Mushrooms and Spinach on Polenta Rounds & Summer Rolls

Two delicious recipes that are healthy and easy to make

Ingredients

• 500 ml (16 ounces) water
• 500 ml milk
• 30 g (1/8 cup) parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 tsb butter
• 175 g (1 cup) polenta
• salt and white pepper

Method

1. In a heavy-based saucepan, bring milk and water to boil and then whisk in the polenta until thoroughly mixed.


2. Reduce the heat to very low and simmer for 40 mins, stirring occasionally to stop it sticking.


3. Remove from heat, season, and mix through parmesan and butter.


4. Pour into a greased tray to set, smoothing to make it as flat as possible. It should be about a 2 cm thickness (try a brownie tray).


5. Allow to cool, then cut out two rounds with a food stack ring or egg ring.


6. Fry in a small amount of olive oil in a pan, turning once. Alternatively, brush with a little olive oil and cook on a griddle/chargrill pan unti lovely grill marks appear.

Mushrooms

Quarter button mushrooms and toss them in a dish along with 2 crushed cloves of garlic, fresh thyme, olive oil, a small knob of butter and salt and pepper. Roast them for 20 mins at 200 degrees celcius, and then crumbled a little dodoni fetta over the top and mixed through. The fetta lended a nice salty flavour to the mushrooms, and the creaminess of the fetta formed a light sauce when mixed with the pan juices.

Spinach

Wilting spinach is really quick and easy, and a good way to pack lots of healthy spinach into a meal with minimum fuss. In a large pan heat a drizzle of good olive oil and throw in a generous couple of handfuls of washed baby spinach leaves. Season and toss until the spinach is wilted, then remove from heat and use immediately.

To assemble the dish, carefully top cooked polenta pieces with wilted spinach and then mushrooms and a sprig of fresh thyme. Using a food stack ring may help. These are available from kitchen supply stores. Bon appetit!

Summer Rolls

Ingredients

• 12 rice papers gluten-free
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 1 bunch basil
• 4-5 oz Vermicelli rice noodles gluten-free, cooked
• 1 large carrot julienned
• 1 large cucumber julienned
• 1 cup cabbage thinly sliced
• Peanut Dipping Sauce
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce gluten-free
• 2 tsp coconut sugar or brown sugar
• ½ tsp Sriracha sauce
• 3-6 Tbsp warm water

Recipe

1. Fill a large pan or baking dish with 1-2 inches of warm water. You’ll want the dish to be large enough to fit a piece of rice paper into it.


2. Dip one piece of rice paper into the warm water and let soak for 10-15 seconds. Just as the rice paper begins to soften, remove it from the water and place on a plastic cutting board.


3. In the middle of the rice paper layer cilantro, basil, shrimp, vermicelli noodles, carrots, cucumber, and cabbage.


4. Starting from the side closest to you, cover the ingredients with one side of the rice paper. Next, fold the right and left sides of the rice paper to cover the ingredients.


5. Beginning from the side of the roll that is closest to you, roll the rice paper and ingredients like a burrito until it makes a tight spring roll.


6. Repeat with remaining ingredients and rice paper.

Big thanks to Evolving Table for the original recipe!