranean.

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Skipping meat on Fridays is a centuries-old expression of Christian contrition, especially during the season of Lent. Fish often stars at Friday meals.

But given the price of fish these days – a form of penance in itself – you should maximize the pleasure and flavor of what you buy.

Many consumers don’t feel comfortable with fish. They don’t know what to buy or how to cook it. Hence this recipe primer with ideas for Lent – though you can, of course, use it year-round.

To keep things simple, the focus is on salmon, a popular fish that has been ranked third for nearly a decade in terms of consumption – behind front-runner shrimp and canned tuna – by the National Fisheries Institute, a trade group. All of the recipes here can be made with other types of seafood. Feel free to experiment.

Salmon is a good-for-you food, getting prominent play on ChooseMyPlate.gov, the healthy eating website sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, because it is rich in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. The site talks of options like salmon steak or fillet and salmon loaf, but there’s so much more you can do with this fish. Available fresh, frozen, smoked, cured, dried and canned, salmon lends itself to all sorts of preparations.

Salmon Salad in Avocado

Prepare: Drain 1 can (14 3/4 ounces) salmon or 2 pouches (6 to 7 ounces each) skinless, boneless salmon. Mash salmon in a small bowl with a fork. Add 3/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise; 3 sliced green onions; 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped; 1 tablespoon capers, drained; and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.

Assemble: Split two large avocados lengthwise; remove pits. Place each avocado half on a plate. Stuff with salmon mixture. Garnish with more chopped parsley. Serve with toasted pita triangles, Melba toast or bread sticks. Makes: 4 servings

Alternatives: Canned tuna, sardines

Salmon with Beurre Blanc

Prepare: Poach, steam or microwave 4 pieces of salmon until just cooked through.

Sauce: Meanwhile, prepare this sauce from Seafood (DK, $35): Cut 1 stick butter into small chunks. Melt 2 tablespoons in a small saucepan; add 1 finely chopped shallot. Cook until soft, about 2 or 3 minutes. Add: 5 tablespoons fish stock, water or clam juice, and 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar. Heat to a boil, then simmer until reduced to about 3 tablespoons.

Reduce heat to very low; add the remaining butter a few pieces at a time, whisking vigorously between each addition. Keep the sauce hot but not boiling. Sauce should be very creamy once all the butter is added. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper, spritz with fresh lemon juice. Spoon over salmon.

Makes: 4 servings

Alternatives: Broiled halibut, sea bass, red snapper

Orange-Maple Salmon

Prepare: Combine 1 1/2 tablespoons orange zest, 1/2 cup fresh orange juice, 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 tablespoons maple syrup and 1 1/2 inch piece fresh ginger, minced, in a saucepan. Heat to boil on medium-high heat; reduce heat slightly, simmer 5 minutes. Pour half into a bowl, cool slightly. Keep the other half warm.

Arrange a 1 1/2 pound skin-on salmon fillet (or four 6-ounce salmon steaks) in a shallow pan. Add the cooled sauce, turning the fish so all sides are coated. If using a fillet, place skin side up. Marinate 15 minutes.

Cook: Heat the grill or broiler. If grilling, place the salmon on a lightly oiled grill rack, skin side down if grilling a fillet. Grill until the flesh is just opaque, 6 to 7 minutes per side, brushing with the sauce left in the pan. Serve with remaining sauce. For broiling, place fish on a lightly oiled broiler pan or baking sheet.

Broil, skin side up if grilling a fillet, about 6 minutes. Turn fish, baste with sauce, and cook until just cooked through, 6 minutes.

Makes: 4 servings

Alternatives: Trout or any firm-fleshed fish, such as halibut, swordfish, tilapia or sea bass

Source: From Nina Simonds’ new book, Simple Asian Meals (Rodale, $29.99). Use the grill when the weather is fine, or the broiler.

By LINDA GASSENHEIMER

This sauce is so simple that it has become a tried and true standby for me – and it’s always a hit. Maple syrup, brown sugar and mustard blend with the pan juices to make a succulent sauce for the sauteed pork chops.

