Soft Polenta With Mushrooms And Spinach Recipes

SOFT POLENTA WITH MUSHROOMS AND SPINACH

Steps:

• In a pan, bring 3 cups water to a boil with a pinch of salt. Stir with a whisk as you sprinkle the polenta into the boiling water. Let the mixture cook for 3-5 minutes, or for the time given in the packet instructions. Add extra (boiling) water if necessary, the polenta should be nice and soft. Grate in nearly all of the Parmesan. Taste and season with freshly ground pepper and more salt, if necessary.
• When cooked, pour half of the polenta onto a flat plate that you've greased with olive oil, cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for tomorrow.
• While the polenta cooks, sauté the mushrooms in a small splash of olive oil over a medium-high heat for around 10 minutes. Add the garlic at the end and cook briefly, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Remove the mushrooms from the pan and add the spinach. Stir-fry the spinach until just wilted. Remove the spinach from the pan and fry an egg (you might need to add another small splash of olive oil).
• Stir the butter into the cooked polenta and spoon it into a deep plate. Arrange the mushrooms and spinach on the polenta and top with the fried egg. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Top with the rest of the Parmesan, in slices.

POLENTA WITH MUSHROOMS AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°. Brush both sides of polenta slices with 1 tablespoon oil; place on a 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Bake 20-25 minutes on each side or until crisp., Meanwhile, in large skillet, heat remaining oil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and shallot; cook and stir 12-14 minutes or until liquid has evaporated and mushrooms start to brown. Add sherry; cook, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan., In a small bowl, mix flour, salt and pepper; stir in broth until smooth. Stir into pan. Cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Add spinach; cook and stir over medium-low heat until slightly wilted, about 2 minutes., Arrange polenta on a platter; top with mushroom mixture.

SOFT POLENTA

Steps:

• Add 4 1/2 cups water, 1 tablespoon salt and the olive oil to a medium saucepot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Whisk in the cornmeal in a steady stream, until it is all incorporated and smooth.
• Reduce the heat to medium low and continue to cook at a simmer until the polenta is creamy and fully hydrated, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Take the saucepot off the heat and whisk in the butter and Parmesan. Season with additional salt and pepper. Transfer the polenta to a large serving bowl and serve.

MUSHROOM POLENTA

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add 8 ounces sliced cremini mushrooms, season with salt and brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon each butter and fresh thyme and 1 minced shallot; cook 30 seconds. Meanwhile, simmer 3 cups mushroom broth and a pinch of salt in a saucepan. Whisk in 3/4 cup quick-cooking polenta; stir until thickened, 5 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan; season with salt and pepper. Top with the mushrooms, chopped parsley, more Parmesan and pepper.

CREAMY POLENTA WITH MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• For the polenta, bring 4 1/2 cups water and the milk to a high simmer in a medium-size heavy saucepan set over medium-high heat. Add salt. Pour the cornmeal slowly into the liquid, stirring with a wire whisk to prevent clumping. Continue stirring as the mixture thickens, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Turn heat to low. Cook for approximately 40 to 45 minutes, stirring every 5 to 10 minutes. If the polenta becomes quite thick, thin it with 1/2 cup water, stir well and continue cooking. Add up to 1 cup more water as necessary, to keep the polenta soft enough to stir.
• Add the butter to pot, and stir well. Add the Parmesan, if using. Taste for seasoning. Set the covered saucepan in a pot of barely simmering water, and keep warm for up to an hour or so.
• Meanwhile, put the dried mushrooms in a small bowl, and cover with about 1/2 cup boiling water. Allow to steep for 20 minutes. Remove the mushrooms, and pat dry, then chop roughly. Reserve the mushroom stock.
• Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a sauté pan set over high heat until it has melted. Add the garlic and cook until it starts to sizzle, about 30 seconds. Do not let the garlic brown.
• Add the fresh and reconstituted mushrooms and thyme to the pan, and sauté 3 to 4 minutes, turning until browned. Add about 1/4 cup of the mushroom stock to deglaze the surface, using a wooden spoon to scrape at the browned bits. Allow the stock to reduce by half, then turn the heat to medium-low and add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter, whisking to combine, followed by the soy sauce, cream and olive oil. Allow mixture to cook until it thickens a little, then remove from heat. Taste for seasoning, adding black pepper, if desired.
• Put the polenta in a warmed bowl, then top with mushrooms and the sauce. Serve immediately.

CREAMY POLENTA & MUSHROOM RAGOUT

Steps:

• Soak the dried mushrooms in 150ml warm water. Set aside for 20 mins, then drain and squeeze, reserving the soaking liquid. Heat the butter in a large frying pan. When sizzling, add the shallot and cook for a few mins until soft. Add the garlic and thyme leaves, cook for 1 min more, then turn up the heat and add the soaked mushrooms. After 1 min, add all the other mushrooms and fry over a very high heat for 5 mins until soft. Splash in the red wine and boil rapidly for 1 min. Pour in the stock and reserved mushroom liquid, and simmer for 15 mins until you have a thickened stew. Turn off the heat.
• For the polenta, bring the milk to the boil with 500ml water, the bay and thyme. Turn off the heat and leave to infuse for 20 mins, then fish out the herbs and bring back to the boil. Add the polenta in a steady stream, whisking steadily. Cook for 1 min until thickened, then stir in the butter and Parmesan. Spoon a 'crater' of polenta onto a baking tray and fill with the ragout. Top with slices of Taleggio, place under a hot grill until melting and oozy, then let everyone help themselves.

