COOKING WITH CONNIE

Basil Mojito

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Ingredients

2 oz white rum
½ cup fresh basil leaves
1 oz fresh lime juice
3 tbs simple syrup
Club soda

Instructions

In a glass, muddle the basil leaves, lime, and simple syrup until the basil is thoroughly bruised but not pulverized. Pour in the rum. Fill the glass most of the way with crushed ice. (If you don’t have a “crushed ice” option on your refrigerator, wrap ice cubes in a towel and hammer them with a kitchen mallet.) Pour in the club soda to the top of the glass. Garnish with a lime wedge or basil leaf.

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NO BOOZE BUT IT IS SO REFRESHING.

Yummy!! If you are a fan of green grapes this is the mocktail for you. Wonderful for a morning drink or an afternoon at the beach, a Green Grape Glacier is a luxurious treat and the frozen grapes for the garnish are an extra bonus.

Ingredients:

12 seedless green grapes

4 oz white grape juice

4 oz cold sparkling water

You can always add a shot of vodka, if you like.

Preparation:

Freeze the grapes until hard.

Combine 10 frozen grapes and grape juice in a blender and process about 20 seconds, or until smooth and thick.
Pour the grape mix into a Highball glass.
Add the sparkling water.
Stir gently.
Garnish with the remaining 2 frozen grapes.

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Polenta with Mushroom Vegetable Topping

Tired of ordinary pasta? Tonight, try this mouthwatering polenta topped with a wild mushroom-tomato sauce. It makes a tasty alternative to pasta dinners.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

2 stalks celery, chopped (about 1 cup)

2 medium carrots, chopped (about 2/3 cup)

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 pound mixed wild* and white mushrooms, chopped (about 8 cups)

2 medium tomatoes, chopped (about 2 cups)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves, crushed

1 3/4 cups Swanson® Beef Broth (Regular or 50% Less Sodium)

6 cups water

16 ounces uncooked instant polenta

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

add meat if you like.

Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots and black pepper and cook until the vegetables are tender.
Stir the mushrooms, tomatoes, garlic and thyme in the skillet and cook for 5 minutes. Stir the broth in the skillet and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 35 minutes or until the mixture is thickened.
Heat the oven to 350°F.

Heat the water in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat to a boil. Stir in the polenta. Cook and stir for 5 minutes or until the mixture is very thick. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in 1/4 cup cheese. Spread the polenta in a 3-quart shallow baking dish. Let cool for 10 minutes.

Spread the vegetable mixture over the polenta. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
Bake for 30 minutes or until the vegetable mixture is hot and the cheese is melted.
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Fritatta

http://www.whats4eats.com/content/breakfast-frittata

(Italian open-faced omelet)

The ingredients you add to your frittata are mix and match as you like, and making frittatas is a great way to clean out your fridge. See the variations below for a list of some common Italian frittatas.

IngredientsEggs -- 6 to 8
Milk -- 3 or 4 tablespoons
Optional ingredients (see variations) -- 1 to 2 cups
Salt and pepper -- to taste
Olive oil -- 2 or 3 tablespoons

Method
Beat the eggs and milk together in a large bowl until smooth.Prepare the optional ingredients as needed. Allow to cool if necessary and stir into the eggs. Season to taste with salt and pepper.Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized cast-iron or non-stick skillet over medium-low flame. Give the egg mixture a big stir and pour into the skillet and cook over low heat until the frittata is well set but still runny on the top, 6 to 8 minutes.
Set the frittata in the oven under a broiler until the eggs are cooked through and lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes.
Let the frittata rest for 5 minutes, then cut into wedges and serve with a side salad and slices of crusty bread.