Southwest Polenta And Vegetables Food

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.

SOUTHWEST POLENTA AND VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Chop onion, mushrooms (if using), zucchini and pepper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat oil in large pan.
• Saute onion and garlic with 1/2 teaspoon salt for about 2 minutes, or until just soft. Add mushrooms, zucchini and red pepper; saute for ~3 minutes.
• Add corn, black beans, tomatoes, thyme, chile powder, cumin, pepper and remaining salt; simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until fresh vegetables are crisp-cooked, not soft. While the vegetables cook, lightly oil the bottom of a casserole dish.
• Slice polenta into 1/2 -inch rounds and arrange across the bottom of the casserole dish. When vegetables are cooked but not soft, spoon across top of polenta.
• Top with grated cheese and bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
• Serve plain or on a bed of wilted spinach.

GRILLED POLENTA AND VEGETABLES WITH CHIMICHURRI

Steps:

• Preheat a grill to medium high. Make the chimichurri: Combine the parsley, oregano, garlic, vinegar, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 tablespoons water and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a mini food processor. Blend until pourable, thinning with more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if needed.
• Combine the polenta, red bell pepper, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the eggplant, squash, red onion, remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper.
• Add the polenta and bell pepper to the grill and cook, flipping halfway through, until well marked and the pepper has softened, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove to a baking sheet. Add the eggplant, squash and red onion to the grill and cook until well marked and softened, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to the baking sheet with the polenta. Roughly chop the red onion and bell pepper.
• Divide the polenta, eggplant and squash among plates. Top with the red onion, bell pepper and walnuts and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Drizzle with the chimichurri.

CREAMY PARMESAN POLENTA

Steps:

• Place the chicken stock in a large saucepan. Add the garlic and cook over medium-high heat until the stock comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and very slowly whisk in the cornmeal, whisking constantly to make sure there are no lumps. Switch to a wooden spoon, add the salt and pepper, and simmer, stirring almost constantly, for 10 minutes, until thick. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan thoroughly while you're stirring. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan, creme fraiche, and butter. Taste for seasonings and serve hot with extra Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top.

GRILLED POLENTA AND VEGGIES

Steps:

• Prepare a grill for indirect heat: For gas, preheat to medium high, then turn off the burners on one side and turn the other burners to medium low. For charcoal, once the coals ash over, push them to one side.
• Mix the olive oil, herbs, coriander, 1 teaspoon pepper and a handful of fennel fronds in a small bowl.
• Brush the fennel wedges and broccoli with the herb oil and season with salt. Cook on the cooler side of the grill, turning once, until marked and tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove to a platter. Meanwhile, brush the oranges, tomatoes, mushrooms and radicchio with the herb oil and season with salt. Grill over direct heat, turning once, until marked and tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Add to the platter.
• Brush the polenta and haloumi with the herb oil and grill over direct heat, turning once, until marked, 5 to 10 minutes. Add to the platter. Season with salt and drizzle with any remaining herb oil.