A Polenta Thread?
 

I'm going to try making polenta today. For the next few days I'll try different ways of preparing and eating it.

Do you make or eat polenta? Do you have recipes or serving suggestions?

OOOH. Susan - I'm in on this polenta experiment with you.
You just gave me an idea.
I was thinking about tamales. I was thinking about tamales right when I read your post with the word "polenta" and a part of an imaginary head-lightbulb lit up.
Polenta is Italian, and Tamales are Latin American, but they have that similar flavor, and polenta is made with a lot less fat. But why should polenta be reserved for Italian flavors? I am now thinking a Mexican themed sauce over a corn-based thing that is made more like polenta than like a tamale.
I'd be happy to compare kitchen lab books with you!
jo

I made polenta last night. I baked it in the oven and then covered with an homemade italian sauce.

One of my favorite super-diet meals (practically no calories) is a giant veggie ratatouille served over polenta. I don't remember exactly how I made the polenta; I think I cooked it stove-top and then let it set in a brownie pan, and maybe baked it. It's a delicious dinner.

I made mine stovetop. It got very thick. Ds#2 (20 yo) stirred it for the last few minutes. I need to get a big wooden spoon and a stepstool!
I patted it into an 8x10 container. In just a few minutes of cooling it was a nice firm texture.
I fried it in a nonstick pan with a bit of olive oil. I enjoyed it plain but agree with my fella's that some sauce would be good.

How do you make polenta yourself? I bought mine from Trader Joe's already prepared.

I make Indian, Mexican, Thai and Italian polenta. I also have experimented with other flavor blends but the above worked well and were nutritious.

Indian: Curry spices, onions, garlic (or/and asafoetida), fresh cilantro, chickpeas

Mexican: Black beans, pinto beans, corn, green chilies, zucchini, garlic, onions, green onions, vegan cheese then I top it with salsa

Thai: Cilantro, coriander, THAI (not Indian) green or red curry spice, garlic, onions, carrots, coconut milk

Italian: White beans, garlic, onions, tomatoes, basil then I top it with marinara sauce

I add lots of other veggies and spices to the above when I have them.

As with almost everything I think of these days ... I googled.

I poured cornmeal slooooowly into boiling water and stirred and stirred and stirred. There are fancier recipes but I wanted low fat. Sometime after I see how long it takes to eat this batch, I may try egg whites in it somehow and look for different cornmeals.

Like Soulblisss indicates, the possibilities are almost endless.

I found something interesting...
http://italianfood.about.com/od/pole...aa030498_2.htm

It mentions that you can crockpot it and avoid the stirring...

Here is also a recipe for polenta using chickpea flour..

http://italianfood.about.com/od/primivari/r/blr0687.htm

In the winter when the house is cooler, I think it'd be great to make smaller batches of flavoured polenta in the oven. I often have it on for meat or sweetpotatoes or a casserole anyway.

Hmmm, Nelie, I'd be skeptical of the no-stir method. I've found tha cornmeal always needs stirring. Susan, don't be afraid to add more hot water to thin it a little. It'll still firm up as it cools. My very favorite cornmeal dish is spoonbread, but it involves a lot of eggs and butter :drool: My DH will eat cooked cornmeal, thinner than for polenta, as a hot cereal. Of course, he adds molasses or maple syrup.....

Looove polenta - I make it with a spicy chicken sausage tomato sauce.

See? I said it needs a sauce!!! This sounds very yummy and a great alternative to pasta.

AHA! Tonight? turkey sausage, tomato stuff and polenta!

The tomato stuff? onion, garlic, peppers, yellow squash in cubes. When in doubt start with onions peppers and garlic ;)

Oh I really like Polenta. I usually make mine like Cornmeal Mush. We'd slice it up, fry in a wee bit of butter or olive oil then top with maple syrup. Ok not the healthiest w/the butter and syrup but if I'd make it now I'd probably use the lite kind. I've always wanted to try it w/the marinara etc. but DH is not a Polenta fan so I hate to just make for myself. I may in the future though just make a smaller batch. Thanks for starting this thread!