Polenta adventure

Despite having eaten it on the odd occasion, I've never cooked with polenta. Tonight I was making chicken satay skewers and while perusing a cookbook for something to accompany them I found a recipe for soft polenta with mushrooms and rocket. Unfortunately Sainsburys didn't have the instant polenta that the recipe called for so I had to go with their only option, a ready-made block. While I don't usually like straying from a recipe the first time I'm making it, the block seemed like an easier choice than the mash-like polenta in the recipe. Instead of having the polenta soft, it was simple to slice the block into fingers and fry them. Then once they were on the plate, I topped them with cooked mushrooms and garlic, parmesan and rocket. Very tasty. 


Polenta with mushrooms and rocket
500g ready-made polenta
6 mushrooms, thinly sliced (a variety tastes best)
1 clove of garlic, crushed
olive oil
big handful of rocket
2 tablespoons grated parmesan
black pepper 


1. Cut polenta into finger width strips.
2. Heat oil in a large pan on medium heat, add polenta on one side and the mushrooms and garlic on the other.
3. Cook polenta for about 3 minutes each side or until crispy on the outside, and mushrooms and garlic until soft.
4. Arrange polenta on plate, top with grated parmesan, mushrooms, rocket and pepper.

(Sorry about the lack of photo... I was so hungry that I forgot to take one before I ate it!)