Garlic Tomato Polenta Cakes Food

HARD POLENTA CAKES

Steps:

• In a saucepan combine the milk, water, bay and cayenne. Bring the mixture to a boil over low heat and season generously with salt. Take the seasoning to the edge of too salty. To do this you MUST taste as you go. Polenta acts as a salt eraser, if you don't season abundantly here you will never recover from it.
• Once the liquid is at a boil and is seasoned appropriately, sprinkle in the polenta whisking constantly. Once the polenta is combined switch over to a wooden spoon and stir frequently until the polenta has become thick. Taste the polenta to see if it has cooked through. If it still feels mealy and grainy, add some more milk or water and cook it to a thick consistency. Repeat this process, as needed, until the polenta feels smooth on your tongue, about 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and stir in the chopped sage and mascarpone.
• Line a 7 by 7-inch square pan with plastic wrap. Pour the polenta into the prepared pan. Cover the top with more plastic smoothed onto the surface of the polenta. Chill in the refrigerator until needed. (All of this can totally be done ahead of time, like yesterday! Cool!)
• When ready to use, remove the polenta from the pan and cut into desired shapes. Coat a nonstick saute pan with olive oil and bring to medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot and starting to smoke just a little, add the polenta shapes. Cook the polenta on both sides and finish by sprinkling with a little bit grated Parmigiano. Transfer to a serving platter and serve while hot.
• What a corncake!!!!

POLENTA WITH ROASTED TOMATOES

Steps:

• Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 450. Toss the tomatoes, olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large ovenproof skillet. Roast in the oven until the tomatoes are charred around the edges, about 25 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 but keep the tomatoes inside.
• Meanwhile, bring 5 cups water to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Slowly whisk in the polenta until smooth and creamy. Add 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat, cover and keep warm.
• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Slice the chard leaves into wide strips and the stems into 1-inch pieces. Boil the stems until almost tender, about 5 minutes, then add the leaves and cook until both are tender, about 3 more minutes. Drain the chard.
• Remove the skillet from the oven and place over medium-high heat. Push the tomatoes to one side, add the butter and swirl until the butter is golden brown. Add the chard and toss to coat. Divide the polenta among 4 bowls. Top with the tomatoes and chard. Season the cheese with salt and sprinkle over the top.

HERB AND TOMATO POLENTA

Steps:

• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and tomatoes. Cook the tomatoes, stirring occasionally, until they start to blister and release some of their juices, 8 to 10 minutes. Toss in the garlic and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook another 1 minute, then remove from the heat.
• In a saucepan over low heat, stir the Parmesan and butter into the Cooked Polenta, thinning with milk as desired. Turn off the heat, stir in the lemon zest, taste for seasoning and add salt if necessary.
• Transfer the polenta to a serving bowl. Use a spoon to create a shallow well and top with the tomatoes, torn basil, some black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.
• Bring 6 cups of water to a rolling boil in a heavy-bottomed 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting, add the baking soda and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and pour the cornmeal into the water in a very slow stream from a measuring cup, all the while whisking in a circular motion to prevent lumps.
• Cook, vigorously stirring the polenta with a wooden spoon for about 10 seconds once every 5 minutes and making sure to scrape clean the bottom and corners of the pot, until the polenta has lost its raw cornmeal taste and becomes soft and smooth, about 30 minutes. If the polenta looks like it's drying out too quickly, continue cooking with the lid on. Cooked Polenta recipe courtesy of Jeff Mauro.

BAKED POLENTA WITH FRESH TOMATOES AND PARMESAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Grease an 8x8 inch baking dish.
• Place the water, milk, and butter in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the polenta and stir with a wooden spoon until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup Parmesan cheese and 2 chopped basil leaves; season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the polenta to the prepared baking dish and arrange the remaining chilled pieces of butter over the top.
• Bake the polenta in the preheated oven until bubbly and beginning to brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven.
• Decoratively arrange the slices of tomato over the top of the polenta, spread the remaining basil leaves over the tomatoes, and sprinkle with 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.
• Return to the oven and bake until the tomatoes are warm and the Parmesan cheese is bubbly, 5 to 10 minutes.

