Noochy Polenta Bowls (VG, GF)

Creamy, savoury soft polenta with loads of textures & flavours!

I say ‘bowls’ but it really is served on a plate hahahaha.

First off – What is polenta?

Polenta: A dish of boiled ground cornmeal. It is soft when hot, firm when cooled.

I used to make vegetarian polenta fries that had heaps of salt, cheese & butter. It used to be my signature dish.

But after I chose to be vegan + eat more wholesomely, I’ve been trying to make a vegan version that surpasses the dairy-heavy version – This is it!!

Thanks to the nutritional yeast and miso, the polenta has a unique umani savoury taste that is quite cheesey and nutty.

The polenta’s ‘noochy’ flavour predominantly comes from the nutritional yeast. To be honest, if you are not a fan of the nutritional yeast flavour – you will probably dislike the taste of the polenta in this recipe.

But if you’re a fan of nooch, this is a recipe for you!

My choice of sides/veggies requires a bit of multitasking. I start with the potatoes > sauce > other sides > polenta.

Some of the components of this dish can be made ahead of time. But honestly you can use whatever vegetables or beans you prefer as the polenta pretty much goes with anything.

Simplicity: 3/5     Deliciousness: 4/5     Nutrition: 4/5

Serves 2 large portions

Polenta

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup fine ground polenta (do not use coarse ground!)
• 1 litre+ boiling hot water
• 3/4 tsp+ himalayan pink salt
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
• 1+ tbsp vegan butter
• 1/4 tsp+ dark miso paste or 1/2 tsp yellow miso paste

Method

1. Fill a medium sized pot with 1L hot water (I like to use a kettle to boil water as it speeds up the boiling process).

2. Slowly pour in the polenta, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Turn the heat to medium.

3. Cook, whisking consistently, for about 15-20 minutes. Add more water (hot or cold doesn’t matter) when the mixture becomes too thick.

The polenta’s grainy texture will become smooth on the tongue when cooked. Take care during the cooking, as the polenta will bubble and spit (like lava). You do not want to burn yourself.

The consistency you are aiming for is like bottled tomato sauce/passata; smooth and slightly thick. Note that polenta thickens & solidifies as it cools down.

4. Seasoning time. Start with 1 teaspoon of salt and stir.

5. Turn off the heat. Whisk in the nutritional yeast, vegan butter & miso paste until dissolved. Taste. If you prefer it saltier + more buttery, season with more salt, miso paste or vegan butter to taste. Once you’re happy with the seasoning, set the polenta aside. It will thicken as it cools down.

 

Chunky Spicy Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

• 5 large juicy tomatoes
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 1 tsp mixed dried herbs
• pepper and salt

Method

1. Chop the tomatoes into chunks. Add 3/5 of the tomatoes into a blender and process until smooth.
2. Heat up a pot on low. Add the chopped tomato chunks into the pot and stir. After 1 minute, add the chilli flakes and stir. Then, pour the blended tomatoes into the pot. Stir & turn the heat up to medium.
3. When the sauce starts to boil, add the mixed dried herbs, a couple rounds of cracked black pepper and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Stir.
4. Let the sauce bubble away to reduce to a thicker/chunkier consistency. This usually takes 15-20 minutes on medium-high heat. Stir the pot occasionally.
5. When the sauce has reduced, taste. Add more seasoning to taste. When you’re satisfied with the consistency & flavour, turn off the heat and set the sauce aside.

 

Sides & Assembling

Ingredients

• 2 large potatoes
• 3/4 tbsp olive oil
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 1 whole broccoli
• 1 can red kidney beans
• Hemp seeds hearts

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Line the tray with baking paper.

2. Wash and dry the potatoes.

To make hasselback potatoes: Place the flatter side of the potatoes on the chopping board. Make thin cuts/slices at 3mm intervals about two-thirds of the way down.

If you find it difficult to make the cuts, chopsticks or wooden spoons can aid the process. Place one on either side of the potato while you prep them.

If you can’t be bothered to make hasselback potatoes, just chop them into chunks, toss in olive oil + 1/4 tsp salt and bake until tender & golden.

3. Place the potatoes on the tray. Then, pour & rub the olive all over them. Break the sprigs of thyme into 1 inch pieces and randomly insert between the potato slices.

4. Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown.

5. While the potatoes cook, prep the remaining sides. Wash & cut the broccoli into easy-to-eat pieces. Drain & rinse the canned beans.

