Baked Polenta With Balsamic Mushrooms Recipes

BAKED POLENTA WITH MUSHROOMS & BLUE CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Brush the mushroom caps gently with a clean cloth to wipe away any dirt. Arrange them, underside up, on a sheet pan, drizzle with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar, then sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Bake for 20 minutes, until tender. Set aside. Lower the oven to 375 degrees.
• Meanwhile, make the polenta. Pour the stock and half-and-half into a large saucepan and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat and, while whisking constantly, slowly sprinkle the cornmeal into the boiling liquid. Simmer for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring almost constantly with a wooden spoon, until the polenta is thick and smooth. Off the heat, stir in the mascarpone, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Pour into an 8 x 11 x 2-inch baking dish.
• Arrange the mushrooms, underside up, in one layer over the polenta. Sprinkle on the Gorgonzola and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the polenta is bubbly and the cheese is melted. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot.

BAKED POLENTA WITH BALSAMIC MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Place mushrooms in a large baking dish, gill-side up. Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar over mushrooms. Crush thyme between your fingers; sprinkle over mushrooms.
• Bake in the preheated oven until tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a plate using tongs. Leave any accumulated juices in the baking dish.
• Bring water and half-and-half to a boil in a large pot. Add polenta in a steady stream, whisking constantly. Reduce heat and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Add Swiss cheese, sea salt, and pepper; stir until cheese is melted.
• Pour hot polenta into the same baking dish used to bake the mushrooms. Smooth the top with a spatula. Arrange mushrooms, gill-side up, in the polenta. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until mushrooms are soft, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and garnish with truffle salt.

CREAMY POLENTA WITH BALSAMIC MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, bring vegetable stock, heavy cream, thyme, and rosemary to a boil.
• Remove the herbs from the stock and season with salt and pepper.
• Stir the polenta into the hot stock and cook for approx. 10 - 15 min. on low heat, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, clean and quarter mushrooms. Finely slice onion.
• Fry onion and mushrooms in some vegetable oil. Sprinkle with a pinch of sugar and deglaze pan with balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Allow to reduce for approx. 1 - 2 min. Top the polenta with the balsamic mushrooms and sauce.

ROASTED MUSHROOMS WITH BALSAMIC AND SOY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
• Lightly grease a large baking sheet/pan with nonstick cooking oil spray.
• Wipe mushrooms over with a damp sheet of paper towel to clean off dirt and debris.
• In a large bowl, combine the mushrooms with the melted butter, oil, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, parsley, thyme, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Toss to evenly coat.
• Arrange mushrooms in a single layer on prepared baking sheet.
• Roast in hot oven for 15-20 minutes, mixing them halfway through cooking, until tender.

PORTABELLA MUSHROOMS WITH POLENTA AND BALSAMIC VINEGAR

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In deep, heavy pot, combine olive oil and polenta.
• Cook over med-high heat, stirring, until polenta smells toasty, about 2 minutes.
• Remove pot from heat.
• Add boiling water carefully, as this will splatter if you add it too quickly.
• Stir until the polenta is smooth.
• Stir in garlic, parsley, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper.
• Bake polenta, uncovered 20 minutes.
• Stir it well then bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until the polenta is creamy.
• While polenta cooks, lightly spray the mushroom caps, sprinkle with salt and grill, underside (gills) down, on a very hot grill or in heavy cast iron pan, about 4 minutes per side or until tender.
• Divide the polenta among 4 dinner-size plates.
• Sprinkle each with a quarter of the cheese.
• Top each serving of polenta with a sliced mushroom, fanning the pieces.
• Drizzle balsamic vinegar over the mushroom and polenta.
• Serve immediately.

EASY FILO TARTLETS WITH MASCARPONE CREAM AND FRESH BERRIES

Steps:

• For the filo shells: Turn the oven on to 375ºF. Remove the filo cups that have been thawed overnight in the refrigerator from the packaging and place them in ungreased mini muffin tins. Bake for 5-6 minutes, or, until the cups are light browned and crispy. Remove from the oven and let them cool.
• For the filling: Place the mascarpone and the vanilla extract in a medium bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, using a hand-held mixer, beat the cold heavy cream with the sugar at medium speed until stiff peaks appear. Set aside. Use the same beaters to beat the mascarpone and vanilla on low until just blended, smooth, and creamy (do not overbeat the mascarpone or it might curdle). Fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture until just combined.
• For the blueberry sauce: In a saucepan set over medium heat combine ½ cup blueberries, 1 TBSP. of water, 1 TBSP. of sugar, the lemon zest and the lemon juice. Cook covered for about two minutes or until the blueberries release their juices and burst. Uncover, remove from the heat, and stir in the rest of the blueberries. Set aside to cool.
• Assembly: Spoon the mascarpone cream mixture into the mini filo shells (you could also use a pastry bag, if you wish). Top with some of the blueberries and their sauce, the raspberries and the blackberries. If your blackberries are too big, you might have to cut them in half to fit. Decorate with small mint leaves and serve at once.

EASY, OVEN-BAKED POLENTA WITH BALSAMIC CREMINI MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325°F.
• Place a large, oven-proof pot over medium-high heat (I used a 4 qt. All-Clad pot). Add the water, the milk, and one tablespoon of the butter. Bring this to a simmer, season with salt and pepper, and stir to melt the butter. Gradually add the cornmeal, whisking steadily to incorporate (this initial stir is key to prevent clumps from forming). Bring the mixture to a boil, immediately cover the pot with a lid, and transfer to the middle rack of the oven. Bake at 325°F until the polenta is tender and soft, about 30 minutes.
• Carefully remove the pot from the oven, stir in the second tablespoon of butter, cover again and let it stand for 5 minutes. Gradually add 4 oz. of the grated Parmesan, whisking briefly until the cheese has melted and is well incorporated. Check the consistency and the flavor, then cover and let it sit until ready to serve.
• While the polenta is in the oven, prep the ingredients for the balsamic mushrooms. First, clean the mushrooms and cut them into one-inch pieces. Make sure that the mushrooms are completely dry before cooking. Slice the shallot and cut the garlic into slivers.
• Set a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the mushrooms and "dry-sauté" them for 3 to 4 minutes, shaking the pan often, until they release most of their moisture.
• Add the olive oil and butter to the skillet and toss to combine. Next, add the shallots, the salt and pepper, and cook until the shallots start to soften. Lastly, add the garlic and the thyme and cook a few minutes more until everything is well caramelized.
• Stir the sugar into the balsamic vinegar and then drizzle the mixture over the mushrooms. Toss well to coat and let them cool slightly. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
• Divide the polenta among four bowls, top each with the balsamic mushrooms, more Parmesan cheese, and a good drizzle of your best olive oil. Garnish with some fresh parsley and serve!