Polenta Cakes with Tomato & Asparagus

Polenta is such a strange thing, you can make mash out of it, bake it, serve it cold, grill it - and I certainly need more experience cooking with it, which is why I decided to make this colourful dish!

Polenta Cakes with Tomato & Asparagus
(Serves 2)

1 cup milk (I used coconut)
1/2 cup polenta
1/3 cup parmesan, grated
1 courgette/zucchini, sliced or chopped
1 small or 2 baby aubergines/eggplants, sliced or chopped
2 tomatoes, choped
4 asparagus pieces
1 tsp oil
Salt

- Start by making the polenta, heat up the milk on low in a small casserole and add the polenta. Cook on low heat for 5-10 minutes, adding a little water if it gets too dry. Take it off of the heat and stir in the parmesan. Press down into an oiled baking tray so it's about 1cm thick. Place in the fridge until it is firm, 10-15 minutes.

- In the mean time, Heat a bil of oil in a pan and add the courgette, aubergine and a little bit of salt, cover with a lid and cook until tender, 5-10 minutes. Then, add the tomatoes.

- Place the grill on medium high, and cover the asparagus tips with oil and a sprinkle of salt, place in the oven and grill for about 5 minutes.

- Once the polenta is firm, cut out rounds with cookie cutters or a glass, and fry in a bit of oil for a few minutes on each side until golden.

- Time to serve up! Place the vegetable mix on a plate, followed by the asparagus and polenta, et voila!

I hope you enjoy it! What is your favourite thing to make with polenta?

Life has been pretty busy here.... I have tried to keep myself as busy as possible outside work and sort of kept away from the world of the internet. Not because I don't enjoy it - because I love catching up on the blogs I am following and with friends and family far away, but then there was that reggae party until the early hours, and the fact that I have started to play (or attempt...rather) to play the djembe drum at a drop in session - with a bunch of amazing people. I am pretty sure I played the rhythm "Belly Dance with Me" about two hours last Wednesday! Practice makes perfect right?

I was at a party the other night, where there was dinner upon arrival and a set breakfast in the morning - which I thought was an awesome touch! Yesterday it was my turn to host a little tapas night for my lovely ladies in Glasgow, and it was great! Sadly the camera had dies before I could take photos from the evening, but I am sure you can imagine - nine girls, too much food and wine aplenty! I hope you have had a lovely weekend and are ready to face another week. Did you get up to much? Today was pretty much sunshine, strawberries in the park, ice cream, coffee and leftover savouries from last night - I can't complain! *smiles*


Original source:
Low-Fat Meals in Minutes, p. 58

- Jules