Creamy Polenta with Melted Peppers, Mushrooms, and Fried Eggs Recipe

Ingredients

For the polenta

• 2 cups lowfat milk
• 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 3/4 cup stoneground polenta (not instant)
• 3/4 cup coarsely shredded Parmesan cheese

For the vegetables

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 pound cremini mushrooms, quartered
• Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 1 yellow onion, quartered and thinly sliced
• 2 bell peppers, cored, stemmed, and thinly sliced
• Spinach or baby chard (optional)

For topping (garnishing)

• 4 large eggs
• Chives, for garnish
• Crème Fraiche

Instructions

Combine milk, 1 1/2 cups of water, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. When it simmers, slowly pour in the polenta and whisk to combine. Partially cover with a lid, reduce heat to low, and cook, whisking vigorously every 5 minutes, until polenta is no longer gritty and looks like creamy oatmeal, about 30 minutes total. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt, some freshly ground black pepper, and stir to coat in the oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and all the liquid is cooked off, about 8 minutes. Remove to a bowl and return the pan to the stove. Add remaining oil and the onions and stir to coat in the oil. Cook until translucent and soft, about 3  minutes. Stir in the bell peppers, add a big pinch of salt, some freshly ground black pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 15 minutes. Add 1/4 cup of water, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until very soft, about 5 minutes more. Meanwhile, when the polenta is done cooking, turn off the heat and cover until ready to use. Add the mushrooms back to the pepper mixture, stir to coat, cover, turn off heat, and set aside until ready to use. If you’re craving an egg, now would be the time to prepare it. Just before serving, stir the cheese into the warm polenta. Taste the polenta and check out the consistency. If you like it looser, whisk in another 1/4 cup of water as needed to loosen the polenta to the consistency of oatmeal. To serve, divide polenta evenly among four bowls. If using the greens, stir them into the mushrooms mixture until just wilted then spoon over the polenta. Top each bowl with a fried egg, a sprinkling of some chives, and a dollop of crème fraiche and serve.