Candied Mushrooms on a Bed of Polenta

Candied Mushrooms:

3 shallots, sliced thinly

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 cups of cremini mushrooms, sliced

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup (a splash) of red wine

3 tbsp - 1/4 cup of pure maple syrup

Salt and Pepper to taste

Freshly grated parmesan cheese to garnish (optional)

1. Begin by heating the olive oil in a medium sauté pan on medium heat. Sauté the shallots and garlic until translucent.

2. Add the mushrooms and sauté for about two minutes, just enough so that they start to brown a bit.

3. Add the remaining ingredients (balsamic vinegar, red wine, maple syrup, salt and pepper). Let the alcohol from the wine cook off a bit (about 5 minutes) and then lower the head to medium-low and let the sauce simmer for about another 10 minutes. The longer you let it simmer, the more "candied" (caramelized) the mushrooms become.

Polenta:

3/4 cups finely ground cornmeal

1 1/2 cups water

3 tbsp half & half or whole milk

1 tbsp butter

~3 heaping tablespoons of freshly grated parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

1. In a medium saucepan on high heat, add the cornmeal and water with a pinch of salt.

2. Once the polenta starts to bubble and boil, lower the head to medium and stir constantly with a fork.

3. Once the polenta has thickened (it should only take 2-3 minutes), stir in the butter, cream or milk, salt and pepper, and parmesan cheese.

Serve the mushrooms on a bed of the polenta and top with some more freshly grated parmesan cheese. A very quick and tasty snack.

If you want to take some extra time and get fancy, make the polenta first, before the mushrooms, and while the polenta is hot, spread it evenly in a shallow cake pan so it's about 1/2 inch to an inch thick. Let it it set. You can make this go faster by putting it in the fridge. It'll take about 20 minutes to 1/2 an hour... enough time to cook the mushrooms. Once the polenta has set, slice it into squares or rectangles and then slice them diagonally, so you have triangles. Fry these triangles in olive oil until crisp on both sides. Serve under the candied mushrooms with freshly grated parmesan.