Hey guys! So I'd been hoping to have something a bit more exciting - by which I mean indicative of actual progress - ready for you today, but so far, nothing worth sharing. The nursery is kind of coming along! My hospital bag is sort of packed! My bedroom is almost ready to share with el bebe! So yeah, some progress, but we need to finish some actual projects over here. And, like, put away the laundry and clean the floors before the grandparents come visit this weekend.

The mundanity of laundry aside, after setting up the crib this morning, things are starting to feel very real and very exciting, and as soon as I find where I stashed all the nursery stuff I've been hoarding - no, really, it's missing - things will get fun, fast. But in the meantime, not to be a letdown: I'd characterize this dinner as exciting as well. Really!

Easy, delicious, and made all the better by topping with a softly fried (or poached egg), this is so good that I wish I'd stumbled upon it earlier this winter. I think it would have brightened some of those dreary winter dinners. It made for fantastic leftovers, and, like the risotto I talked about last week, has the quality of feeling special, which makes a weeknight feel better.

Cheesy Polenta with Mushrooms & Chard

Recipe slightly adapted from Williams-Sonoma

Ingredients

8 cups water
3 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups polenta
1 bunch of chard - rainbow, red, whatever you can find, or kale or spinach
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons olive oil
3-4 minced shallots
12 - 16 ounces mixed wild mushrooms, or whatever you can find. I used a mix of creminis and wild
1/2 - 1 cup white wine
1 cup shredded or crumbled cheddar cheese (the sharper the better)
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1-2 eggs per serving (optional)

Directions

1. In a large pot over high heat, bring the water and 1 1/2 tsp. of the salt to a boil. Add the polenta in a slow, steady stream, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring often, until the polenta pulls away from the sides of the pan, 40 to 45 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the chard leaves, folding them to fit. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the chard ribs are easily pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes. Drain well, then chop coarsely and squeeze dry. Set aside. Note: this is how I did it, and it was delicious, but I think it'd be interesting to saute the chard instead, preserving nutrients and possibly flavor. If you're using kale, cook similarly; if using fresh or frozen spinach, I'd definitely saute the spinach by adding to the mushrooms right as they're finishing.

3. In a large pan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil and melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add the shallots and mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the wine, starting with half a cup but adding more if there are no juices left (I had no juices), to deglaze the pan. Saute a minute or two longer. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl. Reserve the juices in the pan.

4. When the polenta is ready, stir in the remaining 3 tablespoons butter, 3/4 cup of the cheese, and 1 tsp. each of the salt and pepper. Cook until the butter and cheese have melted, 3 to 4 minutes. Return the pan with the reserved juices to medium-high heat. Warm the juices, then add the chard and mushrooms and cook, stirring, until hot and well coated with the juices. Season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper or more, to taste.

5. Meanwhile, if using, cook eggs to your liking. I found frying the eggs over easy and leaving a little run was just perfect, but of course poached or baked eggs would be great as well.

6. Spoon polenta into bowls and top with veggie mixture. If using, top with eggs. Enjoy!

Note: The polenta will be a creamy delight on the first night, but leftovers will likely solidify into more of a solid, which is a fantastic texture that's easy to cut and made even better by the egg topping. I know, I ate this for days. Anyway, you can scoop out polenta or use a cup or cookie cutter to cut disks and fry the polenta; microwaving really doesn't hurt anything though.