HARD POLENTA CAKES WITH TALEGGIO AND CHERRY TOMATOES

Steps:

• Combine the milk, 1/2 cup water, the cayenne and bay leaf in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and season generously with salt. You want to take the seasoning to the edge of too salty in this case; to do this you MUST taste as you go! Polenta acts like a "salt eraser"; if you don't salt abundantly in this early step, you'll never recover.
• When the liquid comes to a boil, gradually sprinkle in the polenta, whisking constantly. Once the polenta is combined, IMMEDIATELY switch over to a wooden spoon and stir frequently until the polenta thickens, 30 to 35 minutes. Taste the polenta to see if it's cooked through. If it still feels mealy and grainy, add some more milk or water and continue to cook for another 10 minutes. Repeat this process as needed until the polenta feels smooth on your tongue. Remove the bay leaf and stir in the mascarpone and Parmigiano-Reggiano, then remove from the heat.
• Line a 7-inch square baking pan with plastic wrap. Pour the polenta into the pan and cover with plastic, pressing down so the plastic sits on the surface of the polenta. Chill until set, at least 45 minutes. (All of this can totally be done ahead of time, like yesterday!)
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Cut the cooled polenta into 1-inch squares. Place the squares on a baking sheet and top each with a piece of taleggio. Put the cherry tomatoes on a separate baking sheet and toss them with olive oil. Bake both the polenta squares and the tomatoes for 10 minutes. The tomatoes should be hot, starting to relax and getting a little squishy, and the taleggio should be nicely melted. Place the polenta cakes on a serving dish, top each square with a tomato half, and garnish each with a little sprinkey-dink of coarse sea salt and chives.

POLENTA CAKES

Steps:

• Bring water or broth to a boil and add cornmeal and salt. Reduce heat to low and stir for 5 mintues. Add 1/4 cup of cheese and stir until melted and well combined. Remove from heat, cover, and allow to cool for 30 minutes.
• Cut a piece of parchment paper to line a 9x13" baking pan, allowing for enough parchment paper to come up over the edge to make it easy to lift polenta cake once cooled. Refrigerate for at least two hours, or overnight.
• Gently remove polenta from baking pan and place on a cutting board. Cut into desired shapes using a sharp knife or bisucuit cutter.
• Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a non-stick saute pan. Working in batchs of 3-4 at a time, saute each cake for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown.
• Remove from pan using a slotted spatula and plate on a serving dish or single plate. Top with remaining cheese, rosemary, salt and papper.

POLENTA CAKES WITH MUSHROOM RAGU

Steps:

• Gather your ingredients.
• Heat the 4 cups of vegetable broth in a saucepan on high heat until boiling. Add the polenta, lower heat to medium, and cook, whisking occasionally until it is tender, about 5 minutes.
• Whisk in the cream, parmesan cheese and butter and continue cooking until the butter is melted. Take off the heat and allow to cool for a minute.
• Grease a small sheet pan with cooking spray and pour the polenta into the pan. Smooth the polenta with a silicone spatula so it sits evenly in the pan. Allow to cool and then cover with cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.
• Remove the polenta from the refrigerator and cut into 8 equal-sized squares or rounds. Use a biscuit cutter if cutting into rounds. Lightly dust both sides of each cake with flour.
• Preheat oven to 200 F. Heat a cast iron skillet on high heat and add half of the olive oil. When the oil is warm, place 3-5 of the polenta cakes in the pan and cook each side until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pan and place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Add the rest of the oil and repeat with the remaining cakes. Place the cooked cakes in the oven to keep them warm while you prepare the ragu. Alternatively, you can prepare the ragu ahead of time and heat it when you are ready to serve.
• Gather your ingredients.
• Add the mushrooms, olive oil, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a cast iron skillet and cook until the mushrooms are golden brown, about 5-7 minutes.
• Add the shallots, carrots, garlic, thyme, and ground black pepper to the mushrooms and saute for another 2 minutes.
• Add in the tomato paste and stir to combine.
• Add in the vegetable broth, wine, and balsamic vinegar. Stir to combine and simmer on low heat for 8-10 minutes.
• Gather your ingredients.
• Add all of the ingredients to your food processor and blend until smooth and whipped in appearance, about 1 minute.
• To serve, arrange polenta cakes on each plate. Spoon the ragu over the cakes and top with the herbed ricotta. Sprinkle with more chopped basil if you wish.

GARLIC TOMATO POLENTA CAKES

Steps:

• Sprinkle the tomato slices with salt and place between a layer of paper towels to extract excess moisture.
• In a saucepan, sauté the garlic in the butter, until soft.
• Add water, bring to a boil and slowly pour in dry polenta, a dash of salt, and cook, stirring often with a wooden spoon.
• After about 15 minutes, when it's nice and thick, pour the polenta onto a pan lined with parchment paper.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Spread evenly, arrange tomatoes on top, brush lightly with olive oil and season with cracked black pepper.
• Place in the oven for 10 minutes to intensify the tomato flavor.
• Remove to cool until lukewarm.
• Cut out round discs (using the top of a glass) or squares (with a knife), just larger than the food you are topping the polenta with.
• Can be served warm or cold (I prefer warm).

