I absolutely love this tasty vegan pesto polenta bowl!
My husband and I went out to the excellent Cafe Gratitude on the weekend, and my husband ordered a polenta bowl, which was so incredibly delicious. As is our habit, we spent much of the meal trying to deconstruct what we were eating, so I could attempt to duplicate it at home. This is my attempt and I have to say, it is really, really good. It’s hearty-enough for carnivores and a perfect vegan entree. This recipe serves four.
Ingredients
Cashew Cream
- 1 1/2 cups raw cashews, cover in water and soak overnight
- 1 cup water
- 2tsp lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Polenta
- 1 1/2 cups of yellow corn grits or polenta
- 1 1/2 cups of water
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Sauce
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 15-ounce can organic diced tomatoes
Topping
- 4 tbsp fresh pesto (you can make your own, but I purchased a tub from Wholefoods). If you want to make your own: Place 2 cups of basil leaves, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 garlic glove, 1/2 cup pine nuts, and 1/2 tsp salt in a high-speed blender until it reaches the desired consistency.
- 2 cups baby spinach leaves.
- A handful of fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- To make the cashew cream. Place the soaked nuts, water, lemon juice, garlic and salt in a high-powered blender. I used my Vitamix. Blend until smooth. It should have the consistency of heavy cream, so add more water if need’s be. Place in a covered bowl and chill.
- Place the grits, water and salt in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer for about five minutes, stirring continuously. Pour into a square, greased baking dish and allow to cool completely, before cutting into triangles.
- Heat the olive oil in a heavy saucepan and fry the onions and garlic until soft. Add the tomatoes and simmer on a low heat for 15 minutes.
- When you are ready to serve. Grease a grill pan with an olive oil spray and grill your polenta triangles until they are slightly browned on both sides. Meanwhile, wilt your spinach.
- Place two triangles in each bowl. Cover with a generous helping of the tomato sauce, followed by a spoon of spinach, and 1 tbsp of pesto and 1 tbsp of cashew cream. Top with a couple of fresh basil leaves.
- Enjoy!
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