The sauce is great with pork, ham, turkey or chicken. Warm it on its own and serve with any of these cooked meats or use it as a dipping sauce. It can be served hot or at room temperature.

You can use any type of pork chop. I find boneless, butterflied pork chops have less fat and cook faster than bone-in chops. They need to be watched carefully, or they will dry out while cooking.

The secret is to sear them outside and then lower the heat and cook a few minutes more. Pork is ready when a meat thermometer hits 160 degrees.

Red or fingerling potatoes can be used in this recipe instead of yellow potatoes. Broccoli can be used instead of Brussels sprouts.

Start with the potatoes and Brussels sprouts. Then, while the potatoes cook, make the pork chops.

Vermont Pork Chops

Serves: 2

2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Vegetable oil spray

2 6-ounce boneless, butterflied pork chops

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Mix maple syrup, brown sugar and mustard together and set aside. Remove visible fat from pork. Heat a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Spray with vegetable oil spray. Brown pork 2 minutes, turn and salt and pepper the cooked side. Brown second side 2 minutes. Lower heat to medium, cover with a lid and cook 2 minutes or until the pork is cooked through.

A meat thermometer should read 160°. Remove to a plate. Add sauce to skillet and heat several seconds, scraping up any brown bits in the skillet. Serve pork with sauce spooned on top.

Per serving: 343 calories, 8.4 g fat, 120 mg cholesterol, 38.1 g protein, 28.2 g carbohydrates, 0.5 g fiber, 273 mg sodium

Question: I have several recipes, and I also see that on cooking shows, where the bits sticking to the pan after meat has been sauted are dissolved with a small amount of wine, and the sauce to accompany the dish is made out of it.

However, I do not want to use wine. What can I use instead that would approximate the result? – A Greenacres reader

Answer: There can be many reasons why one would not want to use wine, an important one being religious restrictions, which is true in my own case. Alcohol is forbidden for Muslims, although there are claims that cooking on the relatively high heat used for the sauce reduction causes most of the alcohol to evaporate. Much of it remains, however, and practicing Muslims eschew its use even in cooking. There can, of course, be medical reasons also.

In any case, There are some viable alternatives. The results may not be exactly the same, but they won’t be too different. It is the caramelized residue sticking to the pan – which is known in French as fond (pronounced fahn) – that gives the sauce its real flavor after the bits have been deglazed with some liquid. And this flavor comes not only from the caramelized bits of meat or poultry but also from the herbs and spices that were used to coat it.

The deglazing liquid really plays the second fiddle. Wine is often used because it not only adds its own flavor but in all likelihood the same wine will be served alongside, carrying the same note . If wine is not your cup of tea, here are some substitutes:

• A flavorful broth – beef broth for a meat dish or chicken broth for a chicken recipe. It can be homemade, made from the beef trimmings or chicken bones. Or it can be canned; our favorite is Swanson’s.
• Water, with a dash of the same herbs and spices that were used for the meat or poultry. Add a pat of butter, or cream, to lend some complexity and body.
• Fruit juices – apple, orange and especially grape juice, which is what wine is made out of. I would add a tablespoon or two of balsamic vinegar to add a bit of bite. Lime or lemon ju ice will work too.

Whichever one you choose – perhaps a combination – thorough scraping of the fond and then reduction of the added liquid will help concentrate the flavor and thicken the resultant sauce. In case you need to thicken it further, use arrowroot or cornstarch.

Q. I have two questions for you: Can you use fish other than cod to make fish cakes? Also, can you use potato flakes or another potato product in place of fresh potatoes? – Estelle F., Delray Beach

A. The short answer is yes to both. Not to speak of the celebrated crab cake, which you may not count as fish, there are a number of other firm fishes that yield very good cakes, among then tuna, salmon, halibut, sea bass, etc.

In fact, cakes can be fashioned out of almost any seafood, including shrimp and lobster, and of course crab .

