Spinach Powder and Polenta Crispy Coated Tofu

Spinach Powder mixed with dry polenta makes a lovely coating for tofu

Back in February we went to Brighton and I bought some Spinach Powder from ‘The Spice Shop’. I’ve been thinking of simple ways to incorporate it into my cooking and I decided to use it in a polenta coating for tofu first. I didn’t find that it has an over powering taste of spinach but it just adds a lovely bright green colour and adds interest to an otherwise quite bland tofu.

By coating soft tofu in dry polenta before griddling it creates a deliciously crispy coating. If you can’t find spinach powder then you could substitute it with mixed dried herbs or even spices such as paprika (served with chips!).

Spinach powder and polenta could be a great coating for anything including fish and tofu!

This recipe idea is vegan, gluten free and low fat. It is also inexpensive because you only use a small amount of ingredients for the coating.

The method is really simple, mix 2 tablespoons of polenta with 1 tablespoon of Spinach powder and some salt and pepper and spread it out on a plate or a board. Slice and press your tofu then lay it in the powder coating and using your hands rub the polenta all over the tofu.

Heat a hot griddle pan, spray your tofu with some oil and lay your tofu on to the hot pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side turning every minute or so to stop it burning.

I served mine with some paprika stirfried peppers, tomatoes and onions stirred into spaghetti pasta. I felt that the earthy spinach would suit a more rustic dish rather than a stir fry. It would be lovely served on top of a roasted vegetable salad or served in a wrap with peppers and hummous.

I really enjoyed using the spinach powder and I have a few more ideas for the rest of the bag so you’ll be seeing it appear a bit more on here I also bought a beetroot powder so I’m excited to give that a go too!

ps I’m watching Masterchef UK as I write this, it’s so inspiring seeing all of the different flavour combinations!

Paprika and Oregano Polenta Chips – Deli Week

Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside!

I’ve named this week “Deli Week” because I had some nice recipe ideas which would be perfect presented on a big wooden board as part of a vegetarian deli board! When you see deli boards in a pub they include cured meats, slabs of baked cheese, pickles, olives, roasted peppers and selections of breads. Although absolutely delicious I think they could be much more interesting!

This week I am offering you ideas including paprika and oregano polenta chips, lemon and chive goats cheese tortilla boats and quinoa stuffed peppers. The idea behind deli dish recipes is that it needs to be a bit more substantial than a canapé but not as complete as a full meal.

Things that can be shared easily are perfect! This is why I decided to start with these gorgeous polenta chips, stick a bowl of these in the middle of any platter and I guarantee they’ll be gone in seconds!

These can be baked of fried!

I added paprika to the polenta mix because it creates this beautiful deep orange colour and I added dried oregano because I felt it would compliment the paprika nicely. I also like the little specks of herbs you get running through the chip.

Serves 4-6

Vegan, gluten and wheat free

150g polenta
800ml water
1 tspn Paprika
1 tblspn dried oregano
Pinch dried chilli flakes
Salt and Pepper

In a large saucepan bring the water to the boil then slowly pour the polenta into the water in a constant stream stirring constantly. Keep stirring for approx 5-6 mins until the polenta has thickened and become creamy. Once cooked add the paprika, chilli flakes, oregano and salt and pepper and stir to combine so that the flavourings are completely mixed through.

Pour the polenta out into a small square or rectangle cold baking tray or plate and spread out so you have an even level layer around 1cm thick. Leave to cool down until completely set.

Once set slice the polenta into 1cm thick chips. At the point you can either heat your oven to 200c or heat a little oil in a frying pan until very hot. If baking in the oven then sprinkle with salt and pop them in for around 20-25 minutes until crisp on the outside. If frying then give them around 6-8 minutes turning them frequently until crisp and golden on the outside.

Friday Challenge 2012: A look back at what I’ve learnt

I’m afraid to say that I’m finished with my Friday Challenge feature for 2012! When I first set out doing it, it was mainly because I had started reading a lot more food blogs/ food magazines and I realised that there were loads of things in the food world which I had never cooked before!! I found myself leaving comments over and over again all saying the same thing “I’ve never tried that before but it looks nice”, so I thought well why not just get off my bum and try it instead of bookmarking it for the future. I’m the sort of person who likes a bit of structure in my life so Scott had suggested that I use my new-found desire to learn to set myself more of a cooking routine and create interesting blog posts along the way, which hopefully I did over the last 10 months

Some of the ingredients such as tofu, polenta, gnocchi and artichokes were all things that I had simply never cooked before. Tofu was my first choice because it seemed an obvious vegetarian ingredient. I quickly learnt after a few failed attempts at the Wagamama’s tofu soup that you need to press tofu otherwise it all falls apart. This challenge for me was as much about learning the balance of Asian flavours as it was about actual cooking techniques for tofu.

