Grilled Jalapeno Polenta With Sweet And Sour Chutney Food

GRILLED POLENTA

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, over medium-high heat, bring the water and the salt to just a boil. Reduce the heat, slowly whisk in the polenta and season with pepper. Continue to whisk until the mixture starts to tighten up, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the fresh chopped herbs, 2 tablespoons of the butter and the Parmesan. Continue to stir until well combined and very thick, taste for seasoning adjustment.
• Liberally butter a 10-inch springform pan on the bottom and about 2-inches up the side. Pour in the hot polenta and with a rubber spatula, rubbed with butter, smooth out the top. Set aside to cool to room temperature, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours to set. (This can also be done up to 1 day ahead.)
• Preheat a grill to medium.
• When ready to grill, or pan fry, remove the polenta from the pan and cut it into equal pie shapes or cut circles with a biscuit cutter. Lightly oil a grill, brush each side of the polenta with olive oil and grill or pan sear until golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side. Arrange the polenta on a serving platter and serve hot.

GRILLED JALAPENOS

Steps:

• Wash peppers. Cut a slit along one side of each pepper. Remove seeds; rinse and dry peppers. , In a skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stuff peppers with sausage and wrap with bacon; secure with soaked toothpicks., Grill peppers, uncovered, turning frequently, over medium heat until tender and bacon is crisp, about 15 minutes.

SWEET POLENTA CROSTINI WITH MASCARPONE, RASPBERRIES, PISTACHIOS, AND LAVENDAR HONEY

Steps:

• Prepare the polenta: Line an 8 by 4-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap and set aside.
• Bring the water to a rolling boil in a large pot. Add the salt, then gradually sprinkle in the cornmeal, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Keep stirring after the last of the cornmeal has been added: the mixture will begin to thicken quite quickly. Reduce the heat to medium and cook the polenta for about 30 to 40 minutes, stirring frequently. Spoon a little of the polenta onto a plate and taste it: when it is no longer crunchy and granular, it's done.
• Scrape the polenta into the loaf pan, flattening the top and pressing the mass into a rough rectangle, ending halfway to two-thirds down the length of the pan. This sounds a little confusing, but you should now have a 2-inch-thick rectangle of polenta pressed into the loaf pan. It will be very stiff and have no trouble staying put. Cool the polenta to room temperature, then press a piece of plastic wrap onto the surface and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours, or up to 3 days.
• No more that 2 or 3 hours before you plan to serve the dessert, remove the loaf pan from the refrigerator and unmold the polenta. With a long, thin-bladed knife, slice the loaf into 1/4-inch thick slices and cut each of these in half. You should end up with about 24 (2-inch) squares, 1/4-inch thick.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of butter and 1/2 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large frying pan (non-stick is fine) over medium heat. When the foam subsides, add half of the polenta slices and fry about 4 minutes, turning once, until golden and crisp on both sides. Carefully transfer the slices to a platter lined with paper towels and sprinkle the slices with half of the sugar. Repeat with the remaining butter, oil, polenta, and sugar. Cool the sugared polenta slices to room temperature.
• To assemble the crostini, spoon the mascarpone into a piping bag fitted with a medium star tip (about 1/2-inch or so). Pipe a generous amount of mascarpone on each polenta square and arrange two or three raspberries on the cheese. Press some pistachio pieces around the berries into the cheese and drizzle the crostini with a little of the honey (a honey dripper or even a teaspoon dipped into the jar then waved over the squares works really well, don't even bother measuring the honey!). The finished crostini should be eaten as soon as possible, but can be kept covered at room temperature for a few hours.

SPICY POLENTA CAKES

Steps:

• Combine the milk, salt and 2 cups water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat and slowly whisk in the polenta. Cook, whisking constantly, until the polenta tightens and there are no lumps, about 4 minutes. Stir in the queso blanco, butter, cilantro, pepper and jalapeno. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
• Generously butter a 9-by-9-inch baking pan. Pour the polenta into the pan and set aside to cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours, until firm.
• Preheat a griddle pan over medium heat. Invert the polenta onto a clean cutting board and slice it into nine 3-inch squares. Brush the squares on both sides with the olive oil, then griddle them until golden brown and warmed through, about 3 minutes per side. While warm, drizzle the polenta cakes with the honey and squeeze lime juice over the top. Serve.

LAMB CHOPS WITH POLENTA AND GRILLED SCALLION SAUCE

Steps:

• Season lamb chops with 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Prepare a grill or grill pan for medium-high heat. Brush polenta slices lightly with oil on both sides.
• Working in batches if needed, grill scallions, jalapeño, lamb chops, and polenta slices until lightly charred and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of lamb registers 125°F for medium-rare, 2-3 minutes per side. The scallions may take a couple minutes longer; you want them to be nice and tender before you remove them from the grill.
• Finely chop scallions and jalapeño. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add basil, lemon juice, 1/2 cup oil, and 1/2 tsp. salt and whisk to combine. Transfer 1/4 cup scallion sauce to a large bowl and whisk in yogurt and remaining 1/8 tsp. salt. Add lettuce and cherries and gently toss with your hands until thoroughly coated.
• Divide salad among plates. Arrange lamb and polenta alongside, then top both with remaining scallion sauce.
• Do Ahead
• Scallion sauce can be made 2 days ahead. Transfer to an airtight container and chill.

SWEET POTATOES WITH CRANBERRY CHUTNEY

Steps:

• Slowly melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add red onion and red and green peppers. Sauté for 1 minute. Add vinegar, brown sugar, currants, raisins and cranberries. Cook over medium heat for 20 minutes. Add jalapeño, allspice and ginger. Cook, stirring occasionally, for another 10 minutes.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. (Use 1 large sweet potato to serve 2 as a side dish, or 1 smaller sweet potato per person.) Wash and dry each sweet potato, then rub with 1 teaspoon of canola oil and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon each of sea salt and cracked pepper.
• Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until soft in the center. While sweet potato is hot, cut in half and top with 1 tablespoon fresh sour cream and 1 tablespoon chutney. Serve immediately.

JALAPENO CHUTNEY (FAMOUS DAVE'S SWEET SOUL JALAPENO COPYCAT)

Steps:

• Saute the jalepeno in a small amout of oil until translucent, add garlic and saute 2 minutes more.
• Dump in the remaining ingredients except pineapple juice.
• Stir to combine.
• Add some of the pineapple juice to get the consistency you want.
• Simmer 15 min to combine flavors.
• Cool and refrigerate.

WHITE CHEDDAR AND JALAPENO POLENTA

Steps:

• Bring stock to boil in large pot over high heat.
• Whisk in polenta in a steady stream and decrease heat to medium.
• Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, constantly until mixture begins to thicken, approximately 10 minutes or till thickened.
• Add cheese and peppers. Cook 2 minutes.
• Stir in butter and salt and pepper to taste.
• Remove from heat and adjust consistency by thinning with more stock if needed.