Two Polenta Dishes

If you're a vegetarian and hate the sight of "bloody hunks of meat," don't leave yet. Let me explain further.

I've been having an "off-blog" conversation with two of my regular blog visitors about polenta. I've blogged about polenta before, which is how this came about. As it happens, I made two different (but similar) polenta dishes tonight.

I often, if not usually make them with no meat. These two happen to have meat. But hold on . . .

This polenta happpens to be the kind you buy in a tube--it's available at Wegman's, Giglio's and elsewhere. You slice it and fry it in olive oil, with garlic, onions, olives. Or whichever of those you like, until the edges turn brown. This takes quite a long time--a keep forgetting to notice how long, but longer than it seems it should. You can use homemade polenta just as well. This is quicker if you work or are otherwise busy.

Then, serve with bruscetta, salsa, marinara or your sauce of choice. Lots of cheese helps provide a whole prodein.

The top dish is made with grilled streak sliced in strips after grilling, bruscetta, freshly grated cheeses. Parmesean, Romano, cheddar and others. It is made in a pile with the fried polenta at the bottom, then a vegetable medley stirfry with asparagus and yellow squash, then the steak, then the bruscetta, then the cheese. You can buy fresh bruscetta already made, or make your own.

The second dish is a similar series only using grilled sliced lamb and peach-pinapple salsa instead of steak and bruscetta. Both of these dishes are yummy, delicious and wholesome with or without meat.

I am going on another store tour tomorrow (Thursday) with ML. Have a great day, be healthy and eat well!