Braised Chicken With Pepper Sauce and Cheese Polenta

This is very good! Taken from Cooking Light, January/96. We used chicken breasts instead of leg quarters. I didn't allow for chilling time of 2 hours or cooling times.

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• CHEESE POLENTA

• 1 1⁄4 cups cornmeal
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 4  cups water
• 1⁄2 cup  crumbled gorgonzola or 1⁄2 cup blue cheese

• CHICKEN WITH SAUCE

•  vegetable oil cooking spray
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄8 teaspoon pepper
• 4 (6 ounce)  boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 2  teaspoons olive oil
• 1  cup  chopped onion (large)
• 3  garlic cloves
• 3⁄4 cup  diced green bell pepper
• 3⁄4 cup  diced yellow bell pepper
• 1  cup low sodium chicken broth or 1  cup  low sodium vegetable broth
• 1⁄2 cup dry white wine
• 2  teaspoons  chopped fresh rosemary
• 2  bay leaves
• 2  tablespoons no-added-salt tomato paste
• 4  canned anchovy fillets, finely chopped or 2  teaspoons anchovy paste
• 1  tablespoon cornstarch
• 2  tablespoons water
• 1  teaspoon  grated lemon rind

Directions

1. PREPARE CHEESE POLENTA:
2. Place cornmeal and salt in a large saucepan.
3. Gradually add water, stirring constantly with a wire whisk.
4. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to medium.
5. Cook uncovered, 15 minutes, stirring frequently.
6. Remove from heat, and stir in cheese.
7. Spread in bottom of 9" square baking pan coated with cooking spray.
8. Press plastic wrap over surface of polenta, and chill 2 hours or until firm.
9. PREPARE CHICKEN AND SAUCE:
10. Sprinkle salt and pepper over chicken.
11. Coat a large Dutch oven with cooking spray; add oil, and place over med-high heat.
12. Add chicken and cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned.
13. Remove chicken from pan; set aside.
14. Add onion and garlic, sauté 2 minutes.
15. Add bell peppers, broth, wine, rosemary, and bay leaves; stir to deglaze pan.
16. Stir in tomato paste and anchovies.
17. Return chicken to pan; bring to a boil.
18. Bake chicken mixture at 350º for 45 minutes or until done.
19. Remove chicken from pan with slotted spoon; set aside, and keep warm.
20. Combine cornstarch and water in a small bowl; stir well.
21. Add cornstarch mixture and lemon rind to pan; bring mixture to a boil, and cook 1 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly.
22. Discard bay leaves.
23. Return chicken to pan, and cook an additional 4 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
24. ASSEMBLY:
25. Cut polenta into 4(4-1/2") squares.
26. Cut each square diagonally into 2 triangles.
27. Place polenta triangles on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray, and broil 3 minutes on each side or until lightly browned.
28. Arrange 1 chicken breast and 2 polenta triangles on each of 4 plates; spoon 1/2 cup sauce over each serving.
29. *Lower Fat Version: Omit Gorgonazola cheese from the poelnta, and add 1/4 teaspoon salt.