Good Morning. Or Afternoon. Or Evening.
Here’s a quick, perhaps lighter version of an all-time favorite, described (and photographed) deliciously in this New York Times article – polenta with eggs and greens. The article outlines a naughty version with lots of butter and cheese (in my world known as polentaaaah), which would of course completely rock. But my version is actually quite light and nutritious (for me, the richness of an egg yolk is plenty with this simple dish).
First, start the polenta. Since no one else in the house likes it, ’round here I prepare a one-serving portion, roughly 3 Tbsp. polenta to 1 cup of water. I’ll be honest – when I’m doing a quickie meal like this, I don’t bother to boil the water first and slowly stir in the polenta. I put both water and grain in a pan, bring it to a boil, turn it down to a simmer, stir it several times as it cooks and thickens (about 15 minutes) and call it done (season with additional salt and pepper to taste). No, it’s not as fabulously creamy and decadent as the much longer-cooked version of polentaaah, but that’s OK, it’s still delicious, especially with what follows…
While the polenta cooks, mince a clove of garlic and roughly chop a handful or two greens – spinach or chard (kale would be delicious, but needs longer cooking). After the polenta is done, spoon it into a flat (pasta) bowl and set it aside while you cook the greens and egg. Start by sauteeing the minced garlic with a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes in a tablespoon or so of olive oil for a couple of minutes. Toss greens into the pan. Stir them around until nicely wilted, then push them off to the side of the pan. Crack an egg into the pan. Season and fry it to your liking (I prefer mine over-medium; you want some yolk to add the richness of a “sauce”). Spoon greens and egg on top of polenta, top with a grating of Parm if you like, and enjoy thoroughly. One of the best breakfast/lunch/dinners I can imagine. Delicious with a glass of medium-bodied (even spicy) red wine (or a cup of coffee – not even I drink red wine for breakfast…).
yum!