This dinner is a favorite of ours. The half cup of polenta is made with 3 cups of water, a couple of bay leaves, 2 garlic cloves, a scant teaspoon of salt, and is finished with a teaspoon of butter. This makes a loose, creamy-seeming polenta which acts as a base and almost a sauce for the steamed broccoli and sautéed shrimp. Yum!