POLENTA CAKES WITH MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Over a medium-high heat in a large saucepan that allows for stirring, heat milk, cornmeal and 2 cups water. Give it an initial stir to blend ingredients, then let cook until it thickens up a bit, about 5 minutes. At this point, stir continuously so that contents thicken up without sticking to saucepan, about 10 minutes. Add the mascarpone and Parmesan. Cook, stirring, until polenta is thick enough to pour out, another 5 minutes. Pour into individual muffin pans or one big pan. Let cool at room temperature for approximately 10 minutes. Refrigerate the polenta for later use.
• When you're ready to serve the polenta: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Top the polenta cake with the Sauteed Mushrooms and shredded mozzarella, if using, and bake 5 to 8 minutes. Enjoy!
• Over a medium-high heat, heat oil in a medium frying pan. Add garlic and let brown, approximately 1 minute. Throw in mushrooms and allow to brown and cook down, stirring, approximately 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce, salt and pepper. Lower heat to low and let simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

BAKED FETA AND TOMATO POLENTA (MAKE AHEAD CASSEROLE)

Steps:

• For filling, heat oil in a medium-size skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and onion and saute until soft and golden, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, season with pepper, and cook until the juices thicken and are almost evaporated, about 10 minutes. Stir in the basil, and remove from heat.
• For polenta, preheat the oven to 400 degrees (if making right away). Grease a 2-to 2 1/2 quart shallow baking dish.
• Bring vegetable broth to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Place the cornmeal in a large bowl and whisk in the cold water. (For lump-free polenta) Continue to whisk while pouring it into the boiling broth. Bring to a boil, whisking almost constantly. Once the polenta begins to boil, reduce heat to medium. Whisk polenta continuously until it begins to tear away from the sides of the pan, about 5 minutes. Whisk in salt, 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese, and mozzarella cheese.
• Immediately pour half of polenta into baking dish. Quickly spread on the tomato mixture. Crumble the feta evenly over the tomato mixture. Immediately spoon on the remaining polenta, covering entire surface. Sprinkle the top with 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese. Dot with butter bits.
• Let the polenta rest at least 15 minutes, or up to 24 hours. If longer than one hour, cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before baking. Bake 25 minutes, or until hot and bubbly and golden on top. Let polenta sit 10 minutes or so before serving.

CHEESY BAKED POLENTA IN TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Cut out a piece of parchment paper about 16-by-12 inches/40-by-30 centimeters in size and lay onto a clean work surface.
• Prepare the polenta: Add the milk, garlic, 1 1/2 tablespoons oil, 1 teaspoon salt and a good grind of pepper to a medium saucepan. Bring to a bare simmer, stirring occasionally, over medium-high heat. Turn the heat to medium-low and slowly pour in the polenta, whisking continuously, until completely incorporated and there are no lumps. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring all the while with a spatula. When cooked, the mixture should pull away from the sides of the pan and be quite thick.
• Add the Parmesan, stirring for another 30 seconds to melt. Remove from the heat and transfer the mixture to the parchment paper. Use your hands to quickly shape the polenta into a large cylindrical shape, about 13-inches/32-centimeters long. Use the parchment paper to help you tighten the cylinder and then gently roll the whole thing in the paper, tightening as you go, then twisting in opposite directions at both ends. Refrigerate to set for about 1 hour, or longer if time allows.
• Meanwhile, make the sauce: Add the olive oil to a large, ovenproof cast-iron pan that is roughly 11-inches/28-centimeters wide, and heat over medium-high. Once hot, add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 minutes, or until softened and lightly colored.
• Stir in the garlic, red-pepper flakes and oregano, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and their juices, sugar, a scant 1/2 cup/100 milliliters water, 3/4 teaspoon salt and a good grind of pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium-high. Turn the heat down to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes or until the sauce has thickened slightly. Set aside until needed.
• Heat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit/230 degrees Celsius.
• Gently unwrap the chilled polenta and transfer to a cutting board. Trim about 1 inch/2 to 3 centimeters off the ends and then cut the polenta into 24 (1-centimeter-thick) slices.
• Top the tomato sauce evenly with the sliced fontina, then fan out the polenta slices, overlapping slightly, so that they're spiraled to cover the top, leaving a 1-centimeter gap from the edge of the pan. Drizzle the polenta with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until polenta is golden in places and the sauce is bubbling. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes to settle.
• While the polenta cools, in a small bowl combine all the topping ingredients. Sprinkle a handful of the topping over the polenta and serve the remaining in a bowl alongside. Serve warm.