Herb And Feta Polenta Topped With Sun Dried Tomato Tapenade Recipes

HERBY POLENTA WITH CORN, EGGS AND FETA

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit/200 degrees Celsius.
• Add the corn to a food processor and pulse once or twice, just until roughly chopped. Transfer corn to a large bowl and add the spinach, cornmeal, Parmesan, scallions, 1/4 cup cilantro, parsley, dill, garlic, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a good grind of pepper; stir to combine. Transfer this mixture to a large, deep, oven-proof skillet, then add the milk, stock and butter, stirring gently to mix through. Transfer to the oven and bake for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and give everything a good whisk.
• Return to the oven and bake until the cornmeal is cooked through and the mixture has thickened, about 20 minutes. Give the polenta another good whisk - it should be quite smooth and not completely set - then stir in half the feta. Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees Fahrenheit/220 degrees Celsius.
• Use a dinner spoon to make 8 shallow wells in the polenta. Crack an egg into each well and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the remaining feta all over, and bake until the egg whites are cooked and the yolks are still runny, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine the reserved scallions and cilantro in a bowl with the oil. Spoon this mixture all over the polenta and eggs and sprinkle with the red-pepper flakes. Serve directly from the pan.

HERB AND TOMATO POLENTA

Steps:

• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and tomatoes. Cook the tomatoes, stirring occasionally, until they start to blister and release some of their juices, 8 to 10 minutes. Toss in the garlic and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook another 1 minute, then remove from the heat.
• In a saucepan over low heat, stir the Parmesan and butter into the Cooked Polenta, thinning with milk as desired. Turn off the heat, stir in the lemon zest, taste for seasoning and add salt if necessary.
• Transfer the polenta to a serving bowl. Use a spoon to create a shallow well and top with the tomatoes, torn basil, some black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.
• Bring 6 cups of water to a rolling boil in a heavy-bottomed 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting, add the baking soda and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and pour the cornmeal into the water in a very slow stream from a measuring cup, all the while whisking in a circular motion to prevent lumps.
• Cook, vigorously stirring the polenta with a wooden spoon for about 10 seconds once every 5 minutes and making sure to scrape clean the bottom and corners of the pot, until the polenta has lost its raw cornmeal taste and becomes soft and smooth, about 30 minutes. If the polenta looks like it's drying out too quickly, continue cooking with the lid on. Cooked Polenta recipe courtesy of Jeff Mauro.

SUN-DRIED TOMATO POLENTA CAKE

Steps:

• Combine water, cornmeal and salt in heavy saucepan. Cook on low heat 30 min. or until mixture thickens and pulls away from side of pan, stirring frequently. Add Parmesan cheese, tomatoes and 1/4 cup butter; mix well. Spoon into greased 13x9-inch baking pan; smooth top. Cool to room temperature. Cover. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 3 days until firm.
• Cook and stir peppers and onions in 1 Tbsp. of the oil in large skillet on medium heat until tender. Stir in fennel; set aside.
• Cut polenta into 12 squares. Melt remaining 1 Tbsp. oil and 1 Tbsp. butter in large skillet. Add polenta squares; cook until bottoms of squares are lightly browned; turn over. Top each with 1 cheese slice; cover. Continue cooking until bottoms are lightly browned and cheese is melted. Serve topped with the pepper mixture.

CREAMY SUN DRIED TOMATO POLENTA

Steps:

• Place chicken broth and sun-dried tomatoes in a 2-quart bowl, place in microwave. Microwave high on 8 mins, or until broth is simmering. Whisk in instant polenta, cover top of bowl with waxed paper. Continue to microwave 7 minutes whisking twice or until polenta is thickened and smooth. Whisk in sour cream and grated Parmesan cheese until creamy.

SUN-DRIED TOMATO TAPENADE ON POLENTA TRIANGLES

Steps:

• For Tapenade:
• Combine all ingredients in processor. Using on/of turns, process until finely chopped. Transfer to small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
• For Polenta:
• Combine whipping cream, water and salt in heavy medium saucepan. Bring to boil. Gradually whisk in cornmeal. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir until polenta is thick, about 10 minutes. Mix in hot sauce. Season with pepper. Pour into 8-inch square glass baking dish. Chill until cold, about 1 hour. (Tapenade and polenta can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately and chill.)
• Cut polenta into 12 squares. Cut each square in half diagonally, forming 24 triangles. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large nonstick skillet over high heat. Working in batches, add polenta triangles and sauté until golden, adding remaining 2 tablespoons oil as necessary, about 2 minutes per side for each batch. Transfer polenta to paper towels; drain.
• Divide tapenade among triangles. Arrange on platter. Garnish with parsley. Serve at room temperature.

