View Full Version : Share your Polenta / Yellow Grits recipes
Frolicking Dinosaurs
07-28-2006, 09:06
This post by Weasel in another thread (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showpost.php?p=86025&postcount=48) has tweaked my interest.
The surprising part thus is that 10% of YG {Yellow Grits or Polenta} are protein. But the REALLY good news is the weight-to-prepared ratio: While rice, noodles and other items require equal amounts of water to cook, meaning that to get 2 cups of, e.g., cooked rice you need to carry 1 cup of dry rice, for YG the ration is 1:3. This means that to get 2 cups of cooked Yellow Grits (and the same calories as 2 cups of cooked rice), you only have to carry 1/2 cup! Do the math: As a "base food" a ten-day supply of YG is 5 cups, or about 2.5 lbs, while a similar amount of rice (or noodles) is double that. So if you're into lightweight packing, YG are an immediate bonus of 2.5 lbs for a 10 day trip. That can reduce the resupply cycle significantly.Polenta sounds like a food that would be quite trailworthy. Would some who have used them care to share their recipes? While I have cooked polenta at home adding sausages, onions, peppers and olive oil or adding tons of cheese, I have a feeling some of you have found more creative ways to prepare this dish on the trail.
Skidsteer
07-28-2006, 09:12
This post by Weasel in another thread (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showpost.php?p=86025&postcount=48) has tweaked my interest. Polenta sounds like a food that would be quite trailworthy. Would some who have used them care to share their recipes? While I have cooked polenta at home adding sausages, onions, peppers and olive oil or adding tons of cheese, I have a feeling some of you have found more creative ways to prepare this dish on the trail.
I like it simply mixed with a couple restaurant packets of the salsa/picante sauce that can be found at Waffle House, Huddle House, etc.
Frolicking Dinosaurs
07-28-2006, 09:20
Thanks for the tip, Skids ::: Puts salsa in dehydrator :::
Has anyone used pepperoni (the kind in shrink wrap that doesn't have to be kept cold) and dehydrated peppers and onions?
Toward the end of an 8 day bping trip in Yosemite I pulled out one pack of pepperoni and a 8 oz package of smoked Gouda plus some crackers. I made a few people hungry.
Dances with Mice
07-28-2006, 09:32
I prefer hominy grits ("True Grits") to polenta. But the recipes are interchangeable - you can add nearly anything. Powdered milk, Sausage, bacon bits, country ham, foil packs of chicken, ham, or even tuna, cheese, more cheese, olive oil, salsa, Tobasco, , butter, sugar and cinnamon, and gravy, cheese sauce, or instant soup mixes.
True Grits with a shot of good olive oil is my favorite breakfast. Leaves me powered up for hours.
Frolicking Dinosaurs
07-28-2006, 10:12
.... Leaves me powered up for hours.Interestingly enough, Ray Jardine talks about corn pasta (the kind made from the whole grain) as the best energy food he ever found for backpacking. Perhaps substituting whole corn products (like grits and polenta) for traditional pastas (ramen, rice, Lipton) would result in having more energy?
johnny quest
08-04-2006, 15:47
are you folks talking about instant grits? it seems like cooking real grits would requiret way too much fuel
Frolicking Dinosaurs
08-04-2006, 15:54
Personally, I don't use instant grits - way too little nutrition. Regular grits cook in about 3 to 5 minutes - about the same time as ramen and less than most pasta.
OK, so will someone please include a precise recipe for basic polenta? How much corn, how much water, how much salt, if any.... and so on.
Frolicking Dinosaurs
08-04-2006, 21:38
1 part polenta, 4 parts water, salt and pepper to taste.
For soft polenta: Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan. Gradually whisk in the cornmeal, being certain to break up any lumps that might form. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook, stirring often, until thick and creamy, adding more water if too thick, about 10 - 15 minutes (can be put in cozy after 3-5 minutes). Remove from heat; stir in salt, pepper and seasonings as desired. Serve immediately.
For thick polenta: Follow the directions above but continue to cook until very thick so that the spoon almost stands up by itself. Add seasonings and place polenta in a lightly greased loaf pan or flat baking dish. Cool completely or refrigerate until needed. Cut into desired pieces for frying, grilling, baking or broiling.
johnny quest
08-05-2006, 18:36
Personally, I don't use instant grits - way too little nutrition. Regular grits cook in about 3 to 5 minutes - about the same time as ramen and less than most pasta.
according to "my cousin vinny" every good southerner knows it takes 20 minutes to cook grits. :D
Frolicking Dinosaurs
08-05-2006, 19:54
Whoops - Those are quicking cooking grits that take 3 - 5 minutes. They are better than instant, but the real grits are the best, but as noted they do take a while to cook. I may still do the real grits over a cook fire - those things are an amazing source of energy.
