Polenta Baked With Tomatoes Corn And Basil Food

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.

CHARRED CORN POLENTA WITH GRILLED TOMATO VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Grilled Tomato Vinaigrette: Preheat the grill. Toss the tomatoes with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Grill the tomatoes, until the skins are blackened. Remove and chop coarsely. Place the tomatoes in a blender and add the garlic, onion, balsamic vinegar and basil and blend until smooth. Slowly add the olive oil until emulsified and season with salt and pepper to taste. Reserve.
• Polenta: Butter a large shallow baking dish generously with butter, set aside. Place the chicken stock in large saucepan and bring to a boil. Slowly add the polenta, whisking constantly with a wire whisk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until thickened and smooth. Fold in the corn, Parmesan cheese and parsley and pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Preheat the grill. Cut the chilled polenta into 2-inch circles, brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill on both sides until golden brown. Drizzle with vinaigrette.

BAKED POLENTA WITH A TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350°F or 180°C.
• Pour 3 cups of cold water into a saucepan and turn the heat up to high.
• Add 1 cup polenta/ cornmeal gradually, stirring until it is all mixed in.
• Stir in the paprika and nutmeg.
• Heat until boiling, then simmer for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. NB: The polenta may spit if not stirred so be careful!
• When the polenta has thickened at the end of the 2 minutes, remove from the heat. Line a loaf pan with cling film/ saran wrap and pour the polenta in
• Allow to cool, then refrigerate for 2 hours until solid.
• Heat the olive oil in a non-stick skillet and cook the onion and garlic, stirring, for 3 minutes until soft.
• Add the chopped tomatoes and fresh basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste then simmer for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, turn the polenta onto a chopping board and remove the cling film. Cut it into about 18 squares. Slices can also be used if they fit your baking tray better.
• Pour a third of the tomato sauce into a baking tray, top with half the polenta squares. Repeat the layers ending with sauce (alternatively I use a large shallow baking tray so I use a single layer of polenta squares with tomato sauce underneath and poured over the top).
• Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
• Remove from the oven, sprinkle the cheese over the top and return to the oven for 5 minutes until the cheese has melted.

GRILLED POLENTA WITH TOMATO-CORN SALAD

Steps:

• Prepare a grill or grill pan for medium-high heat. Clean and oil the grill grates.
• Wrap each ear of corn in damp paper towels and microwave the wrapped corn on high for 5 minutes. Carefully remove the paper towels and let the corn cool slightly.
• Brush the corn with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until lightly charred in spots, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, cut the polenta crosswise into 10 or 12 rounds. Brush the rounds on both sides with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill over medium-high heat, turning once or twice, until nicely marked and slightly softened, about 6 minutes total.
• Whisk the 1/4 cup oil with the vinegar and garlic in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Invert a small bowl and place it in a large bowl. Hold one ear of corn vertically on the smaller bowl and, using a knife, cut the kernels off the cob. Repeat with the remaining ears of corn. Remove the small bowl.
• Add the tomatoes and dressing to the corn; toss well. Fold in the basil and arugula, then season the salad with salt and pepper. Serve the salad with the grilled polenta, topped with jalapeño slices if desired.

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.

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.

POLENTA WITH CORN, TOMATO AND RED ONION SAUCE

Steps:

• Chop whole red onion.
• Heat medium large nonstick pan until it is very hot. Reduce heat to medium high; add oil, and saute onion until it begins to soften, a couple of minutes.
• Wash, trim and cut tomatoes in half, squeezing them with your hands to remove excess juice and seeds. Chop the tomatoes, add to the onion and continue to cook over medium heat for a few minutes.
• Meanwhile, scrape the corn off the cobs.
• Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a medium covered pot.
• Wash, dry and chop basil.
• Stir the corn and basil into the tomato mixture, and season with salt and pepper.
• Reduce the heat under the chicken stock to medium; slowly stir the polenta into the stock, and cook over low heat a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thick but still runny.
• Grate the cheese.
• Spoon the polenta onto dinner plates, top with the sauce and sprinkle with cheese.

PAN-FRIED POLENTA WITH CORN, KALE AND GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir constantly for 1 minute; don't let the garlic brown. Add 3 cups of the water, and bring it to a boil.
• While the water heats, whisk together in a bowl the cornmeal, salt, and 1 cup water to make a smooth mixture.
• When the water in the saucepan comes to a boil, pour the mixture into it. Whisk constantly for 3 minutes to prevent lumps from forming. Turn the heat to low. Cook for 40 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon every 10 minutes. Stir in the corn kernels and cook the polenta 5 minutes more. Stir in the pepper and Parmesan cheese. Pour the polenta into a lightly oiled 8x8 inch pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Chill the polenta in a refrigerator for 1 hour.
• While the polenta is cooling, cut away the stems and center stalks of the kale. Cut the leaves into 3-inch pieces.
• Cut the chilled polenta into 4 large triangles. Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil begins to smoke, carefully add the polenta triangles. Fry the polenta until it is golden brown on the underside, then turn the polenta over and cook it until it is golden brown on the other side. Arrange the polenta on a baking sheet.
• Preheat the broiler on your oven.
• Place the kale and 1/3 cup water into the skillet that was just used to fry the polenta. Cover the skillet and cook the kale over a medium-high heat for 4 minutes.
• Place the tomato slices on top of the polenta triangles. Sprinkle the goat cheese on top of the tomato slices. Broil the polenta until the cheese melts and the tomatoes begin to cook.
• Arrange the kale on a serving platter. Place the hot polenta triangles on top of the kale and serve immediately.

PAN-SEARED POLENTA WITH SPICY TOMATO-BASIL SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Place 15x10x2-inch glass baking dish on rimmed baking sheet. Combine 8 cups water, 3 tablespoons olive oil, and 2 teaspoons salt in dish. Gradually mix in polenta.
• Place baking sheet with polenta in oven. Bake polenta 1 hour. Add pepper and stir to blend. Bake 20 minutes. Stir again and spread evenly. Bake until polenta is very thick, about 20 minutes longer. Cool polenta to room temperature, 1 to 2 hours (polenta will become firm). Using metal spatula, press polenta all over to even thickness. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover with plastic wrap; chill.
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Cut polenta lengthwise into 4 strips. Cut each strip crosswise into 6 squares. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add polenta squares. Sauté until crisp and beginning to color, about 8 minutes per side. Transfer polenta to small baking sheet; place in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining polenta, adding oil to skillet as needed.
• Divide polenta among plates. Top with warm Spicy Tomato-Basil Sauce. Garnish with fresh basil sprigs, if desired.
• Sold at some supermarkets and at natural foods stores and Italian markets. If unavailable, substitute an equal amount of regular yellow cornmeal.
• What to drink:
• A medium-bodied red Italian wine is great with the spicy sauce. One to try: Montresor NV "Il Veronese" Valpolicella ($14), a lovely red blend with dried fruit flavors and vanilla notes.

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.