Thursday 21 May 2009

Mediterranean Vegetable Polenta Cakes

I was unsure how to describe these...they are not cakes in the sweet sense but are shaped that way..answers on a post card??

These were made as a result of prior shopping trip by myself which resulted in arriving home with a packet of instant polenta....this considering I had never eaten, nor used it before.... However it was reduced to clear for 25p and I couldn't resist at that price! Is anyone else guilty of doing this? Just in case you would like to make these, its still on the market (I checked!) so not sure why it was discounted other than it was a small branch of a supermarket...

As per their website, this product is wheat, nut and gluten free so suitable to those with dietary restrictions

These quantities will make 2 little 'cakes' which you could serve either one as a vegetarian starter or two for a main, maybe with a little salad or extra garnish. They are very tasty and I hope you enjoy them too!

You will need 2 shallow chef rings or egg rings or a similar product to shape them.

The polenta cooks and sets very quickly so make sure everything is ready to go!!

50g quick cook Polenta
1 courgette
4 ripe cherry tomatoes, quartered
Olive oil
Parmesan or vegetarian equivalent
2 tsp mediterranean seasoning (mine is Tesco's Couscous seasoning)
200ml boiling water
S&P

Heat a saucepan with a drizzle of olive oil, dice the courgette into small chunks and fry for about 10 minutes or until they have a nice brown colour, add the tomatoes and fry for a further minute, tip into a bowl.

Using the same pan, add the boiling water and seasoning, bring back to the boil, quickly stir in the polenta, constantly stirring, re-add the vegetables, mix well and cook for a further minute, add about 2 tsp freshly grated parmesan*, now working quickly tip half the mix into each mould, use a spatula to press down and quickly remove the ring. Garnish with fresh mint and extra parmesan if desired.

7 comments:

  1. I've never had polenta but these look nummy. I wouldn't have resisted the 25p price tag either :D

    Katie xox

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  2. You did a good job with the polenta. This looks so much better than the slabs it is often served in!

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  3. This looks a good way to use polenta - i have some lurking in the cupboard but am not keen on the slab or sloppy versions so will be trying this to use some of it up. thanks for the inspiration.

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  4. Hi Ann, this looks really professional, like in the rstaurant. Would love to try out. Polenta is very common in Switzerland, I am not so fond of them but your recipe intrigue me to try it out.

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  5. These look like a great idea and very professional using the cooking rings.

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  6. Oh, I love the presentation with using the rings for your wonderful looking polenta cakes.

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  7. Thanks everyone for your kind comments :)

    I have had a few other experiments since with the polenta but this is one of the better recipes ;-)

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Thanks for stopping by my kitchen! I love to hear your thoughts and comments on my recipes!

Anne

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