Barefoot Contessa S Rosemary Polenta Food

BAREFOOT CONTESSA'S ROSEMARY POLENTA

Steps:

• Heat the butter and olive oil in a large saucepan.
• Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, rosemary, salt, and pepper and sauté for 1 minute.
• Add the chicken stock, half-and-half, and milk and bring to a boil.
• Remove from the heat and slowly sprinkle the cornmeal into the hot milk while stirring constantly with a whisk.
• Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for a few minutes, until thickened and bubbly.
• Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan.
• Pour into a 9 X 13 X 2-inch pan, smooth the top, and refrigerate until firm and cold.
• Cut the chilled polenta into 12 squares, as you would with brownies.
• Lift each one out with a spatula and cut diagonally into triangles.
• Dust each triangle lightly in flour.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large sauté pan and cook the triangles in batches over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, turning once, until browned on the outside and heated inside.
• Add more butter and oil, as needed.
• Serve immediately.
• **Cook time does not include refrigeration time.

ROSEMARY ROASTED POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Cut the potatoes in half or quarters and place in a bowl with the olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and rosemary; toss until the potatoes are well coated. Dump the potatoes on a baking sheet and spread out into 1 layer; roast in the oven for at least 1 hour, or until browned and crisp. Flip twice with a spatula during cooking to ensure even browning.
• Remove the potatoes from the oven, season to taste, and serve.

ROSEMARY POLENTA

Steps:

• Heat the butter and olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, rosemary, salt, and pepper and saute for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock(or veg.), half-and-half, and milk and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and slowly sprinkle the cornmeal into the hot milk while stirring constantly with a whisk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for a few minutes, until thickened and bubbly.
• Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan.
• Pour into a 9x13x2" pan, smooth the top, and refrigerate until firm and cold.
• Cut the chilled polenta into 12 squares, like you would with brownies. Lift each one out with a spatula and cut diagonally into triangles.
• Dust each triangle lightly in flour.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large saute pan and cook the triangles in batches over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, turning once, until browned on the outside and heated inside. Add more butter and oil, as needed. Serve immediately.

CREAMY PARMESAN POLENTA

Steps:

• Place the chicken stock in a large saucepan. Add the garlic and cook over medium-high heat until the stock comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and very slowly whisk in the cornmeal, whisking constantly to make sure there are no lumps. Switch to a wooden spoon, add the salt and pepper, and simmer, stirring almost constantly, for 10 minutes, until thick. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan thoroughly while you're stirring. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan, creme fraiche, and butter. Taste for seasonings and serve hot with extra Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top.

THE BAREFOOT CONTESSA

Steps:

• Place the lime juice, agave nectar and mango puree in the bottom of a cocktail shaker. Add the rosemary leaves and using a wooden spoon or stick, muddle the rosemary to release the oils. Add the sherry, tequila and a pinch of chili powder. Shake the drink and strain to remove the rosemary leaves. Add ice and shake again vigorously.
• On a small plate, mix together a pinch of chipotle chili powder with the cane sugar. Run the slice of lime around one-quarter of the edge of each cocktail glass and dip it in the sugar mixture.
• Strain the drink into the cocktail glasses and garnish with the rosemary stem.

ROSEMARY ROASTED CASHEWS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Place the nuts on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes until they are warmed through.
• Meanwhile, combine the rosemary, pepper, sugar, salt and butter in a large bowl.
• Toss the warm nuts with the rosemary mixture until the nuts are completely coated.
• Serve warm.

BAREFOOT CONTESSA'S PARMESAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• Pound the chicken breasts until they are 1/4 inch thick--you can use either a meat mallet or a rolling pin.
• Combine the flour, salt, and pepper on a dinner plate.
• In a bowl (big enough to dip the chicken), break the 2 eggs and whisk them together.
• On a second plate, combine the bread crumbs and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese.
• Coat the chicken breasts on both sides with the flour mixture, then dip both sides into the egg mixture and dredge both sides in the bread crumb mixture, pressing lightly.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan and cook 2 or 3 chicken breasts on medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until cooked through.
• Add more butter and oil and cook the rest of the chicken breasts.
• Serve with extra grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

BAREFOOT CONTESSA'S ROSEMARY WHITE BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, cover the beans with water by at least 1 inch and leave them in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight. Drain.
• In a large stockpot over low to medium heat, saute the onions with the olive oil until the onions are translucent, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Add the garlic and cook over low heat for 3 more minutes.
• Add the drained white beans, rosemary, chicken stock, and bay leaf. Cover, bring to a boil, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, until the beans are very soft.
• Remove the rosemary branch and the bay leaf. Pass the soup through the coarsest blade of a food mill, or place in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until coarsely pureed.
• Return the soup to the pot to reheat and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.