Polenta With Cabbage Beans And Bacon Food

GERMAN-STYLE CABBAGE AND BEANS

Steps:

• Place 1 in. of water in a large saucepan; add beans. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and set aside., In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels; drain, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings. Add the vinegar, sugar, onion, salt and pepper to the drippings. Bring to a boil. , Add cabbage. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Add beans; cook 3-5 minutes longer or until heated through. Stir in bacon.

CREAMY POLENTA WITH CRISPY BACON AND CHARD

Steps:

• Add the milk and heavy cream to a medium saucepan and bring to a low boil, stirring constantly so the milk doesn't scorch. Whisk in the polenta, whisking constantly until smooth. Stir in a big pinch of salt. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook, stirring frequently, until the polenta is tender, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add the bacon to a medium pan. Turn the heat to medium high and cook, flipping once, until the bacon is crispy, about 10 minutes. Remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Add the shallot to the pan and cook until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the chard and a big pinch of salt and cook until wilted but still crisp-tender, about 7 minutes. Stir in a shake of hot sauce if desired. Chop the bacon, add it to the greens and stir to combine. Remove from the heat.
• Add a big pinch of black pepper to the polenta and stir. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper. Remove the polenta from the heat and stir in the butter. Transfer to a serving plate and top with the greens in the center.

BEANS AND GREENS POLENTA BAKE

Steps:

• Pour warm polenta into a large ovenproof skillet or a ceramic baking dish or metal baking pan and spread into an even layer (ideally about 1" thick). Let cool, then cover and chill at least 1 hour and up to 1 week.
• Preheat oven to 500°F. Heat garlic and ¼ cup oil in a large skillet over medium, stirring occasionally, until garlic is fragrant and starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Add beans and red pepper flakes (if using), then, working in batches, add kale, letting it wilt slightly after each addition before adding more, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and evenly darkened in color, about 3 minutes. Stir in vinegar and salt and cook, still stirring occasionally, until liquid evaporates, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in ¼ cup Parmesan.
• Scrape kale mixture over prepared polenta and spread into an even layer. Drizzle with more oil and sprinkle with more Parmesan.
• Transfer skillet to oven and bake until polenta is warmed through and topping is lightly crisped and browned, 8-10 minutes.

CREAMY POLENTA WITH BACON AND SAGE

Steps:

• Place a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the bacon, and cook until crisp and golden, about 8 minutes. Remove bacon from saucepan; transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Set aside.
• Add chopped sage to saucepan, and cook in the bacon fat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add milk, and bring to a boil.
• Add the polenta in a steady stream, whisking constantly until it is smooth and creamy, about 6 minutes. Whisk in the butter, and season with the salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl, and crumble the reserved bacon on top. Heat the olive oil, in a small saute pan over medium heat. Add the whole sage leaves, and fry until crisp, about 30 seconds. Remove from the skillet, and scatter over the polenta.

POLENTA WITH CABBAGE, BEANS, AND BACON

Steps:

• To make polenta:
• In a heavy kettle cook bacon over moderate heat until brown. Increase heat to moderately high and add onion and cabbage with salt to taste. Sauté mixture, stirring occasionally, until vegetables soften and begin to brown.
• Add beans and water and bring to a boil. Gradually stir in cornmeal with salt to taste in a thin stream, stirring constantly, and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until polenta is thick and pulls away from side of kettle, about 40 minutes. Stir in oil.
• Serve polenta sprinkled with Parmesan.
• To cook borlotto* or pinto beans:
• In a saucepan simmer beans (1/2 cup dried beans) in 4 cups water, covered, 45 minutes, or until tender, and remove pan from heat. Cool beans in cooking liquid and drain. Beans may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.
• *available at specialty foods shops

BEANS AND SAUSAGE WITH POLENTA (LIDIA BASTIANICH)

Steps:

