Creamy Polenta With Gorgonzola Cheese Food

POLENTA WITH MUSHROOMS AND GORGONZOLA

Steps:

• Bring 4 cups water to a boil; whisk in 3/4 cup instant polenta. Cook over medium heat, whisking, until creamy, 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cook 8 ounces sliced mixed mushrooms in olive oil with 1 minced garlic clove and 1 teaspoon minced rosemary until tender, 6 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Serve over the polenta with crumbled gorgonzola and torn parsley.

VEGGIE BRUSCHETTA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, sweet peppers, onion wedges and garlic. Add oil, kosher salt and black pepper; toss to coat. Transfer tomato mixture to a foil-lined shallow roasting pan.
• Roast for 35 to 40 minutes or until vegetables are tender and slightly charred on the edges, stirring twice. Cool slightly on a wire rack.
• Transfer tomato mixture to a food processor. Cover and pulse with several on-off turns until tomato mixture is chopped but still slightly chunky. Stir in balsamic vinegar and thyme. Stir in basil just before serving.
• Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Slice a 16-ounce whole grain baguette crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 36 slices). Lightly coat bread slices with cooking spray. Place on a baking sheet. Bake for 4 to 6 minutes or until golden brown and crisp, turning once. Cool on a wire rack.
• Top each bread slice with 1 tablespoon of the vegetable mixture. Thinly shave 2 ounces Parmesan cheese. Place a piece or two of cheese atop veggie spread on each bread slice.

POLENTA GRATIN WITH GORGONZOLA CHEESE

Steps:

• For polenta: Butter 9 X 13 inch baking dish.
• Bring water, sage, olive oil and salt to boil in medium saucepan.
• Gradually add cornmeal in thin stream, stirring constantly.
• Reduce heat to low.
• Cook until cornmeal slowly falls off lifted spoon, stirring frequently, about 8 minutes.
• Immediately spread polenta in prepared dish; smooth top.
• Cool completely (can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate).
• For sauce: bring milk, bay leaves, cloves and allspice to boil in medium saucepan.
• Reduce heat to low.
• Simmer 10 minutes.
• Melt butter in another medium saucepan over moderate heat.
• Add flour.
• Whisk until smooth and bubbling (do not brown), about 2 minutes.
• Strain milk mixture into flour mixture, whisking until smooth; add gorgonzola and whisk into sauce until melted.
• Cook until thick, stirring frequently, about 7 minutes.
• Season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg (can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.).
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Butter 9 X 13 inch baking dish.
• Spread ½ cup of the sauce on the bottom.
• Cut polenta into 2 inch squares that are ¼ inch thick.
• Cut each square in half horizontally.
• Place squares in baking dish, overlapping edges slightly.
• Pour remaining sauce over.
• Sprinkle with grated Parmesan (can be prepared 1 hour ahead).
• Bake until polenta is heated through and top is golden-brown, about 50 minutes.
• Cool 10 minutes before serving.

CREAMY POLENTA WITH MUSHROOMS AND GORGONZOLA

Steps:

• For polenta, in 4-quart saucepan, heat broth, cream and 1/2 teaspoon salt just to boiling over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; very slowly beat in cornmeal with whisk. Continue to beat constantly 2 to 3 minutes or until mixture thickens. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook 20 minutes, stirring once after 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in 12-inch skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until onions brown on edges and soften. Add bell pepper; cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes or until pepper softens and begins to brown on edges. Add mushrooms; cook and stir 4 to 5 minutes or until mushrooms release juices, juices absorb and mushrooms brown. Stir in kale; cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes or until wilted. Add wine; stir constantly, scraping up browned bits, 1 to 2 minutes or until liquid is almost completely absorbed.
• Divide polenta among 4 plates. Top each plate with about 1 cup vegetable mixture; sprinkle with cheese.

CREAMY POLENTA WITH GORGONZOLA CHEESE

Steps:

• In a large pot, combine water, sea salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-high and slowly stir in the polenta until it is thick and smooth, about 5 minutes.
• Add the cream, Gorgonzola, salt and pepper to the polenta and stir until the cheese melts. Season with more salt and pepper to taste and serve.

CREAMY GORGONZOLA POLENTA

Steps:

• Boil stock. In a medium-sized saucepan, add the salt to the stock and bring to a boil.
• Add polenta. Gradually whisk in the polenta. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the mixture thickens and the cornmeal is tender, stirring often, about 20 minutes.
• Add remaining ingredients. Turn off the heat and add the half and half, cheese, and butter. Stir to blend and serve immediately!

EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA (PARMIGIANA DI MELANZANE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 220°C / 430°F (200°C fan).
• Line three trays: Line three large trays with baking / parchment paper.
• Brush eggplant with oil: Brush eggplant slices on each side with oil.
• Bake 35 minutes: Arrange eggplant in a single layer on the trays and bake for about 35 - 45 mins or until browning and tender, turning the eggplant halfway. I put the trays on the top shelf, in the middle, then I put one tray on the floor of the oven. As each tray finishes, I remove the tray and move the others up.
• Cool: Remove from oven, leave on trays to cool.
• Sauté onions and garlic: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté onions and garlic for 3 minutes until softened and just about to colour on the edges.
• Add remaining ingredients: Pour in the passata , canned tomatoes, water, oregano and sugar. Stir and bring to a simmer.
• Simmer 30 minutes: Simmer uncovered for about 30 - 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened, adding the basil stalks halfway through cooking (so they don't lose their flavour).
• The final consistency should be slightly thicker than a pasta sauce so it's spreadable and not leaching liquid, but not too pasty either. Add extra water a little at a time if required during cooking if it gets too thick. Remove the basil stalks and discard.
• Season: Stir in salt and pepper. (Remember, we get salt from the parmesan too, so no need to go overboard here)
• Reduce oven to 180°C / 350°F (160°C fan).
• Smear a little tomato sauce in the bottom of baking dish, 23 x 33cm / 9 x 13" (or thereabouts).
• Layer 1: Lay one third of the eggplant so it covers the base (some overlap is OK when layering eggplant). Spread 1/3 of the remaining sugo over eggplant. Drizzle with a little olive oil. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the parmesan, and 1/3 of basil leaves.
• Layer 2: Repeat another 1/3 each of eggplant, tomato sauce, olive oil, basil and parmesan.
• Layer 3 (top layer): Repeat again with remaining eggplant, tomato sauce and some olive oil. Do not put basil on top layer (we will garnish after baking). Scatter with remaining parmesan, then all the mozzarella.
• Bake for 25 mins until bubbling and golden.
• Rest: Let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes (easier to slice neatly). Scatter over remaining fresh basil leaves. Cut like lasagna and serve! (Optional: sprinkle with extra parmesan).

POLENTA WITH GORGONZOLA

Steps:

• Bring milk and whipping cream to boil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Gradually whisk polenta into milk mixture in slow steady stream. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook polenta until creamy and tender, stirring frequently, about 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Preheat broiler. Transfer cooked polenta to 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Sprinkle Gorgonzola cheese over polenta. Broil until cheese melts. Sprinkle with chopped toasted walnuts and serve immediately.
• *Polenta (coarse yellow cornmeal) is available at Italian markets, natural foods stores and some supermarkets. If unavailable, substitute 1 cup regular yellow cornmeal, and cook mixture for about 12 minutes rather than 20 minutes.

CREAMY POLENTA WITH GORGONZOLA CHEESE

Steps:

• Add the cream, Gorgonzola, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper to the freshly made polenta while it is still in the saucepan, and stir until the cheese melts. Season the polenta with more salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the polenta to a bowl and serve.

GOAT CHEESE POLENTA

Steps:

• Combine the grits, chicken broth and garlic in a large saucepan with a tight fitting lid.
• Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently.
• Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the goat cheese and sun dried tomatoes.
• Continue stirring until the cheese has melted and all ingredients are well mixed.
• Grease a 9X13 inch cooking pan and spoon the mixture into the dish and press with wet hands to spread evenly.
• Can be served room temperature or chilled.
• For entree size serving, cut into 6 pieces.
• For an appetizer, cut into smaller squares.

POLENTA WITH GORGONZOLA CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a heavy large saucepan. Add 1 3/4 teaspoons of salt. Gradually whisk in the cornmeal. Reduce the heat and simmer until the mixture thickens and the cornmeal is tender, stirring often, about 20 minutes. After 10 minutes, you can switch to a wooden spoon for easier stirring.
• Turn off the heat. Add the butter, cream and Gorgonzola and stir until the cheese melts. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer the polenta to a bowl and serve.
• Note: If you're making the polenta ahead of time, put it on a double boiler and cover it with plastic wrap to keep it warm.