What to do with polenta?

Question

I bought some polenta and haven't cooked it yet,and I've never had this stuff before,does anyone have any recipes or reccomendations on what I should eat with it?

Answer 1

MY FAV! CREAMY POLENTA

8 cups water, divided
1 t. salt
2 cups polenta or cornmeal
3 T. nutritional yeast
2 T. Spectrum Spread non-hydrogenated margarine


In a large saucepan, place the water and bring to a boil. Add the salt and reduce the heat to medium. In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining water and polenta. Slowly add the polenta mixture while whisking constantly to avoid lumps, and continue to cook while whisking for 2-3 minutes or until the mixture starts to thicken. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally with a spoon, for 30-40 minutes or until very thick and smooth. Add the nutritional yeast and Spectrum Spread and stir well to combine. Taste and add additional salt, if needed. Transfer to a large platter or bowl for service. Serve the polenta with your favorite sauce or cooked vegetables.

Variation: Add your choice of chopped herbs to the polenta for extra flavor.

Serves 6-8

Answer 2

You can make it different ways. I prefer it baked or fried myself. I make it Italian style. Its alot like grits, so if you have had those you may have some idea.

1 3/4 cups water
2 cups vegetable broth
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups instant polenta
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan plus additional for sprinkling the mushrooms
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 pound assorted fresh exotic mushrooms such as porcini, chanterelles, shiitake and portobello, trimmed and sliced
1/4 pound fresh white mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
1/4 cup Madeira
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves plus 4 thyme sprigs for garnish
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

Directions

In a large heavy saucepan combine the water and the broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Add the salt and polenta in a stream, whisking, and simmer the mixture, stirring, for 4 to 5 minutes or until it is thick. (The polenta will splatter.) Stir in 3/4 cup of the Parmesan. Working quickly, spread the polenta evenly in a lightly oiled shallow gratin or lasagna pan and let cool completely. Cover and chill the polenta for 30 minutes or until very firm and then invert onto a cutting board and cut into 8 squares. The polenta may be made up to this point a day ahead and kept covered and chilled.

In a large skillet cook the onion and the garlic in 3 tablespoons of the oil over moderately low heat until softened. Add the exotic and white mushrooms and cook over moderate heat, stirring until almost all the liquid the mushrooms give off has evaporated. Add the Madeira and simmer the mixture until most of the Madeira is evaporated. Stir in the thyme and salt and pepper to taste and keep the mixture warm.

In a large nonstick pan heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over moderately high heat. Add the polenta squares and sauté them until they are heated through and nicely browned on both sides. Arrange two polenta squares decoratively on each of 4 plates and divide the mushroom mixture among the plates. Sprinkle each serving with some of the additional Parmesan and garnish each plate with a thyme sprig.

Serves 4

Answer 3

Bring 3 cups water to boil. Stir in 1 cup dry polenta (I call it GRITS!). Add 3/4 teaspoon salt (more or less to taste).

Boil, covered for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for several hours.

Fry in a nice amount of butter (oil if you're vegan). Great just as it is, but I eat it smothered in vegetarian green chili. YUM!

Answer 4

You could grill it on a barbecue with some yummy vegetables... I've been craving polenta that way for so long!

Answer 5

Did you buy the tube? If so, you can slice it into rounds and then fry and top with a red sauce and some cheese. If it's not already cooked, you can make it more creamy or less creamy. It goes great with mushrooms. It's very yummy!

Answer 6

You mean like the stuff in a tube? Then just slice it up and fry it up. I love it, I could eat those slices like potato chips. I think they're pretty good with any entree.

Answer 7

cook your polenta as per the cooking instructions that it comes with and just treat it like mash potatoes. what would you eat with mash?
steaks
chicken
bbq sausages!

Answer 8

Delish....slice it and panfry it with red onions--it reminds me of homefries.

Answer 9

i sometimes cook it with parmasean cheese

Answer 10

I'd tell you, but children sometimes read these posts!