polenta...what the heck is this stuff?

MommaDalton
MommaDalton Posts: 47
in Recipes
All I know about polenta is that there's ground cornmeal in it and you can serve it a bunch of different ways. How is this stuff good for you? Do you serve it as a side or a main dish? Is it low cal? Low carb? If you could show me how you eat/serve polenta, I'd very much appreciate it :)

Replies

  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    here you go!!


    http://lmgtfy.com/?q=how+to+serve+polenta
  • envy09
    envy09 Posts: 353 Member
    Here's a good look at the calories in the different ways Polenta is regularly served.

    http://www.fatsecret.com/calories-nutrition/food/polenta
  • deedee303z
    deedee303z Posts: 31
    It is, basically, cornmeal that has been cooked down with water until it is super thick. Frequently cooled, sliced, and then recooked. It is reasonably good for you (corn), not particularly low carb though. Fat-free.

    The way I most commonly serve it is sliced, baked, then topped with a little crumbled gorgonzola cheese and put under the broiler just long enough to get all melty. Top with roasted red pepper sauce. Usually as a side dish, although it can be hearty enough for a light meal.

    You can buy polenta in tubes, ready to be sliced and cooked. Some of them are made with quinoa instead of cornmeal.
  • jg627
    jg627 Posts: 1,221 Member
    Placenta? I know animals do it. Does it have a lot of nutrients?
  • juncture
    juncture Posts: 129 Member
    http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2326/crisp-italian-chicken-and-polenta - I really like this recipe for polenta, but I tend to use skinless chicken breasts rather than ones with skins on :)
  • rowdylibrarian
    rowdylibrarian Posts: 251 Member
    I find it especially tasty when I make it with chicken broth instead of water, and include sautéed onions and add a little bit of butter at the very end! Don't buy the premade stuff in the tubes. It's super easy to make and inexpensive.
  • jesswait
    jesswait Posts: 218 Member
    It's very similar to grits.
  • pocketmole
    pocketmole Posts: 614 Member
    I love polenta!

    I love making it both porridge style as well as sliced and recooked. As someone else mention, cooking it with stock imparts a ton of flavor to the polenta. A couple of other ways I've used it are to make baked polenta fries, polenta croutons, and adding it to cornbread recipes for a little more texture.

    I think I'll make polenta for lunch :)
  • explodingalice
    explodingalice Posts: 158 Member
    You can make it all the ways suggested here. I'm not much of a cook, so I heat mine, add a bit of water to it (or milk if you prefer) and mash it into a mashed potato-like consistency. I serve it with tomatoes and snap peas that I sauteed in either olive oil or chicken broth. I love it.
  • misspastry
    misspastry Posts: 109 Member
    Are you slow?
  • misspastry
    misspastry Posts: 109 Member
    I mean that to the guy talking about placenta.
  • MrsWilsoncroft
    MrsWilsoncroft Posts: 968 Member
    Polenta is disgusting
  • jbwegner
    jbwegner Posts: 254 Member
    I love polenta! You can buy the premade stuff in the tube, slice it up and make mini pizzas. Just top the slices with any ingredients you like and bake 'em up. Some ingredients I like are:

    Pizza sauce (duh)
    artichoke hearts
    sundried tomatoes
    Pesto
    Cheese (mozz, feta, parm)
    onion
    peppers
    olives
    grilled chicken
  • Nerdy_Rose
    Nerdy_Rose Posts: 1,277 Member
    I like my polenta with goat cheese and rosemary.
  • AnjaZ89
    AnjaZ89 Posts: 235
    I prepare it with milk or chicken broth and add loads of fresh parmesan!
    We normally have it as a side or cut it into small squares, fry it and throw it into a homemade soup
  • Bob314159
    Bob314159 Posts: 1,178 Member
    see Eggplant Parmesan Bites - YUM

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/779194-eggplant-parmesan-bites-yum
  • monty619
    monty619 Posts: 1,308 Member
    its high carb corn meal... its wut pesant italians ate back in the old country now it can be served in high class restaurants LMAO.. im italian.
  • Bob314159
    Bob314159 Posts: 1,178 Member
    its high carb corn meal... its wut pesant italians ate back in the old country now it can be served in high class restaurants LMAO.. im italian.

    Yep - the land owners found you get more food from corn meal on a plot of land than the rice that used to grow there. So that was used to feed the farm workers - pretty much all meals. A plate of polenta with a small piece of meat shared amongst a while group - grab the mat and run it across the polenra and pass to the next in line

    Also a staple in Romania peasant food - called Mămăligă
  • bloodysore
    bloodysore Posts: 77 Member
    its high carb corn meal... its wut pesant italians ate back in the old country now it can be served in high class restaurants LMAO.. im italian.
    Yes! We took my grandparents to a very nice restaurant for their anniversary. My grandmother literally laughed at the waiter when he came out with little squares of polenta as an appetizer. They still joke about it! (And now make it as their own appetizer).
    My favorite way to have it is made with chicken broth with tons of mozzarella cheese, with tripe stew on top. But I haven't had that since I've been watching what I eat.
  • LifeIsNotADressRehearsal
    LifeIsNotADressRehearsal Posts: 745 Member
    Bump - yum!
  • MommaDalton
    MommaDalton Posts: 47
    thanks you guys!!! i'll definitely be trying polenta soon, as a side dish. but since someone mentioned its high in carbs i'll probably only have a little :smile: reminds me of cornbread...mmm jalapeno cornbread...nom.:tongue:
  • rowdylibrarian
    rowdylibrarian Posts: 251 Member
    We had it tonight with chili over the top of it. It was super tasty!
  • eatathome
    eatathome Posts: 81 Member
    It's good on the grill too.

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