You have likely heard of polenta but maybe never tried it.  If you like corn, give it a try!

Polenta is a gluten-free starch that is quite satiating and best served during the cooler seasons when you are wanting a warming food.  Plain polenta can be served alone or with a full meal as the starch.  It is quick to cook AND there are lots of variations that are fun so be sure to experiment using some of the suggestions listed below.

• Add 1/3 cup of grated pecorino or parmesan cheese to the polenta right after it is cooked.  Serve hot.
• Add 1 cup chopped mushrooms (shitake is good) and/or frozen corn to cooked polenta.  Cook on a simmer for 10 minutes more.  Add cayenne ot hot sauce to taste for a spicier version.  Serve hot.
• Make your favorite tomato sauce (optional to add ground beef, venison, or turkey meat) and spoon over each bowl of hot polenta.
• Make polenta “bread sticks”.  Cook the basic polenta and immediately pour (should be the consistency of thick batter) into a baking pan lined with parchment paper to about 1/2 to 3/4 ” thickness.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.  Once it hardens it will be easy to cut into strips (about 1″ by 4″).  These strips can be “breaded”–melt a Tbsp. of ghee in a baking tray and spread to coat the bottom of the pan.  Place the polenta sticks in the pan and then flip them so that they get coated on both sides.   Optional: sprinkle with grated pecorino or parmesan cheese and bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven until heated through and slightly browned.  Serve immediately as part of a meal or as an appetizer.

Basic Polenta:

Serves 2

1 cup organic polenta yellow corn meal ( found in health food stores)

3 cups water

1 tsp salt

1 Tbsp. ghee

Put corn meal in a saucepan and add the water and salt.  Stir and begin to heat on medium high while stirring.  Once mixture starts to boil lower heat to low and cover with the lid cracked.  Stir every few minutes so the corn meal does not stick or clump simmering for 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and add ghee.  Stir and serve immediately or follow one of the suggestions listed above.