Polenta Stacks With Ham Spinach And Cheese Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and add the polenta in a single layer; brush both sides with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake until golden, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, season the pork chops on both sides with the rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches if needed, add the pork chops and cook until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a separate baking sheet.
• Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet. Add the garlic and cook until just golden, 1 minute. Add the spinach and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until just wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Top the pork chops with the spinach and 1 cheese slice each; bake until the cheese melts, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add the broth to the skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Add the butter and stir until melted. Top the pork with the pan sauce and peppers; serve with the polenta.

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil then add salt, a generous grab from your salt dish, to season up the pasta as it cooks. Carefully add pasta to water and stir then cook to al dente or until pasta is tender but it still has a bite to it in the center - in other words, do not cook it until it is mushy.
• Cut ham into thin, short ribbon-like pieces and separate them into a loose pile. Kids not so good with knives can use kitchen scissors to cut the ham up.
• Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Add butter to the pan and melt it. Add 1 cup cream and warm it up a minute. Add about a cup of cheese, 4 big handfuls or so, and stir constantly for another minute then season the sauce with nutmeg (your SECRET ingredient) and pepper. Taste and add a little salt, if necessary.
• Turn off heat under sauce and add the peas to it. They will warm through in no time. Next, drain the pasta. Kids should have Grown Helpers drain pasta for them. Toss pasta with sauce in the skillet and use tongs to help you pull pasta through sauce until it is coated evenly. Sprinkle in the ham and toss the pasta again to combine it. You can even add a little more cheese, if you say so.
• Wow! Green noodles are even yummier than white ones when you add in the ham and cheese and peas! Yum-o!

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, bring the chicken broth, oil, garlic and 1 1/2 cups water to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and whisk in the polenta. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, about 10 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan, mascarpone, pecorino and butter. Cook, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Fold in the spinach and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes longer. Add 1/4 cup water if the mixture gets too thick.
• Pour the polenta into a large bowl and serve with grated Parmesan over the top.

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.

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:

• Cut the frozen blocks of spinach into small pieces and place in a heavy skillet without water. Cover the pan and heat the spinach just until it is thoroughly thawed. Drain and chop very fine. Blend the chopped spinach with the garlic, lemon juice, salt and olive oil. Oil an oval or square baking dish and put the spinach in the bottom. Top with polenta, dot with butter and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake in a 375°F. oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the polenta is delicately brown. Serve as an accompaniment to beef, veal or pork dishes.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. In a small saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic; cook and stir until tender, 1-2 minutes (do not allow to brown). Stir in vinegar; remove from heat., Place mushrooms in a 13x9-in. baking dish, gill side up. Brush with vinegar mixture; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with polenta and tomato slices; sprinkle with cheese., Bake, uncovered, until mushrooms are tender, 20-25 minutes. Sprinkle with basil.

Steps:

• Cook bacon until crisp in a nonstick skillet. Slice polenta into 8 rounds. In 2 teaspoons bacon fat, cook polenta until crisp. Saute tomatoes until collapsed, then add spinach and wilt. Poach eggs. Top polenta with bacon, tomato mixture, and eggs; season with salt and pepper.

Steps:

• Filling -- In a large sauce pan on medium high heat, add the olive oil, onion, garlic and saute a couple of minutes until tender. Add in the spinach, ham, pepper, salt (but go easy, ham is salty) and cook about 3-4 minutes until everything is well combined.
• Polenta -- In a large pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add the remaining cup to the corn meal and mix well. Then slowly add the corn meal mix into the boiling water and simmer over medium heat for 8-10 minutes stiring all the time until thick and creamy. Remove from the heat.
• Casserole -- Heat your oven to 400 and make sure you butter, not oil your casserole dish well. Now if you are using a spring form pan, line with aluminum foil and then butter the foil.
• Spread 1/3 of the polenta in the dish or pan and then cover with 1/2 of the spinach mixture. Top that with 1/2 of the parmesan and 1/3 of the mozzarella. Next layer -- 1/3 more polenta, then the remaining spinach, then the remaining parmesan and 1/3 more of the mozzarella. Finish off with the last 1/3 of the polenta and the rest of the mozzarella.
• Bake -- 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Make sure you let it rest for 10 minutes.
• If using a spring form, just remove the sides, but a casserole dish works just as well. This can be a side dish or easily a main dish.

Steps:

• Combine milk, 5 tablespoons butter, salt, pepper and nutmeg in heavy large saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat. Gradually whisked in cornmeal. Stir until mixture is very thick and beginning to pull away from sides of pan, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix in ham, 3/4 cup cheese and egg. Transfer polenta to 8 x 8 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Dot with 1 tablespoon butter. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons cheese. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover; refrigerate.)
• Preheat oven to 450°F. Bake polenta uncovered until heated through and beginning to brown on top, about 30 minutes. Cut into squares and serve.

Steps:

• For polenta:
• Bring 2 cups water and salt to boil in heavy small saucepan. Gradually whisk in cornmeal. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until polenta is very thick, whisking constantly, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat. Add cheese and butter; whisk until melted. Mix in basil. Season generously with pepper. Spread in 9x9x2-inch metal baking pan. Chill until cold, about 1 hour.(Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover, keep chilled.)
• For stacks:
• Preheat broiler. Place eggplant on baking sheet. Brush with oil on both sides; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil until brown, about 4 minutes per side. Arrange 12 tomato slices on large plate (discard end slices). Drizzle each slice with a few drops of vinegar. Sprinkle eggplant and tomatoes with oregano.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Oil baking sheet. Cut polenta into 25 squares. Place 12 squares on sheet. Top each with eggplant round. Cut cheese into 1/3-inch thick slices; place atop squares. Top each with tomato slice (save remaining polenta and cheese for another use).
• Bake polenta stacks until heated through and cheese melts, about 15 minutes. Top each stack with 1 basil leaf.