Polenta Baked With Tomatoes Corn And Basil Food

FRIED POLENTA WITH TOMATO BASIL SAUCE

Steps:

• Butter a 12 by 14-inch baking dish and set aside.
• In a large pot, bring the stock and milk to a boil. While whisking, slowly add the cornmeal and continue to whisk until thick, about 15 minutes. Stir in the red peppers and the blue cheese, if using. Pour the mixture into the baking dish and cool completely in refrigerator. When the polenta has cooled, cut into squares. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a saute pan. Place the polenta squares in the pan and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side. In another saute pan, heat the remaining olive oil and add tomatoes and garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in the wine and butter and reduce until sauce has thickened and then add the basil and thyme. Transfer the polenta to a platter and pour the tomato sauce over the squares.

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.

BAKED POLENTA WITH TOMATO SAUCE AND RICOTTA

Steps:

• To prepare the tomato sauce:
• Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the tomatoes, yellow onion, and garlic in a baking pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until the garlic is soft and the skin is peeling away from the tomatoes. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature. Remove the skin from the tomatoes and put in a saucepan. Squeeze the garlic out of the bulb and into the tomatoes. Remove the skin from the onion. Coarsely chop the onion and add to the tomatoes.
• Add the olive oil to the tomatoes and puree with a handheld immersion blender until smooth. You may need to add up to 1/3 cup water if there is not enough liquid. Season with salt. Warm the tomato sauce just prior to use.
• To prepare the polenta:
• Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a medium saucepan, bring 3 cups of water to a simmer and stream in the polenta. Whisk together until there are no lumps. Cover with a lid and continue to cook over low heat for 20 minutes, stirring every 3 minutes. Be careful when you go to stir the polenta-it tends to spit out pieces of the cornmeal, which is very hot. Remove the polenta from the heat and stir in the olive oil and basil. Drop in teaspoon-size pieces of the ricotta cheese. Pour the polenta into an 8-inch square baking pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and let sit for 1 hour or until the polenta has firmed up. Bake the polenta in the oven for 15 minutes or until heated through. Cut the polenta into 8 equal pieces.
• To serve:
• Place 1/2 cup warm tomato sauce in 4 shallow bowls and top with two pieces of the polenta. Sprinkle with the chopped basil.

SKILLET POLENTA WITH TOMATOES AND GORGONZOLA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F. Brush 12-inch-diameter ovenproof skillet with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
• Combine 4 cups water, yellow cornmeal, and salt in heavy large saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until polenta is very thick and pulls away from sides of pan, whisking constantly, about 3 minutes. Whisk in remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/4 cup basil. Transfer polenta to prepared skillet; flatten polenta to even thickness.
• Sprinkle polenta with tomatoes and garlic. Sprinkle evenly with Gorgonzola, mozzarella, and remaining 1/4 cup basil. Bake until cheese is melted and bubbling, about 16 minutes. Cut polenta into wedges and serve from skillet.

POLENTA WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATOES, GARLIC, CORN AND ONIONS

Steps:

• In a heavy saucepan, bring the stock to a boil over high heat.
• Meanwhile, in a small nonstick sauté pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and sage and cook, stirring, until the garlic softens, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape the contents of the sauté pan into the boiling stock.
• Add the corn kernels and sun-dried tomatoes and reduce the heat to medium, so that the liquid just simmers.
• Handful by handful, add the cornmeal to the water in a steady rain, whisking constantly, until fully incorporated with no lumps. Cook, whisking constantly, until thick and bubbly, about 5 to 7 minutes.
• Remove from the heat.
• Coat a 5 x 9-inch (12.5 x 23-cm) loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Pour the polenta into the pan, smooth the surface, and spray it lightly with the vegetable oil spray.
• Cover with plastic wrap and let cool.
• Caramelized onions:.
• In a nonstick sauté pan, heat the oil over high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring constantly, until deep golden brown, caramelized and soft, about 15 minutes. Adjust the heat if needed so the onions don't burn.
• Stir in the maple syrup or brown sugar, vinegar, basil, and vegetable stock and reduce the heat. Keep warm at the back of the stove until ready to use.
• Tomato Concasse:.
• In a sauté pan, heat the oil over high heat. Add the garlic and cook for a few seconds.
• Quickly stir in the tomatoes. Cook, stirring, just until the tomatoes are heated through. Add the salt, pepper, and basil.
• Cover and keep warm until ready to use.
• To Assemble:.
• Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Heat a charcoal or gas grill to medium. Lightly coat a baking sheet and the grill with nonstick cooking spray.
• Invert the polenta onto a work surface and cut into 8 triangles or squares.
• Grill the polenta on both sides only until well marked, about 2 to 3 minutes on each side.
• Transfer to the prepared baking sheet in a single layer and bake for 4 to 5 minutes in the oven, until heated through.
• Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the feta cheese, if desired.
• To serve, ladle the tomato concasse in the centre of each warmed plate. Place 2 squares of polenta on the tomato concasse and top with the caramelized onions, and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve immediately.

TOMATO-BASIL SAUCE WITH POLENTA

Steps:

• Arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 425°. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and brush with 1 Tbsp. oil. Arrange polenta rounds on oiled sheet.
• Very coarsely chop (do not purée) half the tomatoes in a food processor. Cut remaining tomatoes in half (quarter if large). Combine tomatoes in a bowl with 4 tablespoons oil and remaining ingredients. Toss to coat.
• Stack three 24x12" sheets of parchment paper on another baking sheet. (Don't use foil-the tomato acid will react with aluminum.) Spoon tomato mixture onto one side of stacked parchment. Fold parchment layers over mixture and crimp edges tightly to form a sealed packet.
• Place baking sheet with tomato packet on upper rack and sheet with polenta on lower rack. Bake, turning polenta rounds once, until polenta is light golden and tomatoes are saucy (carefully open packet to check; steam will escape), 25-30 minutes. (You can also cook polenta in a grill pan or on a charcoal or gas grill.)
• Spoon tomato sauce over polenta.