Polenta & Mushroom Bowl

Warm, savory comfort food is great at ANY time of year.  The days are getting longer and we have definitely already had a taste of spring (and even a bit of summer?) but there are still evenings when cold, crunch, and even fancy doesn't appeal to us.  It is days like that when I make a late evening meal like this.

What is polenta?

Breakfast, lunch or dinnertime

Tasty comfort food

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup dry polenta
• 2 cups broth (I used the mushroom broth strained from rehydrating the mushrooms)
• 1 cup mushrooms
• 1/4 cup diced tomatoes
• 4 eggs
• 4 oz cheddar cheese
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 Tbsp butter
• a bit of olive oil
• salt
• black pepper to taste

1. If you are rehydrating mushrooms, like I did, do it earlier in the day with warm water.  They'll make an excellent broth.
2. Set the broth to boil and soak the polenta in a bowl with tepid water.
3. Once the broth is boiling, add the polenta.  Lower heat to a simmer and stir pretty consistently for about 15 minutes.
4. While the polenta is cooking, heat 1 Tbsp butter and a bit of olive oil over low heat in a pan.  Add the chopped garlic and once it is aromatic, add the mushrooms.  Let those cook to reduce liquid and absorb the garlicky buttery goodness.
5. When polenta is about done, stir in the other tablespoon of butter.
6. Spoon a quarter of the polenta into each of four small bowls.  Stick an ounce of cheese in each bowl to be melted by the polenta.  
7. Top the polenta with mushrooms, a Tablespoon of diced tomatoes and a poached egg (you can poach the egg at the very last minute).
8. A dash of salt and some freshly ground black pepper make the meal!

Leftovers are GREAT.  You can add some greens to it for a larger meal, put it next to chicken for an entree or eat it as it is for a hearty breakfast!  I actually was inspired to make this meal I used to have so often by a posting of a recipe of it by the Green Grocer.