Cheesy Polenta with Portobello and Spinach Ragout

In a medium sauce pan, pour the water and bring to a boil with the butter. Season the water with a pinch of salt. Don’t add too much, because the feta is salty. Next, slowly stir in the cornmeal and whisk away. Turn down the heat to about medium low. The trick is to add the cornmeal little by little and continue to stir to avoid clumps. Once the polenta has thickened (about 3 minutes later), add the cream and whisk it in.

Next take a microplane or garlic press and add the garlic to the pot. Lastly, add the cheddar and feta cheese. Stir it in well, and turn off the heat.

The first thing I do for the ragout (hey that rhymed!) is take a damp paper towel and clean off the mushroom caps. You don’t want to run the mushrooms under water because it will make the flesh soggy. Just gently wipe them with the paper towel. Then I trim off the stems and slice the caps. Next, take the onions and garlic and dice up.

In a large skillet, add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sauté the mushrooms. Cook them on medium-high heat until they’re nice and golden brown. Then take them out and set them on a plate.

In the same skillet, add the onions and garlic and cook until they become tender. Add the spinach and sauté. Next put the mushrooms back into the pan and mix all ingredients. Take half of the feta cheese and mix in at this time.

Serve the polenta on a platter and top with the spinach and mushroom mix. Top the dish with a little crumbled feta and voila.