Sweet Marinated Tofu and Noodle Salad. My first ever Tofu recipe

Unlike tofu, which I had at least eaten in restaurants before, polenta was something I had no idea how to make or what it even tasted or felt like! Now I cook it all the time and I feel I have the confidence to be a bit more creative with it. My favourite polenta own recipe is still the first one I created because I felt it was when I began to get confident with flavours!

Spanish inspired black olive polenta with a smokey tomato sauce

Tomato soup with Basil Gnocchi Dumplings

I really enjoyed the artichoke challenge but I think I could have learnt a lot more. In the end it was more about the flavour rather than using a whole fresh artichoke in different ways!

Baked Artichoke and Quinoa Salad with Watercress

Others topicss I chose for my Friday Challenges were techniques or recipes which I had cooked a handful of times but I really wasn’t sure if I had done it correctly, such as risotto, cakes and bread. I know I still haven’t quite mastered the art of baking bread yet but that has become like my own personal Everest, and I’m still tackling it so I promise I will get my own recipe out there soon! Cakes on the other hand were given two months because I just had so much fun!

Coconut, Cherry and Dark Chocolate Cake with a Flaked Almond and Brown Sugar topping

I found risotto interesting because I discovered Delia’s Baked risotto which meant there was no boring standing and stirring bit. But in the end I stuck with tradition and veganised it which worked really nicely. I always avoid risotto in restaurants because it’s too rich with lots of cream and cheese so it was nice to have a fresher taste.

Many Herbs and Peas Risotto

Finally the other topics I chose were chocolate and spices, both chosen because although I use them all the time I had not developed a proper understanding of how to use them in the best possible way. Chocolate was fun because I have eaten ALOT of it before but not really cooked with it, other than melting it to drizzle on things. In the end I kind of used lots of techniques I’d learnt all in one dish -

White Chocolate and Raspberry Mousse in edible chocolate cups

Curried Coconut Quinoa with Tofu and Green Beans

I’m stopping for the year now not because I think I’ve learnt everything there is to learn – far from it!! – but because I just want to focus on a few other things going on and it has become more of a hassle than a fun experience. I have another big feature planned for next year sort of along the same lines which I am really excited about!! But you’ll find out about that nearer the time mwahaha.

Thank you to everyone who let me cook their recipes and helped me learn all these new techniques! x

Canapes Two Ways: Bean Puree Bruschetta and Mixed Mushroom Polenta – Virtual Vegan Potluck!

I love canapes! I love being at an event where people are walking around with little trays of delicate little bite sized treats or at a party where canapes are more of a “finger food” buffet. I think it’s because without eating a huge meal you can taste lots of different dishes and experience different flavours. That’s why I decided to ‘bring’ two canape style dishes to the Virtual Vegan Potluck! Little bite size treats before you get stuck into the mains!

Mini Bruschetta with a basil, butterbean and pea puree, cucumber and alfalfa sprouts and a drizzle of olive oil

Mixed mushroom, garlic and rosemary mini polenta slabs

Now if you’re not familiar with the virtual vegan potluck (VVP) concept then you can find out more over at the brand new VVP Website here, but in brief it is a vegan foodie event, created by Annie from ‘An Unrefined Vegan’ and once again hosted by “Vegan Bloggers Unite“, where everyone participating posts a party dish at the same time. We all link to the person in front and behind us in the guest list so that in essence you should be able to ‘attend’ the whole party by following the links on the blog posts in one large circle! Sounds like fun right – click the links to move on when your finished!

Go back to “The Vegan Kat”

Go forward to “The Misfit Baker”

If that’s not enough vegan goodies for you then check out my last VVP post “Kohlrabi, Radish and Carrot Ceviche” and you’ll be able to follow the links for the last party too!

So what have I made… well I thought about the fact that making canapes means making lots of little dishes which can become stressful so I have done one that can be made in advance and one which prefers to be heated at the last-minute, therefore spreading out your time!

First up, the Beany Bruschetta! Traditionally bruschetta is a tomato and basil topping on toasted ciabatta slices with plenty of olive oil and mediterranean flavours but I have mixed it up a bit (completely) and made it green, with the cucumber slightly resembling the usual sliced fresh tomato salsa.  This is such a simple recipe but tastes amazing, easily adaptable to your own tastes and also it looks really impressive.

