Polenta & roasted vegetables
Try this lovely snack or light meal – delicious fried polenta, served with roasted veggies, to add great flavour and making a colourful plate as well! What I love about the combination of roasted veggies is the tomatoes and pumpkin! A quick meal without much effort!
Serves 4 – 6
1 litre water
250 g polenta
125 ml (30 g) finely grated Parmesan cheese
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
125 ml (70 g) cake wheat flour
cooking oil for shallow-frying
30 g packet rocket leaves (optional)
olive oil for drizzling
Roasted vegetables
500 g pumpkin, cut into 2 cm cubes
30 ml chopped fresh rosemary or 10 ml dried
60 ml olive oil
30 ml balsamic vinegar
15 ml light brown sugar
1 medium onion, cut into wedges
200 g cherry tomatoes
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1. Bring water to the boil in a medium, heavy-based saucepan. Slowly add polenta in a steady stream, whisking constantly. Bring to the boil and then reduce heat to low and cook for 10 – 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in cheese and seasoning.
2. Line a square 20 cm baking dish with plastic wrap. Transfer polenta to dish and spread out evenly with a palette knife. Leave to set for about 15 minutes.
3. Roasted vegetables: Place pumpkin in a roasting pan and sprinkle with rosemary, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and sugar. Place in a preheated oven at 200 °C and roast for about 15 minutes. Add onion, tomatoes and seasoning and continue roasting for about 10 minutes. Set aside.
4. Unmould polenta, cut into wedges and dust with flour. Heat oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan and fry polenta on all sides until golden brown.
5. Pile polenta onto a bed of rocket leaves on a serving plate. Top with roasted vegetables and drizzle with olive oil. Serve immediately.
Tip
Polenta is cooked when it pulls away from the sides of the saucepan.