Persuasive Speech: Polenta And Stir-Fry

Dinner was lovely tonight: Polenta and Stir-Fry. Most definitely an odd couple; One would never think they would go well together, but, somehow, their flavors really complement the other. Italian-Chinese! Ha ha, I love mixing and matching like that. It's a great meal that can be ready really quickly, if you use already cut up or frozen vegetables. ITALIAN-CHINESE MEAL Serve with Biscuit-Muffins 340 calories total for: 1 serving Polenta, 1 Serving Chinese Stir-Fry, and 1 Biscuit-Muffin Polenta 4 servings, 150 calories per serving Ingredients - 1 cup dry polenta mix * - 1/2 cup Unsweetened Original Almond Breeze ** - 2 and 1/4 cups water - salt to taste (I used about 1 tsp) - 10 sprays olive oil cooking spray (or

Naturally that is how they are marketed to us, although I have often puzzled over why they came to be called hamburgers, since they come from cow and not pig, but that's a history lesson for another time. So, what goes good on a burger? Feel bold and brave? Want to explore brave new culinary worlds? Good. Start with a protein substitution. Try ground chicken or turkey instead of beef. These meats are light and tasty, and especially when mixed with spices prove to handle themselves just fine on the generic hamburger bun. If you have the access, try deer. Venison requires more preparation but it is a lean meat as well. My recipe for preparing chicken and turkey is as follows: ground or get the meat already ground, add one raw egg for every pound and a half, black pepper, garlic (powder or minced), bread crumbs, diced scallions, celery, and tomato, and mix. Roll into balls and gently smash into form. I'm a big fan of the Forman grill, but any sort of grilling will work. Top the burger with a pineapple slice. No meat eating? No problem. Ever make a vegetarian burger? I'm fond of one that uses tofu (soybean curd). Mix into that bread crumbs, egg, and bean sprouts. Shallow fry it until the outside is brown, and add avocado slices and spinach to the finished product. Tofu alone, cut into thick slices and pan seared is tasty. Cook until the outside is crispy. All this is based on the presumption one likes tofu. A nice addition to

When burgers are still on the menu, but you want it to be a little bit healthier, try these options instead. Instead of using beef, try ground venison, turkey, or bison instead. Mix in some chopped onion, ground pepper, and a small amount of olive oil and then either grill or broil. If you find that the meat is still too dry for your taste dried cherries can be added in small amounts. Instead of meat you can also try making crab cakes or portabella mushrooms. Crab Cakes 1 lb crab meat (real or imitation) 1 egg 1/4 cup bread crumbs 1 1/2 tablespoons mustard onion ground pepper 1/2 tablespoon olive oil Grill or broil Portabella Mushrooms Purchase the largest mushrooms you can find and brush with olive oil. Grill or Broil. Remember to use a 100% whole grain bun and low fat cheese to top it