Golden polenta fries

 

I know what’ you’re thinking. You’re thinking that fries have taken over my kitchen blog. And you are absolutely right! I’ve been craving these little golden gems like crazy these days so I’ve been experimenting with different kinds of fries. Monday was all about sweet potato fries (you can read the post here) but today, the spotlight is on polenta fries. Yes, you read that correctly, polenta made into fries. Divine!

One of the reasons fries have my heart is because they can be a very nourishing side dish or  snack and they’re fun to eat, whether you’re a toddler or a grown up. Everyone loves fries. You can dress’em up any way you like, whether you’re the typical ketchup dipper or you wanna go fancy and dip them in guacamole or a spicy roasted red pepper sauce. We served them with the lather for dinner last night.

Actually, I shouldn’t say “we”, I should say my husband. Yup, that’s right, my husband made these for me for my birthday yesterday. He served them as an appetizer and if he hadn’t told me there was a main course coming after (fried tofu with sweet & spicy Asian inspired sauce over jasmine rice! That’ll be Friday’s post), I would have eaten the entire plate myself. Full disclosure, I did sneak the leftover fries with the red pepper sauce in my lunch bag because these fries were the bomb and make amazing leftovers!

The making of polenta fries is quite simple actually, although it does require a few steps. But please don’t shy away from this recipe just because of the multiple steps. They are totally worth it! And they don’t take much active time at all to make. Most of it is resting time where you can do other things. Time is precious my friends, remember Monday’s post!

The first step for these polenta fries is to actually cook the polenta, which takes no time at all. For these fries, my husband used a medium grain cornmeal. It’s the cornmeal I always have on hand because I find it gives just enough texture without being too grainy.

Once the polenta is cooked, just transfer it to a baking dish, covered in parchment paper, and spread it evenly. I recommended a 9X13 inch baking dish so the fries are long and lean. If you want chubbier fries, you can use a 9X9 baking dish instead but you’ll need to adjust your baking time and add a few extra minutes. After it’s cooked, the polenta needs to set in the refrigerator. If you can let them rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, that’s ideal.

Once the polenta is cool and set, cut into fry-like shape and pop them in the oven for 30 minutes (15 minutes each side – I also like to broil them for the last 1 min of each side to give the fries that golden crispy texture). Your polenta fries will come out of the oven.

Now before I give you the recipe for these beautifully golden and crispy fries, you know I’m going to share another mindfulness concept with you guys. And it actually has everything to do with an important step of making these fries: the resting time.

 

Just like polenta needs time to set to become beautiful fries, you also need time to “set” to become the best possible you. What I mean by that is this: you most likely lead a very busy life: you juggle a job, and maybe even 2 or 3 jobs; you take care of your children, a spouse, an elderly parent or your in-laws, maybe you foster animals; you take care of your home, do the laundry, dishes, meal prep, lunches for the next day; you try to keep everybody fed and clothes and clean and functioning. Everything you are, everything you have, everything you do, you give freely to everyone around you. But what about you? When do you have time for you? Where is the “setting” time for yourself in your day?

To continue reading on time “setting” for yourself, please join me here.

If you want to get to the recipe first before reading the mindfulness post, just scroll on down my friend.

Hope you guys enjoy these fries.

Don’t forget to click on the recipe title and leave me a comment at the bottom of the post to let me know what you served these delicious polenta fries with.

xx

 

Golden polenta fries
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4 portions
Versatile, these polenta fries make a great side dish or snack.
Ingredients
  • 3 Cups of water
  • 1 vegetable broth cube
  • 1 tsp dry oregano
  • 1/2 tsp dry rosemary
  • 1/2 tsp dry sage
  • 1/4 Cup nutritional yeast
  • 1 Cup medium size cornmeal
  • 2 Tbs vegan butter (I use Earth Balance)
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven at 425 degrees.
  2. Line a 9X13 baking dish with parchment paper.
  3. In a large pot, bring the water to a boil.
  4. Add the vegetable broth cube and herbs. Stir.
  5. Whisk in the cornmeal, nutritional yeast and vegan butter.
  6. Reduce the heat to medium.
  7. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon so the polenta doesn’t clump up.
  8. The polenta will be ready when it starts pulling from the sides, after about 15 minutes of cooking.
  9. Pour the polenta in the baking dish and spread evenly. Set aside.
  10. When cool enough, put in the fridge for 30 minutes, to set.
  11. Once the polenta has set, cut into stick shapes.
  12. Spray a baking sheet with oil and arrange the fries so they’re not too crowded on the sheet.
  13. Bake for 15 minutes on each side, with the last minute on broil.
  14. Serve with your choice of dipping sauce.

