Polenta w/Broadbeans, Sage & Caramelized Onions

This was a total comfort food meal, although not too terrible for you, like most comfort foods.  I wanted some warm, creamy and with lots of flavor, but didn’t want to do any grocery shopping.  Monday night, I picked up the broadbeans from Key Foods and a meal was born!

Polenta w/Broadbeans, Sage & Caramelized Onions

Ingredients:

For Polenta:

• 1 cup cornmeal
• 4 cups water
• pinch of salt
• wee bit of butter or olive oil

For Broadbeans w/Sage & Caramelized Onions

• 1 large can of broadbeans
• 1/4 cup chopped sage leaves (from our herb garden)
• olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• dash of white wine, optional
• 4 onions,  sliced thinly

To Do:

For Polenta:

In a large pot, boil 4 cups of water.  Once it starts boiling,  add the cornmeal in a thin stream and whisk constantly (be careful not to get polenta bubbling up and burning you!).  Keep whisking for a minute or two until the cornmeal is absorbed.  Reduce heat to the lowest it can possibly get to and put a lid on it.  Keep checking in on it and use a long handled wooden spoon to give it a couple of stirs so it doesn’t stick to the bottom.  Keeping a lid on the pan allows the moisture to build up, so you don’t have to keep constantly whisking.  This should take about 30-40 minutes.  If you want a more liquid polenta, add more liquid.  If you want something more solid, uncover the pot for the last few minutes of cooking, but keep stirring!

For the Broadbeans w/Sage & Caramelized Onions:

Caramelize the onions first.  Heat up some olive oil in a large pan and add the onions.  Stir them around a bit until they start to brown.  Cover and reduce heat to a simmer.  Like the polenta, check on these occassionally and give them a good stir to prevent them from burning.  When they are all a delicious golden brown color and smell amazing, they are done.  Put in bowl and set aside.

Using the same pan, add a bit of olive oil and add the sage over medium heat.  Let the sage sizzle for a bit and add the beans (rinsed from the can).  Stir and add a splash of white wine or water.  Cover and let the beans cook through on a simmer.

Plating:

Put polenta in a bowl.  Add the beans and sage.  Top with caramelized onions and a bit of Parmesan cheese if you like.  Swoon.