Recipe: 13 Polenta Recipes

BAKED LAYERED POLENTA
1 recipe basic polenta
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
4 oz. mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp. olive or salad oil
1 (1 lb.) can tomatoes, undrained and
chopped
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
1/4 c. water
2 tbsp. dry sherry
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen chopped
spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 1/2 c. shredded Mozzarella cheese
Stir the Parmesan cheese into the polenta. Spread evenly in a lightly greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Chill for at least 1 hour. When firm, cut into 4 quarters, each 4 1/2 x 6 1/2 inches. Meanwhile, saute the mushrooms, onion, and garlic in oil. Stir in the remaining ingredients, except the spinach and Mozzarella cheese. simmer, partially covered, 1 hour. Stir in the spinach. Lightly grease an 8 x 10 inch baking dish. Place two polenta quarters in it, side by side. Cover with half the sauce and sprinkle with half the Mozzarella cheese. Repeat these layers. Secure with toothpicks.

POLENTA CASSEROLE
1 recipe Thick Polenta
3 c. cooked sausage
1 lb. mushrooms, sliced
3 tbsp. butter
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
Tomato sauce
Saute mushrooms in butter for 5 minutes. Then place polenta in large buttered baking dish; level off top with a spoon and cover with sausage, mushrooms, sauce, and cheese. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and bake at 300 degree oven for 45 minutes. Serves 6.

POLENTA STRIPS WITH CREAMY SALSA SPREAD
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp. chili sauce
2 tbsp. sour cream
1 tbsp. Lawry's seasoned pepper
3 c. water
1 tsp. Lawry's seasoned salt
3/4 c. instant polenta, uncooked
1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 c. vegetable oil
For creamy salsa spread, in small bowl blend together cream cheese, chili sauce, sour cream, green chiles and seasoned pepper, chill. In medium saucepan, bring water and seasoned salt to a boil. Add polenta in a slow stream, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, or until mixture pulls away from sides of pan. Stir in cilantro. Pour mixture into lightly greased 8x4x3 inch loaf pan. Let cool at least 30 minutes to set. Remove from pan. Cut loaf into very thin slices and sprinkle both sides with Parmesan cheese. Broil 3 inches from heat 5 minutes or until slightly golden brown. In large skillet, heat oil and fry slices, turning once, until brown and crisp. Place on paper towels to drain. Serve with creamy salsa spread. HINT: To prepare in advance, prepare recipe up to loaf stage, then refrigerate up to 2 weeks until ready to cook. Social Worker

LEAH'S POLENTA AND ITALIAN SAUCE
1 lg. can whole tomatoes
3 cans tomato sauce
1 can tomato paste
1 can sliced mushrooms
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 pkg. boneless chicken breasts
1 pkg. Italian sausage
1 c. water
1 tbsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. sugar
1 yellow onion, chopped
POLENTA:
16 c. water
4 tsp. salt
1 cube butter or margarine
4 c. polenta
1 pkg. Monterey Jack cheese or Teleme
cheese*
1 cube melted butter
2 garlic cloves, chopped
Parmesan cheese
Blend canned tomatoes in blender. In large pot add all ingredients. Cook on top of stove, real low, for 2 hours. You might want to add more salt and pepper, taste off and on while cooking. Brown sausage, sliced fairly thin. Add to cooking sauce. Cut up chicken breasts into bite-size pieces and brown. Add to sauce. You can get the Teleme cheese at Pimontes on Olive Avenue in Fresno. It makes the polenta taste much better than when using Monterey Jack. Pimontes also carries the polenta. Fill large pot with water, salt and butter; bring to a rolling boil. Gradually add polenta, stirring constantly with wire whip. This will thicken as it cooks. It will start popping; turn fire on low. Keep cooking while stirring for 1/2 hour. If it gets real thick, add a little bit more hot water. Put in oven with lid for 2-3 hours at 325 degrees. Twenty minutes before you are ready to eat, take polenta out of oven and layer in a large oven proof bowl. Start with polenta then alternate with 1 package grated cheese and melted cube butter with garlic cloves and Parmesan cheese. End with cheese on top. Put back in oven for 15 minutes. Serve with Italian sauce on top.