CHEESY SUN-DRIED TOMATO AND OLIVE POLENTA WEDGES

Steps:

• Lightly grease a round sandwich (sponge)cake pan.
• Using a large saucepan, bring the stock to a boil. Add the polenta and reduce to a simmer. Stir constantly for about 10-15 minutes, or until the polenta is very thick.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the cheeses, basil, olives and tomatoes.
• Press the polenta mixture firmly into the prepared tin. Smooth over the top. Cool to room temperature and then refrigerate until firm. this will be at least 2 hours.(This stage can be done a day ahead).
• Cut polenta into 16 wedges. Dust the wedges in flour (use either regular or gluten-free/rice flour)and shallow fry in a large frying pan, until browned and crisp on both sides. Drain on absorbent paper (or use a wire rack) before serving.
• Variation- use a larger tin - that will produce a flatter polenta cake. Cut into squares or wedges. Spray with a cooking oil spray and grill, BBQ or use a health grill.
• Should have 8 serves.

SMOKY CREAMY POLENTA WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATOES

Steps:

• In a heavy bottom pot melt butter. Add onions season with the salt and cook for 3 minutes.
• Add pepper flakes if using, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and cook until the aroma of the garlic is released, about 1 minute.
• Add Broth bring to a boil. Add chipotle sauce.
• Whisk in corn meal adding in a thin stream so not to clump stirring all the while. When all the corn meal is added lower the flame to medium.
• Stir with a wooden spoon till it comes from the sides of the pot. About 30 minutes. Add the brie and stir till melted and blended inches Or just mix so to leave some of the cheese still present!
• Ahh, the goodness of cheese! Watch this polenta change from just polenta to yummy, creamy, comforting polenta!

MEDITERRANEAN GRILLED BALSAMIC CHICKEN WITH OLIVE TAPENADE

Steps:

• Trim any extra fat from the chicken breasts and place in a bowl or a gallon size freezer bag.
• In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil, balsamic vinegars, mustard, garlic, lemon juice, herbs, and salt and pepper. Reserve half of the marinade and add the other half to the bowl or bag with the cihcken. Marinate for at least 30 minutes up to overnight, turning occasionally.
• When ready to grill, bring one side of an outdoor grill to high heat with the other side off.
• Oil the grill grates well and drizzle the chicken breasts with more olive oil, then place the chicken breasts on the hot grill. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until grill marks appear, then flip the chicken and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Move the chicken to the cooler grates of the grill, cover, and cook for 10 minutes. Transfer a few tablespoons of the reserved marinade to another bowl and use it to baste the chicken with and flip. Continue cooking, basting, and flipping until the breasts have an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Move the chicken to the hot side of the grill to add more grill marks and color to the chicken breast but be sure to watch them so the balsamic marinade doesn't burn.The length of cooking time will depend up on the thickness of the breasts but you should count on the whole cooking time to be about 30 minutes.
• Transfer the chicken to a platter and cover with a piece of aluminum foil and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve with olive tapenade, chunks of feta cheese minced herbs and drizzle with any leftover marinade or olive oil.

SUN-DRIED TOMATO & BASIL OLIVE TAPENADE (5 MINUTES!)

Steps:

• Add olives, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, olive oil (starting with lesser amount), and lemon juice to a food processor and mix/pulse to achieve a dip with some texture. Scrape down sides as needed.
• Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more sun-dried tomatoes for tomato flavor, basil for fresh herb flavor, lemon juice for acidity, olive oil to thin, or garlic for bite. Optional: Add a pinch of salt and pepper, though we didn't find it needed it.
• Serve immediately. This makes a great dip on its own or for pairing/layering with hummus. We also love it as a sandwich spread on a veggie sandwich like the Trashy Vegan Sandwich from our Everyday Cooking Cookbook, or our Chickpea Sunflower Sandwich.
• Store in the refrigerator up to 7-10 days. Freeze for long-term storage, though best when fresh.