Do not use cooked polenta for this recipe. Instead, find yellow corn meal in your grocery and use that instead. It is so much better than the cooked stuff.
In a bowl, add 4 cups of cold water, 1 cup of yellow corn meal (It is what is known as polenta) and 1/8 tsp of baking soda. Set it aside for 1:30 hours
Thoroughly wash the gold beets. Coat them with a thin film of olive oil. Use a brush to coat it evenly. Use a fork to poke holes in the beets, then individually wrap them in foil and roast them in a mini oven at 400 degrees for 40 minutes or until you can easily stick a knife into it. If you have an mini oven that can go up to 500 degrees, use it.
Cut asparagus into small pieces. Do the same for the red chili pepper. Be sure to remove the seeds from the chili.
In a small pan, add 2 tsp of extra virgin olive oil. Heat at medium heat for 30 seconds
Add the chopped asparagus and red chili pepper to the oil
Add 1/4 tsp of salt, 1 tsp of parsely and 1 tsp of thyme. Mix well using the wooden spoon
Cook for about 7 minutes. When the asparagus starts to brown, remove from heat and set aside. Make sure they remain crisp yet tender.
When the beets are done, remove them from the oven and let them cool down. Then remove the skin and cut them into bite size pieces. Use the same pan as the asparagus to roast the beets. I like to char their skin a little because it makes the beets juicy
Add the asparagus back into the same pan and mix well. Add 1 tsp of balsamic vinaigrette and mix well. Set aside
Making the polenta
In a pan, add 2 cups of water and 2 cups of milk
Add 1 tsp of salt and bring the water and milk mixture to a boil
Drain the excess water from the soaking polenta
Slowly add the polenta with one hand while using the other hand to stir. Personally, I prefer using a spoon, but, you can use a whisk to stir it. Make sure you are stirring quickly. This will prevent lumps from forming and keep air bubbles at bay
Keep stirring until the mixture has completely blended and it has a thickened consistency
Remove the polenta from heat and plate it immediately. Top with the asparagus and beet mixture.
Note: Please serve this simple polenta recipe immediately after plating.
Notes
Please serve this simple polenta recipe immediately after plating.Nutrition info is approximate