While attending Culinary School, I purchased a lot of cook books which most of them I have gotten rid of due to lack of interest. During the school year, there were intensive weekend courses that I would attend, they would last 4 weeks, at 6 hrs each Saturday, & would encompass the same work load as a full semester course. One of my favorites was a Healthy Cooking class aimed at tasty dishes that were healthier than their traditional recipes.
My favorite recipe in the book was a dish that included beef tenderloin set atop cheesy polenta, & garnished with chile sauce. I modified the recipe a bit to use some leftover pulled pork & tamed the heat of the sauce by omitting the cayenne powder.
Polenta
4 C Chicken broth or stock
6 oz. Yellow Cornmeal
1/4 C Grated Parmesan (I used a blend of parmesan & cheddar) + more for garnish
2 tsp. Salt
Heat broth/stock to a simmer in medium saucepan. Gradually pour cornmeal into broth, while stirring constantly to avoid clumps. Cook over low heat, stirring nearly constantly, with a wooden spoon, until the polenta pulls away from the sides of the pan, approx. 25 minutes.
Remove from heat, stir in cheese & salt.
Brush sides & bottom of 9x9 pan with water & add polenta to pan. Spread evenly, cool, & cover with plastic until ready to serve.
The first picture shows the cornmeal just added to the chicken broth/stock. The next picture shows the finished product after it has cooked 25 minutes & all of the liquid is absorbed.
The Polenta is spread in a 9x9 pan. You can use a 9x13 pan for smaller slices of polenta.
2 Tbsp. Oil
2 Tbsp. Onion - chopped fine
3 oz. Tomato Paste (half of a small can)
2 tsp. Garlic - minced fine
2 Tbsp. Brown Sugar
2 tsp. White wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. Chile Powder
1 C Chicken broth or stock
3/4 C Beef broth or stock
Heat oil in a small pan over medium, add in the onion & saute until translucent. Add in tomato paste & cook until rusty colored (don't burn!). Add in the garlic, brown sugar, vinegar, chile powder, & chicken broth/stock.
Bring sauce to a simmer, let cook 20 minutes, don't forget to stir! Once thickened, add in beef broth/stock & let simmer an additional 10 minutes. At this point, you can puree the sauce if desired.
For Color:
1/2 Red Pepper - sliced thin
1/2 C Zucchini - sliced thin
1/2 C Yellow Squash - sliced thin
1 tsp. Salt
Saute pepper, zucchini, & squash in a small amount of oil until cooked through, sprinkle salt to finish. *This was omitted in this preparation of the recipe due to not having any of these items, they are a great color addition to the dish and complement the flavors.*
To assemble I cut rounds of Polenta, use a large cookie cutter, top with a small amount of additional parmesan & cheddar mix, set under low broiler just until cheese melts (you could also melt in microwave in 15-20 seconds). Place a small amount of tomato chile sauce on the plate, top with the cheesy polenta, add on the shredded pork (or Beef Tenderloin), sauteed veggies, & garnish the top with more tomato chile sauce.
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