Roasted red peppers blended into a hearty sauce give this classic Italian cornmeal polenta a true Mediterranean taste.

Polenta with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Vegetable cooking spray
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions and tops
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
Salt
Pepper

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce:

3 pounds red peppers, cut into halves, seeded
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon red cayenne pepper
2 to 3 tablespoons Equal® Spoonful™
Salt

1. Spray bottom of medium saucepan with cooking spray; heat until hot. Sauté onions and garlic until tender. Stir in chicken broth and heat to boiling.
2. Gradually stir cornmeal into boiling broth; reduce heat and simmer until mixture thickens and broth is absorbed, stirring frequently. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour mixture into greased 5 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2-inch loaf pan. Cool; refrigerate until chilled and firm, at least 2 hours.
3. Remove polenta from pan; cut into 16 slices. Spray skillet with cooking spray; heat until hot. Cook polenta over medium heat until browned on both sides. Arrange slices on serving plate; serve with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce.
4. For Roasted Red Pepper Sauce: Arrange pepper halves, skin sides-up on jelly roll pan. Bake at 400°F (205°C) until skin turns black, about 25 minutes. Place peppers in cold water for several minutes; drain. Peel skin from peppers and discard. Process peppers in blender or food processor until smooth.
5. Mix in lemon juice and cayenne pepper. Transfer sauce to saucepan and cook over medium heat until hot. Remove from heat and let stand 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in Equal® Spoonful™ ; season to taste with salt. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Makes 8 servings.

Note: 3 jars ( 12 ounces each) fire-roasted red peppers, drained, can be substituted for the fresh red peppers. Process in blender and cook as directed in recipe, seasoning to taste with lemon juice, Equal® Spoonful™, red cayenne pepper and salt.

Nutrition Information Per Serving: Serving Size: 2 slices polenta with 3 tablespoons sauce: Calories: 80, Saturated Fat: Trace, Protein: 3 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Carbohydrates: 16 g, Fiber: 2 g, Total Fat:<1 g, Sodium: 331 mg.

Food Exchange: 1 Starch.

Recipe provided courtesy of Merisant Corporation ® and the NutraSweet Company, makers of Equal®.

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