Polenta with gorgonzola or xtra sharp white vermont cabot cheddar cheese sprinkled with pine nuts, yum!
Nightwalker
08-08-2006, 14:03
Polenta with gorgonzola or xtra sharp white vermont cabot cheddar cheese sprinkled with pine nuts, yum!
You have no idea how hungry I am right now...
Frolicking Dinosaurs
08-08-2006, 17:07
Polenta with gorgonzola or xtra sharp white vermont cabot cheddar cheese sprinkled with pine nuts, yum!The dinos had this for dinner Sunday night. So yummy, so filling and such a great comfort food.
according to "my cousin vinny" every good southerner knows it takes 20 minutes to cook grits. :D
And these grits, not a backpacking item, are about the best I've had in a long time.
http://www.byrdmill.com/IBS/SimpleCat/Product/asp/hierarchy/02/product-id/589120.html
Tom
Frolicking Dinosaurs
08-08-2006, 20:50
I remember going to the mill with my grandmother as a child and getting stone-ground grits. They would be worth building a small cook fire to have while hiking.
Polenta reminds me a little bit of atole (long O, silent e, a-tol'). But it is made with masa, the lime-treated corn meal used to make tortillas. The lime converts a couple of amino acids so the corn protein is useful to humans. Regular corn meal is short one or two amino acids.
Anyway, atole is the iron ration of northern Mexico and is usually drunk hot like hot chocolate. My favorties include:
Toasted masa (cookie sheet under broiler), malt sugar, cocoa, coffee. 1/4 cup to 8 ounces of hot water for a thick drink.
Toasted masa, brown sugar, cinnamon with dash of allspice. 1/4 cup to 8 ounces of hot water for a thick drink.
Toasted masa, salt, black pepper - other peppers to taste - butter or ghee. 1/2 cup to 8 ounces of water for a thick dish. Add anything you like to this. I like a pouch of pork or chicken in it and/or fresh or dried veggies.
Toasted masa is pre-cooked and mixes well with hot water. As a drink, it is a real pick-me-up in the afternoon. And you don't have to use hot water. Sometimes I just pop a few spoonsfull in my mouth and wash it down with a swig from my water bottle.
Frolicking Dinosaurs
08-08-2006, 21:29
Spock, thanks for this wonderful information about Mesa and atole. I've never used toasted mesa, but that's about to change :D
Masa, with an A
Find it in the ethnic section in most groceries. When you'all started talking about polenta, I didn't know what it was - being a Texas country boy. I found out polenta is northern Italian. OK. Down here, we do Mexican. The lime treatment is the reason Mexicans don't get red necks like U.S. southerners who eat corn and pork. The treatment converts one of the amino acids in corn into the essential amino acid lysine which is not found in corn. Masa provides both complete protein and sustained energy for heavy hiking.
Skidsteer
08-08-2006, 21:53
Masa, with an A
Find it in the ethnic section in most groceries. When you'all started talking about polenta, I didn't know what it was - being a Texas country boy. I found out polenta is northern Italian. OK. Down here, we do Mexican. The lime treatment is the reason Mexicans don't get red necks like U.S. southerners who eat corn and pork. The treatment converts one of the amino acids in corn into the essential amino acid lysine which is not found in corn. Masa provides both complete protein and sustained energy for heavy hiking.
My wife uses Masa frequently when cooking Tex-Mex(we used to live in San Antonio). Now you've got me wondering if masa could be prepared like grits/polenta.
I imagine it would turn out like a porridge of sorts. Hmmmm....
Frolicking Dinosaurs
08-08-2006, 22:08
Whoops - I was never any good at spelling. Polenta is similar to masa, but is far more coursely ground. I wonder if polenta (aka yellow grits) could be treated with lime :-?
Dances with Mice
08-08-2006, 23:06
Hominy grits ("True Grits"), and masa are both made from lime-treated corn (hominy).
Polenta is made from coarsely ground corn. Polenta is to cornmeal as grits are to masa.
Skidsteer
08-08-2006, 23:12
Hominy grits ("True Grits"), and masa are both made from lime-treated corn (hominy).
It's all coming together now. John Wayne reportedly had a weakness for Mexican dishes.
headchange4u
08-11-2006, 23:33
I managed to pick up some Polenta/YG at my local health food store tonight. I am hoping to pick up some masa at WalMart. Ready to do some cookin's with corn:D.
Does Polenta work well for the freezer bag cooking method? I don't remeber seeing anything about polenta at freexer bag cooking website (http://freezerbagcooking.com/). Do you still use the same 4:1 water : polenta ratio as FD mentioned either and how long does it need to cozy?
Technically polenta and grits are the same thing..soooo, that means that one can use intsant grits and make them gussed up with fresh ground pepper, olive oil and other fancy pants stuff ;)