Polenta Squares with Mushroom Ragu

A few months ago I saw a recipe for polenta squares in a magazine.  Ever since then, I've been itching to make them (and eat them).  I was craving pasta for dinner the other day, so I decided I’d also make polenta squares to round out the meal.  I found a recipe from Giada with a mushroom sauce that looked delicious, so I gave it a shot.  

This was so easy to make, and the polenta squares were done in no time.  They tasted pretty good; but to be honest, I much prefer the creamy style polenta (aka lots of heavy cream and why not throw in some cheese for good measure).  Next time, I’ll be making creamy polenta!

 Chopped cremini mushrooms

Vday Part 1: Chicken Satay

My husband and I love peanut butter.  We eat it every single day in exorbitant quantities and should probably lock up our peanut butter supply for our own good.  Realistically, that will never ever happen.  

For Valentine’s Day dinner, I was stumped on what to make for an appetizer.  I already knew I was making sushi for the entrée per my husband’s special request (what a lucky man hah), so I figured it would make sense to stick to the Asian route for the appetizer.  We both love Thai food, so the first thing I thought of was chicken satay with peanut sauce; especially fitting for us, since the chicken skewers are dipped in what is essentially just peanut butter.  Granted, traditional Thai peanut sauce is made with ground peanuts rather than peanut butter, but I’m all for Tyler Florence’s simple Americanized version.