Grilled Polenta Salad With Cherry Balsamic Glaze
Ok so it’s summer and the grilling continues! However, if you don’t have a grill or it's too cold outside, you can use a stove top grill! This is actually what I used for this recipe to show you just how good your food can turn out and also get those grill marks I’m such a sucker for!
Polenta is one of the simplest yet most delicious food in my opinion. It's like a sponge, in that it takes on the flavor or whatever you choose to season and cook it with! Do not be intimidated by polenta, it's simply cornmeal. You can dress it up so many ways. In this case, I used olive oil, rosemary, garlic powder, salt, pepper, dried basil and CHERRY BALSAMIC GLAZE!
Ingredients:
-One package of polenta (pre made and wrapped in a tube like shape)
-Asparagus (I used green and white)
-Mushrooms
-Yellow cherry tomatoes
-Dried Rosemary
-Dried basil
-Garlic powder
-Olive oil
-Cherry balsamic vinegar (we are turning this into a glaze/reduction)
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Step#1
Begin with creating your balsamic glaze by pouring the vinegar into a small sauce pan. Turn on low to medium heat and stir constantly to avoid burning. Once it starts to get a bit sticky on the bottom of the pot, it's time to remove from heat immediately. This will only take a few minutes. Chill for about a half hour in refrigerator. It will be a thick, glossy and sweet consistency!
Step#2
In a bowl, gently mix your asparagus using your hands with olive oil, salt, pepper and dried basil. Place on pre-heated griddle or grill.
Step#3
Repeat process with mushrooms.
Step#4
Using a paper towel, dry off polenta after removing it from the package as it will be a bit wet. Slice into discs and place in bowl with olive oil, basil, rosemary, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Coat completely and place on griddle sprayed with non-stick spray. Let them sit untouched for a good 3-5 minutes to achieve crispy edges and beautiful grill marks.
Step#5
While your polenta is cooking, cut up your yellow cherry tomatoes. You will keep these raw and garnish at the end.
Step#6
Place cooked polenta, mushrooms, asparagus and raw tomatoes on a serving platter. Drizzle with olive oil and cherry balsamic glaze.
FUN FACT: When polenta was first introduced, it was thought of as the first “bread” because of its solid consistency once it cooled. This was before any technology of grinding grains into flour and therefore the bread we know today was not created yet.