6. Place a pot of boiling water on the stove. Pour the beans in and boil for 2 minutes. Use a strainer ladle to remove them from the water into a bowl.

Then place the broccoli in the pot and boil for 3 – 4 minutes, or until tender. When cooked, remove from the pot into a separate bowl. Set aside.

7. Set out large plates. Scoop on the soft polenta. Then the tomato sauce. Then the broccoli, kidney beans and potato. Finally, sprinkle some hemp seeds for some extra texture (and some extra plant based protein!).

8. ENJOY!!

 

 

Potato & Jalapeño Waffles (VG, GF)

Piping hot, fluffy insides, crispy outside, noochy & savoury with spicy & tangy jalapeño bits…

I know I just said a bunch of adjectives hahaha. Just know that it’s DEEELICIOUS!

I’m absolutely addicted to these! They’re basically hash browns but wafflelised & spicy!

There is no saturated fat or oil used in the waffles themselves. The only oil used is unrefined coconut oil – and that’s for greasing the waffle iron.

The cooking device? I used a non-stick Belgian Waffle maker (Mine is a Cuisinart 4 Slice Belgium Waffle Maker). The deep pockets are perfect for potato waffles that are chunky/have texture!

To adjust the spiciness level, I would suggest using:

zero: 1 cup frozen peas (add these to the boiling potatoes 2 mins before they are cooked)

mild: 8 pickled jalapeños

spicy: 12 pickled jalapeños

extra spicy: 15 pickled jalapeños + 1/2 tbsp pickled jalapeño juice (I love spicy foods so this is the level the recipe is at.)

Toppings and sauce are optional but highly recommended; they will bring some variation of flavour & texture to the waffles.

I’ve used avo, hemp & coconut bacon for creaminess and crunch. I’ve also dipped waffles in a herby tomato sauce. Both super simple and delicious! Both of these options also help cut through the spiciness/tanginess of the jalapeños.

Enjoy them fresh out of the waffle iron – try not to burn your fingers!

If you don’t manage to eat all your waffles right away, I highly highly recommend toasting them! Waffles (whether sweet or savoury) so get soggy/limp quite easily. You can heat them up again in your waffle maker, BUT the absolute BEST way to get warm is to just pop them in your toaster – after 3+ minutes, they’ll be crispier than before and piping hot again!

Simplicity: 4/5     Deliciousness: 4.5/5     Nutrition: 3/5

Makes 8 medium sized Belgium waffles

Ingredients

• 4 cups medium cubed potatoes (washed)
• 1/4 tsp + 1/2 tsp Himalayan pink salt
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/2 cup gluten free plain flour (If you’re fine with gluten, just use plain flour)
• 15 pickled jalapeños rings (small diced)
• 3 tbsp unsweetened almond milk
• 1 tbsp pickled jalapeño juice (optional)

Method

1. In a pot of boiling water, add the potatoes + 1/4 tsp Himalayan pink salt. Stir. Cook on high heat for 10 minutes.
2. Turn off the heat. Drain the potatoes in a colander.
3. Rinse off any foam/scum from the pot. Then place the cooked potatoes back into the pot.
4. Turn on your Belgian waffle maker to mid – high heat.
5. Add 1/2 tsp Himalayan pink salt, nutritional yeast, gluten free flour and diced pickled jalapeños to the pot. Mix.
6. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until well combined. The mixture should be sticky (see above photos).
7. Your Belgian waffle iron should be hot now. If you can adjust the heat, turn the heat of medium (a super hot waffle iron will just burn the bottom of your waffles). Grease your waffle iron (I used unrefined organic coconut oil + paper towel).
8. Scoop the mixture onto the waffle iron to desired size& thickness. Lightly press down and spread evenly – you do not want to see gaps in the middle! Then close the lid.
9. Cook until golden brown. Flip them when you’re happy with the colour to crisp them up a little more. Serve immediately for maximum crispiness. ENJOY!

Notes

>> The cooking time until golden brownness will differ slightly depending on the brand, type and heat level of your Belgian waffle maker.

Open the lid and check the colour of the bottom of the waffles after 5 minutes – if not, close the lid and check again every 2 minutes until you’re satisfied.

Use nonstick tongs to check! You don’t want to scratch the coating of your waffle iron.

My waffles are cold, limp and soggy 😦  What can I do?

TOAST THEM!

The absolute BEST way to get the limp waffles hot & crispy again is to pop them in your toaster. After 3+ minutes, they’ll be crispier than before and piping hot again!