Polenta
The internet recommends making your own polenta, but I had a tube of it from Trader Joe’s and I wanted an easy side for a chicken that was already in the oven, so I did the following.
Ingredients
- 1 tube polenta
- rosemary
- garlic powder
- salt
- red pepper flakes
- olive oil
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350° (with convection).
- Generously oil a baking pan or cookie sheet.
- Slice the polenta into ¾" thick rounds.
- Rub the slices around in the oil (both sides).
- Sprinkle with spices. (Go easy on the red pepper flakes if they’re good ones.)
- Bake 20–30 minutes.
Variants
You can fry them in a pan, which I would have done if the oven weren’t already going.
I’ve also spiced them with black pepper, black seed (nigella), sage, and/or savory.
The serving size of instant polenta is ¼ c. Boil a cup of water per ¼ c. polenta, salt to taste, then cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Cook longer if you want it thicker.
You can also microwave a single serving of instant polenta on high for 4–5 minutes (stirring once), optionally with olive oil. Consult the internet for larger quantities.
