Friday, 7 February 2014

polenta squares topped with mushroom and caramelised onion

One of the 365 Project photo prompts this week was 'square' and so I decided that these yummy bite-sized snacks would be perfect. They were so delicious, I could hardly leave them alone long enough to take the picture you see here. For some reason I have never cooked with polenta, so I was delighted to find how easy it was. This delicious recipe can be found at deliciouseveryday.
As well as being delicious, these mushroom bites are great for using as a starter, as canapes or just a tasty TV snack. Another great thing about them is that you can do all the preparation the day before and just fry and assemble them to serve.

Method
1) Add the vegetable stock, along with with the butter, to a pan and bring to the boil. 
2) Reduce the heat and gradually whisk in the polenta. Keep whisking until it is thick and creamy. Remove from heat and whisk in the grated Parmesan.
3) Pour into a tray about 30cm by 20cm (12" x 8") and allow to set for about 20 minutes.
4) Meanwhile, add the onions to the olive oil in a saucepan. Let  them  soften, over a low heat, for about ten minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar and brown sugar and cook for a further ten minutes or so, until the onions are caramelised. Then set aside.
5) For the mushrooms, heat the olive oil in a frying pan and add the garlic. Cook for 2 minutes then add the mushrooms. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes.
6) Add the wine and thyme and then season with salt and pepper. Leave to simmer for about 10 minutes until the wine has all but evaporated. Set aside.
7) Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan, until it is hot. Cut the polenta into bite-sized squares, coat them with uncooked polenta flour and fry them for 2 or 3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Leave to drain on kitchen towel.
8) Assemble the bites by spooning a little of the caramelised onion onto the squares and then top with the  mushrooms .

Note: It is worth frying a couple of the polenta squares for different times and testing by tasting, to see which texture suits you. Longer frying will produce more crunch in the polenta.

Enjoy!

Adapted from a recipe on www.deliciouseveryday.com

Have a lovely weekend, lovelies. We are going to wrap up and get out in the fresh air with a thermos of soup; weather permitting of course! 

14 comments:

  1. Your pinterest post is now up ;) thanks again!

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    1. That's brilliant chic. I'm on my way over to check it out :-) xx

  2. Super delish - thanks so much for posting, can't wait to make these. Not sure if they will turn out as perfectly as yours :) Have a great weekend, I hope it stops raining soon!! xx

    Reply
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    1. They are so yummy, you will love them. It's just hard not to eat them all at once! Have a lovely day xx

  3. Thanks for this, I'll pass it on to Dave for a wheat free tasty treat option!

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    1. I'm sure you will thoroughly enjoy them. I'm looking forward to making them again :-)

  4. These sound and look delicious! Hope you found a rain-free opportunity to get out and about! xxx

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    1. They really are Curtise. It was so tempting just to sit and eat them all to myself! We managed a bit of an out yesterday but it's not looking so great today! Have a lovely day xxx

  5. I will try that recipe Rachel - Never made polenta, looks delicious!

    Arianexo

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    1. You will love it Ariane. Polenta is so tasty, it's definitely a favourite of mine. Hope you are well. xx

  6. Hey I love your blog, great work :) please come and have a look at mine. If you decide to follow me, I’ll follow you back :) xx

    http://lifewithalipglosssmile.blogspot.co.uk/

    Reply
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    1. Thank you so much for your lovely comment, Nessie :-)

  7. This looks amazing- I am going to have to give this one a try! Check out my latest post (http://novotnynarrative.com) - I nominated you for the Liebster Award! I enjoy your blog and following your pieces. xo

    Reply