Take advantage of wonderful creamy, golden baked polenta with oven roasted mushrooms in a jiffy with this fabulous vegan, gluten-free recipe. This baked polenta recipe is really easy! Simply get your mushrooms prepared on a baking sheet, and whereas they’re roasting, prepare dinner the polenta over the range, then switch it to the oven with the mushrooms to complete baking. If you’re carried out, you’ll take pleasure in this hearty polenta skillet recipe, which you’ll be able to serve proper out of the skillet–no further cleanup required. The oven roasted mushrooms add a wealthy savory high quality to the earthy polenta bake. Get it on the desk in below an hour (most of that point is letting the oven do the work!). With simply 7 elements (not together with pantry staples) you may put collectively a very superior meal that’s wonderful for busy weeknights, particular meals, holidays, and potlucks. What to serve with polenta? This recipe is hearty sufficient to be the principle occasion, however you can too take into account it a aspect dish to accompany protein-based dishes, similar to lentil patties or lentil loaves. I wish to serve it with a crisp vegetable salad to complete off the meal.
Polenta vs Grits
What’s the distinction between polenta and grits? What’s polenta? Effectively, they’re each comprised of floor corn, however grits originated with Native American meals traditions that crossed over into American Southern meals tradition. Grits are comprised of dent corn and it’s normally white (however can be yellow or blue if particular corn varieties are used). Grits is normally floor extra finely and has a stronger corn taste. Polenta originated in Northern Italy and is comprised of flint corn that’s yellow (generally it may be a white corn selection). Polenta is normally floor to medium-coarse texture and has a milder corn taste.
Is Polenta Gluten-Free?
Sure, polenta is comprised of corn, so it’s naturally gluten-free. The one concern may be cross contamination within the meals manufacturing system. If you’re involved about gluten, search for a gluten-free certification image on packages.
Is Polenta Wholesome?
Sure, polenta is a wholesome, nutrient-rich grain product that’s a part of wholesome, conventional diets. Some polenta might have components of the grain eliminated, so it is probably not thought of a complete grain.
Dried flint corn on the market on the Ojai farmers market. I used this corn on this recipe for polenta, however you should utilize retailer purchased polenta too.
For this recipe, I used to be fortunate sufficient to seek out flint corn grown by a neighborhood farmer in Ojai. I floor it myself, so it was 100% entire grain! If you’re lucky sufficient to purchase dried flint corn, you may simply grind it in a high-powered blender for a couple of minutes till it reaches a medium floor texture.
This wholesome, scrumptious baked polenta with oven roasted mushrooms is really easy to make! That includes solely 7 elements (not together with pantry staples), you may make this hearty vegan, gluten-free recipe very quickly and serve it because the star of your meal.
Oven-Roasted Mushrooms:
1 ½ kilos mushrooms (i.e., shitake, oyster, chanterelle, maitake, crimini)
Slice mushrooms into giant items (don’t chop into small items, because the mushrooms will shrink) and organize on a baking sheet.
Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice.
Sprinkle with minced garlic, salt (optionally available), black pepper, and contemporary thyme. Toss with tongs to distribute nicely.
Place within the oven on the decrease rack and bake for about 45-50 minutes, till tender and browned, stirring each quarter-hour. Take away from the oven and put aside. (You’ll be cooking the polenta within the oven whereas the mushrooms are roasting. See step 9).
Whereas mushrooms are roasting, put together the polenta.
Pour water into a big (20-inch) skillet or sauté pan (you can too use a medium Dutch oven) over medium-high warmth. Convey to a boil.
Add the polenta, olive oil, salt (optionally available), and black pepper to the boiling water and stir with a whisk till easy and bubbly (about 3 minutes). Take away from range.
Place the skillet (or sauté pan or Dutch oven) with polenta on the highest rack of the oven and bake for about half-hour till tender. (You may bake the polenta within the high rack of the oven whereas the mushrooms end roasting on the decrease rack.) Take away polenta from oven and stir in vegan parmesan cheese and plant-based milk or creamer with a whisk, till easy and creamy. The mushrooms ought to be carried out roasting by now (take away from oven and put aside). When mushrooms are out of the oven, brown the polenta by setting the oven temperature to broiler setting and returning polenta to oven high rack for about 4-5 minutes to reheat and get barely golden on high.
Take away polenta from oven. Prepare with mushrooms on high. Might garnish (optionally available) with extra contemporary thyme, freshly floor black pepper, and course sea salt.
Serve instantly in skillet (or sauté pan or Dutch oven).
