Leeky Polenta

The photo may not look like much, but this creamy leek polenta is buttery and oh-so-tasty! It is a go-to when it's cool out. You can eat it as an entree or as a side.

Ingredients
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
3 large leeks, thinly sliced and diced (be sure to wash thoroughly)
2 cups+ water
2 1/4 cups veg broth
1 cup dry polenta
1/2-3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tsp salt
fresh pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add the leeks, and stir to coat. 
3. Cover and cook until leeks soften, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
4. Add the water and broth, cover, and bring to a boil. 
5. Slowly pour in the polenta, while whisking simultaneously to prevent clumping of cornmeal. 
6. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until the mixture is thick and creamy, stirring often. 
7. As it begins to thicken, add some of the milk, stir, and continue cooking.
8. Add about ¼ teaspoon salt. 
9. Continue stirring, cooking, and adding more milk and salt, until you’ve got a creamy mixture.
10. Remove the saucepan from the heat, and stir in the remaining tablespoon of nondairy butter. 
11. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and divide the polenta among plates.

Notes:

• Serves 4 to 6
• Use a wooden spoon for best results.

Lemony-Leeky Orzo Soup

This was way better than it has any right to be. Leeks make everything taste so buttery. The squirt of lemon takes it over-the-top.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 leek, prepared via Note below
2-3 celery ribs, sliced 
2 carrots, sliced 
¼ cup fresh dill, chopped 
1 can (15-oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed 
1-2 lemons, cut in half 
½ cup orzo 
1 quart vegetable broth 
1 bag (5-oz) baby spinach 
crackers 

Directions:

1. Line a large skillet with oil. 
2. Add leek, celery, and carrots, and sauté until vegetables are just tender. 
3. Stir in orzo. 
4. Add broth plus 2 cups water. 
5. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until orzo is fully cooked, 10 minutes.  
6. Stir in chickpeas and dill, plus salt and pepper if desired. 
7. Add spinach just before serving, stirring a few times so it softens in. 
8. Squeeze lemon juice into soup before eating. 
9. Serve with crackers.

Notes:

• Use only the white and light green parts of the leek. Halve lengthwise then slice. 
• Per serving: 284 calories, 3.3g fat, 48.9g carbs, 7.5g fiber, 4.8g sugars, 14.5g protein (Crackers not included in this analysis.)

Soup: Leeky Tomato Soup

Anything with leeks we call "Leeky [descriptor]" because we find it funny. This soup we often serve with the Honey and Cheese Panini (as you can see in the photo for the grilled cheese sandwich). To us, this is the quintessence of comfort food. The original recipe came from French Provincial Cooking by Elizabeth David. It has a French name, which we cannot find as we seem to have misplaced our copy of the cookbook. Ryan has the recipe memorized, so that is how we reproduced it here.

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons butter
olive oil
sea salt, a pinch of
2 leeks, finely sliced
2 medium tomatoes, quartered
2 medium potatoes, roughly chopped
3 2/3 cups water or stock
cream (optional)
flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

Directions:

1. Melt butter with a bit of olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the leeks and cook with the sea salt until soft and translucent, but not colored. Add the tomatoes and cook until soft and releasing juices. Add the potatoes and water or stock.
2. Simmer until potatoes are cooked, about 20 minutes. 
3. Blend everything until smooth using a blender or stick blender. 
4. Bring the soup back to a simmer, and add the dash of cream if you so desire. Taste for seasoning.
5. Garnish with the parsley and serve.

Other Notes:

• Serves 4.
• To make vegan, skip the cream, use vegan butter sticks, use water or vegetable stock.

Entree: Breast of Chicken with Tomato Cream Sauce aka Leeky Chicken

This recipe came to us through a cooking class, one specifically about knife skills. We really liked it and it gets made in our house on a fairly regular basis. It also introduced us to the deliciousness that is pancetta.

Ingredients:
1-2 tablespoons unsalted butter or as needed
¼ pound pancetta
2 whole chicken breasts, divided
2 medium leeks, split down the length, washed and sliced
¾ pound ripe Italian pear tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
½ cup chicken stock
¼ cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon tomato paste
2 teaspooons fresh thyme leaves
a generous pinch of red pepper flakes or to taste
salt as needed
fresh ground pepper
1-2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
thyme sprigs for garnish

Directions:

1. Cut the pancetta into ¼ inch pieces. Heat the butter in a 12” skillet and saute the pancetta until lightly browned and slightly crisp.
2. While the pancetta is cooking, debone the chicken breasts. Removed the cooked bacon from the skillet. Saute the chicken beginning skin side down until cooked through and golden brown on both sides. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the cooked chicken to a platter and keep warm in a low oven.
3. Drain away all the fat except for a 2 tablespoons. Add the leeks and saute until tender and wilted. Add half of the tomatoes and cook for 3-5 minutes.
4. Stir in the chicken stock, cream and tomato paste. Boil briefly to reduce and thicken the sauce. Add the chopped thyme, red pepper, the rest of the tomatoes, and the pancetta. Season with salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.
5. Transfer the sauce to the bottom of a clean platter. Place the chicken breasts on top and garnish with chopped parsley and the thyme sprigs, and serve.

Other details:

• Serves 4 
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