 

Pumpkin Polenta with Caramelized Peaches and Butternut Squash

 

Hello beautiful people,

Thanksgiving in Canada is just a short week away. I’m already excited for all the delicious food, the family, the ambiance of festivities… If you’re hosting, Thanksgiving can require quite a bit of cooking. I find that a little preparation and cooking a few days ahead goes a long way. It’s your best bet to not stressing out on the day of and to actually enjoy some of the celebrations. I love spending time in the kitchen, but when my entire family is over, I want to spend time with them, not in my kitchen, and enjoy some of the delicious food and great conversations.

So here’s a few tips I’ve gathered over the years of hosting (and this applies to any gathering or party or festivity you are hosting and that is more labour intensive than a potluck – although potlucks can be labour intensive…but that’s for another post!):

  1. Write down you’re entire menu, down to the very last bite of food. A cute little tradition we have in our family is that my dad will have my menu printed out on decorative cards and placed on each person’s plate. It makes for a nice little souvenir of the celebration and serves as a great memory card for me, the day of!
  2. Make sure there’s something for everyone on your menu. If someone you invited has a food allergy, intolerance or is on a special diet, don’t make them feel left out, have something on your menu they can enjoy. For example, in my family, a few people are gluten-free. So I make sure there’s a few dishes for them to enjoy. They are always very thankful for the kind gesture and everyone else get to enjoy the dishes as well…
  3. Also, make sure your menu contains items that can be prepared ahead of time and that freeze well. See item 6.
  4. Once your menu is written down, prepare the non-food related chores like decorating the house and setting the table. You can even go over your music playlist to make sure you have all your favourite tunes are lined up.
  5. As you write down your menu, write your grocery list. You don’t want to waste time going back and forth to the store because you keep forgetting something. Leave only the items that need to be “same day” fresh for last minute purchases like french baguette.
  6. Start cooking the freezable items on your menu, a few of days ahead. I always make a soup on Thanksgiving. Mainly because everyone in my family loves soup but also because it’s such a nice warming way to start a big meal. And it just feels very Fall-ish. And it’s easy to freeze. I also make my dessert a few days ahead like the crust to my pumpkin pie or my carrot cake. All that’s left for me to do on the big day is either fill my crust or ice my cake.
  7. Don’t stress out! Hosting a big gathering can be stressful but remember why you’re hosting and the reason for the celebration. And if everything is not perfect, that’s ok, nothing ever is!

For the longest time, in our family, Thanksgiving has been a brunch celebration. I can’t even remember the last time we had a Thanksgiving dinner, per se. But I’m perfectly fine with that even though it cuts my kitchen time quite a bit, the day of. I love the fact that everyone gathers early in the day so we can enjoy the entire day together.

This creamy Pumpkin Polenta with Caramelized Peaches and Butternut Squash is exactly the type of dish I’ll be making for Thanksgiving. It’s gluten free so it’ll please many members of my family, but it’s also creamy without being heavy and the caramelized peaches and butternut squash give it just the right amount of sweetness and decadence.

Hope you enjoy this dish and let me know some of your tips and tricks for hosting a big event by leaving me a comment!

xx

Pumpkin Polenta with Caramelized Peaches and Butternut Squash
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4 portions
This creamy polenta will make everyone at the table happy, from the gluten free adepts to the picky toddlers. If you want to make your polenta a little less rich, skip the coconut milk and simply add more water. It won’t change much of the texture but it will save a few calories.
Ingredients
  • 1 Cup peaches, diced
  • 1 Cup butternut squash, diced (I saved time by purchasing pre-cut frozen butternut squash)
  • 1 Tbs coconut sugar
  • 1 Tbs vegan butter
  • 2 1/2 Cups water
  • 2 Cups lite coconut milk
  • 1 Cup medium cornmeal / polenta
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/4 ginger
  • 1/4 all spice
Instructions
  1. In a mixing bowl, add the peaches, butternut squash and coconut sugar.
  2. Stir with a wooden spoon to coat evenly. Set aside.
  3. In a saucepan, add water, coconut milk and spices and set over high heat.
  4. Sprinkle the cornmeal and whisk at the same time. This will prevent clumping.
  5. When the mixture starts to boil, continue whisking and reduce to medium-low heat.
  6. The polenta will start thickening. Keep stirring frequently to prevent burning at the bottom of the saucepan and the polenta from clumping.
  7. Cook the polenta approximately 30 minutes to get a nice creamy texture.
  8. While the polenta is cooking, add your butter to a saucepan and set on high heat.
  9. Once the butter is melted, add the peaches and butternut squash mixture. Stir then allow the fruity mixture to caramelize, stirring only occasionally but keeping a close eye on it so it doesn’t burn, about 5 minutes.
  10. Once your polenta is nice and creamy, pour into a serving dish and top with the caramelized peaches and butternut squash.