Polenta!

While trying to lose some weight, I found that cutting carbs made a huge difference in my progress. I also learned that I can't live without carbs. So I decided to change the type and amount of carbs that I eat instead. Sandwiches for lunch made way to platters of meats, cheeses and veggies. Pasta dinners were decreased in frequency and wherever possible pasta was changed to multigrain high protein pasta. Potatoes were turned into Sweet potatoes and rice has been mostly eleminated ( except when I make stir fry). We've also added a lot of Polenta into our diet. It's not too bad as carbs go, and it doesn't contain too many calories as long as you keep to an actual serving size, AND you can have it multiple nights in a row possibly in different forms. While I haven't perfected the fried polenta cake yet, this plain old polenta recipe is enough for a side dish for 6 people and is pretty easy and quick to make.
(note this is a smaller portioned update to a previous polenta recipe, but I make it so often that I felt it deserved its own post.

Polenta!
3 3/4 cups water
1  teaspoons table salt
Pinch+ baking soda
3/4 cup polenta ( I use quick polenta)
1 tablespoons unsalted butter
Ground black pepper
1 cup pecorino romano


Bring the water to a boil
Once the water is boiling, add the salt and the baking powder ( this helps keep the polenta from clumping)
Then slowly pour in the polenta while stirring. Make sure you keep stirring until all of the polenta is thoroughly wet. Continue to stir continuously for 1 minute.
Then turn down the heat and leave the polenta to simmer for 5 mins stirring occasionally. pour in the cheese and incorporate. turn off the heat and stir in the butter.
It is now ready to serve.