Creamy Polenta with Roasted Tomatoes and Snap Peas
Try this Creamy Polenta with Roasted Tomatoes and Snap Peas recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Creamy Polenta with Roasted Tomatoes and Snap Peas recipe, or contribute your own.
- sea salt to taste
- red pepper flakes to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 cup low sodium vegetable broth
- 1/3 cup corn grits polenta (i use bob' s red mill)
- 4 dashes dried oregano
- 1 cup sugar snap peas
- extra virgin olive oil enough to lightly coat tomatoes and peas
- 1/4 medium avocado sliced
- vegan parmesan (optioanl); for topping
- fresh basil (optional); for topping
- Carbohydrate 20.264021 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 8.382202 g
- Fiber 9.73378991584777 g
- Protein 9.44554999999999 g
- Saturated Fat 1.2108062 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (277g)
- Sodium 330.5689 mg
- Sugar 10.5302310841522 g
- Trans Fat 0.7776153 g
- Calories 175 calories
Step-by-step
- Heat the oven to 425 degrees.
- On a rimmed metal baking sheet lined with parchment paper, toss the tomatoes and snap peas in enough olive oil to coat. Season with salt.
- Roast with 10 minutes or until the tomatoes begin to burst and the peas are tender.
- Meanwhile, bring a small pot filled with the vegetable broth to a low boil.
- Slowly whisk in the polenta and bring to a simmer.
- Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Once the polenta has thickened, remove from heat, then stir in the salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste.
- Stir in the dried oregano, and nutritional yeast, then cover and rest for two minutes.
- Spoon the polenta in a bowl, then top with the roasted tomatoes and snap peas.
- Arrange the avocado slices on top, and sprinkle with vegan Parmesan and fresh basil, if using.
Undercooking the corn grits before adding salt remains the most common error in grain cookery. When salt goes into the liquid too early, it can toughen the outer starch membranes of the corn, preventing proper hydration and yielding a gritty texture that no amount of stirring will fix. Whisking the polenta slowly into boiling vegetable broth prevents clumping, and simmering the mixture for five minutes allows the starches to swell fully before seasoning takes place.
Judging Doneness by Sight and Texture
Relying on a timer is insufficient when cooking polenta on varying burner sizes. Instead, watch for the mixture to pull away slightly from the sides of the pot and display a glossy, uniform sheen. The surface should bubble gently without sputtering violently, indicating that the starch has gelatinized properly and the raw corn taste has disappeared.
- If the polenta thickens too rapidly before softening, whisk in an extra two tablespoons of warm vegetable broth immediately.
- Ensure the oven is preheated to a full 425 degrees Fahrenheit so the cherry tomatoes burst within ten minutes without overcooking the snap peas.
