Polenta With Braised Root Vegetables Food

SOFT PARMESAN POLENTA WITH ROAST BALSAMIC VEGETABLES

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 220C. Preheat one large or two regular baking trays in the oven for 30 minutes. 2. Place the onion, capsicum, zucchini, pumpkin and garlic in a bowl. Drizzle with the oil, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and toss to coat. Remove the trays from the oven and quickly add the vegetables. Roast for 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and lightly caramelised. 3. Meanwhile, bring 1 litre salted water to the boil in a large saucepan. Add the polenta in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly, until smooth. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes, or for as long as specified in the packet instructions, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat. Stir in the parmesan and butter until smooth and season well. 4. Drizzle the hot vegetables with the balsamic glaze, sprinkle with the basil and gently toss to coat. 5. Serve the soft polenta with the roast vegetables.

ROASTED ROOT VEGETABLE RAGU WITH POLENTA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450°F. Cut all the vegetables for the ragout into pieces you'd want to eat with polenta: bite-sized or whatever. Coat with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Put the veggies into a roasting pan and roast in the oven until they are nicely browned, about 30 to 40 minutes. Turn them occasionally.
• Meanwhile, make the polenta. Bring the water to a boil in a medium pot and add a healthy pinch of salt. Sprinkle the polenta into the boiling water with one hand while you stir the water with another. This helps prevent lumps. Turn the heat to medium-low until the polenta bubbles gently. Cook, stirring every few minutes, until the polenta is creamy, about 30 minutes. When it's creamy, turn the heat as low as it will go for now.
• When the vegetables are ready, move them into a large, wide pot, like a high-sided frying pan. Pour the white wine into the roasting pan and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits at the bottom of the pan. Pour all that into the pot with the vegetables.
• Crush the canned tomatoes by hand into the pot and pour in all the juices from the can. Add the bay leaves and thyme. Stew this over medium-low heat for 15 minutes. Add the butter and cheese to the polenta, stirring well. If the polenta is too thick, stir in a little water. The polenta should be smooth and be able to flow a little in a bowl.
• Add the chard and parsley to the ragout and cook until the chard has wilted, about 3 to 5 minutes. Serve in bowls over the polenta.

ROASTED ROOT VEGETABLES WITH POLENTA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a sheet pan or a baking dish with parchment or foil. Toss vegetables with the olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Add fresh herbs if using. Spread vegetables in an even layer.
• Combine polenta, water, and salt in a 2-quart baking dish and stir together. Place polenta and vegetables in the oven. If you can't fit both pans on the same (middle) rack, place vegetables on a lower rack. Roast vegetables for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or until soft and beginning to caramelize. Remove from the oven.
• If serving this with marinara sauce, make the sauce while the vegetables and polenta are in the oven.
• Continue to bake the polenta until it has been in the oven for 40 to 45 minutes and has absorbed the water. Remove from oven and stir in butter. Use a fork or a spatula to stir the polenta well, and return to oven for 5 to 10 more minutes. Remove from oven and stir again. Carefully taste a little bit of the polenta; if it is not completely soft, return to the oven for 5 to 10 more minutes.
• Remove polenta from oven and stir in 1/3 cup grated Parmesan, if using. Immediately spoon polenta onto plates and make a depression in the middle. Ladle on some marinara sauce and top with a generous spoonful of roasted vegetables. Sprinkle on remaining Parmesan and serve.

PUMPKIN POLENTA WITH VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Toss the Brussels sprouts and butternut squash with the olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Spread in an even layer. Bake until tender and browned, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring 4 cups water, the milk and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a simmer in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in the polenta. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cook, stirring often, until creamy, about 6 minutes. Whisk in the pumpkin puree. Cook, whisking, until warmed through, about 4 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the grated parmesan, butter and sage; season with salt. Top each serving with the roasted vegetables and shaved parmesan; drizzle with olive oil.

POLENTA WITH BRAISED ROOT VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter or oil a 2-quart baking dish. Combine the polenta, salt and water in the baking dish. Place in the oven on a baking sheet. Bake 50 minutes. Stir in the butter, and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes until the polenta is soft and all of the liquid has been absorbed. Stir in the cheese, if using.
• While the polenta is baking, cook the vegetables. Heat the oil in a large, heavy nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until it begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the carrots, kohlrabi and parsnip, and then season with salt. Cook, stirring often, until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, and stir together for about a minute until fragrant. Stir in the tomatoes with their liquid, a pinch of sugar and salt to taste. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, for 15 minutes until the tomatoes are cooked down and fragrant. Add lots of freshly ground pepper, taste and adjust salt, and remove from the heat.
• Serve the polenta with the vegetables spooned on top.

