Saying grace

Polenta with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

     I came home from work the other night and this scrumptious dinner was waiting for me on the table!  My husband made polenta with white wine and vegetable stock, then whipped up a sauce with roasted vegetables.  He topped the dish with fried, julienned pepperoni, cilantro and romano cheese, all of which are optional.  I was extremely hungry but I tell you, this dish was better than anything I have ever had in a restaurant!

Polenta:

2 cups coarse corn meal
salt and pepper to taste
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups white wine
2 cups vegetable stock

The key to good polenta is to cook it very slowly in a large pot, allowing for a crust to form on the bottom and not scraping off the crust, but allowing the cornmeal to cook over it.  Do not stir for 40-45 minutes and add more liquid if needed.  By the time a crust has formed, gently stir to incorporate all of the liquid into the cornmeal and cook for 15 more minutes.  When done cooking, distribute into a loaf pan and cool until firm.  Then slice and grill or fry!  In this case, my husband fried the polenta slices in a small amount of olive oil until slightly browned.

Roasted red pepper sauce:

Combine in a food processor:
2 red peppers, roasted and sliced
6 garlic cloves, roasted
2 white onions, caramelized
salt and pepper to taste

Place the fried polenta on a plate and top with the sauce.  Additional toppings as mentioned above are optional.  Isn't it pretty?


Some thoughts on giving thanks...

     "So now someone at our holiday tables always ends of saying grace.  I think we're in it for the pause, the quiet thanks for love and for our blessings.  For a minute, our stations are tuned to a broader, richer radius.  We're acknowledging that this food didn't just magically appear. Someone grew it, ground it, bought it, baked it; wow.

     We say thank you for the miracle that we have stuck together all these years, in spite of it all; that we have each other's backs, and hilarious companionship.  We say thank you for the plentiful and outrageous food: Kathy's lox, Robby's buche de Noel.  We pray to be mindful of the needs of others. We savor these moments out of time, when we are conscious of love's presence, of Someone's great abiding generosity to our dear and motley family, these holy moments of gratitude.  And that is grace."
                                                        - Anne Lamott