New Tube

I added another polenta experience to my cooking journey today - Tubed-polenta. I have forever passed this product in Trader Joe's and marveled at its possible uses. In the past I have come across several recipes requiring you to cook then chill your polenta in order to cut it into shapes later. I figured that the tubed-polenta was a shortcut for that process. Never having prepared a recipe that required such steps I stayed away from the tubular wonder. Cooking Light magazine has a "Superfast" feature in their magazine and one of the recipes in that section this month required tubed-polenta. I was ecstatic - I finally had a valid reason to buy this mystery product.

Although the tubed-polenta was easy to work with and this recipe in particular was exceptionally fast to prepare.......a lover of tubed-polenta I am not. It seemed weird, congealed and processed. It could have all been in my head (which admittedly is a very scary neighborhood) because Forrest didn't notice anything strange about the polenta. In fact, he commented on how much of a fan he was of polenta. This recipe was actually really yummy when I was able to get past my hangups. This would be worth making again using fresh cooked polenta and then chilling it in order to cut it into circles.

Smoky Shrimp and Parmesan-Polenta Cakes
Cooking Light September 2008

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika
1 17-ounce tube polenta, cut into 8 (1/2-inch) slices
Cooking spray
8 teaspoons marinara sauce
8 teaspoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preparation

1. Preheat broiler.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until done, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in wine, chives, juice, and paprika, tossing to coat. Keep warm.

3. Place polenta slices on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Top each slice with 1 teaspoon sauce

and 1 teaspoon cheese;

broil 3 minutes or until cheese melts.

Place 2 polenta slices on each of 4 plates; top each serving evenly with shrimp mixture. Sprinkle with parsley.