Pass the Polenta Please

Polenta, Broccoli, and BBQ chicken (recipe to follow)

Polenta. It's something I've seen in magazines but by just looking at it, I couldn't really tell what exactly polenta was. Fast-forward to cooking for a 14-month old who no longer wants to be fed by Mom and Dad, but wants to eat his entire dinner himself (I guess soup's off the menu for now). This recipe is great because it can be eaten hot, warm, or cold. You can make the pieces as big or as small as you'd like. You can also add different spices to change the flavour to better coordinate with dish you are serving with it. I also like it because it's easy to make, and it's a very inexpensive side dish that uses ingredients that I already had at home.  If you have older children at home, they can also help to make it!

Ingredients

½ cup cold water

½ cup yellow cornmeal

1⅓ cup water

¼ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon butter

3 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon olive oil

Lightly grease a 9x9 inch baking pan or dish. 

 

Stir cornmeal and ½ cup cold water in a medium bowl until blended to a thick paste.

In a large saucepan, bring 1⅓ cup water and the salt to a boil. Stir in the cornmeal paste and return to a boil, stirring frequently.

Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the polenta thickens enough to hold the trail of a spoon, 5 to 10 minutes. (It should resemble soft mashed potatoes.)

Remove polenta from heat and add the butter and 2 tablespoons of Parmesan, stirring until the butter is melted.

Working quickly, pour the polenta into the prepared baking pan and spread it evenly with a spatula. Sprinkle the top with the remaining Parmesan.









Let it cool, then cover pan and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until the polenta is chilled through and firm.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. 

Press small cookie cutters into the pan of chilled polenta to cut out shapes.  Or, use a knife to cut bars/strips. Use spatula to transfer the shapes to a lightly oiled nonstick baking pan. 

With a pastry or basting brush, paint the top and sides of each shape with the olive oil. 







Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the polenta shapes are lightly browned, crispy around the edges, and soft inside. Serve warm.

My initial recipe said to use shapes which I did try once, but I found that there was too much waste and the Little Man doesn’t really care what shape his food is right now. Once he’s older, fun shapes might be appreciated more, but for now, polenta bars are what we serve.

You can get your children involved in this recipe too. Let them help to measure out the polenta (tip: put the measuring cup on a cookie sheet to catch the spill over and reduce waste), have them help to sprinkle the Parmesan cheese, let them use cookie cutters to cut out the shapes.  Children who spend time in the kitchen and help cook are less likely to be picky eaters, and will be more aware of how to pick healthy choices.

You can dip the polenta into anything really, marinara or pizza sauce is our favourite. You can also change up the flavour by adding different herbs when you’re cooking it. What flavours have you tried?