Polenta, is a classic Italian side dish is made by boiling cornmeal until it is smooth and creamy. It can be served in this porridge-style underneath a hearty braised meat dish, or it can solidify and be used on the grill, baked or even fried. Luckily, most supermarkets these days carry tubes of prepared polenta which can simply be sliced and pan-seared or grilled like I did in this flavorful side dish.
Two of my favorite ways to top grilled rounds of polenta is with sauteed broccoli rabe flavored with white wine and loads of fresh garlic, and this way, with a balsamic mushrooms topping flavored with fresh herbs and finished off with crumbled Gorgonzola cheese. Serve this dish over peppery arugula for a hearty vegetarian dinner idea, or as a side dish to a grilled fish or shellfish dish.
(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)
Grilled Polenta Cakes with Balsamic Mushrooms & Gorgonzola
Ingredients:
- (1) store-bought 18 oz. tube of polenta, cut into 1/2-to-3/4-inch thick rounds
- olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 8 oz. mixed gourment mushrooms
- salt and pepper
- 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- For serving: crumbled Gorgonzola cheese and fresh arugula greens
Directions:
- Heat a large non-stick saute pan with a touch of olive oil over medium-high heat. Place the sliced polenta in the hot pan and sear for 1 minute per side, flipping once. Remove from the pan.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter and 1 more Tablespoon of oil; next, add in the mushrooms, garlic, chopped rosemary; season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a grinding of black pepper. Saute for 5-7 minutes or until the mushrooms have lost most of their water. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add in the wine. Cook for 3 more minutes; next, add in the balsamic vinegar and cook over low heat for 5 more minutes. The liquid will begin to get a touch syrupy which is nice.
- Arrange the arugula on a serving plate. Top with the grilled polenta rounds and then the mushroom sauce. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and the crumbled cheese. Serve warm.
Tagged: Arugula, balsamic mushrooms, balsamic mushrooms with blue cheese, balsamic vinegar, blue cheese, fresh parsley, fresh rosemary, Gorgonzola cheese, gourmet mushrooms, grilled polenta, grilled polenta with balsamic mushrooms, Italian, mushrooms, organic polenta, polenta, polenta log, prepared polenta
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