For this recipe I have dug out an old favourite of mine, a bean and pea puree. It’s packed with garlic and lemon and fresh herbs and I serve it on bread, in salads, as a pie filling or even just as a dip for crudities and pittas! The bean puree can be made in advance and kept in the fridge so all you have to do is assemble it nearer the time. You can serve this as pictured above on some bruschetta toasts or you can serve it as pictured below (for a lighter, lower carb version) on a gem lettuce leaf. I bought these gorgeous red lettuces from Sainsburys as I thought the deep red leaves would contrast nicely, also the stalk of the leaf makes a nice little handle for picking it up.

Makes approx 20 mini bruschettas

Bean Puree:
1 Can Butterbeans or cannellini beans
2 garlic cloves (or 1 large)
100g Green Garden Peas
Large Bunch Basil
1/2 Lemon Juice
2 Spring Onions

5 Seeded Ciabatta rolls
1 Cucumber
Large handful sprouted seeds (your choice of type but I had alfalfa ready to go)
Good quality olive oil for drizzling

Mix the puree ingredients together in a blender untill you have a smooth consistency. Taste it and add some more garlic or lemon if desired.

Slice the ciabatta rolls in half lengthways and toast lightly, then slice each half into 2 pieces so that each ciabatta roll gives you 4 mini bruschetta bases (20 in total). Top with the puree and then some finely diced cucumber (or veggies of your choice) and some sprouted seeds such as Alfalfa. Drizzle with some good quality olive oil and place on a platter to serve.

My second canape idea is a ‘Mixed Mushroom and Rosemary Polenta Slab‘which is better served warm but you can make it in advance and then heat it up at the last minute. It tastes fine at room temperature too but I think it’s nicer warm. I’m not sure if ‘slab’ is the nicest way of describing it but it’s kind of what it is!

This idea came to me when I was clearing out my cupboard and found a big bag of polenta I’d forgotten I had and I remembered my recipe for cheesy tomato polenta slabs. At the time I had  wanted to do a more autumnal version with mushrooms and goats cheese, but for this VVP occasion I have made it vegan by forgetting the goats cheese and using strong herbs like rosemary and my current favourite ingredient – truffle oil!!
These would also go perfectly with a balsamic glaze but since I still have a big bottle of truffle oil to get through that’s what I used.

The polenta slabs would probably be more of a ‘eat off a plate with a fork’ sort of dish so maybe not the perfect canape but if you make them a bit smaller I reckon they would be the rustic dish of the day!

Makes 16 individual slabs

300g Polenta
1.6 litres Water (200ml for the mushrooms)
1 tblspn Fresh Rosemary (remove the needles/ leaves from the stalk then roughly chop)
1 tblspn Dried Thyme
Pinch Salt
10 Closed Cup Mushrooms (sliced)
50g Mixed Dried Mushrooms such as porcini
2 Garlic Cloves (crushed)
Chilli flakes
Olive Oil for frying
Truffle oil or balsamic glaze for drizzling

First place the dried mushrooms into a bowl and cover with approx 200ml of boiling water. Put to one side for around 10 minutes to allow to soak then strain the mushrooms through a sieve but keep the soaking liquid. Slice the rehydrated mushrooms.

In a frying pan, heat a little oil and then  add the fresh and rehydrated mushrooms and stiryfry for 2-3 minutes then add the garlic and continue to cook until the mushrooms have all softened and ‘wilted’. Place the mushrooms into a large lasagna dish and spread out so that they cover the bottom of the dish evenly. You will need a very large dish to make sure that once the polenta is poured on it stays quite thin or you can do it in two dishes!

Put the remaining water and the now flavourful mushroom water into a large saucepan and bring to the boil, once boiling slowly pour the polenta into the pan whilst stirring with a whisk. Cook on the hob for 4-6 minutes stirring constantly, be careful because it spits viciously. You want it to reach a thick, even and creamy consistency.

Take it off the heat and add the chopped rosemary leaves, dried thyme and as pinch of salt. Stir untill the rosemary is evenly combined then pour the polenta over the mushrooms and using a knife or back of a spoon push it down very gently over the mushrooms and smooth it on the top. Now let the polenta cool down to firm up, you can leave it in the fridge if you are not needed it for while.

When you are ready to serve then set the oven to 200c (fan oven temp)

Once the polenta has cooled and is firm to touch run a knife  around the edges to loosen it from the dish then turn the polenta slab out onto a baking tray (All the mushrooms should be set into the polenta) and put it in the oven for 10-15 minutes. The polenta won’t brown but it will keep firm yet when you cut into it it’ll be lovely and soft on the inside!