RED WINE BRASATO WITH GLAZED ROOT VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Adjust rack to lower third of oven. Preheat to 300°F. Simmer wine in large saucepan over medium heat until reduced to 1 cup, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in heavy large wide pot over medium heat. Sprinkle roasts with salt and pepper. Add 1 roast to pot and cook until brown on all sides, about 13 minutes. Transfer to large plate; repeat with remaining roast. Spoon fat from pot Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic to pot. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. sauté over medium-high heat until vegetables begin to brown, about 6 minutes. Add tomato paste; stir 1 minute. Add broth; bring to boil. Add sage, parsley, bay leaf, and peppercorns. Return roasts and any accumulated juices to pot, tucking roasts to fit in single layer. Pour reduced red wine over; cover.
• Transfer roasts to oven and braise 1 hour 15 minutes. Turn roasts over. Cover and braise until roasts are tender, about 1 hour 15 minutes longer. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Cool slightly. Chill uncovered until cool, then cover and keep chilled. Rewarm in 350°F oven until heated through, about 30 minutes.
• Transfer roasts to cutting board; tent with foil. Strain braising liquid into medium saucepan, pressing on solids in strainer. Spoon fat from surface of braising liquid; keep liquid warm.
• Melt butter with oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. Add celery root, turnips, and carrots. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. sauté until browned in spots, about 8 minutes. Add 1 cup braising liquid from pot roast. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to high, and bring to boil. Stir in sugar. Add sage and parsley and cook until sauce is reduced to glaze, stirring often, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Cut roasts into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Arrange slices on platter. Spoon vegetables around roast. Drizzle some of braising liquid over meat and serve.

ITALIAN BRAISED BEEF WITH ROOT VEGETABLES

Steps:

• For Yia Yia's Sunday sauce: Heat the oil in a 4-quart saucepan or large Dutch oven over medium heat. Brown the beef bones. Add the onions and cook until translucent, 2 minutes. Add the salt and garlic and cook until everything is soft but not browned, about 3 minutes. Squeeze the tomatoes one by one into the pan, pulverizing them by hand, and pour in their juice, too. Add the wine, oregano, red pepper flakes, if using, black pepper and bay leaf. Bring the sauce to a simmer, and then reduce the heat to its lowest possible setting, and continue to cook for 8 hours. The sauce should reduce by about one-third. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if necessary. Remove the bones and bay leaf. Set aside 2 cups. If not using the remaining sauce right away, let it cool, then cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 2 months. Yield: 8 cups.
• For the braised beef with root vegetables: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Sprinkle the meat liberally with salt and pepper as much as 1 day in advance. (Cover and refrigerate it if doing so and take the meat out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking.) Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat. When the oil is on the verge of smoking, sear the meat for about 2 minutes per side. Move the meat to the side (or remove it from the pot altogether if necessary), and add the carrots, celery root and onions. Brown the vegetables for about 3 minutes, and then add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes longer. Pour in the wine and deglaze the pot, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom. Add Yia Yia's Sunday Sauce, 1 cup water and the bay leaves (and the pot roast if you removed it). Bring the liquid to a simmer and taste for seasoning. Add more salt if necessary. Cover the pot and place it in the oven for 3 hours, basting the meat occasionally during cooking time. When almost ready to serve, make the rigatoni, if using. Boil in salted water according to package directions until al dente. Discard the bay leaves before serving. Transfer the meat to a cutting board and slice into bite-size pieces, or shred with 2 forks. Return the meat to the pot of sauce along with the drained rigatoni. Toss to coat, and serve.

OVEN-ROASTED SQUASH WITH GARLIC & PARSLEY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Toss squash with 4 teaspoons oil, salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Spread evenly on a large baking sheet. Roast, stirring occasionally, until tender throughout and lightly browned, 30 to 45 minutes (depending on the variety of squash).
• Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant but not brown, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Toss the roasted squash with the garlic and parsley. Taste, adjust the seasoning and serve.

ROASTED POLENTA WITH GARDEN VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Make the Polenta: Bring the chicken stock, butter, pepper, and salt to a boil in a heavy-bottomed pot. While whisking the hot stock in a quick circular motion, "rain" in the polenta by letting it stream through your fingers. (This will prevent lumping.)
• Reduce the polenta to a gentle simmer; it must be stirred constantly for 25 to 35 minutes to prevent lumps or scorching. Be very careful when stirring, the mixture is very hot (think lava) and can burn you if it boils and sputters. If it begins to boil cover the pot and reduce the heat until boiling stops!
• The polenta is cooked when it is no longer grainy and has become creamy. (My grandmother says good polenta takes 30 minutes, great polenta takes 1 hour).
• Stir in the Parmesan and basil and pour onto a buttered sheet pan to cool. When cool, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Cut the polenta into any shape you desire that's structurally sound. In other words, a shape that won't fall apart on the grill easily, or be difficult to remove from the sheet pan after roasting. Squares, triangles, stars etc.
• Make the Marinade and Vegetables: Whisk together the vinegar and garlic. While whisking, drizzle in the oil to make a smooth dressing. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Toss the vegetables with the marinade.
• When ready to serve, preheat an outdoor grill or indoor grill pan.
• Brush the polenta lightly on both sides with olive oil and grill, turning once, until the edges are brown and crispy.
• At the same time grill the vegetables until they are tender but still firm.
• Pile the vegetables on top of the polenta, then stand back and wait for the applause!