Mushy Foods for Sore Mouths

The surgery went well, thank goodness. I have plenty of ice packs to wrap around my head and a heaping prescription of Vicodin. My mother came home and made me favorite smooth, a Velvet Elvis (Peanut butter, banana, and chocolate) with uncooked oats and wheat germ for some complex carbohbydrates to give me a long lasting fullness.

For dinner, since I am not yet ready to chew, a friend came over and we made cheesy polenta with spinach (recipe below). It's such a good comfort food and it requires no chewing =). I am nowsitting on the couch with my mom and my friend watching No Reservations. Feeling inspired to make chicken in a saffron cream sauce, maybe next week.

Cheesy Polenta with Spinach

When I am able to chew properly, I think some rotisserie chicken would taste fantastic with it.

Serves 2-3, depending on how hungry you are.

Adapted from a recipe by Jeanne Lemlin

Ingredients

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon wet garlic

3 cups baby spinach, washed

Butter for greasing dish plus 1 tablespoon butter

1 cup low fat milk

3/4 cups water

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup part skim grated mozzarella cheese

3 tablespoons plain yogurt (I used Dannon's Activia)

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds, then stir in the spinach. Pour in a few tablespoons of water and cover the pan. Cook about 4 minutes, until wilted. Cover the pan again and cook until the leaves wilt, about 3 minutes. Toss occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool, uncovered.

2. To make the polenta preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 1.5 quart baking dish and set it nearby. Combine the milk, water, and salt in a medium size saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and slowly drizzle in the cornmeal, whisking all the while with a wire whisk. Continue to cook and whisk the polenta until it is the consistency of mashed potatoes and tears away from the sides of the pan, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the Parmesan cheese, the 1 tablespoon of butter, and the mozzarella cheese.

3. Spread half the polenta in the baking dish. Spoon on the spinach and distribute it evenly. Drop on small spoonfuls of the sour cream and spread it with the back of a spoon. Spoon on the remaining polenta and spread it out. (The casserole may be prepared to this point and refrigerated up to 24 hours in advance. Bring to room temperature before baking.)

4. Bake the polenta for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden on top and sizzling. Do not overcook it because you want to retain its creamy interior.