Slice into 16 pieces and serve straight away on a platter

Thank you again to everyone involved in making the Virtual Vegan Potluck happen. It’s so much fun and a great way to meet other bloggers and see all the amazing food everyone has to offer! Bring on the next one x x x

Slow Cooked Tomatoes and Cheesy Polenta: Meat Free Monday

This idea started off as a completely different dish where I made a rich puree of roasted tomatoes then marbled it with the polenta and set it to become a beautiful marbled tomatoey slab of polenta….except it kind of looked like a smudged mess and the tomato flavour wasn’t intense enough to hold up when stirred in to the polenta. So I decided to keep the tomatoes whole and set them within the polenta to create little bursts of flavour when you eat it. It also looks much prettier than my original idea!

I would say that this dish is to be treated like a slice of quiche – best on a summers day, with salad as a nice simple lunch. It would be a great dish to cut into small pieces and serve with a buffet/ bbq or picnic with a selection of salads, breads and side dishes.

The tomatoes take about 2 hours in the oven to create the intense flavour and soft texture but once they are done it only takes a few minutes to make the polenta and then it can be set in the fridge and left untill needed, so a great one to make in advance.

Serves 4 as a lunch or 6-8 as part of a buffet.

6 Tomatoes (I’ve made it with just red tomatoes or with a mixture of tomatoes as in the photo above, either is nice)
Dried Basil
Garlic Powder
Olive Oil

150g Polenta
65g Parmesan or Mature Cheddar, grated
Large Handful Basil leaves, sliced
Seasoning
Rocket and Balsamic vinegar to serve

Preheat the oven to 100c. Slice the tomatoes in half and place them cut side up on a baking tray. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper, dried basil, garlic powder and olive oil and then put them in the oven for 2 hours. At this point I went shopping and when I came back I had some deliciously roasted tomatoes

Once the tomatoes are cooked put them to one side.

Put 800ml of water into a saucepan and bring to the boil, once boiling pour the polenta into the pan whilst stirring with a whisk. Cook on the hob for 4 minutes stirring constantly, be careful because it spits.

After 4 minutes take it off the heat and add the chopped basil and grated parmesan and stir untill the cheese is melted.

Place the tomatoes cut side down in a baking tray which measures roughly 10″ x 6″. Please note the picture below is from a time I used all red tomatoes but you can obviously use any tomatoes!

Pour the polenta over the tomatoes and using a knife or back of a spoon push it down over the tomatoes and smooth it on the top. Now let the polenta cool down, you can put it in the fridge if you don’t have loads of time.

Set the oven to 200c

Once cooled run around the edges with a knife to loosen it then turn the polenta slab out onto a baking tray and put it in the oven for 10-15 minutes. The polenta won’t brown but it will keep firm yet when you cut into it it’ll be lovely and soft on the inside!

Serve with Salad leaves such as rocket and balsamic vinegar.

Spanish Inspired Black Olive Polenta with a Smokey Tomato Sauce

This recipe is an adaptation from the Chilli, Cheese and Rosemary polenta dish from River Cottage Veg that I posted at the beginning of my polenta challenge (you can see that post here). Out of all the ways I have now tried cooking polenta, setting it and then frying it was my favourite!

I wanted to create more of a complete meal  which could be served up as lunch with a glass of wine and maybe a selection of salads or breads. I love spanish food and immediately thought of spanish influences such as olives, chilli, smoked paprika – all big rustic flavours! I think getting the balance of all the flavours was important as it was going to be quite bold but over all I think this dish is a lovely rustic vegetarian lunch!

I didn’t use cheese in my polenta because I think it would have been lost against the olives, it also meant this would be suitable for vegans.

Serves 2

For the tomato sauce:

2 Cloves Garlic
1 Small Onion
1 Can Chopped Tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
100g Spinach
Large Handful of Broad Beans

Heat some oil in a saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and cook on a medium-low heat for 8-10 minutes. Then add the tomatoes and spices and reduce the sauce for another 8-10 minutes so it’s nice and thick.

In batches add the spinach to the pan, stir it with the tomatoes untill wilted then add another batch. Once all the spinach is wilted in the pan add the broad beans, cook for another 2 minutes then take the pan off the heat and put to one side.

For the Polenta discs:

1 Garlic Clove
1 Red Chilli
50g Black Olives
75g Polenta
400ml Water
Salt and Pepper

Finely chop the garlic, chilli and black olives. In a frying pan heat some oil then add the chopped ingredients and fry for a few minutes untill the garlic is cooked through. You will get some lovely aromas come up at this point. Take them off the heat and put to one side.

