Cathy Katin-Grazzini
Cathy's Kitchen Prescription LLC
www.cathyskitchenprescription.com
Torta di Polenta con Broccoli
It’s just more fun and festive to arrange veggies in tasty, colorful layers for a mix of flavors in every mouthful. In this tasty polenta torte, I layered it up with mildly spicy garlicy broccoli and roasted late summer sweet cherry tomatoes.
Polenta tortes work beautifully with sautéed mushrooms, winter squash with garlic and sage, smashed early spring peas, shallot and mint ~ the possibilities are nearly endless!
Prep Time 30 minutes Cooking time 30 minutes 1 9x13” pyrex lasagna pan
Ingredients
Veggies
1 large red onion, sliced, sautéed
Small splash of dry white wine or vermouth, no-sodium veggie broth or water to deglaze pan
8 cups broccoli florets, blanched
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
2 teaspoons Aleppo pepper flakes or similarly mild chili
1 large head garlic, roasted, peeled, sliced
2 Tablespoons shiro (white) miso powder •, or to taste
8 cups large cherry tomatoes, sliced in half, roasted
1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dry thyme
Polenta
2 cups coarse polenta ••
7 cups water
1 Tablespoons vegetable powder (no sodium)
2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
1-2 Tablespoons aka (red) miso •, or to taste
• Miso and dehydrated miso powder are available online. Miso a good salt alternative that helps to lower blood pressure (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5313421/#:~:text=Miso%2C%20which%20is%20made%20from,%2C%20including%20salt%2Dsensitive%20hypertension).
•• Different brands and grinds of polenta may alter the amount of water it requires and its cooking time. This recipe used Bob’s Red Mill’s organic polenta. If you are unsure, make a small amount to test.
Directions
Veggies
In a hot skillet dry sauté onion over medium heat for 3-5 minutes or until softened and beginning to adhere to your pan. Deglaze with a very small splash of liquid, scraping up the carmelized sugars from the pan. When it is soft and darkened remove from heat. Set aside to create broccoli mix.
Peel loose skins off garlic and roast whole and dry in a 400°F/204°C oven for 30 minutes. Cool. Peel. Slice. Set aside.
Blanch broccoli florets in boiling water for 3-4 minutes or until crispy tender. Plunge in ice water to halt cooking and to brighten color. Drain. Toss in a food processor (you may have to do this in batches, depending on the size of your food processor bowl), adding sautéed onion, miso powder and nutritional yeast, and pulse until well mixed and you have a soft, coarse mixture. Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in Aleppo flakes and sliced garlic.
Roast cherry tomato halves on a sheet lined with parchment in a 425°F/218°C oven for 20-25 minutes or until partially dehydrated and with toasting on its cut edges. Cool.
Polenta
Heat water in a medium-large saucepan. When it comes to a boil, sprinkle in veggie powder, nutritional yeast, and miso, stirring to dissolve well.
Add polenta, stirring constantly to prevent lumping. Reduce heat to low, continue to stir, and cook for about 5 minutes until loose but thoroughly cooked. Turn off flame, cover, and allow polenta to rest a few minutes.
Compose the Torte
Preheat oven broiler on high.
Pour a lay about 3/8”-1/2” thick in the lasagna pan. This should use up about half the polenta. Spread to level with an angled icing spatula or a butter knife.
Add a nice layer of the broccoli spread, smoothing it to level.
Then place half your tomatoes and sprinkle half the thyme leaves on top.
Repeat with another layer of polenta and of broccoli.
Transfer the pan to the oven for 10-15 minutes to broil until lightly and evenly toasted on top.
Remove from broiler. Place your final tomato halves on top. Sprinkle with the remaining thyme leaves.
Allow 15-20 minutes for the polenta to set before slicing, keeping your knife edge clean between cuts and wet to facilitate cutting. Use a spatula to plate.
Serve on warmed plates and e buon appetito!