POLENTA WITH MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Put the dried mushrooms in a medium bowl and pour in the boiling water. Press them down into the water now and then until they are soft, anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes depending on how dry they were. When it's time to cook them, lift them out of the water with your hands or a slotted spoon and chop them roughly. Reserve the soaking water.
• Put the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When it's hot, add the soaked dried and fresh mushrooms and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are tender and have released all their liquid. 10 to 15 minutes.
• Add the wine and let it bubble away for 1 minute, then stir in the garlic, 1/4 cup of the parsley, and 1 cup of the reserved soaking water. Cook until the liquid thickens a bit, another 2 or 3 minutes, then taste, adjust the seasoning, and turn off the heat under the skillet.
• Put the polenta in a medium pot with 1 cup water and whisk to form a smooth slurry. Whisk in the milk and a pinch of salt and set the pot over medium-high heat. Heat until the mixture boils then lower the heat to medium and cook, whisking frequently adding more water a little at a time to prevent lumps and keep the mixture somewhat soupy. Expect to add another 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups of water before the polenta is ready. The polenta will be done in 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the grind. It will be thick and creamy, with just a little grittiness, and the mixture will pull away from the sides of the pan when you stir. When the polenta is done, turn the heat under the mushrooms to medium to warm them quickly.
• Stir the butter and cheese into the polenta then taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve the polenta topped with the mushrooms and garnished with the remaining 1/4 cup parsley.
• Cooks' Notes
• Soaking Dried Mushrooms: The time needed to soften mushrooms depends on their size and age. They're ready when you can cut one easily with a paring knife. You want to reserve the soaking liquid but leave the grit behind, so lift out the mushrooms rather than pouring to drain them.
• Making The Sauce: When the mushrooms are tender and the wine has bubbled away, stir in the garlic, parsley, and soaking water.
• Making Polenta by the Slurry Method: When the slurry just starts to boil, turn it down a bit so it bubbles gently. Add more water or stir with a wooden spoon.
• Recognizing Doneness: When the polenta starts to pull away from the pan and is no longer gritty, it's time to stir in the butter and Parmesan.

SOFT POLENTA WITH MUSHROOM RAGU

Steps:

• Place dried mushrooms in a medium bowl; add 4 cups warm water. Let soak until soft, about 30 minutes. Drain in a sieve lined with a paper towel or coffee filter, reserving liquid. Squeeze mushrooms to remove excess liquid; roughly chop.
• In a 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Cook onion, stirring often, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add fresh mushrooms; season with salt and pepper. Cover; cook until mushrooms release their juices, about 10 minutes. (If mushrooms begin to brown, add up to 1/4 cup water.)
• Uncover; raise heat to high. Cook, stirring often, until liquid evaporates and mushrooms brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Add dried mushrooms, thyme, sherry, and tomato paste; cook until pan is dry, about 2 minutes. Stir in reserved liquid. Simmer, partially covered, until sauce has thickened, about 25 minutes. Stir in vinegar. Serve over soft polenta (see below).
• To make soft polenta: In a small bowl, whisk together the yellow cornmeal with 1 cup cold water. In a medium saucepan, bring the remaining 3 1/4 cups water, coarse salt, and ground pepper to a fill rapid boil. Gradually stir in cornmeal mixture. Simmer, stirring frequently, until mixture is thick, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in grated Fontina cheese and butter until melted.

POLENTA MUSHROOM APPETIZERS

Steps:

• In a large heavy saucepan, bring the broth, milk and salt to a boil. Reduce heat to a gentle boil; slowly whisk in cornmeal. Cook and stir with a wooden spoon for 15-20 minutes or until polenta is thickened and pulls away cleanly from the sides of the pan. Stir in cheese., Spread into a greased 11x7-in. baking dish. Cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Cut polenta into 16 pieces, then cut each diagonally in half to make 32 triangles; place on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes or until light golden brown., For mushrooms, saute mushrooms in oil and butter until tender. Add the garlic, thyme, salt and pepper; cook 1 minute longer. Add wine and lemon juice; cook and stir until liquid is almost absorbed., Top each triangle with 1-1/2 teaspoons mushrooms; sprinkle appetizers with cheese. Serve warm.,

POLENTA WITH FETA AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Prepare the polenta by boiling the water with the salt and butter or olive oil then adding the polenta in a steady stream while stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Continue cooking and stirring for about 5 minutes (longer if you don't have the quick-cooking variety).
• Spoon into shallow bowls and crumble feta cheese over the top and sprinkle with pepper.
• Bring the spinach to the table in a separate bowl. Take as much spinach as you want/as will fit on top of your polenta and EAT getting a little polenta, cheese and spinach in each bite.
• You can substitute chicken stock or vegetable stock for the water for more flavor but scale back the salt if you do. You can also add onion powder to the polenta or chopped green onion to the spinach. It is pretty versatile.