Polenta is corn meal. It melts in your mouth, and like pasta, it can be seasoned in a variety of ways. When cooked with water and let to settle, it takes on the shape of any dish. In this recipe, I used a precooked, organic polenta (found at any grocery). It comes in a tube, and is very easy to slice. This is a great side dish for any occasion. Serve it with a salad, and it makes for a filling meal, as well.
The sauce in this recipe, is a quick, portabella sauce. Feel free to use your own favorite sauce as a substitution.
Ingredients
1 tube precooked polenta, sliced into 1/2 inch slices.
1 large can tomato puree
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 large portabella mushroom caps, coarsely chopped
1 T. garlic, minced
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tube goat cheese
1 T. olive oil
1 tsp. butter
Salt & pepper, to taste
Basil, garnish
Saute onions, garlic, and Italian seasoning in olive oil, until onions sweat and herb mixture become aromatic. Add the portabella mushrooms, season with salt & pepper, and saute until mushrooms are tender. Pour tomato puree into the pot, add the butter (season with more salt & pepper, if desired), and simmer on low for ten minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and slice polenta roll into ten, 1/2 inch pieces. Ladle a little of mushroom sauce onto the bottom of a baking dish, to prevent sticking. Place polenta rounds in dish and season with salt & pepper. Bake for ten minutes. Ladle the rest of the mushroom sauce over polenta and bake for another ten minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle with fresh goat cheese, and garnish with basil. Yields 3-5 servings.
Photography by, Natryl1
