Basil Polenta with Tomatoes and Goat Cheese

Polenta - (Polente or Poleinte in France) is cornmeal boiled into a porridge,[1] and eaten directly or baked, fried or grilled.

I discovered Polenta a few years back, in its fried form. Admittedly, I was a bit hesitant to try "fried cornmeal", (because how appetizing does THAT sound, really), but turned out to be creamy and delicious. This particular way of serving Polenta acts as a perfect side to most meats and fish.

What You'll Need to Comfortably Serve 2: 

- 1/4 cup of Instant Polenta 

- 3/4 cup of Milk 

- 1tbs butter 

- 1/2 Tomato (use Ugly Ripe, they're delicious) 

- About 1.5 oz of goat cheese 

- 1 tbs of Chiffonade basil

- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated

What To Do:

- Instant Polenta cooks VERY quickly, so have everything prepared before you begin to cook.
- Begin by whisking your milk over a medium heat, let it get hot enough to see steam. Do not let your milk boil.
- Add in Polenta and whisk until thickened to about double the original size.
- Quickly add in butter and half of your parmesan. Whisk until fully mixed together.
- Take off the heat and add your basil, stir in.
- Pour into a bowl, top the hot Polenta with goat cheese, tomatoes and leftover Parmesan.
- Serve while hot! If leaving for leftovers, reheat on the stove with a bit of milk/water.