One item I found this week at Genova Delicatessen is Beretta quick cook polenta. I find it as good as the long cook and way superior to the tubed cooked stuff. It cooks in 5-6 minutes. One way I use it frequently for very quick meal is with Sausage and Peppers.

I always have some kind of sausage in the freezer, usually Italian, but sometimes Chicken Apple. Any kind works, fully cooked makes things faster. When bell peppers are in the discount bin I buy them, core, seed and freeze them. It’s nice to have at least green and red, but all colors are good.

I slice an onion or two, sauté them with some of the sliced peppers, then dump in a 14oz can of tomatoes, some basil & oregano (fresh or dried) and simmer for a few minutes. Cook the polenta, sauté or grill the sausage or just throw in with the tomatoes, onions and peppers. Serve that mixture over the polenta topped with a little parmesan or asiago or whatever cheese.

With the help of the microwave for defrosting, you can have this on the table in 15 minutes or so. My only problem with is that I usually end up with too much of the sauce. I just put it in the fridge and it’s great on sandwiches.

http://www.downanddirtygardening.com/2010/05/loving-that-larder.html

I actually usually don’t bother freezing it at all. The way ABi5 has you do it is, you make up a really wet dough and it keeps in your refrigerator after its initial rise for up to 2 weeks. During that time you can just grab some whenever you need, and shape a loaf or roll out into pizza dough or whatever. For pita all you have to do is heat your oven, grab a little hunk, shape into a ball and roll it out really thin, toss it on the hot pizza stone inside, and bake it about 5 mins.

You CAN freeze it, of course, and then thaw it before shaping and baking. But honestly, my dough never really lasts long enough to make that necessary. (I make pizza at least once a week…I’m a bit of a pizza fiend.) I also alternate which doughs I use to make it more interesting.

Jen: Excellent, I love it when the timing works out.

Helene: Sounds like an AWESOME plan. When do you want me to come over?!