Roasted Mushroom Polenta
Polenta – I’m sure you are familiar with this wonderful dish made of cornmeal but perhaps have not tried to make it. I encourage you to make this recipe and it is so simple and so delicious. I love to make extra polenta, store in the fridge and then fry it up with an egg on top for breakfast or a light dinner with a side salad. Polenta is a wonderful base for so many toppings – a hearty stew, chili, sauteed or roasted veggies as in this recipe – mushrooms!
Polenta is traditionally made with butter and parmesan cheese. To make this vegan, you could use a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle nutritional yeast for a delicious polenta. Traditionally also, the way my Zia made it, was in a copper pot with a long thick wooden stirring dowel and it took almost an hour of constant stirring. The cornmeal available now cooks up in minutes, in a regular pot, and is as delicious as I remember my Zia’s being. You can also buy fully-cooked polenta at most grocery stores – it comes in a tube – which is also very good when you need a quick round of polenta to fry up or bake!
Polenta is gluten free, is low in fat (until you add the butter and parmesan cheese!), is a source of fiber and protein, contains VitA which promotes eye health, and contains iron, magnesium and zinc – all part of a healthy diet.
The mushrooms in this recipe are roasted in the oven with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, herbs and spices. Roasting them brings out such a rich earthy flavour! Mushrooms are an anti-inflammatory and a valuable source of zinc and VitD.
As always, when you make this recipe, please post a photo of your Roasted Mushroom Polenta goodness and tag my IG account #RenataCollective or leave a comment with your thoughts!
Prep Time: 15 minutes / Cook time: 35 minutes / Makes: 4 - 6 Servings
Ingredients:
5 Cloves Garlic - sliced
4 Tablespoons Olive Oil (1 Tablespoon for the garlic and the rest for the mushrooms)
1½ Pounds of Mixed Mushrooms
2 teaspoons Balsamic Vinegar
1½ teaspoon Dried Parsley,
1 teaspoon Chili Powder
½ teaspoon Chili Flakes
¼ teaspoon Herbamare or Sea Salt
A Few Grindings of Fresh Pepper
1½ Cups Corn Meal
6 Cups Water
½ teaspoon Herbamare (or sea salt)
2 teaspoons Fresh Thyme Leaves or 1 teaspoon Dried Thyme
¼ Cup Butter - cubed
½ Cup Parmigiano Reggiano – grated or more to taste and for garnish
How It’s Made
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Slice your garlic and let it sit in a tablespoon of olive oil as you gather and prepare the rest of your ingredients. This allows the active ingredients in the garlic to work their nutritional magic!
Cut to trim the stems from the mushrooms then slice the mushrooms. In a bowl, add the mushrooms, the remaining olive oil, the balsamic vinegar, the parsley, the spices, season with Herbamare (or sea salt) and some generous grinds of black pepper.
Stir or toss to combine, then transfer the mushroom mixture to the lined pan and spread it out as a single layer.
Bake for 20 minutes or until the mushrooms are roasted as you like them. Check after 10 minutes as you don’t want them crispy or burned. Remove the mushrooms from the oven and set aside.
Reduce the oven temperature to 375ºF.
While the mushrooms are roasting, you will make the polenta. Ideally you will use an oven safe pan to cook the polenta in to then transfer to the oven. If you don’t have one, use a pot and get an oven safe casserole dish ready to put the cooked polenta in.
Bring the 6 cups of water to a boil, reduce the heat and as the water is simmering, add the salt. Then gradually pour in the corn meal, whisking the whole time, to create a smooth mixture of simmering polenta. Reduce the heat to low and continue to whisk. The polenta will thicken quickly. Continue cooking the polenta whisking occasionally for 10 minutes. Taste a spoonful (careful as it will be hot!) and season with additional Herbamare or sea salt if you wish. Add the butter cubes and whisk to melt the butter and incorporate it into the polenta. Add the parmesan cheese and stir to incorporate the cheese into the polenta. Add the fresh or dried thyme and stir again. Taste again with a clean spoon and adjust the seasoning.
Take the polenta pan off the heat. If using a separate casserole dish, pour the polenta in the dish. If using an oven save pan to cook the polenta, you will keep the polenta in the pan.
Distribute the mushrooms over the polenta. Add a few grindings of pepper. Sprinkle additional parmesan over top.
Put the casserole or pan into the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve!
I like to have the pepper grinder, more parmesan and olive oil for drizzling on the table to garnish the plate at the table.
Enjoy!
