Grilled Polenta Vegetable Sandwich

Cornmeal, the golden-yellow polenta, is a culinary staple in Northern Italy. Polenta is a neutral flavored dish that can carry other flavors. Using a medium grind cornmeal will yield the best results. Look for ‘stone ground’ cornmeal on the label. For more cornmeal recipes, check out food blogger, ‘Foodie Chick‘ for her Weekend Cookbook Challenge

Serves 4
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 eggplant, thinly sliced
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 zucchini, thinly sliced
6 sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained & thinly sliced
8 slices firm polenta
basil leaves

In a nonstick skillet over medium heat warm 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the eggplant and saute until very soft (8 minutes). Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a bowl (keep warm). In the same pan add the onion and saute for 2 minutes. Add the bell pepper, zucchini and sun dried tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and saute for 5 minutes. Warm a grill pan over medium heat and brush with remaining olive oil and add the polenta slices. Grill for 2-3 minutes on each side. Serve the eggplant mixture in between two slices of grilled polenta.

Firm Polenta
1 tablespoon salt
1 cup medium cornmeal

In a large pot bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add the salt and slowly pour in the cornmeal, mixing constantly with a wooden spoon until it is all incorporated. Turn the heat to low and cook until it’s smooth and no longer grainy (30-35 minutes). Be sure to stir often so that the bottom doesn’t burn. Spread the warm polenta evenly into a lightly oiled container and allow to cool. When cool, cut the polenta into whatever shape you desire. Firm polenta can be grilled, baked or fried.

The Culinary Chase’s Note: I buy instant polenta as it cooks up in 5 minutes and let the polenta cool down to room temperature (usually 30 minutes). For added flavor, before spreading polenta into a container, add half a cup of grated Parmesan cheese along with 1 or 2 tablespoons of butter and mix. Another idea is to top the grilled polenta with the eggplant mixture followed by buffalo mozzarella (or provolone, feta cheese) and grill for 1-2 minutes or until cheese has melted. Yum!