Polenta

This is the soft version - the one that hasn't been fried. At the end of this recipe, I'll give you instructions on how to make friend polenta - which is super yummy topped with fried off tomatoes, onions and olives for breakfast.

I'm a firm believer in cheese making everything taste better - and in this case, it's true. Plain polenta is very boring and bland.

• 1 litre boiling water or stock
• 1 cup polenta
• butter
• cheese
• cream (optional for a looser polenta. If you want to be able to slice it up and fry it later, don't add the cream)

1. Bring water or stock up to boil.
2. Add 1 cup polenta
3. Simmer for 8-10 minutes
4. Stir in butter
5. Stir in cheese to taste
6. OPTIONAL stir in cream to make around the consistency of mashed potatoes

If you're going to be frying it up later, spread it out into a square dish or tin now. Allow to set. When it has set, slice into squares, triangles, diamonds, rectangles or circles. Gently shallow fry in butter and oil until crispy and golden brown.

If you're not frying it up, you can use it in place of mashed potatoes.

If you would like it sweeter, make it with half water, and half milk. Omit the butter and cheese, but add the milk. Serve with fruit coulis or rehydrated dried fruit.

Beef Stroganoff

• Slice one large onion finely
  
• Slice 1 kg mushrooms thinly
• Slice 500g beef thinly
• Combine 2 tabs sugar with 1 tab mustard powder. Mix with just enough water to make into thick paste

Cook onions off in a deep, heavy based pan (okay. I cheat. I use an electric frying pan. shoot me, and get it done with?)
Add sliced beef. Stir this around until all is browned on the outside.
Cook down until almost no liquid remains.
Add sliced mushrooms.
Cook down until almost no liquid remains.
Add mustard and sugar paste.
Cook down until almost no liquid remains. (It should now be a dark, thick, sticky brown goop coating the meat, onions and mushrooms)
Slowly add 500 mL sour cream. (Add it 1 tablespoon at a time, or it will curdle)
Stir through 5(ish) cups of cooked pasta (1 cup when uncooked. DO NOT add uncooked pasta to this. Please cook that one cup uncooked pasta first)

Serve with warm crusty bread, and freshly blanched snow peas .

Chicken in creamy white wine sauce

Finely chop 1 leek (leave the green part - it can be used for stocks/soups)
Chop half dozen cup mushrooms (thinly sliced)

Poach 3 chicken breasts.
Fry off the leek in a frying pan with a half cup dry white wine, until transparent.
Add the mushrooms, and continue to fry until soft (use the lid).
Remove chicken from poaching liquid (use the same white wine, with bay leaf and water) when cooked. Cube roughly.
Add fresh cream (not thickened) to the mushrooms and leeks, bring to simmer.
Toss in the chicken, and bring back to simmer.
When simmered, add enough pasta (of choice) for 4 adults.
Serve with blanched snow peas or broccoli.