Broccoli Polenta

It's pretty clear, if you browse this site, that I love polenta.  I don't often make it the two-step way; that is, cooking it, cooling it, then cooking it again.  This method of making polenta results in a more solid base that can be topped with any number of things and possibly even treated as a finger food.  It's kind of fun, really.

This variation not only involves the two-step cooking process, but it mixes good old broccoli into the polenta itself, making it hearty and chunky and more like a meal than an appetizer.  I chose to drizzle marinara sauce over the top, but you could eat it plain, with meat, or with other veggies on top.  It's basic and good.

Broccoli Polenta

adapted from Veganomicon

serves 2-3

INGREDIENTS:

1 3/4 cups vegetable broth

pinch of salt

1/2 cup polenta (the grain, not the pre-prepared stuff)

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups very finely diced broccoli, florets and stems

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Bring the broth and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan.  Add the polenta in a slow, steady stream, whisking as you add it.  Add the broccoli and olive oil, stir well, and reduce heat to low.  Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes, stirring often.

2.  Turn off the heat and let sit for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  By the end it should be very thick.  Transfer the polenta to a small greased baking dish or casserole, and refrigerate for one hour.

3.  Preheat the broiler (preferably in your toaster oven, if you have one).  Grease a baking sheet with olive oil.  Cut the set polenta into squares and transfer to the baking sheet.  Cook under the broiler for 7-10 minutes, or until golden-brown.  Serve.

Enjoy!

Polenta with Garlicky Greens

If you showed this picture to the me of about ten years ago, before I could cook and before I appreciated both polenta and leafy greens, I would have shaken my head and said no thank you.  Now I see it and I almost drool.  This meal combines two of my favorite things, and I'm sharing it with you.  Don't you feel special?

My sister got me Jack Bishop's Complete Italian Vegetarian Cookbook for my birthday, and this is my inaugural recipe from it.  It's simple and delicious, just the way I like my food.  Jack's method of cooking polenta is slightly different from any way I've tried it before, and I'll admit I was suspicious of cooking it just in water (as opposed to broth and cream), but I have to say, this is the best polenta I've ever made.  I highly recommend that you try his method.

The greens are a combination of chard and spinach, quickly braised with a garlic and onion combo.  Everything comes together with a remarkably comforting balance of texture and flavor.  This is excellent food for a rainy winter night.

Polenta with Garlicky Greens

adapted from the Complete Italian Vegetarian Cookbook

serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups water

1/2 cup medium-grind cornmeal

salt

1 bunch Swiss chard, tough stems and ribs removed

2 cups fresh baby spinach

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Start the polenta first, as it will take about 40 minutes.  Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat.  Add a pinch of salt.  Reduce heat slightly and stream in the cornmeal slowly, whisking constantly.  Continue to whisk vigorously for about 30 seconds.  Reduce heat to a bare simmer and put the lid on.  Let cook for about 40 minutes, or until polenta is creamy and smooth, whisking every 10 minutes.

2.  While the polenta cooks, tear up the chard into chunks.  Make sure chard and spinach are thoroughly washed and drained, but don't dry it - you want some moisture still on the leaves. 

3.  Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onion and saute until softened and nearly translucent, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.  Reduce heat to medium and add the greens.  Stir carefully to coat them with the oil.  Season with salt and pepper, and put a lid on the pan.  Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until greens are tender and wilted.  Remove lid and cook for an additional 2 minutes to let some of the liquid evaporate.

4.  When polenta is done cooking, stir in the butter.   Divide between two bowls and serve the greens over the top.

Enjoy!

Roasted Winter Vegetables over Polenta

I realize my blog is starting to look like the What-to-Serve-Over-Polenta blog.  I can't help it.  Polenta is just that good.  It's kind of like pasta - a great bed to host any delectable topping you choose to accompany it. 

I am cheating a little bit in calling these "winter" vegetables, since green beans are not really a winter vegetable.  But I wanted something green to provide some color contrast, and they are delicious little beasts.  Halved brussels sprouts would be magical in this dish.  The original recipe called for cauliflower, but I'm still having trouble getting out of the "meh" camp when it comes to cauliflower.  Forgive me. 

You can cook the polenta whatever way you like - the stovetop method is probably best here, since you have to roast the vegetables at such a high temperature that the polenta would cook too fast if you had it in the oven, too.   But experiment and see what you like. 

Here it is, then, another lovely and simple meal with lovely, versatile polenta as the base.

Roasted Winter Vegetables over Polenta

adapted from Eating Well in Season

serves 3

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups cubed butternut squash

2 cups halved brussels sprouts, or green beans

1 leek, white and light green parts, chopped

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper

pinch of garlic powder

1 1/2 cups low sodium vegetable broth

1/4 cup cream or milk

1/2 cup polenta, or coarsely ground cornmeal

1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 475.  Toss the veggies with oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a bowl.  Lay out on a rimmed baking sheet.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring halfway through, until tender and brown in spots.