POLENTA CONCIA
POLENTA:--8 c. cold water
2 c. cornmeal
1 tsp. salt
Few grinds fresh pepper--SAUCE:--2 med. onions, chopped
5 tbsp. butter
3 lbs. Italian plum tomatoes, peeled,
seeded & chopped (drained, canned
tomatoes may be substituted)
Salt & pepper to taste
1 1/2 lbs. fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 anchovy fillets, mashed
1/4 c. chopped parsley
1 sm. clove garlic, mashed
1/2 lb. Fontina or Gruyere cheese,
cut into slivers
1 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped

POLENTA: Bring 5 cups water to a boil. Reduce to simmer. Mix the cornmeal with 3 cups cold water. Stirring constantly, add the cornmeal mixture to the boiling water. Stir until the mixture thickens, about 10 to 15 minutes. Reduce heat and cook for another 10 or 15 minutes, slowly stirring until a wooden spoon can stand up in the mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste while cooking. SAUCE: Saute the onions in 1 1/2 tablespoons of the butter until translucent. Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper and cook for about 10 minutes until sauce like texture. Saute the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons butter. Add them to the tomato mixture. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add the anchovies, parsley, garlic and saute 1 more minute. Remove from heat and add the basil. ASSEMBLY: Grease a 1 1/2 quart baking dish with the remaining butter. Add half the cornmeal to the dish. Cover with half the sauce and top with half the cheese. Repeat with the remaining cornmeal, sauce and cheese. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 25 minutes. The cheese should brown slightly. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before cutting into squares and serving. Serves 6.

POLENTA WITH TOMATO-ARTICHOKE TOPPING
POLENTA:SAUCE:
Bring 6 cups of water (or defatted chicken broth) to a boil in a large saucepan. Reduce heat to a simmer and slowly add polenta (yellow cornmeal), stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, about 3 minutes. It should be thick but of a spreadable consistency. If necessary, add a bit more water. Season with salt and pepper and (if desired, stir in 4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese). This has fat in it! With a rubber spatula, spread the polenta into a prepared baking dish. Bake about 20 minutes until slightly brown and bubbly. Let rest 10 minutes before cutting and serving, or can be reheated before serving. Heat pan with some Pam on bottom and cook 1 cup chopped onions with 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced, 1 tablespoon of dried basil and 1 teaspoon of dried oregano and 5 tablespoons of chopped Italian parsley (or parsley flakes) over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cut 2 pounds of ripe tomatoes in half and squeeze out seeds and juice. Cut halves into 1/2-inch chunks. (In wintertime, I use a large can of Italian style tomatoes and just discard juice and cut them up a little.) Add tomatoes to pan; season with salt and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain the marinade from 1 (6 ounce) jar of marinated artichoke hearts. Cut artichokes into quarters and add to the sauce. Simmer another 15 minutes or until sauce is thickened. Heat polenta in oven until hot; spoon hot tomato-artichoke sauce on each portion. Add some Parmesan cheese (again, there is fat in the cheese). If you use no Parmesan cheese and use defatted chicken broth in the polenta, there will be about 145 calories to a serving and no fat or cholesterol. Serves 10-12. You can also use this recipe and serve it with syrup or honey and it will also be no fat and no cholesterol. Good the next day too!

