Italian Steak and Peppers with Creamy Polenta

Try this delicious recipe for Italian Steak and Peppers with Creamy Polenta -- what a quick and easy meal for a cold winter evening and it only costs $1.87 per serving!

Ingredients:
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
2-3/4 cups water
3/4 tsp salt
4 (1/2-inch-thick) blade steaks (about 1-1/4 lb)
1/2 tsp pepper
4 tsp oil
1 small onion, sliced
2 cubanelle peppers (about 8 oz), chopped
4 oz mushrooms, quartered
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes in juice
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Directions:
1. Mix cornmeal, 2-1/2 cups water and 1/4 tsp salt in a 2-quart glass bowl. Cover with plastic wrap; microwave on high 12 to 14 minutes, whisking every 3 minutes until thick.
2. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper on both sides of steak.
3. Heat 2 tsp oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook steaks 2 to 3 minutes per side until browned and cooked to medium. Remove to platter; loosely cover with foil.
4. Heat remaining 2 tsp oil in same skillet. Sauté onion, peppers and mushrooms about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
5. Stir in tomatoes and their juices, 1/4 cup water, and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper. Simmer, covered 5 minutes. Whisk Parmesan into polenta. Spoon vegetables and sauce on steak; serve with polenta.

(Makes 4 servings.)

Nutrients per serving: Calories 472, Protein 34g, Carbohydrates 34g, Dietary Fiber 3g, Fat 22g (Saturated Fat 8g), Cholesterol 88mg, Sodium 896mg.

Notes from Betty: Polenta is a dish made from boiling ground white or yellow cornmeal and is a word borrowed into English from Italian.

Cubanelle or Cuban peppers are a variety of sweet peppers. When unripe, it is light yellowish-green in color, but will turn bright red if allowed to ripen. It has thinner flesh than the bell pepper, is longer, and has a slightly more wrinkled appearance. Cubanelle peppers are used in the U.S. to replace Poblano peppers.