We serve fish cakes made out of the convenient canned tuna very often. For any fish cake you need something to hold it together, in addition to eggs. I prefer microwaved potatoes, but bread crumbs or even flour can be used. Coating the formed cakes with flour helps hold the shape and develop a crust when sauteed.

For your second query, I would opt for fresh potatoes for most uses, including mashed, but potato flakes and potato flour come in handy for many recipes.

For instance, in the fish cake recipe either the flakes or the potato flour will work admirably. They are often used for thickening sauces and gravies as well. And they can be kept in your pantry for times when you don’t have fresh ones.

NOTES FROM OUR KITCHEN: BREWING TEA

We are tea drinkers. And if you like a full-flavored brew, as we do, tea bags are not a good option. Loose leaves are your cup o’ tea; but cleanup afterward can be a chore .

This $10 clear plastic-stainless steel teapot has a large and deep wire-mesh insert that allows for perfect brewing.

For cleanup, you just pull out the wire cup and dump the spent leaves.

Chef Aaron Sanchez calls pozole, a hearty Mexican soup, 'table-slapping good'. (Photo by Michael Harlan Turnbull/Courtesy of Atria)

Aarón Sánchez, chef, restaurateur, author, Food Network star and human heat-seeking missile, knows his pozole.

He can go on about the qualities of the long-simmering stew, how it finds its richness in pork and hominy, chiles and Mexican oregano, the kind that grew wild in his family’s ranch in northern Mexico. Pozole is soul food.

“It’s our Vietnamese pho. It’s coddled and taken care of. If there’s one word to describe it, it’s ‘nourishment,’” Sánchez, co-star of the Food Network’s Heat Seekers and Chopped, says by phone.

But it’s also party food, best served community-style, alongside small dishes filled with cool, crunchy and vibrant toppings. The steaming hot soup, swimming with pork chunks and hominy puffs, is topped with contrasting garnishes like crisp radish slices, raw, diced onion, fried corn tortilla strips, a pinch of dried oregano and a squeeze of lime.

“I have a lot of fun with it. I put pickled red onions in mine,” says Sánchez, 36, who comes to South Florida later this month for several appearances during the South Beach Wine & Food Festival. “I love the briny-ness of the onions with the richness of the pozole.”
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By J.M. HIRSCH

When you select the right ingredients, it doesn’t take many of them to create a fantastic dinner. Nor much time.

The trick is to pick ingredients with tons of flavor, then let them do the heavy lifting for you. I usually start with a main ingredient that is basically agreeable to any flavor. Chicken, pasta, pork tenderloin, potatoes – all great choices.

Next, pick a few pantry staples that pack gobs of flavor. Cheeses, cured meats, hot peppers, and just about any sauce or seasoning you care to pick up in your grocer’s international aisle.

This recipe for spicy sausage and arugula penne is a great example of this approach. I boil up some pasta, then toss it with browned peppery sausage, deliciously bitter baby arugula, some savory sun-dried tomatoes and grated Parmesan. The result is amazing.

And of course, the recipe is incredibly versatile. No sausage? Used ground beef, pork or turkey. Don’t care for sun-dried tomatoes? Use roasted red peppers. Parmesan not your style? An aged gouda or crumbled feta would be delicious, too. And baby spinach or broccoli would easily stand in for the arugula.

Have it your way. Just be sure to have it with lots of flavor.

Spicy Sausage and Arugula Penne

Serves: 6

12 ounces penne pasta

1 pound spicy Italian sausage meat

1 large yellow onion, diced

1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

5-ounce package arugula

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and ground black pepper

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente according to package directions. Reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking water, then drain and set aside.

In a large saute pan over medium-high, brown the sausage meat and onion until cooked through, about 10 minutes. As it cooks, use a wooden spoon to break up the meat into bite-size chunks. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and arugula, then toss well. Add the pasta and toss until heated through and the arugula just begins to wilt.