CHILI LOVERS POLENTA
POLENTA:
1 c. enriched corn meal
1 c. cold water
1 tsp. salt
3 c. boiling water
FILLING:
2 tbsp. butter
1/3 c. chopped onion
1/3 c. chopped celery
1/4 c. chopped green pepper
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 lb. ground meat
1 lb. dark red kidney beans, rinsed &
drained
1 lb. can tomatoes, chopped
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 c. grated mild cheddar cheese
Combine corn meal, cold water an salt. Stir into boiling water. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Cover and reduce heat. Cook 5 minutes. Pour polenta into a 13 x 9 inch baking dish that has been rinsed with cold water. Cool slightly; cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight. In large saucepan, saute onion, celery, green pepper and garlic in butter until tender about 5 minutes. In separate pan, fry ground meat until brown and crumbly; drain well. Add beef to sauteed veggies. Add remaining ingredients except cheese. Cover and simmer 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut polenta into 12 pieces and remove from dish. Pour 1/2 of sauce into bottom of dish in which polenta was made. Return polenta pieces to dish and cover with remaining sauce filling. Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle on the cheese. Return to oven and bake for about 3-4 minutes or until cheese melts.

POLENTA "SMALZADA" WITH CHEESE
1 1/2 l. water
1/2 k. med. maize flour
Grated cheese
1 tbsp. oil*
1 tbsp. butter*
1 tbsp. salt
*ALTERNATIVE RECIPE WITH EGGS:
Maise flour for the polenta
50 g. mild, soft cheese per person
2 eggs per person
10 g. butter
Bring the water to the boil. Add a tablespoon of oil and salt. Sprinkle in the polenta, whisking as you do so. When the mixture has thickened sufficiently, do not add any more flour or the polenta will be too stiff. Leave to stand for a few minutes. Check that the polenta is the correct consistency. The polenta should be cooked for 40 minutes, stirring constantly. Alternatively, it can be cooked without having to be stirred in a casserole with a tight-fitting lid (which retains the steam) for 50 minutes on a very low flame. Remove the polenta from the heat and turn it out onto a chopping board or a large serving dish. Serve with abundant grated cheese, melted butter (heated until dark brown) and "lucanica" sausages or cheese cooked until it turns stringy. Cooking time = 1 hour. *These measures may vary, depending on how much water the maize flour absorbs. Prepare the polenta following the recipe given above. Fry the eggs "sunny side up". Heat the butter in a pan and add the cheese cut into thin slices. As soon as the cheese melts, pour in onto the plate with the eggs and serve with the polenta. Preparation time = 5 minutes. Cooking time = 10 minutes. Cooking time for the polenta = 40 minutes.

BEEF IN RED WINE WITH POLENTA
1/3 c. butter or margarine
2 lbs. lean tender beef
1 lb. onions, sliced
Salt and pepper
1 c. condensed beef broth
Dry red wine
POLENTA:
1.5 c. polenta corn meal
6.25 c. water
Salt
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Heat butter in a saucepan and brown the meat in it. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon and put aside. Cook the onions in the pan until soft but not brown (they will become translucent). Add wine or water, if needed. Put the cooked onions in the bottom of a casserole dish and put the meat on top. Season with salt and pepper, then add the beef broth. Add just enough dry red table wine to cover the mixture. Cook until the fluid is significantly reduce and until the meat is cooked and tender, 45 minutes to an 1 hour. Serve the beef with onions and red wine over polenta on heated plates. Serves 4. Polenta is best cooked in a pan with a convex bottom. Copper or enamel works the best. Boil the salted water and add the coarse corn meal slowly, about 1/3 cup (a handful) at a time. Decrease the heat and stir constantly while scraping the bottom and sides. Cooking time will be about 30 to 45 minutes and your arms will become tired before you are finished. Once the polenta comes away easily from the sides of the pan and the spoon stands up in the polenta, it is finished. Loosen it from the pan with a spoon and serve it very hot. If the polenta is too thin or if you are going to serve it a little later, place it in a casserole dish. Add several tablespoons of butter to the top and bake in the oven until serving time. Serve with chicken or pheasant sauce or with beef and wine sauce.

