Polentapizzaswithroastedtomatoesandkalamataolives Recipes

POLENTA WITH ROASTED TOMATOES

Steps:

• Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 450. Toss the tomatoes, olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large ovenproof skillet. Roast in the oven until the tomatoes are charred around the edges, about 25 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 but keep the tomatoes inside.
• Meanwhile, bring 5 cups water to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Slowly whisk in the polenta until smooth and creamy. Add 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat, cover and keep warm.
• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Slice the chard leaves into wide strips and the stems into 1-inch pieces. Boil the stems until almost tender, about 5 minutes, then add the leaves and cook until both are tender, about 3 more minutes. Drain the chard.
• Remove the skillet from the oven and place over medium-high heat. Push the tomatoes to one side, add the butter and swirl until the butter is golden brown. Add the chard and toss to coat. Divide the polenta among 4 bowls. Top with the tomatoes and chard. Season the cheese with salt and sprinkle over the top.

POLENTA PIZZA BITES

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler to high. Brush the polenta with the olive oil on both sides and place the disks on a broiler pan covered with foil. Broil until the tops begin to turn golden, about 1 minute (watch closely as broiler heat varies).
• Flip the polenta disks over and spread about 1 tablespoon of the marinara sauce on each one, then top with cheese and other toppings (if using). Broil until the cheese is golden and bubbly, about 1 more minute. Let cool a few minutes and serve.

BAKED POLENTA WITH FRESH TOMATOES AND PARMESAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Grease an 8x8 inch baking dish.
• Place the water, milk, and butter in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the polenta and stir with a wooden spoon until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup Parmesan cheese and 2 chopped basil leaves; season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the polenta to the prepared baking dish and arrange the remaining chilled pieces of butter over the top.
• Bake the polenta in the preheated oven until bubbly and beginning to brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven.
• Decoratively arrange the slices of tomato over the top of the polenta, spread the remaining basil leaves over the tomatoes, and sprinkle with 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.
• Return to the oven and bake until the tomatoes are warm and the Parmesan cheese is bubbly, 5 to 10 minutes.

POLENTA PIZZAS WITH ROASTED TOMATOES AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Line 15x10-inch rimmed baking sheet with foil. Combine 4 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt in heavy large saucepan. Bring to boil. Gradually add polenta, whisking until smooth. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook until polenta thickens and pulls away from sides of pan, whisking frequently, about 30 minutes for polenta and 15 minutes for yellow cornmeal. Whisk in butter and 1 teaspoon oregano. Pour out polenta onto prepared baking sheet; spread evenly to edges of sheet. Chill until firm, at least 2 hours or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 300°F. Line another large baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange tomato slices in single layer on prepared sheet. Sprinkle tomatoes with 1/2 teaspoon sugar, then some salt. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil. Roast until tomatoes are tender but sides are firm and slices still hold together, about 2 hours. Cool. (Polenta and tomatoes can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately and chill.)
• Preheat oven to 450°F. Line another large baking sheet with parchment paper. Using 1 3/4- to 2-inch-diameter cookie cutter, cut out 24 rounds from polenta. Place rounds in single layer on prepared sheet. Top each round with 1 tomato slice. Sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon oregano. Top each with 2 or 3 olive halves. Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons oil, then sprinkle with Parmesan.
• Bake polenta pizzas until heated through and cheese melts, about 10 minutes. Serve warm.

SIMPLE POLENTA PIZZA

Steps:

• Start by making the polenta. In a skillet or saucepan on medium to high heat, bring the water and salt to a boil. Then add the polenta, cook for a minute and then turn the heat down to low. Important: use a whisk to constantly mix the cooking ingredients to avoid sticking.
• Once the polenta has somewhat thickened you can cover it and allow it to continue to cook for another 25-30 minutes or until the polenta has become thick and creamy, continuing to whisk as needed.
• While the polenta cooks you can prepare the baking sheet or pizza pan. Prep this sheet or pan with some Parchment Paper that is sprinkled with the additional polenta (about 1 tablespoon should be needed for this).
• Remove the polenta from the stove and stir in any additional seasonings. Then you can transfer the polenta to the prepared baking sheet or pizza pan. The crust should be 1/3-1/2" thick.
• Cover the crust with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour or up to a day. The crust should be firm when removed from the refrigerator.
• When you are ready to make your pizza, remove the pizza crust from the refrigerator. Also, remove the plastic wrap. Preheat your oven to 450. Sprinkle the olive oil over the crust and bake it for 10-12 minutes or until it begins to become crisp and brown around the edges.
• Remove the crust from the oven and top with your desired toppings.
• Return the topped pizza to the oven and bake until done, about 12-15 minutes.

SAUTEED POLENTA WITH ROASTED TOMATOES

Steps:

• For the polenta: Bring 6 cups water and the salt to a boil over high heat in a medium (6-quart) heavy-bottom pot. Bring remaining 4 cups water to a simmer over medium heat in a small saucepan.
• Gradually add polenta to the large pot while whisking constantly. Switch to a wooden spoon once mixed in with no lumps. Cook until cornmeal has absorbed all of the water, about 3 minutes. Lower heat until only one or two large bubbles break the surface at a time (over medium-low or low, adjusting heat as necessary).
• Stir 2 ladles of simmering water into polenta and cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until water has been absorbed, about 5 minutes. Continue to add 2 ladles of water every 5 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent polenta from scorching and waiting for it to be absorbed before adding more, until polenta is creamy and just pulls away from sides of pot, about 45 minutes. (It may be necessary to adjust heat.)
• Stir in butter and season with pepper. Use a damp spoon or ladle to transfer polenta to a parchment-lined small rimmed baking sheet and chill until firm.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees for the tomatoes.
• Make the tomatoes: In a shallow baking dish, combine garlic, tarragon, sugar, vinegar, and oil. Add tomatoes and toss to combine; season with salt and pepper. Transfer to oven and bake until soft, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• To finish: Invert chilled polenta onto work surface and remove parchment paper. Trim edges and cut polenta into 4 inch squares. Cut squares in half on the diagonal to form triangles. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium saute pan. Sear triangles on each side until light golden, about 2 minutes per side. Serve polenta with roasted tomatoes and fresh ricotta. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and olive oil, and sprinkle with fleur de sel.

POLENTA PIZZA CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray. Cut the polenta log into 9 slices.
• Arrange polenta rounds in an even layer in the bottom of the dish. Spoon marinara sauce over the top, then scatter with oregano and garlic salt. Arrange the peppers and pepperoni over the sauce, then top with the cheese and bake until hot throughout and bubbly, about 35 minutes. Serve hot.