Polenta With Vegetables And Goats Cheese Recipes

Steps:

• Bring 1 quart of water to a boil in a medium-size saucepan. Add salt and slowly add polenta, in a thin stream, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Continue whisking until thick and creamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cheeses and butter. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Bring the stock to a boil in a large, heavy saucepan over high heat. Whisk in the polenta in a steady stream, then decrease the heat to medium. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, more constantly than you would think possible, until the polenta begins to thicken, approximately 10 minutes. (Keep stirring; otherwise the polenta will boil up and may splatter on your hand.)
• Add the cheese and rosemary and stir for approximately 2 minutes. Stir in the butter, season with salt and pepper to taste and serve. It keeps well on the stove, though it thickens as it rests. If cooking before the chops are done, which is a smart idea, either remove from the heat at a thinner consistency or add a little more stock later.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and boil the kettle. In a bowl, mix the garlic and tomatoes with seasoning, then pour into a large baking dish. Place the spinach in a large colander and pour boiling water over until wilted. Rinse in cold water and squeeze out all the excess water you can with your hands. Roughly chop, season, and scatter on top of the tomatoes.
• Slice the polenta, then overlap on top of the spinach. Drizzle with the oil and bake in the oven for 10-15 mins. Scatter over the cheese and return to the oven for 5 mins more, or until the cheese is golden and bubbling.

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir constantly for 1 minute; don't let the garlic brown. Add 3 cups of the water, and bring it to a boil.
• While the water heats, whisk together in a bowl the cornmeal, salt, and 1 cup water to make a smooth mixture.
• When the water in the saucepan comes to a boil, pour the mixture into it. Whisk constantly for 3 minutes to prevent lumps from forming. Turn the heat to low. Cook for 40 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon every 10 minutes. Stir in the corn kernels and cook the polenta 5 minutes more. Stir in the pepper and Parmesan cheese. Pour the polenta into a lightly oiled 8x8 inch pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Chill the polenta in a refrigerator for 1 hour.
• While the polenta is cooling, cut away the stems and center stalks of the kale. Cut the leaves into 3-inch pieces.
• Cut the chilled polenta into 4 large triangles. Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil begins to smoke, carefully add the polenta triangles. Fry the polenta until it is golden brown on the underside, then turn the polenta over and cook it until it is golden brown on the other side. Arrange the polenta on a baking sheet.
• Preheat the broiler on your oven.
• Place the kale and 1/3 cup water into the skillet that was just used to fry the polenta. Cover the skillet and cook the kale over a medium-high heat for 4 minutes.
• Place the tomato slices on top of the polenta triangles. Sprinkle the goat cheese on top of the tomato slices. Broil the polenta until the cheese melts and the tomatoes begin to cook.
• Arrange the kale on a serving platter. Place the hot polenta triangles on top of the kale and serve immediately.

Steps:

• For the spinach, boil a kettle and put half the spinach into a colander. Pour over the hot water until it wilts, then cool completely under cold water. Tip into a clean tea towel, then wring out every last drop of water you can. Repeat with the other half.
• For the polenta, bring the stock to the boil in a large pan, then stir in the polenta in a fine, steady stream, so to avoid any lumps. Keep cooking for 5 mins, stirring all the time, until thick. Stir in the butter, Parmesan, half of the spinach, the nutmeg and plenty of seasoning, then leave to cool for a few mins.
• Meanwhile, slice each cheese into three rounds. Tear off six pieces of cling film, about 30cm across, then, while the polenta is still soft, spoon a sixth onto each square. Nestle the slices of cheese on top, then draw the edges of the cling film around and twist, to make burgershaped polenta cakes with the cheese completely sealed in the middle. Cool and chill for up to 2 days.
• Cut the squash and beetroot veg into finger-tip-wide chunks. Keeping the beetroot separate, put the squash, shallots, 2 tbsp extra virgin oil and half of the garlic and herbs into a large bowl, then rub well and leave to marinate for 1 hr. Do the same with the beetroot, remaining herbs and garlic and 1 tbsp oil.
• Heat a small knob of butter in a large non-stick frying pan, then fry the beetroot, herbs and garlic, for 10 mins on a medium heat, stirring often till starting to colour. Tip into one end of a large roasting tin. Wipe out pan, then repeat with the squash and shallots in a little more butter, browning one-third at a time for 5 mins, until tinged golden. Tip into the other end of the tin. Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Transfer the roasting tin to the oven and roast for 40 mins. The veg can be cooled to room temperature at this stage, then covered for up to 24 hrs and crisped up in a hot oven for 15 mins on the day.
• After 40 mins scatter the sesame seeds over the roasted veg, then tip the veg into a large bowl and keep warm. With the roasting tin over a low heat, splash in the Madeira, bubble it down to 2 tbsp, then stir in the honey, balsamic, soy sauce and a little butter. Simmer until just starting to make a syrupy sauce, then stir in the olive oils. Can be made ahead and re-heated.
• Fifteen mins before serving, heat a little oil and remaining butter in a large non-stick frying pan. Once sizzling, add the polenta cakes and fry on both sides for 5 mins until golden. Fry in 2 batches and keep warm. Re-heat the remaining spinach in a pan for a few secs, with a grating more nutmeg and a good pinch of seasoning.
• Sit the polenta cakes on warmed plates, and top with some spinach. Stir parsley into the dressing. Toss the roasted veg with a few tsp, then pile the veg on top of the polenta. Drizzle a little more dressing over and around, then serve.