Oh, hey there.  Let me introduce myself.

I’m an apple cheddar grilled cheese aka the concoction that gets thrown together in a late afternoon break from intense cleaning/panic mode of “what the heck can I throw together in an effort to avoid running to the store” kind of mood.

This is easy enough. Some bread (preferably sourdough), a random apple from an uneaten packed lunch, some leftover white cheddar, and some homemade honey mustard.  Throw in some lonely shallot (or onion) and a handful of the pre-washed spinach that’s about to go bad…and, well, you get me.  Delightfully cheesy, gooey, and full of intense tangy and sweet flavor that will have anyone glad it’s grilled cheese time.

(Sidenote:  I fully realize now that I missed the boat with April being the official Grilled Cheese Month.  But, take this as my effort to make up for that insane offense…)

Time for a chaotic and beautifully delicious grilled cheese.

Apple Cheddar Grilled Cheese

Servings: 2

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 shallot, sliced thinly

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

4 slices sourdough bread

1 apple, thinly sliced

1/2 cup fresh spinach

1 to 1/2 cups thinly sliced white cheddar cheese (or shredded-however you prefer it)

Instructions

1. Preheat a nonstick frying pan over medium heat.

2. Add the olive oil and heat until shimmering.

3. Add the shallot, and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned and crisped, about 5 minutes or so. Remove from heat; set aside.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together the honey and Dijon mustard until smooth; set aside.

5. To assemble the sandwiches:  Layer the apple, spinach, cheese, shallots, and a layer (amount depending on your personal taste) of the honey mustard between two pieces of sourdough bread.

6. Using the same nonstick frying pan as before, lightly spray the pan with cooking spray or a small amount of butter and grill the sandwiches until lightly crisped and golden on each side (about 2-3 minutes per side) over medium heat.  Serve immediately.

Source:  A Curvy Carrot original.

For whatever reason, I always associate polenta with savory dishes (don’t worry, there will be more of those to come later on…).  I’ve only prepared polenta a few times before in my life, but I had never thought to make it into a sweet, breakfast-friendly kind of dish.

You know those mornings where you wake up and want something warm and comforting and realize (in the efforts to clean out your pantry because you are moving halfway across the country again in 38 days!) that you used up all your oatmeal?  Maybe you don’t have mornings like that, but I do.  Like, I want something in the way of comfort food….now.

The unfortunate thing about polenta, though, is the lack of instant gratification because it does take a while to cook.  Heck, even my rolled oats can get microwaved for two minutes and breakfast is served.  But I also kind of like those mornings where I can make my coffee, open the windows, and busy myself (but also take my sweet time) in the kitchen making a home-style and filling breakfast like this one.

So, polenta CAN be used in sweet dishes.  And it’s pretty tasty, too.  (Well, let’s be honest…anything with mascarpone on top is pretty awesome.)  Feel free to use whatever toppings you have on hand-I like the toasted nuts here for the added protein/fat content.  Just promise me you won’t skip out on that heavenly mascarpone.

Breakfast Polenta with Maple and Mascarpone

Servings: 2

Ingredients

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 and 1/2 cups water, plus more if needed

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup ground polenta

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup mascarpone

1/4 cup nuts, toasted

For serving: strawberries, blueberries, etc.

Instructions

1. In a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the water and the salt to a boil.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the polenta and the milk.

3. Once the water is boiling, slowly add the polenta/milk mixture to the water.

4. Return the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes.  (Be careful here-it has a tendency to bubble up a lot).

5. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, for about 25 minutes or so, adding more water if the mixture gets too sticky.

6. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over low heat, gently warm the maple syrup. (Or microwave it for about 20-25 seconds.)

7. Serve the polenta with the warmed maple syrup, mascarpone, toasted nuts, and any other toppings you like.

Source: Barely adapted from Williams-Sonoma.

I have an unhealthy obsession with sea salt.  It all started a while back when my dad got me a nice pretty package of some expensive kind of sea salt as a gift.  A very nice gift from someone who knows me all too well.

Immediately I was hooked.  The flavor, the dainty little crystalline flakes, the artistic feel of sprinkling them on the end product (and in end product, I mean pretty much everything I eat, hence the unhealthy obsession…..grapefruit, salad, pizza, eggs, anything, really)-all these little things make me happy.  And, oh the taste.  That extra little salty zing dancing on your taste buds.  Sea salt.  I buy it in bulk, have not one, but two containers for easy use-one at the stove and the other on my coffee table/usual dining table.  It can make almost ANYTHING taste better.

So, in my usual Sunday evening craving for chocolate (before sitting down to watch my latest TV show addiction: Game of Thrones),  I came across this recipe…that included not only chocolate (and the word fudge) but also sea salt.  Pretty much my favorite things ever…all in one rich, sinful form.

These brownies are VERY rich, just as a word of caution.  And if you are more of a cakey kind of brownie person, these are more fudgey in consistency.  I also baked them in an 8-inch square pan because I don’t have a 9-inch one (what the original recipe called for), and I DID have to bake my brownies for a significantly longer (about 15-20 minutes longer) time than the stated recipe.  As always, use a tester to check the doneness of your brownies as the most appropriate gauge of their “doneness”.  All oven times/temperatures vary, so use your best judgement here.

Regardless, welcome to heaven.  :)

Sea Salt Fudge Brownies

Servings: about 10 brownies

Ingredients

12 tablespoons (1 and 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, broken into pieces

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

2 cups sugar

3 large eggs

1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt (I use Maldon.)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line an 8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, draping the foil over the edges.
3. Lightly butter or use cooking spray to generously coat the foil.
4. In a large saucepan over low heat, melt the butter with the unsweetened chocolate, stirring occasionally.
5. Remove from the heat.
6. Add the cocoa, sugar, eggs, vanilla and flour to the melted chocolate mixture, mixing until smooth.
7. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
8. Sprinkle the salt evenly over the batter. Using a butter knife, swirl the salt into the batter.
9. Bake the brownies for about 35 minutes (remember, I had to bake mine about 15-20 minutes more-make sure you use a tester to truly check the doneness of the brownies-the tester should come out with very few crumbs attached)
10. Let cool at room temperature in the pan for about an hour, then refrigerate just until they are firm, about an hour.

Source: Food and Wine Magazine.