Add half of the cheese and a splash of the reserved pasta cooking water. Toss well, adding more water if desired to create a sauce. Serve topped with the remaining cheese.

Per serving: 490 calories; 22 g fat; 70 mg cholesterol; 47 g carbohydrates; 28 g protein; 3 g fiber; 750 mg sodium

The Super Bowl has unquestionably become a huge international event, sporting or otherwise, with the broadcast reaching more than 200 countries in 33 languages.

More than a third of all Americans will be tuning in on Feb. 5, and the vast majority will be watching at home with family and friends – and with foods galore, mostly of the snacking kind.

In keeping with the event’s growing international appeal, why not include an Indian snack item, the samosas, which are daily winning the hearts of everyday Americans.

It is a deep-fried triangular turnover, and the thin, crispy wrap can enclose many things from meat and poultry to a variety of vegetables, even cheese or sweet fillings.

Here is the recipe for a simple potatoes-and-peas filling that has consistently found favor with my American friends.

Traditionally, the dough is homemade, but the widely available frozen empanada discs work admirably well as the wrapper. This simplified filling works well for everyone.

Vegetable Samosas

Makes 6 to 8 servings

1 10-disc package frozen empanada dough

FOR THE FILLING:

3 medium potatoes

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds

1 medium onion thinly sliced

2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

2 to 3 grinds fresh black pepper

Take out the empanada dough; thaw according to package directions. Meanwhile, microwave potatoes until three-fourths cooked. Peel and dice into large pieces; set aside. Heat oil in a skillet and fry cumin seeds until fragrant. Add onion slices and saute, stirring, until lightly browned. Add garlic and pepper flakes; saute 30 seconds more.

Add the peas and salt and pepper and saute for a minute or so until peas are partly cooked. Add the diced potatoes in batches, mixing in gently with the rest, without quite mashing the potatoes. Saute for a minute or two, turning with a nylon spatula until the filling is thoroughly heated. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Separate one disc from pack; keep the rest under a damp towel. Roll the disc to stretch about half inch on all sides. Cut it into 2 half moons.

Now comes the tricky part: Pick up 1 semicircle and using both hands, twirl it into a cone, with the middle of the straight side forming the sharp point. There will be a bit of an overlap as one side goes around the other. Press the overlap slightly to seal.

Fill the cone with a tablespoon or so of the potato filling, so it is reasonably full but there is enough room at top for the edges to be sealed. My wife, Kaisari, seals the top with a braided rope design, which looks easy, but try to do it and you will learn that it takes quite some learning, preferably at the feet of your mother while still a child. So, just press the edges between your finger and crimp with a fork.

Once all of them are done and that will be 20 cones, deep-fat fry until just a shade darker than golden brown. If you aren’t up to even making the cones, place the filling on one side of the disc, bring the other side over and seal. You will then get 10 half-moons. Serve them, either way, while still hot, with a dipping sauce, which can be just bottled red pepper sauce. Or make a cocktail: 6 tablespoons ketchup, 2 to 3 teaspoons red pepper sauce and 2 to 3 teaspoons A1 steak sauce.

Recipe by Gholam Rahman.

Chef Christopher Slawson juices carrots at his restaurant, Christopher's Kitchen, in Palm Beach Gardens. (Brandon Kruse / Palm Beach Post)

Although we’re just three and a half weeks into the year, the most avid juicers among us are working their way through their fourth bunch of kale, third bag of carrots, second sack of apples and an untold amount of organic herbs, ginger and berries.

If you’re not a juicer yourself, surely you know one – that health-seeking friend who’s on a cleanse, or on an energy-boosting mission, or an antioxidant spree, or all the above. Their green juice photos on Facebook may not make you drool the way, say, dulce de leche-filled crepes make you drool. But, admit it, you’re a tad intrigued by that green juice and its professed superpowers.

I was intrigued enough to pay a visit to Christopher Slawson, chef and juice magician, at Christopher’s Kitchen, the stylish Palm Beach Gardens café where he serves organic, plant-based foods. His juices and power smoothies are wildly popular.

