Recipe Countdown Day 5: Golden Polenta
June 23, 2009
Golden Polenta and Egg with Mustard Sauce
[Image and Recipe courtesy of Delish.com]
Ingredients
* 1/2 cube(s) low-fat plain yogurt
* 1/3 cup(s) reduced-fat mayonnaise
* 1 tablespoon(s) Dijon mustard
* 1 tablespoon(s) lemon juice
* 1 tablespoon(s) water
* 1 pound(s) green beans, trimmed
* 4 eggs
* 2 teaspoon(s) extra-virgin olive oil
* 12 ounce(s) prepared polenta, sliced into eight 1/2-inch rounds
Directions
1. Combine yogurt, mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice and water in a small bowl.
2. Bring 6 cups of lightly salted water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add green beans and cook until just tender, 4 minutes. Remove the green beans with a slotted spoon and divide among 4 plates.
3. Return the water to a boil; place eggs, one by one, in the boiling water and set the timer: 5 minutes for a soft-boiled egg, 8 minutes for hard-boiled. When cool enough to handle, peel and slice the eggs in half.
4. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, add polenta rounds in a single layer and cook, turning once, until crispy and golden, about 4 minutes per side. Place 2 polenta rounds on each plate and keep warm. Add the reserved sauce to the pan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly to avoid scorching, until heated through, about 3 minutes.
5. Divide the polenta rounds among the plates, top with egg halves and drizzle with the sauce. Serve immediately.
The recipe calls for prepared polenta, so I’m guessing that really just means to buy a box of the uncooked stuff and prep it yourself. Tempted to use metal cookie cutters on the stovetop to make these “rounds.”
And the green beans are going to get the lemon treatment when cooked, I just can’t resist tarting up the green beans a smidge.
I’ve never tried polenta, surprisingly! But you can buy it at Trader Joe’s and you don’t even need a cookie cutter to make it round as it’s already in a cylindrical shape.
L.A.Daze: I can’t remember the last time I had any, but it definitely sounds good. Thanks for the TJ’s tip!
I was going to say TJs too, it’s in the italian section with the pasta and sauces. But it’s not that great, add salt cause it needs it.
NEVER BUY PRE-MADE POLENTA.
It’s just cornmeal, water and some dairy fat (milk, cream, butter, or cheese).
It takes about 50 cents to make a pot of it and about 20 minutes to cook if you are on a short schedule. (Slightly longer is better to soften less than perfectly milled corn.)
If want a nice shape on it, make it a day ahead. Cool it down a bit, pour into a heavy Rubbermaid container and put it in the fridge. It will solidify into a nice slab you can cut into blocks. It’s best to use the flat box shape. If you really want rounds, then use a cookie cutter.
I say to use a Rubbermaid container because I don’t think the cheaper disposable containers will hold up quite as well to hot polenta. (But yes, I do own their stock too! lol) A metal pan could work too. I just find the plastic easier b/c it already has a lid to keep off other fridge smells.
BTW, love the recipe. I will have to try this sauce.