2.  Meanwhile, combine broth and cream in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil, whisk in polenta, rosemary, and a bit of freshly ground pepper.  Reduce heat to low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until thick and creamy, 10 to 15 minutes.  Stir in cheese; remove from heat. 

3.  Serve vegetables over polenta.

Enjoy!

Tomato-Basil Chicken over Polenta

This is a similar concept to a recipe I posted fairly recently, but trust me.  It's quite different.  My love affair with polenta continues, and I went back to making it the old-fashioned way just for kicks.  If you want to make it the brilliant oven-baked way (see link above), please be my guest. 

This is a simple, comforting and tasty meal that should please just about any palate.  Traditional Italian flavors of tomato, basil, and garlic rest atop a slightly spicy chicken breast, on a bed of creamy polenta.  What's not to love?

Also, a note - when I say two chicken breast cutlets, I mean one large chicken breast butterflied through the middle and then cut into two pieces, creating two thinner pieces of chicken breast.  I just want to be clear, here.

Tomato-Basil Chicken over Polenta

adapted from Rachael Ray's Book of 10

serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups low sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup polenta (coarse ground cornmeal)

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 chicken breast cutlets

salt and pepper

pinch red pepper flakes

1/2 red onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

1/2 pint red grape tomatoes

handful fresh basil, coarsely chopped

DIRECTIONS:

1.  In a small pot, whisk together 1 1/2 cups broth with the polenta and butter.  Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, whisking occasionally.  Reduce heat to a bare simmer and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes, whisking occasionally, until polenta is a thick porridge-y texture.   Season with salt and pepper just before serving.

2.  Meanwhile, heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet.  Season chicken cutlets with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.   Add to skillet and cook for about 2 minutes each side, until lightly browned.  Add onion and garlic to pan and cook for about 2 more minutes, until onions are lightly browned.

3.  Add remaining chicken broth to the skillet and cook until reduced by about half, approximately 3 minutes.  Turn the chicken occasionally.   Add tomatoes and cook about one minutes, or until they are heated through and just starting to burst.  Stir in basil, and serve chicken with tomatoes and sauce over a bed of polenta.

Enjoy!

Roasted Balsamic Tomatoes over Polenta

There is nothing wrong with simplicity.  In fact, it is a magnificently beautiful concept that gives rise to dishes like this one.  I have been craving polenta for weeks, and I finally decided to partake this evening in a rustic, hearty and comforting dish with beautiful Italian flavors.  There are very few ingredients, but they are good quality ones.   This is a perfect meal for a cool fall evening, with a glass of wine and some good music in the background.  Bliss, my friends.  Bliss.

The other fantastic aspect of this meal is that it gave me a chance to try out a different way of making polenta, and I am officially a convert.  I had heard about this method many times before, and finally got around to trying it.  Why would I ever go back?  You'll see in the instructions below that your days of whisking almost constantly on the stovetop are behind you.

Please try this.  If you have a hunk of crusty bread nearby, even better.

Roasted Balsamic Tomatoes over Polenta

serves 2-3

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup polenta (coarse ground cornmeal)

1 1/2 cups water

1 1/4 cups low sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup milk

1 tablespoon butter

salt and pepper to taste

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons quality balsamic vinegar

handful basil leaves, torn

3 large garlic cloves, crushed with the flat edge of a knife

1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 425.  In an 8 x 8 baking dish or similar sized casserole, combine polenta, water, broth, milk, butter, salt and pepper to taste.  Bake for about 40 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes or so, until polenta thickens and has a porridge-y consistency.

2.  While the polenta is baking, place the tomatoes in a single layer in a small baking dish.  Drizzle with EVOO and vinegar, and season with salt and pepper.  Add garlic cloves and basil, and toss everything together.  When the polenta has been baking for about 15 minutes, add the tomato dish to the oven.   Each time you open the oven to stir the polenta, stir up the tomatoes, too.

3.  When there are about 5 minutes left in the baking time, stir parmesan into the polenta.  When everything is done (tomatoes are mostly burst, polenta has thickened), serve tomatoes and juices over the polenta.

Enjoy!

Polenta with Chiles and Cheese

We've discussed polenta before, and my intense love of this apparently controversial grain. The texture isn't for everyone, I suppose. But for me it is like having cornbread in a more socially acceptable form for a side dish. Pretty fabulous. And it's more versatile than you might think; case in point with this recipe. Add some Mexican flavors, including cheese, chiles and cilantro, and you suddenly have a whole meal centered around this lovely little yellow grain.

