Tomato Polenta

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"Food is our common ground, a universal experience."
-James Beard, Legend

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This is a great recipe for a quick and easy side dish. Serve it with a simple piece of grilled fish and grilled veggies.

Special Diet Information

Coumadin® (Warfarin)
This recipe is safe for Coumadin (warfarin) users.

Lactose
This recipe contains cheese and some of those who are lactose intolerant may be able to tolerate it.

Sodium
This is NOT a low sodium recipe.

GERD / Acid Reflux
This recipe contains GERD triggers and those with GERD may wish to avoid it.

Grits

Grits are coarsely ground dried corn.  Prior to being dried the hull and germ of the kernel is removed.  The resulting “hominy corn” is often bleached prior to grinding.  The larger of the ground kernels becomes grits and the finer is cornmeal (polenta).  

There are three types of grits sold in America today.  The first grinding results in a larger grain and these grits take longer to cook.  Quick grits are grits that have been pressed into smaller granules and, as the name implies, cook much faster.  Instant grits have been precooked and dried.  Adding hot water is all it takes to have instant grits.  (They taste more like hot water than grits.)  

The more basic ingredient that you begin with the better end product you will usually have.  Grits are a great example of how using ingredients in the a less processed state results in a better final recipe.  Instant grits don’t have much flavor and the coarse grind grits have a more complex corn flavor.  

1/4 cup grits = 130 calories, 0 fat, 0g sat fat, 0g mono fat, 3g protein, 29g carbohydrates, 30mg sodium, 5mg cholesterol