GRILLED FILET MIGNON OR SIRLOIN STEAK WITH ROSEMARY SAUCE
6 each baby artichokes, blanched until
tender, quartered
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 sm. white onion, peeled and cut
into large dice
7 each kalamata olives, pits removed,
quartered
4 each red cherry tomatoes, quartered
4 each yellow cherry tomatoes,
quartered
1 tsp. fresh oregano, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper to
taste
POLENTA:
3 c. water
1 c. stone ground corn meal
1 tbsp. Parmesan cheese, grated
1 tbsp. olive oil
BEEF:
4 each filet mignon or sirloin steak
1/4 c. olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
ROSEMARY SAUCE:
1 oz. olive oil
8 oz. shank, trimmed of all fat
1 each onion
1 each carrot and tomato, chopped
3 sprigs, rosemary, stripped
2 sprigs thyme, stripped
3 each bay leaves
8 each garlic cloves, chopped
8 each peppercorns
2 c. white wine
1 qt. strong veal stock
2 sprigs rosemary stripped

FINAL ASSEMBLY:
Heat a small pan over medium heat. Add the oil and gently saute the onions until translucent. Add the cooked baby artichokes, olives, tomatoes, and oregano. Saute briefly until heated thoroughly. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside. Mix 1 cup of water with corn meal. Allow to stand 20 minutes. Combine the remainder of the water with the corn meal in a heavy bottomed pot. Stir with a wooden spoon for 20 minutes over low heat. Add the Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Spread evenly, 1/2 inch thick, in a baking dish. Allow to cool. The consistency should be dense and very firm with no lumps. Refrigerate. When cold cut into 3 inch squares. Set aside until final assembly. Brush the meat with oil and season both sides with salt and pepper. Grill the meat quickly for 2 to 3 minutes per side for rare to medium rare. Tie the rosemary, thyme bay leaves and peppercorns in cheesecloth sachet. Saute shank in olive oil until brown, add onion and carrot, continue browning. Add sachet and wine and reduce UNTIL ALMOST DRY. Add demiglace, reduce on a low flame. Add 2 more sprigs of chopped rosemary. Allow to steep 5 minutes. Strain. The sauce should be the weight of heavy maple syrup and have a deep, rich, flavor. The stewed meat and vegetables may be served with a little of the sauce for lunch or dinner another day. The sauce is now ready to be served over the beef. Just after grilling the beef, place the polenta squares on the grill and brown on both sides. Allow the beef to rest while reheating the vegetables.

CHICKEN WITH POLENTA
1/4 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. sake
Clove of garlic
1/4 c. rice vinegar
2 tbsp. honey
1 c. pitted prunes or raisins
4 chicken breasts, deboned
Polenta baked for 4 people
Put soy sauce, sake, garlic, rice vinegar, honey, prunes into large casserole dish. Lay chicken breasts in mixture. Bake in 350 degree oven for 1/2 hour to 45 minutes until done. At the same time, bake polenta for 4 people. When both are finished, place polenta on dish with chicken on top. Pour sauce and prunes on top. Serve with salad and Chardonnay.

POLENTA STEW
3 c. water, bring to boil
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. polenta, add slowly until
thickened
1/2 cube butter
1/2 lb. Jack cheese
SWISS STEAK:--16 oz. tomato paste
2 pkg. Lipton onion soup mix
1 lb. Swiss steak (round steak)
Lower heat. Add butter and cheese to thickened polenta. Add water to desired thickness; season to taste. Simmer at least 1 hour. Scoop polenta on top of Swiss steak and sauce and enjoy!

VEAL STEW WITH POLENTA
3 lbs. veal stew, cut in sm. pieces
1 lg. onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. lemon juice
2 c. water
1/2 c. oil
1/2 c. butter
1/4 c. chopped parsley
3 tbsp. tomato paste
Salt and pepper to taste
Dash of nutmeg
POLENTA:
4 c. yellow cornmeal
2 qts. water
3 tsp. salt
Place in large skillet oil, butter, onion, and parsley. Slowly cook these and simmer. Add veal; cover and cook over low flame for 1 hour. Add tomato paste, salt, pepper, garlic, and nutmeg; add water (2 cups) and cook 25 minutes longer. Serve hot stew and its gravy over sliced warm Polenta. Bring salted water to fast boil. Add cornmeal, stirring constantly. Cook 45 minutes, stirring occasionally with wooden spoon. Pour in large, flat platter. When cool, slice and serve with above stew and gravy.