Polenta Half Moons With Whipped Goat Cheese Food

CREAMY GOAT CHEESE POLENTA

Steps:

• Salt and pepper ribs, then dredge in flour. Set aside.In a large dutch oven, cook pancetta over medium heat until complete crispy and all fat is rendered. Remove pancetta and set aside. Do not discard grease.Add olive oil to pan with the pancetta grease, and raise heat to high. Brown ribs on all sides, about 45 seconds per side. Remove ribs and set aside. Turn heat to medium.Add onions, carrots, and shallots to pan and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in wine and scrape bottom of pan to release all the flavorful bits of glory. Bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes. Add broth, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Taste and add more salt if needed. Add ribs to the liquid; they should be almost completely submerged. Add thyme and rosemary sprigs (whole) to the liquid. Put on the lid and place into the oven. Cook at 350 for 2 hours, then reduce heat to 325 and cook for an additional 30 to 45 minutes. Ribs should be fork-tender and falling off the bone. Remove pan from oven and allow to sit for at least 20 minutes, lid on, before serving. At the last minute, skim fat off the top of the liquid. (Can also refrigerate mixture, then remove solid fat from the top.)Serve 2 ribs on bed of creamy polenta, spooning a little juice over the top.

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.

POLENTA WITH ROASTED TOMATOES AND GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375. Grease a large baking sheet with a little of the olive oil.
• Place tomatoes in pan cut side down and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until they start to char and shrivel (no need to turn over), 40-50min. Let cool on the pan a bit.
• For the Polenta: Boil the milk and water together.
• Whisk in the cornmeal and salt. Turn down the heat and stir constantly until the polenta is suspended in the water and no longer settles to the bottom of the pot. It's done in about 15 minutes (still stirring often), but is supposedly even better if you cook it for about an hour - I wouldn't know, I'm always too impatient :).
• Take of the stove and stir in the butter or olive oil and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese.
• Place a mound of polenta in the center of each plate. Top with goat cheese, roasted tomato, basil and pine nuts.

CROCK POT POLENTA WITH GOAT CHEESE AND FRESH MOZZARELLA

Steps:

• Mix 2 cups of cold water with ground corn in crock pot so there are no lumps.
• The rest of the water should be hot. Mix that in until there are no lumps.
• Mix in the cheeses until mixed. Don't worry if it isn't melted right away.
• Put the crock pot on high and bake covered. After an hour or so, if you're around, give it a good stir.
• Mine has a four hour high and then goes to warm. I let it go overnight and in the morning it's perfect for a morning dish.
• I then put the leftovers in a Saran Wrap lined bread pan and put in the refrigerator to firm up. It can then be sliced and baked, pan fried, etc. however you love to use polenta. You can also leave out the cheese and increase the cornmeal by about half a cup for a plain polenta, add fresh or dried herbs (Italian herbs, fresh basil, garlic, etc all are amazing) to change things up.

POLENTA & GOAT'S CHEESE STACKS

Steps:

• For the spinach, boil a kettle and put half the spinach into a colander. Pour over the hot water until it wilts, then cool completely under cold water. Tip into a clean tea towel, then wring out every last drop of water you can. Repeat with the other half.
• For the polenta, bring the stock to the boil in a large pan, then stir in the polenta in a fine, steady stream, so to avoid any lumps. Keep cooking for 5 mins, stirring all the time, until thick. Stir in the butter, Parmesan, half of the spinach, the nutmeg and plenty of seasoning, then leave to cool for a few mins.
• Meanwhile, slice each cheese into three rounds. Tear off six pieces of cling film, about 30cm across, then, while the polenta is still soft, spoon a sixth onto each square. Nestle the slices of cheese on top, then draw the edges of the cling film around and twist, to make burgershaped polenta cakes with the cheese completely sealed in the middle. Cool and chill for up to 2 days.
• Cut the squash and beetroot veg into finger-tip-wide chunks. Keeping the beetroot separate, put the squash, shallots, 2 tbsp extra virgin oil and half of the garlic and herbs into a large bowl, then rub well and leave to marinate for 1 hr. Do the same with the beetroot, remaining herbs and garlic and 1 tbsp oil.
• Heat a small knob of butter in a large non-stick frying pan, then fry the beetroot, herbs and garlic, for 10 mins on a medium heat, stirring often till starting to colour. Tip into one end of a large roasting tin. Wipe out pan, then repeat with the squash and shallots in a little more butter, browning one-third at a time for 5 mins, until tinged golden. Tip into the other end of the tin. Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Transfer the roasting tin to the oven and roast for 40 mins. The veg can be cooled to room temperature at this stage, then covered for up to 24 hrs and crisped up in a hot oven for 15 mins on the day.
• After 40 mins scatter the sesame seeds over the roasted veg, then tip the veg into a large bowl and keep warm. With the roasting tin over a low heat, splash in the Madeira, bubble it down to 2 tbsp, then stir in the honey, balsamic, soy sauce and a little butter. Simmer until just starting to make a syrupy sauce, then stir in the olive oils. Can be made ahead and re-heated.
• Fifteen mins before serving, heat a little oil and remaining butter in a large non-stick frying pan. Once sizzling, add the polenta cakes and fry on both sides for 5 mins until golden. Fry in 2 batches and keep warm. Re-heat the remaining spinach in a pan for a few secs, with a grating more nutmeg and a good pinch of seasoning.
• Sit the polenta cakes on warmed plates, and top with some spinach. Stir parsley into the dressing. Toss the roasted veg with a few tsp, then pile the veg on top of the polenta. Drizzle a little more dressing over and around, then serve.

CREAMY POLENTA WITH GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring 1 quart of water to a boil in a medium-size saucepan. Add salt and slowly add polenta, in a thin stream, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Continue whisking until thick and creamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cheeses and butter. Serve immediately.

POLENTA TOASTS WITH GOAT CHEESE AND FRESH THYME

Steps:

• Lightly oil 2 baking sheets. Combine 6 cups water and salt in heavy large saucepan. Bring to boil. Gradually add cornmeal, whisking until smooth. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook until polenta is thick and creamy, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Cool 5 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Spoon warm polenta out onto wet work surface. Roll out polenta with wet rolling pin to 1/3-inch thickness. Cool completely. Using wet 1 3/4- to- 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out polenta rounds. Discard polenta scraps. Transfer rounds to baking sheets.
• Lightly brush polenta with oil. Bake polenta 15 minutes. Turn polenta rounds over. Lightly brush with oil and bake until polenta is slightly puffed and pale golden, about 10 minutes longer.
• Spoon goat cheese into pastry bag fitted with large star tip. Transfer polenta rounds to platter. Pipe 1 small rosette in center of each polenta round. Sprinkle with thyme and serve.