I was hoping that by baking this casserole, the polenta would get firm and solid, but it still maintained its porridge-y texture. That didn't make it any less delicious, but I think next time I might make it with less liquid. Or perhaps bake it a bit longer and see what happens.

Serve this with a green salad and prepare for the party in your mouth!

Polenta with Chiles and Cheese
adapted from Bon Appetit's Fast Easy Fresh Cookbook
serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups skim milk
1 1/2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal (polenta)
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan
1 7-ounce can whole green chiles, drained
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, grated
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

DIRECTIONS:

1. Grease an 8x8 baking dish. Combine milk, broth, cornmeal, garlic, and salt in a heavy medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly. Cook until polenta is tender and thickened, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in parmesan.

2. Pour half of polenta into prepared baking dish. Cover with half of chiles and half of corn. Sprinkle with half of cilantro and jack cheese. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons cream. Spoon remaining polenta evenly over, top with remaining chiles, corn, cilantro and cheese, and pour remaining cream over the top.

3. Up to this step, you can prepare ahead, cover, and refrigerate. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 400. Bake uncovered until heated through, puffed, and golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Balsamic Orange Chicken with Sage Butter Polenta

Now that I'm a year older, I think I ought to be making some sophisticated meals. Okay not really, but the basis for this recipe sounded so good that I had to try it. I decided to tweak it a bit to make it feel a little more unique. One of the main changes I made was adding polenta (instead of spaghetti, which is what the original recipe called for).

A few words on polenta. Yes, it's high maintenance. Yes, it's delicious. Yes, you could take a shortcut and buy one of those logs of ready-made polenta. Be my guest. But there is something to be said for making your own polenta. It is a very gratifying experience. And in spite of its reputation, I've found it's actually pretty hard to screw up. Just use logic - if it looks like it needs more liquid, add more liquid. If it's bubbling too much, turn down the heat. If it's thickening too quickly or sticking to the bottom of the pan, you need to whisk more often. Taste as you go to check out how the texture is coming along. Go on, it's worth a try.

Below I'm sharing with you my own chosen method for making polenta, but I have seen many alternate methods out there. You can use a double boiler, you can add the polenta after the liquid comes to a boil, you can whisk constantly or only sporadically. I still haven't tried every method so by no means do I endorse the method below as the best. I just like it because it's low(er) maintenance and it seems to work. It achieves the ideal consistency - thick, creamy and smooth. And how about this for an endorsement: this time I think I absolutely perfected it and made the best polenta of my (admittedly short) polenta career.

We can't take all the attention away from the chicken, of course. The chicken is coated in a beautiful pan sauce (there we go with the pan sauce again!) that is tangy with a great depth of flavor. I think it compliments the polenta quite well. And the spicy hint of arugula ties everything together.

Balsamic Orange Chicken with Sage Butter Polenta
Adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray
serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup polenta (medium or coarse ground cornmeal)
1 1/2 cups water (keep an additional cup or two of hot water nearby)
1/2 cup heavy cream (or milk if you prefer)
1 tablespoon EVOO
2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (or equivalent in chicken breast tenders)
coarse ground salt & pepper for seasoning
1 sprig rosemary, leaves removed and finely chopped
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
1/8 cup good orange marmalade (I used Knott's)
2 tablespoons butter
6 fresh sage leaves, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan
1 1/2 cups baby arugula
3 tablespoons chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS:

1. Start with the polenta, as it takes the longest. Put the 1 1/2 cups water and cream in a medium pot, and stir in the polenta. Turn on the heat to high. Stir with a whisk as you bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Stir occasionally. As it starts to thicken (after about 8-10 minutes), continue to stir occasionally from the bottom of the pot, and keep an eye on the consistency. If it starts to thicken too much, add more hot water. Reduce heat more if the polenta is bubbling too much - it should only be a bubble here and a bubble there. Continue to cook for another 20 minutes, adding hot water and stirring as necessary.

2. When the polenta has about 10 minutes to go, start on the chicken. Heat the EVOO in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add it to the pan. While it cooks, sprinkle the rosemary over the chicken. Cook, turning once, until browned and cooked through, about 8-10 minutes (depending on how thick the chicken breasts are). Remove from the pan and keep nearby on a plate or tray.

3. At this point, stir the butter and sage into the polenta. Season with salt and pepper. When the butter has melted, stir in the cheese. Let it continue to cook while you finish the next step.

4. Make the pan sauce. Whisk balsamic and marmalade into the skillet, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 1 minute. Return the chicken to the pan and coat it in the glaze. Remove from heat. Add the arugula to the pan and toss it around with the chicken and sauce (I'd use tongs if I were you).

4. Serve the chicken alongside the polenta. Sprinkle with pecan pieces.

Voila! You just made yummy polenta AND it's part of a balanced meal. Now eat and enjoy.