CRISPY POLENTA ROUNDS WITH CHILIES AND GOAT CHEESE

CRISPY POLENTA ROUNDS WITH CHILIES AND GOAT CHEESE image

Categories Cheese Appetizer Broil Vegetarian

Yield Makes 15 rounds

Number Of Ingredients 11

Ingredients

1 cup instant polenta
2 cups milk
2 cups water
2 tbsp butter
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
½ tsp cayenne pepper
2 small heads or 1 large head of garlic
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
8 oz log of goat cheese
5-7 small green chilies

Steps:

Remove the loose outer skin from the heads of garlic. Cut off the very tops of the cloves and rub both heads lightly with olive oil. Wrap in foil and roast in a 375-degree oven for 45 minutes. Allow the garlic to cool slightly and then squeeze the cloves into a small bowl. Mash lightly with a fork and set aside. Next, bring the milk and water to a boil and cook the polenta according to the instructions specified on the package (the polenta I use takes 3 minutes). Remove the polenta from the heat and stir in the butter, the roasted garlic paste, the parmesan cheese, the cayenne pepper and salt and pepper to taste. Line a 9x13-inch jelly-roll pan with aluminum foil and lightly spray the foil with cooking spray or olive oil. Spread the polenta onto the foil and roll it up from left to right into a thick log. Refrigerate the log at least 6 hours or overnight. The chilled log should be very firm. Once the polenta has chilled, prepare the roasted chilies. Either roast the chilies directly over a gas flame or under the broiler until they are blackened on all sides. Place in a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let sit 5 minutes. Then peel and deseed the chilies and chop finely. Slice both the polenta log and the goat cheese into 15 pieces. Lightly coat a large skillet with olive oil and cook the polenta slices over medium-high heat for 2 minutes per side. Arrange the cooked slices on a baking sheet and top each with a slice of goat cheese and a smattering of chilies. Place the baking sheet under the broiler for 5-10 minutes or until the goat cheese is hot and bubbly.