GardenFork – Eclectic DIY

Tag: polenta

  • Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Polenta Recipe Video

    Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Polenta Recipe Video

    When you buy too many of those cherry tomatoes at the big store, make this roasted cherry tomatoes and polenta recipe. This recipe takes tired, older cherry tomatoes and concentrates their flavor, drop them on top of a quick pot of polenta, and you have dinner, or part of a big dinner.

    I had bought a large package of cherry tomatoes at the warehouse style food store, the place where you eyes get big and you want to buy lots of stuff because you think its all a good deal, except that you have to cook it all. I have found that buying dried fruits and nuts at the warehouse store is a good deal. I keep them in zipper storage bags and put the nuts in the fridge, they last longer that way.

    The tomatoes sat on the counter for a week – don’t keep them in the fridge – and started to get soft and a bit wrinkled. I cut them in half, put them in an oiled pan, and sprinkled the magic ingredients over them, olive oil and salt. In the oven for 20-30 min, and out come something completely different that what went in there.

    roasted cherry tomato recipe

    The polenta is based on our quick stovetop polenta recipe, using the secret ingredient to cook the polenta faster. Add in some butter, and its a brilliant dish.

    You can top the cherry tomatoes with dried oregano or a mix of italian seasonings, it makes them that much better with little effort. I like to buy the larger container of italian seasoning, it goes on top of lots of foods in our house. Don’t use the best olive oil you have for this, as it is heated, so any subtle flavors are out the window. Use fine salt, not the course kind, as some salt might remain, and not everyone likes to bite down on chunks of salt, ok?

    Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Polenta Recipe Video
    Author: Eric Rochow
    Prep time:
    Cook time:
    Total time:
    Smart use of cherry tomatoes that are getting a bit old on the countertop. This transforms them into a new delicious thing.
    Ingredients
    • 1 package of cherry tomatoes
    • Olive Oil
    • Fine Salt
    • Dried Italian Seasoning Herb mix or Oregano
    • 1 batch of stovetop or microwave polenta, link is above
    • Hard cheese like Romano or Parmesan
    Instructions
    1. Slice all the cherry tomatoes in half.
    2. Place them in a lined and/or oiled sheet pan, ideally they will fill up tray.
    3. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle salt and seasonings on tomatoes.
    4. Roast for 20-40 minutes at 425F. Keep an eye on them.
    5. Cook a batch of the stove top or microwave polenta.
    6. When the tomatoes are oozing liquid and starting to collapse, they are done.
    7. Spoon polenta into serving bowls and top with tomatoes.
    8. You can drizzle more olive oil over the dish.
    9. Grate cheese over top.

     

  • Microwave Polenta Recipe – GF Video

    Microwave Polenta Recipe – GF Video

    Our fav way to cook polenta is with a pressure cooker, but here we show a microwave polenta recipe and a stove top polenta recipe. I call these kitchen hacks, since we are showing you how to get a step ahead in the kitchen and cook polenta faster than you can using traditional methods.
     

     
    Microwave ovens are not all the same, so pay attention the first time you do this. I overflowed the dish in our first test, not a lot of fun to clean this one up!

    microwave polenta recipe

    Polenta becomes transcendent when you add in some butter and Parmesan or Pecorino cheese.

    microwave polenta recipe
    Our first attempt at a Microwave Polenta Recipe

    Microwave Polenta Recipe

    3 1/2 cups of water

    1/8 teaspoon baking soda

    1 cup of polenta or corn grits

    Mix the polenta and baking soda into the water in a large microwave proof bowl.

    Cover with plastic wrap and put in the microwave on high for 5 minutes.

    Remove the plastic and stir the polenta, be careful, the polenta will be real hot.

    Cook for another 5-6  minutes at 75% power, keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t boil over.

    Remove from the microwave and stir, let sit for 5 minutes.

    Add salt and real good cheese and eat.

    Watch our grilled polenta recipe and pressure cooker polenta recipe video here:

    microwave polenta recipe

  • Pressure Cooker Polenta Recipe – GF Video

    Pressure Cooker Polenta Recipe – GF Video

    Here’s our pressure cooker polenta recipe, and it couldn’t be easier, but that’s why we love the pressure cooker.
     

     
    Polenta doesn’t have to be hard to cook. So many people think to make polenta you have to stand over the stove and constantly stir the polenta in a sauce pan for hours and that’s not true. You can use your pressure cooker to make polenta quickly and easily and you don’t have to stir it.

    Our pressure cooker polenta recipe is based on one from Lorna Sass who has several pressure cooker cookbooks I have her Great Vegetarian Cooking Under Pressure book and I like it

    This is a great example of how a pressure cooker can make things go much faster in the kitchen and they taste great of course polenta always taste really good with butter and cheese I especially like pecorino reminder cheese with the polenta

    pressure cooker polenta recipe

    I usually make a double batch of polenta because I like to take the leftover polenta and pour it into an oiled loaf pan to make grilled polenta slices the next day would you can fry up for breakfast lunch or dinner they taste great anytime do you have a favorite polenta recipe or do you use polenta in a dish that you make I like to hear about that in the comments below.

    Watch our Microwave and Stovetop Polenta Recipe Video here:

    polenta recipe video

    Grilled Polenta goes great with a simple tomato sauce, vegetables, or Braised Short Ribs.

    pressure cooker polenta recipe

     

    Pressure Cooker Polenta Recipe

    Quick polenta recipe that doesn’t require constant stirring that uses a pressure cooker. I’ve cooked polenta many ways and i think this pressure cooker recipe is the best and easiest way to do it.

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup
      Polenta or Corn Grits
    • 4 1/2 cups
      water
    • 1 teaspoon
      salt

    Cooking Directions

    1. Take your polenta, also called corn grits and put in the pressure cooker
    2. Add the 4 1/2 cups of water and salt.
    3. Close the pressure cooker and lock the lid.
    4. Bring up to high pressure, and then cook for 5 minutes.
    5. Take the pressure cooker off the heat and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes, allowing for a natural release
    6. When you open the pressure cooker, the polenta needs to be mixed together, best tool for that is a whisk.
    7. If you want to make polenta slices, pour the cooked polenta into an oiled loaf pan and cool overnight.