🍅 🌽Simply Delicious, Beautifully Simple 👩🏻🍳
Here is a recipe for the most scrumptious supporting star to your dinner table. It’s as gorgeous to look at as it is tasty to eat. Creamy 🌽 corn grits are cooked into a savory mixture of broth, Parmesan cheese and fresh rosemary then grilled. The Grilled Rosemary Polenta is then topped with a garlicky, sweet and quick sauce made with fresh cherry tomatoes 🍅, garlic and herbs and it comes together in no time. It’s a marriage of two tastes that go so perfectly together and look just as good as they taste. It’s Grilled Rosemary Polenta with Blistered Tomato Sauce.
🌽Polenta
Polenta, or cornmeal or grits, is a staple of cooking as rice is to some. I will say we didn’t have it much when we were young. I do remember my dad buying polenta in firm blocks. He would slice it, then saute it. I don’t recall that I cared for it much. As an adult I was introduced to grits for breakfast by a good friend who grew up in the south. She’s the one who taught me to add butter and have it for breakfast in the creamy form. Ahhh, yes, that’s the ticket!
I make creamy polenta often, especially as a replacement for mashed potatoes. It’s great with short ribs and we’re all familiar with that famous combo of shrimp and grits, right? It’s all good. In this recipe, the creamy grits are allowed to become firm, then sliced and grilled. A lot of polenta recipes are filled with butter, cream and cheese. This one’s pretty good, I use only Parmesan cheese which is a lower fat cheese and only 1 tablespoon of butter. No cream or milk, it’s cooked in vegetable or chicken broth. Here’s how you can make this Grilled Rosemary Polenta with Blistered Tomato Sauce too!
From Cornmeal to Creamy Polenta in 1, 2, 3
Into a medium sized heavy bottom pot, add 4 cups of chicken or vegetable stock and heat to a simmer. Slowly whisking constantly, add 1 cup of stone ground, yellow cornmeal and a pinch of salt.
Reduce the heat to low and let the polenta cook at least 30 minutes.
You will need to stir the pot at least every 4-6 minutes. The cornmeal needs the cooking time to allow the corn to take on the liquid and become tender and soft.
Add 1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh rosemary and 1 tablespoon butter, mix well to melt, then remove from the heat. Add 1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese 🧀.
Spray a 11 x 17 pan with cooking spray, then pour the mixture into the pan. Let the polenta cool completely, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled. At least a few hours and up to a day ahead.
Grill’en Up Some Grilled Rosemary Polenta
To make the Grilled Rosemary Polenta, Remove the polenta from the refrigerator, then cut into squares or triangles, about 16 pieces. Lightly brush the top with olive oil.
Place your indoor grill pan on the cook top and heat on high. Once it’s hot, place the pieces, oiled side down onto the grill pan. Let the polenta grill without touching for at least 5-6 minutes. You want the polenta to get a nice crust on top.
Before flipping, lightly brush the pieces with olive oil, then flip to grill on the other side. Cook another 5-6 minutes, then remove to a platter while you make the sauce.
Sauce’n
This is a very favorite sauce technique. It’s quick and easy and always perfectly delicious.
Into a large saute pan, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and heat on medium high. Once the oil is hot, add 3-4 finely chopped cloves of garlic for about 10 seconds.
Reduce the heat to medium low and add 3 cups of cherry tomatoes. I like the variety of cherry tomatoes, if you can find those in your store, otherwise, all red cherry or grape tomatoes work fine. Let the mixture cook about 5-7 minutes until the cherry tomatoes are starting to burst. Top with a 1/2 teaspoon of granulated sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper, depending on taste.
Plate’n 🍽
Pour the sauce over the grilled polenta, then top with fresh herbs. This is great with either parsley or basil. Top with some freshly grated Parmesan and Enjoy!
Polenta - Grilled Rosemary Polenta With Blistered Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
For the Grilled Polenta
- 4 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth (you can also use water or milk)
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal or grits
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
For the Blistered Tomato Sauce
- 3 cups cherry or grape tomatoes
- 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper (to taste)
- 2 tablespoons freshly chopped herbs such as parsley or basil
Garnish fresh Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
For the Polenta
- Into a medium sized heavy bottom pot, add 4 cups of chicken or vegetable stock and heat to a simmer. Slowly and whisking constantly, add 1 cup of stone ground, yellow cornmeal. Reduce the heat to low and let the polenta cook at least 30 minutes. You will need to stir the pot at least every 4-6 minutes. The cornmeal needs the cooking time to allow the corn to take on the liquid and become tender and soft.
- Add 1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh rosemary and 1 tablespoon butter, mix well to melt, then remove from the heat. Add 1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese. Mix and then pour the mixture into a 11/17 pan that's been sprayed with non-stick spray. Let the polenta cool completely, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled. At least a few hours and up to a day ahead.
- Remove the polenta from the refrigerator, then cut into squares or triangles, about 16 pieces. Lightly brush the top with olive oil.
- Place your indoor grill pan on the cook top and heat on high. Once it's hot, place the pieces, oiled side down onto the grill pan. Let the polenta grill without touching for at least 5-6 minutes. You want the polenta to get a nice crust on top. Before flipping, lightly brush the pieces with olive oil, then flip to grill on the other side. Cook another 5-6 minutes, then remove to a platter while you make the sauce.
For the Sauce
- Into a large saute pan, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and heat on medium high. Once the oil is hot, add 3-4 finely chopped cloves of garlic for about 10 seconds. Next, add 3 cups of cherry tomatoes. I like the variety of cherry tomatoes, if you can find those in your store, otherwise, all red cherry or grape tomatoes work fine. Let the mixture cook about 10 minutes until the cherry tomatoes are starting to burst. Top with a 1/2 teaspoon of granulated sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper, depending on taste.
- Pour the sauce over the grilled polenta, then top with fresh herbs. This is great with either parsley or basil. Top with some freshly grated Parmesan and Enjoy!
