Healing Sunshine

After a long week of illness, I'm finally perking up. Hooray! Just in time for sunshine too. :-) Thanks to a chiropractor appointment and some good pain pills I was able to sit outside yesterday with juice, quilt and a good book, soaking up healing rays and fresh air.

I'm reading "The Rose Cafe" reveling in vivid descriptions of the sun-drenched, intrigue-laden Corsica of the 1960's.

Today I go back to work and my lunches are light and healthy. The first came about when, in my groggy state, I thought I was making a pot of millet porridge and ended up with quinoa. :-) Thankfully I had some perfect additions on hand to make a delicious salad. I tossed the quinoa with pesto then added quartered artichoke hearts and thinly sliced red and yellow bell pepper.

The second dish was beautifully simple. I had chilled polenta in the fridge, so I sliced it, fried it in a bit of olive oil with a sprinkling of kosher salt, spooned on a savory blend of mascarpone, chevre and green onion and topped it with marinated roasted bell peppers.

Now I must juice oranges and grapefruit, mix plain yogurt with apple sauce, vanilla and mandarin oranges, brew my tea and head to work. Hope you have a beautiful Wednesday! :-)

Fried Polenta with Savory Cheese and Roasted Peppers

Ingredients:

10 slices chilled polenta
olive oil
kosher salt
1/4 cup (2 ounces) mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup (2 ounces) goat cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 jar roasted marinated red or yellow peppers

Directions:

1. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Place polenta slices in pan, sprinkle with kosher salt, and fry until golden on each side. 
2. Mix cheeses with chives, pepper and salt.
3. Dice peppers.
4. Place slices of polenta on platter, spoon 1-2 tsp cheese mixture on each piece and top with bell pepper.