3 easy, tasty and gluten-free polenta recipes

The name of polenta It comes from “pollen”, due to the appearance of the flour or corn semolina with which it is made. Until corn arrived in Europe, the Italians made their porridge with other cereals, but the arrival of this cereal made this use popular right away. Today it is claimed as a revalued elaboration of the cucina poveracooking for the poor, and due to its versatility it has given rise to a wide variety of recipes, from very basic polenta recipes to more sophisticated recipes.

what is polenta

polenta is a typical northern Italian preparation made with corn semolina in most casesalthough its use is also widespread in South and Central America.

semolina or cereal it is cooked with water, broth or milk until it has a creamy texture and is then used hot or cold as a garnish or base for other recipes. It has little flavor, or a fairly neutral flavor, so it doesn’t eat other flavors but it needs us to grace it with what it’s accompanied with. We can make countless recipes with polenta…

hot polenta looks like a mashed potato or porridge and it is usually served as a garnish with legume stews or sauteed mushrooms or vegetables.Once cooled, it solidifies and it is ideal for barbecue, grilling or use in other preparations such as a pizza base, croutons or a substitute for bread. In addition, corn grits or polenta It can be used in the preparation of desserts or use in cakes or biscuits replacing part of the flour. We can incorporate it to thicken soups.It is also ideal for making breakfast porridge.

types of polenta

In the market we can find two types of polenta:

Instant Polenta or Grits: It is already precooked and it takes only about 3-5 minutes to cook it.Whole corn grits: It is cooked in water, broth or milk, or a combination of any of them, in a proportion that varies depending on whether you want a thicker or creamier polenta.

how to make polenta

To make the polenta, we must first know what consistency we want it to be. Do we want it dense, to let it cool later and grill it, for example? Or do we prefer it creamier, like breakfast porridge? This will mark the ratio of semolina per liquid that we are going to need when cooking it.

If you want a thicker polenta: Put in the pot 1 part semolina to 4 parts liquid, be it water, vegetable broth or milk, or a combination thereof.If you want a creamier polenta: Reduce the ratio and use 1 part semolina to 5 parts liquid.

How to cook it step by step

To cook the polenta, the ideal is to use a very high pot, because it has a tendency to jump.

Bring the water (or broth or milk) to a boil. Add the polenta in the form of rain and lower the heat. In general, instant polenta cooks in about 2-4 minutes, and whole wheat grits in about 25-45 minutes, depending on the amount of water. It is best to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for the product. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thick and detached from the pot.

Once the polenta is cooked, it is usually added a little butter or olive oil and/or grated cheese or nutritional yeast.

Recipes with polenta

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Creamy polenta with sautéed mushrooms

This recipe for polenta with mushrooms is an easy dish that is very comforting on a rainy day. It is also ideal for throw together a quick dinner.

To get a dish richer in protein, we can add tempeh or chickpeas to the stir fry

Ingredients (4 people)

To prepare the polenta:

1 cup polenta 2.5 cups water 2 cups vegetable drink 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast 2 tablespoons butter, shortening, or olive oil 2 teaspoons salt

For the sautéed mushrooms:

600 g oyster mushrooms or mushrooms 1 onion 3 garlic cloves 200 ml vegetable broth 50 ml red wine (optional) or more vegetable broth 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast 1 teaspoon cornstarch 1 teaspoon thyme 1/2 teaspoon cumin 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1 fresh parsley for serving 2 tablespoons olive oil black pepper salt

Preparation (15′ + 30′ cooking):

First, prepare the polenta. In a medium saucepan, combine the water and vegetable drink, salt, and nutritional yeast and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and add the polenta in the form of rain, stirring so that lumps do not form. Cook over low heat, stirring, about 25 minutes or according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Once ready, remove from the heat and add the butter. While the polenta is cooking, prepare the mushrooms. Peel and chop the onion and garlic. Clean the mushrooms with a damp cloth and cut them into strips. Chop the parsley.In a skillet, heat the oil and add the onion and garlic. Sauté for about 7-10 minutes until they are transparent.In a bowl, mix the vegetable broth with the soy sauce, nutritional yeast and cornstarch.Add the mushrooms to the pan, season with salt and cook until golden, a few 10 minutes. Add the spices and give it a few turns in the pan. Add the wine and cook for a little while so that the alcohol evaporates. Add the broth with the cornstarch and seasonings, and cook for a couple more minutes until the sauce thickens. Season well. Serve the polenta with the mushroom sauce and fresh parsley.

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Gluten-free polenta and orange cake

A gluten-free, juicy and full cake is flavored with orange. if you accompany him with a little vanilla ice cream or coconut whipped cream, you will have a special dessert. Or you can accompany it with a cup of tea or coffee, for a comforting snack or breakfast.

If you need to make sure that this cake does not contain traces of gluten, choose certified gluten-free oat flour.

Ingredients:

100 g polenta 200 g oatmeal 3 eggs (or 3 tablespoons ground flax to make “flax egg”) 200 g light butter or olive oil 200 g brown sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 oranges

For the glaze:

100 g sugar4 cardamom seeds or a pinch of ground cardamom

Preparation (15′ + 35′ cooking):

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees or grease a cake pan with a little oil. If you are going to use “flax egg”, in a small bowl mix 3 tablespoons of ground flax with 9 tablespoons of water. In a bowl, mix the butter or oil with sugar and add the eggs, one by one, or the flax egg. Add the vanilla extract. Grate the skin of the two oranges and squeeze out the juice. Save 100 ml of the juice for the glaze. On the other hand, mix the oatmeal with the polenta, a pinch of salt and the baking powder. Add to the wet mixture, add the zest and orange juice (except the reserved 100ml) and mix well.Pour into the pan and bake for about 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the batter comes out dry .To make the frosting, break up the cardamom seeds. In a small saucepan, combine the orange juice with the sugar and cardamom. Bring to a boil and cook about 5 minutes. Pour over the cake and let cool.

You can serve this cake as is or with some banana ice cream or coconut yogurt and pistachios chopped.

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Baked polenta sticks

These canes, which can also be made in the form of pieces, are a healthy alternative to typical French fries or, if you choose to shape them into pieces, to the patatas bravas.

The polenta prepared like this, crispy on the outside and juicy on the insidethen constitutes a perfect appetizer or garnish.

Serve with sauce of your choice aioli, guacamole, hummus, cashew mayonnaise or tofu… or, why not, salsa brava.

Ingredients (4 people)

1 cup polenta 4 cups vegetable broth or water (or half water and half vegetable drink) 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs such as thyme, rosemary (optional) 1 tablespoon olive oil 1.5 teaspoons salt 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast or parmesan cheese olive oil

Preparation (5′ + 1h cooking + 2h fridge):

In a pot, pour the broth or water along with the vegetable drink and salt. When it starts to boil, lower the heat and add the polenta in the form of rain. Then cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions, until thickened and detached from the pot. In general, you’ll need about 3-5 minutes if you’re using instant polenta or about 25-30 minutes if you’re starting with whole-grain grits.While the polenta is cooking, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.Once the polenta is done, stir in oil, herbs, and nutritional yeast or partisan cheese. Mix well and pour onto the lined tray.Smooth with a spatula to obtain a 1cm thick rectangle (like a pizza crust) and chill for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days in the fridge, until let it cool and solidify.To make the “potatoes”, preheat the oven to 220 degrees. Cut the polenta into sticks, as if they were French fries, or into pieces, as if they were patatas bravas. Drizzle with oil, salt and pepper, mix well and bake on a tray for about 30 minutes, turning after half the time. Serve with salsa brava or another sauce of your choice.