• Rinse beans and soak them in plenty of cold water for 8 hours or overnight.
• Drain and place the beans in a 4-quart saucepan with fresh cold water, covering them by an inch or more, along with the 4 bay leaves and 2 tablespoons oil.
• Bring to a boil, partially cover the pot, and adjust the heat to maintain a bubbling simmer.
• When the beans are almost tender, but still slightly undercooked, after about 40 minutes, remove from the heat; drain through a colander.
• Stir in the 1/2 teaspoon salt and let cool; discard the bay leaves.
• Add 4 tablespoons olive oil into the wide saucepan, scatter the bacon pieces into it, and set over med-high heat.
• Cook, stirring, until the bacon starts rendering fat, then drop in the sausages; let them sizzle and begin to brown.
• Add the chopped onion and the two bay leaves, and stir them around the pan bottom; meanwhile, keep rolling over the sausages so they color on all sides.
• Cook for several minutes to allow the onion and meat to caramelize, then clear a space on the pan bottom and drop in the tomato paste.
• Stir it in the clear spot for a minute, until sizzling, then spread the paste all around the pan, stirring and tumbling the sausages so they are coated.
• Pour the red wine vinegar into a clear space in the pan, let it sizzle and evaporate for a few minutes, then stir and tumble everything again.
• Pour 1 cup of hot water into the saucepan, increase the heat, and deglaze the caramelization as the water bubbles.
• Pour in the crushed tomatoes and stir well.
• Rinse the tomato containers with a second cup of water, and pour that in too.
• Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt, stir everything together, and bring to a boil.
• Keep the tomato sauce bubbling gently for about 10 minutes, then spill the beans into the pan; stir in the beans while the sauce returns to a boil.
• Stir in the water, if needed, so the sauce is loose and nearly covers the sausages and beans.
• Cook at a gentle boil, stirring now and then, until the beans are tender and the sauce has nicely thickened, 10 minutes or more (add water if the beans need longer cooking; or, if the sauce seems too loose, reduce it quickly over high heat).
• Turn off the heat, and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper.
• Cover the pan to keep the beans warm until the polenta is ready to serve.
• Assemble individual portions in warm wide pasta bowls; first dip a large spoon in water, and with it scoop up polenta and mound it in each bowl.
• Spoon over a generous helping of beans in sauce, and lay a sausage on top.
• Drizzle with olive oil, grind on more black pepper, and serve immediately.

BLACK BEAN & CABBAGE OVER RICE

Steps:

• Saute the first 3 ingredients until soft, about 15-20 minutes.
• Add salt and pepper and stir.
• Add the rinsed and drained beans.
• Gently saute the beans with cabbage-onion mixture for 10 minutes.
• Stir in the tomato and simmer for 5 more minutes.
• Adjust the seasonings.
• Serve over individual bowls of brown rice, top with yogurt or sour cream and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

POLENTA WITH WHITE-BEAN AND ROASTED-PEPPER RAGOUT

Steps:

• Bring broth and 2 cups water to a simmer in a saucepan over medium-high heat; season with salt. Slowly add polenta, whisking constantly. Simmer, stirring frequently and reducing heat as needed, until thick and creamy, 20 to 25 minutes for regular, or about 5 minutes for quick-cooking. Remove from heat; cover.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat; swirl in oil. Add garlic, celery, and pepper flakes; cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in roasted peppers and beans; season with salt and pepper. Cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup water and bring to a simmer; cook, mashing some of beans to create a creamy sauce, until thickened slightly, about 2 minutes. Serve over polenta, drizzled with oil and sprinkled with celery leaves.

POLENTA WITH PEAS AND PANCETTA

Steps:

• Heat the oil in sauce pot over medium-high heat. Add pancetta and cook until crisp, 5 minutes then remove to a plate. Add the liquids to the sauce pot and bring to boil. Whisk polenta into the liquid and continue to whisk 2 to 3 minutes to thicken. Season with salt and pepper and stir in peas to heat through 1 minute more. Remove from heat, stir in cheese and adjust seasoning. Garnish with pancetta.