Recipe #42: Creamy Polenta with Steak, Mushrooms and Arugula

Warm and cozy recipe alert! Creamy parmesan and ricotta polenta, sautéed mushrooms and onions, pan seared flank steak, fresh arugula and parmesan shavings. Yuuummmmoooo! This is perfect for a date night and takes about 30 minutes to make. You can add in other vegetables you have lying around, but I think onions and mushrooms work harmoniously together. If you have fresh rosemary, oregano, or basil throw a bit of those in. Herbs always help lighten up  Also, don’t be shy with the parmesan. The more, the better!

Ingredients:
1 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup ricotta
1/4 cup parmesan, grated
2 tbsp butter
8 oz baby bella mushrooms
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 lb flank steak
handful of arugula
drizzle of EVOO
parmesan shavings

Directions:
***If you don’t have the time to make polenta from scratch, you can buy it pre made. Just follow the directions for creamy polenta.

1. Make the polenta. bring 4 cups of water to a boil and whisk in the corn meal plus a heavy sprinkling of salt. Bring to medium-low heat and whisk every 5 minutes for 25-30 minutes. If it gets too thick, add a splash of water.
2. Take the steak out from the fridge and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set aside.
3. While the polenta is cooking, put a frying pan on medium heat with a heavy drizzle of avocado oil. Add in the onions, mushrooms, rosemary, oregano and some salt and pepper. Cook for ~7 minutes or until soft and set aside.
4. Keep an eye on that polenta!
5. In the same frying pan, add some more oil and bring to a high heat. Place the steak in carefully and cook for 6-7 minutes on each side for medium, or 8-10 minutes for well. Then place on a cutting board and let rest for ~5 minutes before slicing.
6. The polenta should be done by now (takes 25-30 minutes in total to make.) Now you can add in the butter, ricotta and parmesan and stir until incorporated.
7. It’s time to plate! Place a ladle or two of the polenta in a wide but shallow bowl, then add the mushrooms/onions, and lastly the sliced steak on top. Add the fresh arugula, parmesan shavings and a heavy drizzle of EVOO right on top before serving. Enjoy!!!!