Perhaps that’s because Slawson knows making a good juice requires more than tossing a bunch of greens in the blender. It requires an artful pairing of flavor notes – like the zing of lemon with the sweetness of beets, the warmth of ginger with the refreshing qualities of cucumbers.

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Buddha’s Delight can be your delight, too.

A tempting treasure trove of Mother Earth’s most precious jewels, crisp colorful veggies lightly sautéed in a gingery glaze, this traditional vegetarian dish was used for self-purification during the first five days of the Chinese New Year. (Fast forward to 2012: Chinese New Year will be celebrated on Monday.)

After the holiday binge (and bulge) of all things cookies and cocktails, a bit of nutritional mindfulness will restore sanity, serenity – and the Buddha’s signature smile.

Follow our recipe, or purify your post-holiday fridge as well, tossing in leftover bits of this or that.

Serve with nutty, whole-grain brown rice or noodles, a spoonful or two of chili garlic paste for heat, and, of course, chopsticks.

Divas’ Delight

Serves 2 amply as an entrée; 4 to 6 as side dish

FOR THE SAUCE:

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon sriracha, optional

3 tablespoons ginger paste

1/3 cup reduced sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

1 teaspoon rice vinegar (may substitute white vinegar)

4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

FOR THE STIR FRY:

Vegetable oil for stir frying

3 broccoli crowns, florets separated

2 large carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

10-12 shitake mushrooms, sliced

1 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 cup sugar snap or green beans, trimmed

1 large sweet onion, roughly chopped

1 bunch scallions, green and white parts, sliced

Toasted sesame seeds, to garnish

In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, sriracha (if using), ginger paste, soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar and garlic; set aside.

Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. (If you don’t have a large skillet, cook veggies in batches, dividing sauce accordingly.)

When pan is hot, coat bottom with vegetable oil. Add broccoli and carrots and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Drizzle in 2 tablespoons water and cover to steam for 2 minutes more.

Add mushrooms, bell pepper, beans and onion; stir-fry for 1 minute, then cover and steam for 2 or 3 minutes more, adding more water if necessary.

Pour in sauce, add scallions and continue to stir-fry until veggies are coated and sauce begins to thicken slightly, about 2 minutes.

Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and serve hot. For more tender veggies, remove the pan from heat, cover, and allow to steam until desired doneness.

DIVA CONFESSIONS

For do-ahead entertaining with ease, prepare veggies ahead, blanching in boiling water for a minute or two.

Start with broccoli and carrots, removing after 1 or 2 minutes and place in an ice water bath. Blanch bell pepper and sugar snaps for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then place in ice bath.

Drain and refrigerate veggies until ready to sauté just before serving. Mix sauce, heat pan and add oil for a quick sauté, adding mushrooms and onions with blanched veggies.

Toss in sauce until nicely coated and sauce is slightly thickened.

Pratt & Whitney's 'After Burn' chili. (Brandon Kruse / Palm Beach Post)

So what’s the deal with firefighters and chili? The two seem to just go together, be it at the firehouse or at weekend charity cook-offs.

How did this bond begin, I wondered? Was it a culinary time-killer for a job which often has long periods between calls? Was it a fascination with varying degrees of heat comparable to what is faced on the job?

I did some digging and, while, I may not have found the definitive answer, I picked up a little chili trivia.

The spicy stew has been an American staple as far back as the frontier days. But in the early 1960s, a Texas newspaper man named Wick Fowler invented “Two Alarm Chili,” borrowing the common fire station term in the naming process. Wick also began the cultural phenomenon of chili cook-offs in 1967 when he challenged a fellow journalist to a chili-making duel.

If that’s not a smoking jalapeño of a historical connection (to chili and firefighters), I don’t know what is.
A couple of months ago, firefighters from across our area continued this tradition at a friendly — but fiercely competitive — chili cook-off and beer tasting, hosted by the Tequesta Fire Fighters and Tequesta Brewing Company.
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