I live in Michigan...a.k.a the north. There are lots of things that I did not grow up eating, such as collards, jambalaya, or grits. I have since fallen in love with grits since they are a hearty gluten-free hot cereal that tastes great with a dab of butter and even a dollop of jelly. Now that we live in Flint, I can readily get grits at a restaurant and leave with a belly full of yumminess.
It wasn't until a couple years ago that I was introduced to the wonders of polenta, which is basically cooked yellow corn grits that has been allowed to set up and then cooked again in it's solid form. Sometimes polenta is just eaten freshly cooked, straight out of the pot. We have tried it multiple ways, including out of the pot with a touch of salsa, cheese and a fried egg. That has quickly become a go-to favorite when neither of us feel like cooking after a long day of work. And Bob's Red Mill polenta is great and can be found for a great price at Big Lots!
This past week I made polenta in it's more traditional form, cooking it up and then spooning it into a large circular form to allow the mixture to take shape.
Now I'm really glad my husband bought that mug at Back to the Bricks that would allow him to get cheaper Root Beer every time they were in town. (Once a year if we're lucky.) It's the perfect cylinder, smooth inside all the way up and down. This is key for sliding the formed mass out of its container.
When I cooked up my batch of polenta, it made quite a bit more than I needed, so I had two rounds left over after dinner on the first night. I decided to use them for lunch the next day covered in some tomato sauce and topped with some sliced mushroom, slicked turkey, and cheese. (a.k.a- PIZZA!)
I warmed everything in the microwave, as I was on a time crunch for my Monday lunch. If I had more time I think I would have preferred to warm them in the oven. Either way it was super tasty.
Other recipes that have been new to my palate as well:
Tofu Curry
Labels: In the kitchen, product review
