Improvised Dinner

Faced with a sparse refrigerator and minimal motivation, "what's for dinner?" threatened to be a challenging question this evening.  Thankfully, a bag of corn meal on the top shelf of a kitchen cabinet reminded me that I've been meaning to try my hand at cooking polenta.  The Awesome Husband has deemed the result worthy of a card in our recipe box, so I'm calling it a success.

Polenta with Garlicky Tomato Reduction

Prepare polenta according to corn meal package directions.  I aimed for the consistency of whipped potatoes, then I added about half a cup of shredded parmesan and stirred until it was melty and thoroughly incorporated.

For the reduction (which actually makes sense to start before the polenta, based on their respective stirring and attention needs):
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 generous cup crushed tomatoes (left over from homemade pizza earlier this week -- I would have used any tomato base)
Splash of red wine
1 teaspoon anchovy paste

Sautee the garlic in enough oil to coat a medium sized pan.  Add everything else, stir, and simmer uncovered, allowing much of the liquid to cook out.

Spoon a little of the reduction over each serving of polenta, top with shredded parmesan, and enjoy.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to write a grocery list.  This kind of yummy-dinner-idea-lurking-in-the-cabinets lightning isn't likely to strike twice...