POLENTA WITH A CREAMY MUSHROOM SAUCE

[Guest guest]

Servings:6

Sauce

1 ounce of dried porcini mushrooms

1 cup hot water

porcini mushroom broth (made from water and dried porcini mushrooms

above)

1/2 pound button mushrooms, thinly sliced

vegetable spray

1 small onion, chopped

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

1/2 cup fat free or 1% soy milk (evaporated milk or skim evaporated

milk can also be used)

1 cup Fontina cheese, shredded

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Polenta

1 1/2 cups polenta (cornmeal)

1 1/2 quarts water

To begin to prepare the sauce, in a small bowl combine the dried

porcini mushrooms and hot water and let stand for 45 minutes to 1

hour. Pour the soaking mushrooms and liquid through a fine mesh

sieve lined with cheese cloth or paper towel. Reserve the mushroom

soaking liquid. Squeeze out excess water from the porcini mushrooms

and cut them into thumbnail size pieces.

Lightly spray a 9x13 inch baking pan and set it aside. Lightly spray

two large pastry boards or a very large scratch proof counter

surface. Make the polenta (follow directions on package) and when it

is cooked, turn it directly out onto the boards, or counter. Use a

large knife or rubber spatula, first dipped in water, to spread out

the polenta to a thickness of about 1/2 an inch . Allow it to cool

and harden, about 20 minutes. Cut it into approximately 3-inch

squares.

Meanwhile, preheat an oven to 400 degrees F. Continue to make the

sauce. Remove any dirt from the button mushrooms. Separate the stems

from the caps, discard the stems if they are tough. Slice the

mushroom caps and tender stems thinly. In a skillet over medium-low

heat, spray with vegetable spray. Add the onion and sauté until

softened, about 5 minutes. Add the porcini mushrooms and sauté for

another 5 to 6 minutes to marry the flavors. Add some of the

reserved mushroom liquid to prevent sticking if necessary. Add the

button mushrooms and continue to sauté until tender about 5 minutes.

Add 3/4 cup of mushroom soaking broth, salt, and pepper. Allow to

simmer gently for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then stir in

milk, and allow the mixture barely to reach a simmer. Immediately

remove the skillet from the heat.

Place half of the polenta squares in a layer on the bottom of the

prepared dish. Spread half of the sauce in a layer over them, then

sprinkle with half of the cheeses. Place another layer of polenta

squares over the cheeses. Spoon the remaining sauce on top and

sprinkle with the remaining cheeses. Place on the middle rack of the

oven and bake until the cheese is melted and golden and the sauce is

bubbling, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let settle for

10 minutes before cutting into squares.

 

lovely dish for these autumn days............