Cheesy Sun Dried Tomato And Olive Polenta Wedges Recipes

CHEESY SUN-DRIED TOMATO AND OLIVE POLENTA WEDGES

Steps:

• Lightly grease a round sandwich (sponge)cake pan.
• Using a large saucepan, bring the stock to a boil. Add the polenta and reduce to a simmer. Stir constantly for about 10-15 minutes, or until the polenta is very thick.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the cheeses, basil, olives and tomatoes.
• Press the polenta mixture firmly into the prepared tin. Smooth over the top. Cool to room temperature and then refrigerate until firm. this will be at least 2 hours.(This stage can be done a day ahead).
• Cut polenta into 16 wedges. Dust the wedges in flour (use either regular or gluten-free/rice flour)and shallow fry in a large frying pan, until browned and crisp on both sides. Drain on absorbent paper (or use a wire rack) before serving.
• Variation- use a larger tin - that will produce a flatter polenta cake. Cut into squares or wedges. Spray with a cooking oil spray and grill, BBQ or use a health grill.
• Should have 8 serves.

CHEESY BAKED POLENTA IN TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Cut out a piece of parchment paper about 16-by-12 inches/40-by-30 centimeters in size and lay onto a clean work surface.
• Prepare the polenta: Add the milk, garlic, 1 1/2 tablespoons oil, 1 teaspoon salt and a good grind of pepper to a medium saucepan. Bring to a bare simmer, stirring occasionally, over medium-high heat. Turn the heat to medium-low and slowly pour in the polenta, whisking continuously, until completely incorporated and there are no lumps. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring all the while with a spatula. When cooked, the mixture should pull away from the sides of the pan and be quite thick.
• Add the Parmesan, stirring for another 30 seconds to melt. Remove from the heat and transfer the mixture to the parchment paper. Use your hands to quickly shape the polenta into a large cylindrical shape, about 13-inches/32-centimeters long. Use the parchment paper to help you tighten the cylinder and then gently roll the whole thing in the paper, tightening as you go, then twisting in opposite directions at both ends. Refrigerate to set for about 1 hour, or longer if time allows.
• Meanwhile, make the sauce: Add the olive oil to a large, ovenproof cast-iron pan that is roughly 11-inches/28-centimeters wide, and heat over medium-high. Once hot, add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 minutes, or until softened and lightly colored.
• Stir in the garlic, red-pepper flakes and oregano, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and their juices, sugar, a scant 1/2 cup/100 milliliters water, 3/4 teaspoon salt and a good grind of pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium-high. Turn the heat down to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes or until the sauce has thickened slightly. Set aside until needed.
• Heat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit/230 degrees Celsius.
• Gently unwrap the chilled polenta and transfer to a cutting board. Trim about 1 inch/2 to 3 centimeters off the ends and then cut the polenta into 24 (1-centimeter-thick) slices.
• Top the tomato sauce evenly with the sliced fontina, then fan out the polenta slices, overlapping slightly, so that they're spiraled to cover the top, leaving a 1-centimeter gap from the edge of the pan. Drizzle the polenta with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until polenta is golden in places and the sauce is bubbling. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes to settle.
• While the polenta cools, in a small bowl combine all the topping ingredients. Sprinkle a handful of the topping over the polenta and serve the remaining in a bowl alongside. Serve warm.

CRISP PARMESAN, OLIVE & SUNDRIED TOMATO POLENTA BITES

Steps:

• Pour the stock into a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the polenta, and stir continuously over a medium heat for 3-4 mins until thickened and just coming away from the edges of the pan. Add the olives, tomatoes, oil and most of the parmesan, and stir for a further minute until well combined. Season.
• Spoon the polenta mixture onto a lined swiss roll tray or baking sheet. Place another sheet of baking parchment on top and roll out to 1cm thick, then remove the top sheet of parchment and scatter with the remaining parmesan. Leave the polenta to cool at room temperature for 1 hr to set. Alternatively, if you're making it ahead, leave to cool and chill for several hours or overnight.
• Once the polenta has set, heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Cut or stamp the polenta sheet into shapes of your choice, and arrange on a baking tray lined with parchment. Bake for 25-30 mins until golden brown and crisp, and serve warm. Will keep for up to a day in the fridge.