What's for dinner?

It's not even close to quittin' time and I'm thinking about dinner. Sigh...

Tonight I'm going to saute (would be better on the grill!) thin-sliced sirloin with balsamic vinegar and garlic. I'll serve that with polenta fries and a peppery, creamy salad of arugula, watercress, red onion, mozzarella and plum tomato dressed with lemon juice and olive oil. To save time, I'm going to cheat a bit tonight and use a tube 'o' polenta. I'll slice it up, brush the "fries" with olive oil, season and saute them until they're golden and crispy on the outside.

And in case you want to try my longer - and better, I think - version of the fries:

Polenta Fries
2 cups milk (I would say no less than 2% to get the best result - this is not a time for skim...)
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups polenta
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (plus more for finishing)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup grated Parmigiana Reggiano
1/4 cup melted clarified butter (or olive oil, if you prefer)

Bring the milk and water just to a boil in a large saucepan. Add polenta, stirring constantly. Stir in the salt and reduce the heat to medium or medium-high. Continue stirring until the polenta gets thick (in my experience, the amount of time it takes really depends on the polenta). Stir in the cheese. Remove polenta from heat and spread out 1/2-inch thick onto a baking sheet using a spatula. Chill in the fridge for at least an hour (or you can make it ahead and chill overnight). Cut into wide fry shapes. Brush a big of butter (or olive oil) over each. Bake at 450 degrees until crispy and golden, about 20-25 minutes. (Flip them halfway through baking for even color and crispiness.) Sprinkle with a bit more salt to taste before serving, but while they are still hot!

These are also great with (what else?) burgers. I like them in lieu of a bun...