POLENTA FOR BREAKFAST?

Polenta can be a meat or potato substituted, for Breakfast, i.e., I love polenta, especially for breakfast instead of potatoes or bacon. If from the South its sometimes called cornmeal mush or grits. It's very popular item in the health food stores. It comes in a roll there but it's not as good as home made mush style then use your own container for a mole. The more you make it the better you get at forming your own style. Yellow or white?
Here's a basic recipe. After you do this a couple of time make this in much smaller batches and use a old "Spam" cans or such for a mold to the cool the polenta in and the use the rest later. Also, I just add a little salt in your boiling water then add in your corn meal until the right thickness, put in sprayed mold, cool, or leave out the mold part and use like mashed potatoes.
Polenta
3 cups of water
2 teaspoons of kosher salt, sea salt or 1 teaspoon of table salt
1 cup or more or less cornmeal (I buy the organic Polenta in the health food stores when possible. But you can buy fine or coarse in regular store, yellow grits or Aunt Jemima's pure cornmeal, and Italian imported cornmeal are all good, etc.
Bring the water and salt to a gentle boil and a 2-quart heavy saucepan. Gradually add the cornmeal to the water stirring continually, it will stick and lump. (Be sure to add the salt to the water) If your using coarse-ground cornmeal it will take up to 20 minutes to cook compared to the finer ground. The finer ground will be done by the time you are finished, maybe a minute more cooking. I like it thick enough to "stand a fork" in it.
Choose your mold to let it set up, cool, then refrigerate. Line you mold or spray it so it will slip right out.

The next day slice about 1/2 inch thick and fry, saute bake, broil or grill in a good organic raw mono oil or with butter and eggs or however you like it. Good with many vegetables and of course beans. Top with your favorite sauce, gravy or cheese etc. You can add, (go to your health food stores and get ideas here, see what they put in there's) green chili's, garlic and basil, sun dried tomatoes and garlic, peppers spices etc. A free recipe book is available at http://www.quinoa.net/ Sometimes add a bit of the quinoa seed is excellent to add to your diet and grain recipes. Learn to use quinoa in all your cooking.
http://thompsonsorganicrecipes.blogspot.com/2011/07/polenta-chili-and-roasted-eggplant.html
*Just a note on molds, you can use the smallest gift bread loaf pans or small soup cans then cut out the other ends and push the set cornmeal through to make polenta round. I have an old Pyrex dish with a lid that comes from the '50 purchased at a garage sale which is a perfect mold and I love the lid which keeps it fresh. Keep your eye out for exciting molds.

*Make a layer of cook polenta on a cookie sheet and spread this out. Then spray the bottom of another smaller pan on top and weight it down and cool. This makes a mold for any dish especially tamale pie i.e. If you don't weight it down just use as a bottom cutting it into squares and put Chile and beans on top.
*Once you get the idea in making polenta make smaller portions by just adding water while slowly adding grits till it's stiff enough for a fork to stand up in it. Cool in your mold and slice the next day. Another approach is adding cheese ( garlic, basil, etc.) in grits and molding it in different shapes. I love it plain but here's a recipe that more intricate.

Getting fancy!
1 Teaspoon butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 roasted poblano chili (chopped)
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup quick grits
2 ounces grated cheddar cheese
2 ounces grated jack cheese
salt and pepper to taste
Creole seasoning blend to taste
1. Sauté the chilies or sub. peppers, onions, and garlic in butter until soft.
2. Add cream and chicken stock and bring to simmer (the stage just before a rolling boil). Be careful not to let the liquids boil over.
3. Quickly whisk in seasonings and grits. Stir constantly until grits begin to thicken.
4. Gently fold in cheeses and let sit for at least 5 minutes.

COMMENTS ARE WELCOMED...