polenta with magic sauce

I found this recipe quite some time ago and pinned it on Pinterest. Last night I came home exhausted but I really wanted something tasty to eat and more filling than the salad I already had. I had some polenta in the fridge, the kind that comes in a tube, so I sliced that up, fried it in a little butter, and topped it with my new favorite thing, magic sauce!

This stuff is seriously so good. I think I like it so much because of all that paprika. Not that long ago, I was putting paprika on everything to the switch to magic sauce only adds more flavor. I bumped up the garlic just a little because I always like extra garlic. I also didn't measure the lemon juice and I think a half a lemon was more than was called for, but I liked all that freshness. And one last deviation . . . I didn't have fresh herbs so I used dry and honestly I didn't really measure a single thing and it all turned out ok. Actually, it was amazing!

Magic Sauce
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp. fresh rosemary
1 tsp. fresh thyme
1 tsp. fresh oregano
2 tsp. sweet paprika
2 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf, crumbled
pinch red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Heat olive oil until it is warm and remove from heat. Crush rosemary, thyme, and oregano. Smash garlic into a paste. Add garlic, paprika, red pepper, and salt to the warm olive oil. Then add the herbs and squeeze lemon into the pan. You can keep it in the fridge for a week or a bit longer and the flavor should develop more after a couple days, although you can and should use it right away as well.