Polenta is a cheap and versatile ingredient used in Italian cuisine. Tomato basil sauce goes well with polenta and grilled fish.
Creamy Polenta with Grilled Tilapia
Servings
6 Servings
Ingredients
- 2 cups polenta
- 6 cups milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 6 tilapia fillets
- 3 tablespoons oil
- Favorite rub spice mix, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper or lemon pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic and onion powder, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 small onion or 2 shallots
- 4 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 6 tomatoes
- 3/4 cup basil
- 1-2 tablespoons butter optional
Instructions
- Bring milk to a rolling simmer. Slowly add the polenta and mix vigorously with a wooden spoon. Add salt. Lower flame and continue to mix the polenta so it won’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Cook for about fifteen minutes or until milk is absorbed and polenta is creamy. Add the mozzarella cheese, mix, and serve hot.
- Drizzle oil on tilapia. Rub spice mix over top. Heat a grill pan on medium/high heat. Grill for three minutes per side. Serve hot. Sauté onions and garlic until translucent, making sure not to brown onions. Add chopped tomatoes and basil and cook for about twenty minutes on low heat/simmer. Add salt and pepper to taste. You can serve the tomato basil sauce chunky or use an immersion blender to make a smooth sauce. If you want some extra richness in the sauce add about 1-2 tablespoons of butter to the sauce in the last minute of cooking.
- As seen in Joy of Kosher with Jamie Geller (Bitayavon Fall 2011) – Subscribe Now
This was an easy to prepare recipe which was greatly enjoyed by my family. I had not found kosher polenta, so I used corn meal. Strangely enough, on my next trip to Shoprite (in Monticello, NY) I came across kosher polenta in the gluten free/healthy foods aisle of the store.
For an easy Italian seasoning substitute, use 1 tablespoon each dried parsley, basil, and oregano, and 1 teaspoon each rosemary, thyme, and sage (also marjoram if available). Crumble and mix all together and store in an airtight container.