Creamy Roasted Mushroom Fennel Polenta Food

CREAMY POLENTA WITH MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Bring water and salt to a boil. While whisking, slowly pour in polenta. Continue whisking for a minute to prevent any clumps from forming. Reduce heat to low and simmer for at least 30 minutes, stirring once every few minutes and scraping down the sides.
• Once the polenta is tender, stir in butter, cheese and more salt to taste (may not be necessary - taste before adding more salt).
• While the polenta is cooking, heat a skillet to medium-high. Add mushrooms and cook dry for a few minutes to release moisture. Some mushrooms have more moisture. If you're using shiitake mushrooms (like we did), you can skip this step and add the butter first.
• Once some of the moisture has evaporated, add butter and half of the wine. Let simmer. Add salt and continue cooking until the mushrooms start to get crispy. Add the remaining wine to deglaze the pan. Continue cooking until evaporated. Remove from heat and stir in fresh parsley and more salt and pepper to taste.
• Spoon polenta into a bowl and top with mushrooms, more herbs, cheese and pepper. Enjoy hot.

CREAMY ROASTED MUSHROOM FENNEL POLENTA

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, bring chicken broth to a boil.
• Slowly pour in polenta, whisking constantly to prevent clumping.
• Reduce heat to a simmer. Use a wooden spoon to stir almost constantly. Add more broth as needed if mixture becomes too dried out. Refer to polenta packaging for cook times.
• Once polenta is cooked and creamy, add cheese, butter, salt and pepper.
• Clean mushrooms with a small brush or damp paper towel - no not rinse off.
• Cut off stems from mushrooms. Slice mushrooms into 1/4 inch thick pieces.
• In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Cook shallot and fennel, until lightly browned, abut 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about another minute. Place in bowl and set aside.
• In same pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add about half the mushrooms to pan in a single layer. Season generously with salt and pepper. Saut? mushrooms until they begin to caramelize and crisp up, 3-5 minutes. Pour into bowl with fennel and set aside. Repeat with remaining mushrooms.
• Place mushrooms and fennel mixture back in pan and add wine to pan. Use wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits off bottom of pan. Once wine has mostly absorbed, add chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Add butter and whisk quickly to combine liquids.
• Move polenta to a serving dish. Spoon mushrooms evenly on top of polenta, then tears of fresh basil and grate fresh Pecorino Romano cheese on top. Serve immediately or place in oven to keep warm.

MUSHROOM POLENTA

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add 8 ounces sliced cremini mushrooms, season with salt and brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon each butter and fresh thyme and 1 minced shallot; cook 30 seconds. Meanwhile, simmer 3 cups mushroom broth and a pinch of salt in a saucepan. Whisk in 3/4 cup quick-cooking polenta; stir until thickened, 5 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan; season with salt and pepper. Top with the mushrooms, chopped parsley, more Parmesan and pepper.

ROASTED VEGGIES OVER CREAMY POLENTA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 475 degree's and line 15x10x1 pan with non-stick foil and/or spray with cooking spray.
• Toss veggies together (the garlic too), drizzle with olive oil and roast for 18 minutes, stirring once.
• While veggies are roasting, combine red wine vinegar and splenda, set aside.
• Pour milk into saucepan and set over medium heat, slowly add cornmeal and basil or rosemary, if using, and stir constantly. Heat for 5-7 minutes, until mixture thickens. This is a light & creamy polenta, so should not be dense or lumpy. Pour polenta into three serving bowls.
• Remove veggies from oven and pour red wine mixture over top, stirring to combine.
• Top polenta with veggies and grated parmesan cheese.

SAUSAGE AND FENNEL RAGOUT WITH CREAMY POLENTA

Steps:

• Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add in olive oil.
• Add in sausage, breaking it up with the back of a wooden spoon; cook until browned, 4-5 minutes.
• Add in the red onion, fennel, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper; cook, stirring frequently, for about 4 minutes or until the vegetables wilt and the onions become translucent.
• While the vegetables are cooking, start the polenta: In a saucepan, combine 2 ½ cups chicken broth and milk; season with salt and pepper.
• Place over med-high heat and bring to a simmer.
• Back to the vegetables: once the vegetables have wilted, add in the white wine and remaining 1 ½ cups chicken broth to the skillet; increase heat to high and bring up to a simmer.
• Cook about 4-5 minutes, to reduce liquids by half; stir in the chopped parsley.
• To the simmering chicken stock/milk, add in the polenta; whisk constantly until the cornmeal masses together.
• Add in the butter and grated cheese; stir to combine (if polenta becomes too thick, add more broth or milk).
• Serve polenta in a shallow bowl; top with a helping of sausage and fennel ragout; garnish with more Parmigiano-Reggiano.

MUSHROOM TOPPED STEAKS WITH CREAMY POLENTA

Steps:

• Melt butter in a pan, add mushrooms and garlic, cook until mushrooms soften and are browned slightly. Add wine, balsamic vinegar, sugar and beef stock, stir to combine and add pepper to taste.
• Meanwhile combine water, milk and chicken stock in a saucepan, bring to the boil, gradually stir in polenta. Reduce heat, stir until polenta thickens, add cheeses and stir to combine, stir in spinach. (I usually cook my steaks while making polenta and let them rest while I stir in the cheeses and spinach, but it will keep warm over a low heat stir occasionally to prevent bottom from burning.).
• Season steaks with salt and pepper. Heat a small amount of oil in a pan and cook steaks until desired doneness. Cooking times will vary depending on the thickness of the steaks.
• To Serve: Place a few spoonfuls of polenta on a plate top with steak and mound steak with mushrooms, drizzled with balsamic sauce.