Cooking Polenta

Polenta is basically a noodle like food made from ground cornmeal. I used the organic yellow polenta and made it from scratch for Hudson. It is VERY inexpensive so it's nice to have, and the texture can be varied depending upon what you are using it for. I wanted to make it more like a large noodle so I could cube it up for Hudson to eat. It doesn't have a ton of nutritional value, but isn't filled with bad stuff either. It's a good, simple food.

The first time I made it I added too much water as I went and it turned out to fall apart when Hudson tried to grab it, so this time I did not add as much water and it worked much better.

I used 1/4 cup of polenta and a cup of water. This made a batch good enough for 4 servings. I added a tablespoon of butter, but could also use olive oil - but we're out.

First get the water boiling. Then add the polenta into the water VERY slowly, stirring as you pour it in.



Stir it at boiling for 2 minutes. I slowly reduce the heat during that 2 minutes too, keeping it boiling but not crazy burning hot. Then turn the heat down after 2 minutes to low and cover.



Set the timer for 10 minutes and stir. It will slowly start to thicken.



Continue stirring every 10 minutes for about 50 minutes. The polenta will start to have a texture like a dough by the time it's done.



I would add about half a teaspoon of water every other time, just to keep it from getting too dry. One could also mix in fruit or vegetable juice or probably even a puree in place of some of the water, if you wanted to give it flavor and other nutrients. The first time I made mine I added shredded cheddar cheese, which Hudson loved.

I poured it out onto a heat-safe greased plate and cooled it in my refrigerator for a couple of hours.



Then I took it off of the plate and cubed it up for Hudson, dividing it up into what I thought were good serving sizes. I refrigerated some, froze one, and he ate one right away. Polenta keeps in the fridge well for a few days. Not sure how it will hold up to freezing - I'll get back to you on that.



Hudson checked it out and ate just about every morsel, except for what fell onto the floor and was enjoyed by our dog.