POLENTA BAKED WITH A TOMATO HERB SAUCE

The ingredients you will need to prepare this dish . FOR THE POLENTA. 500ml of water , 500ml of vegetable stock .1/2 tsp of salt , 165 gm of polenta , 1 tbs butter/ marg , 1/2 tsp of ground nutmeg and ground black pepper to season . FOR THE SAUCE . 1tbs of rice bran / canola oil ,1 onion peeled and chopped ,2 tbs of minced garlic , 1 x 400gm can of diced tomatoes , 2 tbs of tomato paste , 2 tbs of dried thyme , 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese , 1/2 cup of grated mozarella cheese . Now let,s begin , to make the polenta , bring 2 cups of water and 2 cups of vegetable stock to the boil in a large non stick saucepan . Add 1/2 tsp of salt , then slowly pour in the 165 gm of polenta in a fine steam , stirring all the time . reduce the heat to low and continue to cook for 4-5 minutes , stirring continuously and scrapping down the sides of the saucepan . When the polenta is cooked it should have the consistancy of thick porridge ( but not grainy), stir in 1 tbs of butter/ marg , 1/2 tsp of ground nutmeg and a sprinkle of ground black pepper . Lightly grease a 28cm x 18 cm baking tray or dish with oil , pour the polenta in and smooth over the top , cover with cling wrap and place in the refrigerator to set . Preheat your oven to 180 deg C . To make the tomato herb sauce , heat 1 tbs of oil in a medium sized saucepan . Add 1 peeled and chopped onion , 2 tbs of minced garlic and saute until the onion softens . Add the 400gm can of diced tomatoes , 2 tbs of tomato paste , 2 tbs of dried thyme and finally ground black pepper to taste . Cover and simmer on low for 10 minutes. Lightly oil a medium sized ovenproof dish . When the polenta has set , slice into 5cm squares and place 1/2 the polenta squares in the prepared baking dish , spoon over 1/2 the sauce and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of mozarella cheese . Add the remaining polenta squares over the cheese and top with the remaining sauce , making sure you cover all the polenta squares . Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes , finally sprinkle 1/2 cup of grated parmesan over the top and bake for another 10 minutes . Serve immediately in the company of a mixed leaf salad .