polenta palooza
Inspired by this and this and this, I ate polenta for every meal today (and also cooked poached eggs for the first time!). Yes, I went a bit overboard, but this stuff is just so versatile and delicious - all the dishes I made were totally different, each utilizing a different polenta texture and different flavors, and all were super tasty and tied together via the satisfying creaminess and grittiness of this beautiful and nutritious yellow grain. Recipes after the jump for Hot Breakfast Polenta w/Poached Egg, Tomato, and Chinese Preserved Vegetables, Mini Polenta Cakes w/Blueberry Sauce, and Polenta Bites!
Breakfast/brunch: hot polenta with poached egg, tomato, and Chinese pickled vegetables (zha cai)…and a dab of siracha, of course :) This was my favorite meal of the day, so simple and clean, satisfying, super delicious, and nutritious! My family already eats a lot of oatmeal and rice porridge (congee), which I love and are very similar to grits, but it was nice to have a slight change of pace this morning. Plus, the bright yellow color of the polenta with the other colorful toppings perked me up right away :)
(Note: My parents both agreed the polenta was very tasty and good alternative to oatmeal, but they still prefer the latter as their daily staple since apparently oatmeal has a bit more fiber and other nutritional value.)
Hot Breakfast Polenta
4 servings
1 c. quick polenta (corn grits, I found a bag at Meijer in the flour/baking ingredients aisle)
3 c. water
1 tsp. salt (plus more to season)
4 large eggs
1 large tomato, sliced
1/2 c. Chinese preserved vegetables, shredded (my family’s favorite kind is this, should be available at most Chinese/Asian supermarkets)
ground black pepper to taste
Bring the water and salt to a boil in a non-stick pot. Slowly stir in polenta, lower heat, and let simmer for about 5 minutes. Let sit for a few more minutes before serving.
While waiting for polenta to cook, poach the eggs. (I’ve always been terrified of poaching eggs, sure I would fail at it just like loads of others before me, but this tutorial was all I needed to gain the confidence to try it - much easier than I expected, with delicious, albeit not very attractive, results!)
Divide polenta into 4 bowls. Top each bowl with a poached egg, a couple slices of tomato, and some pickled vegetables (or experiment with your own favorite toppings). Sprinkle on a little salt and pepper to taste. Add a dab of siracha if desired for some heat.
Enjoy while hot!
——————————————————————————————————————————————————
Afternoon snack/dessert: mini polenta cake with Greek yogurt and blueberry sauce. Light, not too sweet, perfectly portioned, and guilt-free :D
Mini Polenta Cakes with Blueberry Sauce and Greek Yogurt
6 cakes
1 c. quick polenta (corn grits, I found a bag at Meijer in the flour/baking ingredients aisle)
3 c. water
1 tsp. granulated sugar
1 c. blueberries (fresh preferred, frozen would be fine too)
1/4 c. water
4 tbsp. plain Greek yogurt
Bring the water and sugar to a boil in a non-stick pot. Slowly stir in polenta, lower heat, and let simmer for about 30 minutes until very thick.
Remove from heat and spoon polenta into a lightly greased muffin tin, filling up each cup completely and smoothing the tops. Let cool for at least one hour.
While waiting, prepare the blueberry sauce. Cook fresh or frozen blueberries with 1/4 c. water for a few minutes in a pan or pot on medium-low heat, stirring and smushing the fruit to release juices. When thick and reduced, remove from heat. Reheat on stove or in microwave right before assembling cakes.
Invert the muffin pan to release each polenta “cake”. Carefully use a knife to help them release if necessary.
Spread 1 tbsp Greek yogurt on top of each cake. Top with one heaping spoonful of warm blueberry sauce
Garnish with fresh blueberries if desired.
——————————————————————————————————————————————————
Dinner appetizer: polenta bites with caramelized onions & mushrooms or soft boiled egg & fresh tomato. Super cute, tasty, and easy to modify with different toppings. A great party finger-food or everyday snack/side dish (or even a whole dinner, if you eat 30 at once like I did…What? They were so cute and good I couldn’t help it!!!) And again, healthy to boot!
Polenta Bites
makes one large plate of bites!
1 c. polenta (corn grits, I found a bag at Meijer in the flour/baking ingredients aisle)
3 c. water
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp. olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
Suggested toppings: caramelized onions & mushrooms, hummus, fresh tomatoes (cut into small pieces), hard- or soft-boiled eggs (follow directions for firmer yolks to avoid runny insides getting all over, cut eggs into slices)
Bring water and salt to a boil in a non-stick pot. Slowly stir in polenta, lower heat, and let simmer for about 30 minutes until very thick (as for polenta cakes above). Pour into a large lightly-greased flat dish or tray and let cool for at least one hour.
Invert dish to release cooled polenta. Cut into shapes (I did triangles and half-circles, circles would work well too). You can freeze the shapes (and the above cakes) for future use, just wrap them in plastic wrap and throw them in the freezer until ready to use. Thaw in refrigerator or microwave.
Heat olive oil in a pan on medium heat. Add in polenta shapes and fry for a few minutes on each side.
Assemble each polenta bite with toppings of your choosing. Tip: place a dab of hummus on top of each polenta shape to help toppings stick to it, and insert a toothpick through the middle of each bite to secure. For caramelized onion & tomato bites: Top with a few pieces of caramelized onion and a mushroom (or two!). For egg & tomato bites: Top with a slice of egg and a small piece of fresh tomato.
—————————————————————————————————————————————————
And, one last photo for the road. This is me trying to get a slightly more vintage-y look.
