How to Make Polenta In VitaClay

I wrote another post about grits, and how much I love them. Grits may in fact, be one of the only things I miss about living in the south.No offense to the south; I'm just not “southern.” It's a whole 'nother culture down there.

When I moved away from the South, there were a couple of things I missed a lot: Auburn Football (War Eagle!) and grits.I didn't understand how grits could be such a big part of one place and be completely absent from another place  - namely California.

Then I realized they weren't absent. They were just called something else.

Polenta.

So polenta is yellow, but it's grits.

The only real difference is the way it's prepared (but the starting grain: cornmeal, is the same).So once I had my grits fix, I decided to try polenta made as polenta.

It's made a little differently, and the results are different too. Grits are a savory breakfast cereal-type side, and polenta is made into something a bit harder, and can be a base for (usually Mexican) dishes.

It has a great corn flavor, and lots of dishes taste great over polenta, from beef stew to chicken curry.

Another bonus is that it's made with broth, and I'm always looking for ways to get more broth into my diet!Added bonus: it's super easy to make, especially in VitaClay!

So give polenta a try, and mix it up with your next meal!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dry polenta
• 3-4 cups broth (VM7900 or VF7700 or add 4 cups for VM7800) (more broth for runnier consistency)
• About 1 t salt and pepper each, or to taste

Directions:

1. Add broth to clay pot
2. Close, seal and set on “stew” for 30 minutes
3. About 20 minutes in, after broth is very hot, whisk in polenta grains, stirring constantly
4. Close and seal and allow to finish the cooking cycle
5. After it beeps (to let you know the cooking cycle is done) don't open it yet
6. Allow to sit on “warm” for about 10 minutes
7. Check to make sure the polenta is the right consistency for your wishes
8. If you'd lke it to be thicker, stir it and let it continue to sit on warm setting with only the clay pot cover, another 10-15 minutes, or until desired consistency is reached