Cooking Light Cook Along June 2010 -Grilled Polenta with Spicy Steak

Today I learned something.

Presentation at dinnertime around here (for regular family nights) as pretty much been limited to putting the chicken nuggets in a flower shape with a ketchup center....
But tonight... I went all out and the results were GREAT! Tonight I cooked up Grilled Polenta with Spicy Steak from the Cooking Light June 2010 issue.

It's part of a cook-along challenge, where I'm actually trying to cook from my magazines. This is the second recipe I've cooked from this issue. For the first post, see Pan Fried Eggrolls.

This dinner was great, easy and fast. In fact, finding the ingredients was the toughest part. Also, you might not think this would be kid friendly, but it was well recieved by my 5 and 7 year old, who ate a piece of beef, the avoacados, and the polenta-- even with the chili oil on it.

Tips:
Queso Fresca isn't in every grocery store. For that matter, niether is polenta! Save yourself some trouble and hit a specialty store instead of making your buddy (thanks Amanda!) circle Kroger with you... asking the clueless help where it is. (What is it? What was that again? They were willing, just not able.) Also, Amanda asked why I didn't make the polenta myself???? Aparently, although we are friends... she's never really MET me. I ended up using Feta as a substitute for the Queso Fresca, which is embarassing since I live in Texas! (C'mon Kroger...)

Check for Polenta in the produce section where the meatless organic stuff is... is sometimes sold as a meat substitute. (Funny, since here it is served WITH beef.)

The beef took longer to cook than the recipe called for, so allow longer or turn up the heat. I'm not talking about needing it well done...it was raw. Since this was another speed dinner at our house I sliced a few pieces and grilled them up seperately at the end. I also cooked the polenta while the beef was resting, which allowed the beef to rest a little longer. Perhaps my flank steak was thicker than most???

The chili /oil sauce did not make enough to cover my beef and polenta, so I had to mix up some extra. I couldn't believe my littlest didn't use the word "hot" or "PICY" tonight. Wow.
The girls thought the presentation was awesome (followed the directions on page 30)... and it also got a positive nod from the hubby.

Also -- as I mentioned, I gave up on Queso Fresca for tonight...so I used Feta. It was delicious anyway. Quick, impressive and delicious... this one's getting ripped out and added to the keeper file.

Mary Kay wasn't born cheap... but she got there pretty quickly.