Versatile, Nutritious, Delicious: Polenta from Roland Foods

Contact:  Corinne Fay
The Lisa Ekus Group
413.247.9325
lisaekus@lisaekus.com

Tired of cooking up rice and vegetables for yet another Tuesday evening meal? Looking for a gluten-free alternative to pasta to pair with a hearty Italian dish? Want to find a way to bring more nutrition into sugary, high-calorie desserts?

Roland® Polenta, a staple food in Northern Italy, is versatile, healthy, and delicious, and can be just the ingredient necessary to spice up a weeknight meal or impress weekend dinner guests.  Made from ground yellow or white corn, polenta is prepared by boiling to a paste in water or other liquids such as chicken stock or heavy cream.

A gluten-free and vegetarian food, polenta is a great way to bring more protein and vitamins into your diet. Polenta has about 8.1 grams of protein per serving—that’s more protein than found in an egg! Polenta is a rich source of Vitamin A and C and is also chock full of minerals such as potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium.

Polenta can be served as a base for any of your favorite entrees, served as a simple side dish, or can be grilled, fried or baked to create uniquely delicious appetizers or nutritionally dense desserts. Try one of our serving suggestions below!

• Bake Roland® Polenta in a baking pan, layered with tomato sauce, zucchini, red pepper, onions, mozzarella, and ricotta cheese for a fresh spin on a classic casserole dish.
• Combine Roland® Polenta with fresh herbs, butter, and parmesan cheese. Chill, cut into thin rectangles, and pan or deep fry to make delicious, healthy “fries”.
• Use Roland® Polenta in desserts such as lemon-polenta cake or chocolate-polenta pudding.
• Grill up leftover Roland® Polenta to make corn cakes.  Perfect alongside fried eggs and salsa for breakfast!

1 cup   Roland White Polenta
4 cups             Chicken or Vegetable Stock
1 cup   Reggiano Parmesan Cheese, grated or shaved
4 Tbsps. Butter
10 oz.  White Mushrooms, thickly sliced
4 Tbsps. Roland® extra virgin olive oil
¾ tbsp. Fresh Thyme (or ¼ dried Thyme leaves)
4 cloves Garlic, minced
4-5 cups Mixed Garden Greens: Arugala, Swiss Chard, Spinach or Kale
Roland® Sea Salt, to taste
Black Pepper
Garnish with additional Parmesan cheese or Toasted Pine Nuts

In a medium skillet, heat 2 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp Roland Extra Virgin Olive Oil.  Add 2 cloves minced garlic and sauté 1-2 mintues.
Add sliced mushrooms and fresh thyme, sauté until nicely browned and keep warm over low heat while polenta is cooking, to allow moisture to be released.
Season with Roland Sea Salt.
White Polenta: Bring chicken stock to a boil in a large pan.
Slowly pour in the Roland White Polenta stirring continuously with a wooden spoon to avoid lumps.
Continue stirring over low heat until white polenta becomes creamy and begins to leave sides of pan, approximately 10-12 minutes.
Remove from heat. Stir in 2 Tbsp of butter. Mix thoroughly, then add Parmesan cheese and continue stirring until melted and polenta is creamy. Cover and keep warm.
Garden Greens: In a separate skillet, heat 3 Tbsp Roland Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Add 2 cloves garlic and sauté lightly. Add fresh greens to pan and sauté quickly, 2-3 minutes until cooked through and green color is preserved.
Sprinkle with Roland Sea Salt.
TO SERVE: Spoon warm polenta onto serving platter.
Top with sautéed greens, then buttery mushrooms.
Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese or toasted pine nuts and freshly ground black pepper.