Healthy Obsessions

Polenta.



Whole grain with what seems like a made up name. Actually, a lot of the whole grains and their derivatives have odd names. Polenta, funky name and all, is made from corn and corn is...a whole grain!


(Remember the whole popcorn thing).

Corn's high sugar content and low supply of vitamins and minerals (low when compared to other grains) lets it get second billing. It's like that underrated opening act for a headliner. Sometimes, we just want the main event, and it's years later before e see the talent in the other acts. Polenta is just like that. Been around for some time, but during the whole "peasant food is chic" phase, it gained some hype.

I'm here to hype it further.

Polenta can also be sold as cornmeal, or as I call it, yellow grits. (Whenever I have to explain what it I'm eating to a co-worker, as soon as I call it yellow grits I see a light bulb appear over their head.) This makes it very affordable, and easily available. I tend to get the tube of organic polenta from Trader Joe's, but the cornmeal also can be cooked, and then cooled to use the same way.

Lately, my fav thing to do with polenta is to flavor build pizza to it. So, basil & tomato veggie burgers and chicken sausages have been my background. Then I've added baby spinach, low-fat cheese, fire-roasted tomatoes, and heat the sucker up. Sooooooooooooooooo good. No cooking required either. Home made can also be made at home, if you ask me, and sometimes it's just as good.

Urge to splurge - Part II

So, last time on MacGuyver...

So without listing what foods I think you should have as splurges -- because the whole point of this site is for you to decide -- I will give examples of my own splurge worthy items as inspiration.

So, technically it's a list but it doesn't include specific foods. Yay technicality!

I splurge regularly. But that's because I can, I love to, and I don't eat out to frequently because this currently fits my needs & lifestyle. So I shell out $$$ for certain items. And they are...

• Treats! If I love it, I should have it, and just set aside a bit of cash for one or two of my favorites to have on hand. Sometimes, having a treat is the healthiest thing you can do. Just not every day, and every meal. Treats can be anything, fancy cookies, artisan breads, select cuts of meat, whatever you deem a treat is a treat.
• Nuts! I had some curried nuts from a Farmer's market, and they were awesome. I bought them for company. But, instead of serving the whole container, I put it into two cute little bowls along with other snacks, and served them. I still have half of a container left. And, if I like, I can freeze them. And I liked the idea, so I did.
• Oils! A ubiquitous item for starters and other oils like sesame or peanut, can be very valuable and splurge worthy because a little bit of oil can go a long way.
• Cheese! Specifically, a nice aged cheese like parmesan, or my current favorite, Peccorino. I can grate it over eggs, salads, pasta, mac & cheese, pizza...sometimes, I just eat a sliver. And, when it begins to mold, you can actually just shave/slice the mold off and the rest of the cheese is okay. For germa-phobes or those serving others, you can usually buy the cheese wedge in various sizes, as it is often sold by weight, so grab a smaller wedge.
• Weird Fruit! I like sundried tomatoes (not packed in oil) and avocados. Avocados can actually be prepped and frozen to be used in recipes were they're usually cooked. Sundried tomatoes can be rinsed, dried and stored in the fridge to last for months without a spec of mold. Certain fruits just have odd staying power and great flavor. You have to discover which weird fruit suits you.