In a saucepan boil the water then pour in the polenta in a steady stream whilst stirring continuously. Cook for around 6-7 minutes whilst stirring untill the polenta is smooth. Add the garlic, chilli and olives and mix together well.

Pour the polenta on to a cold plate and spread it out so it is evenly spread and around 1.5cm thick.

Allow this to cool down and set. Then cut discs from the polenta (around 3 or4 each) using either a cookie cutter or I used an upside down glass to create discs.

Add a little more oil to the frying pan and fry the polenta discs for 2-3 minutes on each side untill crispy and golden.

Serve hot!

NB: I have posted this recipe on Wellness Weekend over at Diet Dessert and Dogs blog – please go check it out there are some great recipes from Ricki and other contributors

Rich Mushroom Ragu with Polenta (Low Fat No Fat Cookbook): Friday Challenge!

This recipe I tried is from the Readers Digest Low fat No fat cookbook which I also used for the Tofu Omelette recipe last month. I’ve seen lots of versions of this recipe but I was drawn to this one the most because it looked quite rich but still fairly healthy! Mine didn’t quite turn out like the photo in the book because my polenta was a little grainy and not smooth and shiny like theirs! Also my sauce looked less vibrant (however they could have adjusted this in post production I guess). Aesthetics aside I think it tasted delicious! The sauce included red wine, rosemary, mushrooms obviously and also some onions!

In this recipe the polenta is not flavoured with anything so I was a little worried it would be boring but with the mushroom ragu it actually worked really nicely! I think this was nice because any flavourings would have been lost under the rich mushrooms.

I think I prefer Polenta when it has been set and then fried because it’s a little easier to eat, I found this to be a bit sloppy- however I think it may have needed a little extra cooking.

What have I learnt about Polenta?
I’ve taken on board a few things from doing this recipe. Firstly, you don’t need to pack polenta full of flavourings if you are pairing it with a strong sauce as it can help balance a meal out. Secondly I think Polenta is often used as an ingredient to serve on the side but it doesn’t often take centre stage! I’m definitely going to make my polenta the star of the show and also a complete meal (as I felt the river cottage veg meal was more of a snacky lunch for me).

Rosemary, Chilli and Cheese Polenta (River Cottage Veg): Friday Challenge!

This is the first time I’ve ever cooked or tasted Polenta and I really had no expectations of taste or texture. For those (like me a few days ago) that don’t know, Polenta is a grainy texture like fine cous cous, but when water or milk is added it becomes sort of like mashed potato. You can serve it like this or you can spread it out on a cold plate or tray and leave it to set, then it can be sliced up and fried in oil.

After mixing the polenta with the boiling water I had a little taste and soon realised that this strange stuff is really just a carrier for flavour as it’s really quite bland!

In this recipe the flavours added are garlic, chilli, rosemary and cheese (I used reduced fat cheese – old habits die hard!). When it was boiling in the pan it became almost volcanic so watch out! I took a few hits and it’s so messy!

Once I had boiled it, poured it out and let it set it became oddly flexible – not what I expected at all – and it was very easy to slice up ready to be fried! Theres no need to be too delicate with this stuff.
The flavour balance was delicious and much stronger than I’d expected and I think it would have tasted even nice if I’d used a mature cheddar as it suggested in the recipe. I think for a beginner this is a pretty fool proof recipe, it was easy to make and everything came out like it was meant to It would be really nice as a rustic lunch or even as a side dish but I do think next time I’d make half the amount of tomato sauce because that drowned out the polenta a little bit!

What I have learnt about Polenta:
Well it definitely needs a good amount of flavour adding to it to make it more exciting! It’s a very versatile and forgivable ingredient, I felt like you couldn’t go too wrong with the process! It definitely got me thinking about flavour combinations which could be used with polenta so I have lots of ideas

Also I found out that once you have set the polenta (before frying it in slices) it can be frozen. This was great because I had made too much so I now have batches in the freezer ready to be defrosted and fried

My husband said that he thought it tasted a bit like a cheesy pancake – not sure if this is what its meant to taste like but I liked it!

So Polenta Challenge week one is over, any advice on Polenta is of course welcome! Next week I’m going to cook a polenta pudding (Another versatile ingredient)
NB I’ve also taken part in a challenge on a great blog Ive found - Jo’s Kitchen – River Cottage Rocks  – What a great idea to get people cooking recipes from the River Cottage Collections! I got the River Cottage Veg for christmas and have hardly put it down . thanks Jo! x