Cold mornings require something hearty, something warm, something cozy. After shoveling the driveway, hand me a spoon and let me shovel something infinitely lighter and more pillowy. Polenta, please. Sauté garlic, add a handful of sun-dried tomatoes, a sprinkling of cheesy nutritional yeast flakes, and let me dig into a bowl.
My favorite brand is De la Estancia. It’s a fine grain polenta that cooks extremely quickly and is smooth in the mouth, unlike some coarse polenta brands. My current favorite sun-dried tomatoes are from Trader Joe’s and come in a resealable bag. What I like most about them is that they aren’t covered in oil in a jar and don’t have to be rehydrated before use. They still have their moisture – like raisins or dried figs. They come in julienne slices that can be cut down to a dice, if preferred, with kitchen scissors. The only negative is that they aren’t organic.
The polenta cooks in a minute with a process that’s similar to making boxed mashed potatoes. If I’m in the mood for a larger breakfast, I top it with beans, sautéed greens, or roasted vegetables.
Easy Breakfast Polenta
Serves 2 as a meal, 4 as a side
- 2/3 cup fine grain polenta
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups vegetable broth or 2 cups water + ½ vegetable bouillon cube
- 2 Tbsp sun-dried tomatoes, chopped small
- ¼ cup rice milk (or other non-dairy milk)
- 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Optional toppings: fresh basil, red bell pepper chunks, beans, sautéed greens, or roasted vegetables
In a small pot, sauté garlic in oil over a medium heat. Once garlic is translucent and fragrant (about 3 minutes), add broth (or water and bouillon cube, if using). Bring broth to a boil. Once it has reached boiling, lower to a simmer and slowly add polenta, stirring constantly. Once polenta is thick and pulls from sides (about one minute), add rice milk, nutritional yeast flakes, and sun-dried tomatoes. Stir to combine and add salt and pepper.
