I’ve been seduced by polenta’s fancy Italian ways. Don’t tell grits since they’re really no different than polenta. Grits will be hurt. We grew up in the same place after all.

Actually, it’s not so much that I’ve been seduced by polenta as that I now have a box of instant polenta in my cupboard that I feel the need to use. So I determined I’d make Grilled Polenta, and Grilled Polenta told me it should be eaten with Grilled Lime-Cilantro Chicken with Tomatillo Salsa, so I obeyed.

Adjustments: Even though both of these dishes have the word “grilled” in their title, I didn’t grill them since I don’t own a grill. I fried the polenta instead, which broke apart and looked more like funnel cake in the end. And who honestly has time to make a tomatillo salsa when they have two other dishes to make from scratch? I used the regular ole salsa that I already had, and it worked.

Assessment: I ate the polenta as a main dish porridge/vegetarian meal one night and had no real thoughts on it but liked it quite a bit a couple nights later fried up and paired with the chicken. Turned out Polenta was right, it does taste good with this chicken dish. And two thumbs up for the chicken recipe, which consists of a zingy, tasty, easy marinade, yay!