Sauteed Polenta with Roasted Tomatoes

It is somewhat frustrating for me to live in a condo where there is no grills allowed. No charcoal, no propane, not to mention that we have an electric stove, in short, no fire! For the past five years I've had access to a gas stove and a charcoal grill, which I used year round, so I'm having a hard time adjusting to a fireless kitchen. Tonight I had a strong urge to roast tomatoes. I really can't say why, but I started having visions of roasting big pans of tomatoes along with zucchini and peppers and whatever other vegetables I could get my hands on. I reminded myself that I still have a a broiler, even if it's electric.
One thing lead to another tonight, the kids were sick, the house had to be picked up, etc, so by the time I had a few minutes to get into the kitchen my visions of roasting huge pans of food just wasn't going to work out. So I scaled down my visions, way down. I ended up roasting two tomatoes in my toaster oven. And the good news is they still tasted great! I cooked a bit of polenta with olive oil garlic and some zucchini and put the tomato over top and had a light , but satisfying meal. This dish would make a great light lunch. I used the quick and easy pre-cooked polenta from Trader Joe's.



Sauteed Polenta with Roasted Tomatoes
serves 1-2

2 roma tomatoes
3 Tbsp olive oil
9 oz pre-cooked Polenta- sliced in 1/2 inch thick pieces
4 cloves garlic-minced
1 tbsp dried sage
1 tsp dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 zucchini- chopped

parmesan cheese
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• Heat a frying pan to medium high with 2 Tbsp of the olive oil
• saute the garlic in the pan for about one minute then add the polenta slices
• Sprinkle the polenta with half of the dried sage and oregano, salt and pepper
• cook for three to four minutes, using a spatula to keep the polenta from sticking to the pan
• Flip the polenta over, add the zucchini to the pan and sprinkle the other half of the sage and oregano, salt and pepper over everything
• Keep stirring the zucchini and polenta, for about 3-4 more minutes, add a bit more olive oil if the pan gets too dry, once cooked through. Cover and set-aside
• Cut the tomatoes in half legnth-wise, place in a pan, sprinkle with oilve oil salt and pepper
• Place the tomatoes in the broiler for about 5 minutes, then flip over and broil on the other side for another 5 minutes
• Serve the polenta on a plate and cover with the sauteed garlic, zucchini and roasted tomatoes, splash a little oilve oil over top and sprinkle with parmesan cheese, enjoy!

Sauteed Polenta with Roasted Tomatoes

Baked Polenta with Spinach and Feta Cheese

I love to cook with spinach and use it quite often, occasionally it is necessary to only use fresh spinach, but I find more often frozen spinach makes a good and practical substitute. It's one of those ingredients that's full of vitamins and versatile enough that I can use for a variety of purposes, I always keep some stocked in my freezer.

I bought a few packages of feta cheese the other day and have been going a bit crazy with it. Feta is one of my favorite cheeses. It reminds me of all of the great Greek restaurants that I used to eat at when I lived in Buffalo, NY. It was this Greek cuisine that I had in mind when I created this quick and delicious Mediterranean dish can be served as a vegetarian main course or as a savory side dish.

Baked Polenta with Spinach and Feta Cheese
Serves 2 (as a main course)

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves of garlic- minced
1 cup of frozen spinach- thawed and drained (or @ 1 lb. of fresh spinach)
1 tsp tarragon
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
Salt and fresh grated black pepper to taste
8 oz of ready to use Polenta , (pre-cooked)
3 oz of feta cheese-crumbled
2 stalks of green onion- chopped
few sprinkles of grated parmesan cheese

6" x 9" baking dish
Aluminum foil
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• Heat a frying pan to medium high heat with the olive oil
• Saute the garlic for about a minute, then mix in the spinach
• Add the tarragon, oregano, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper, mix together and cook for 2 minutes, then put aside
• Pre-heat the oven to 350º
• coat the bottom of a 6" x 9" baking dish with butter or with cooking spray
• Place a 1/2 inch (2.5 cm) thick layer of the polenta on the bottom of the dish
• Spread on a layer of the spinach mixture over top of the polenta
• Sprinkle the crumbled feta cheese over top of the spinach mixture
• Sprinkle the chopped green onion over top of the feta, then finish off with a sprinkle of grated parmesan cheese and a bit more fresh grated black pepper
• Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes at 350º
• After 20 minutes remove the foil and bake uncovered for 10 more minutes (30 minutes total baking time)
• Let cool 10 minutes before serving, enjoy!

