Dinner By Surprise

The other night I had a hankering for something different. The weather was gorgeous, it was a Friday night, spring was {finally} in the air and I felt like something YUMM-O.

Strangely my hankering fell on POLENTA. Yes, that divine Italian dish that is finally making its way onto tables across the globe.

Polenta is a popular food dish that has long been common in Italian and other European cuisine, but has recently gained attention in the United States as well. It is made from ground cornmeal, which is then boiled in water to create a porridge-like substance. Depending on the variety, it can be ground either coarsely or finely, and may be made from either yellow or white cornmeal.

My hubby who is equally, if not more, game to try new things joined me on my quest to serve the best polenta and to satisfy my craving.

We headed to the supermarket and on the way there decided that it would be fun to invite our neighbours over. These particular neighbours we have never dined with, however, our children play together daily. We have polite backyard conversations and have come to know each other well but had not made the leap to dinner yet. I called them up and invited them over for a ‘very casual’ dinner. Asked of food preferences and other necessary details and let them know that tonight is experimental to say the least. Thankfully they were IN.

To our great surprise, dinner was SPECTACULAR. The Menu: Peppercorn Tenderloin over a bed of baby spinach, roasted vine tomatoes and sliced garlic sitting on a bed of polenta coupled with cast iron pan garlic roasted mushrooms and grilled asparagus = a great night. Yumm-o!

Recipe:

Peppercorn Tenderloin ~ crack peppercorns all around the tenderloin {be generous}, sprinkle with sea salt and bbq for approx 25 mins. Turning and watching {can also be done in the oven. best to google tenderloin cooking tips}. Always remember to let your meat SIT BEFORE carving. Sit for at least 10 minutes so the juices stay in the meat {this is a big mistake made by most people because we are time challenged. take your time, sip your wine and enjoy}

Baby Spinach, Roasted Vine Tomatoes, Sliced Garlic ~ place these in a small roasting pan {I used a bread pan} drizzle with olive oil, light sprinkling of sea salt and cook at 300 {covered with foil for the first 20 mins} for 25mins {uncover for the last 5 mins to crisp things up a little.

Polenta ~ cook according to package however you may need to add a little more water than suggested and definitely salt. I also infused it with garlic so don’t be shy.
Polenta can either be found in the Italian section of your supermarket or ethnic foods.

Mushrooms ~ Cast Iron Pan is best for these and in the oven. If not just use the stove and make sure you let the garlic flow. Don’t be afraid to throw an entire clove in {skin and all} and let it roast away. Drizzle with olive oil, sea salt and cook for 20 mins. You can even serve these in the cast iron pan on the table. Makes it a little ‘earthy’.

Grilled Asparagus ~ These are divine. Chop the ends off {not to much} and drizzle with olive oil, sea salt and roast either in the oven or on the bbq. I use a glass cake pan and roast them at about 350 until the start to brown. I like the skinny asparagus better than the thick so choose wisely.

That’s it. The dinner was so good. Couple this with a nice Malbec and you have a dinner that is easy, not that expensive and you will dazzle your guests. Oh, lastly I heated my plates {yes mum, I follow your directions} and dished up in the kitchen and served the guests. It wasn’t a cast iron pot on the table, earthy meal that night, it was formal yet relaxed.

Enjoy friends and remember to keep it real but keep it simple. Try new things and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. I did warn our new guests and let them know that if the dinner went wrong that we could be eating frozen or take away pizza’s. Bottom line, people just want to be invited and enjoy the company. Life is to short to go it alone, invite your neigbours in. You never know, you may end up having a ‘Dinner By Surprise’ yourself.

Susan

Tagged as: Susan