Baked Polenta with Spinach and Feta Cheese

Baked Layered Polenta

Last week I took a trip to Trader Joe's to pick up some gluten-free products. I love their gluten-free rice pasta and their gluten free banana waffles which are inexpensive, and great for a quick breakfast. Among other things, I found a package of organic cooked polenta with a gluten-free label so I brought it home to check it out. Here is a link to a video review of the polenta. I have also used San Gennaro Foods organic polenta in the past. I decided rather than saute it like I normally would, I would bake it with Italian style vegetables. The result was reminiscent of a baked pasta dish, but with a more rich complex texture. Years ago I worked at an Italian restaurant, they sometimes served a very good polenta and sage appetizer. So I used this pair as a starting point. The sage got me thinking about other savory herbs, so I added fennel seeds, rosemary and oregano to give this dish the deep rich flavors I like so much in Italian casseroles and stews. I added some dried red pepper flakes which made this too spicy for the kids and my sister in-law (sorry!). If you (or someone your serving) is sensitive to spicy foods I suggest you leave out the pepper flakes. I will definitely make this one again!

Baked Layered Polenta
Serves 3-4

@12 oz pre-cooked Polenta (Trader Joe's comes in a 16oz tube)
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/3 of a medium sized eggplant
1 cup of frozen spinach- thawed or two cups fresh spinach
2 ripe plum tomatoes, or 1 large ripe tomato
4 cloves garlic - minced
1/2 onion - chopped fine
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 large egg
1/4 cup milk
1 Tbsp dried sage
1/4 tsp fennel seed
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 Tsp dried red pepper flakes (optional)
sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

6" x 9" casserole dish
Aluminum foil


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• Cut the eggplant into 1/2 inch thick round slices. Sprinkle with salt, place in a colander and let sit for 40 minutes (to draw out moisture and bitterness)
• Heat half of the olive oil in a pan to medium heat.
• Add the onion to the pan, saute for a minute until soft.
• Add the garlic, sage, fennel seed, rosemary, oregano, basil, salt and pepper and the dried red pepper flakes(optional). Mix all together.
• Add the spinach to the pan, cook for 2 or three minutes. Remove the mixture from the pan, set aside.
• In the same pan, add the other half of the olive oil, heat to medium and saute the eggplant slices, for 2-3 minutes on each side. Set aside.
• Cut the tomatoes in to thin slices, set aside.

• Cut the polenta tube into 1/2 inch round slices, set aside.
• Pre-heat the oven to 350º
• Place a layer of the polenta slices(using half) covering the bottom of a 6" x 9" casserole dish.
• Take half of the spinach mixture and spread it evenly over the polenta layer.
• Using half of the sliced tomatoes, lay down a layer over the spinach.(see picture)
• Lay down a layer of the sauteed eggplant on top of the tomatoes.
• Lay down a layer of Mozzarella cheese (using half) over top of the eggplant.
• Using the remaining polenta, place another layer on top of the cheese.
• Spread the remaining spinach mixture in a layer over the polenta.
• Beat the egg in a bowl with 1/4 cup of milk, spread the mixture evenly over the top layer. • Lay down an even layer of the remaining Mozzarella cheese.
• Place a layer of the remaining sliced tomatoes over top of the cheese.
• Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes, remove the foil and bake for 10 more minutes (45 minutes total).
• Let cool 10 minutes before serving, enjoy!

Baked Layered Polenta