Polenta Stacks

this is a bit of strange one, but still mouth-watering! we had some polenta on hand so created this many layered meal.

                                                                                    

serves around 6!
ingredients
polenta:
500g polenta (we used instant!)
2L water
2 veggie stock cubes
2 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp brown sugar
soy sauce, to taste
smoked paprika, to taste

baked potato and kumara:
2 potatoes
3 kumaras
drizzle of olive oil
salt & pepper

2 zucchinis
drizzle of olive oil
sprinkle of salt & pepper

tomato & chickpea spread:
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can chickpeas
2 cloves garlic
2 onions (roasted in olive oil)
sprinkle salt & pepper
hot sauce, to taste

dollop of vegan mayo (check out our recipe!), to serve

basil, to serve

sun-dried tomatoes, to serve

directions:
start with the polenta
1. slowly stir polenta into 2L boiling water
2. constantly combine the mixture, and also add in stock cubes, salt, & sugar
3. once cooked completely, begin the freezing phase! get a baking dish and lay it with baking paper. then pour polenta over this, spread across the surface about half an inch thick. cover with another layer of baking paper & pour again. do one more layer. now let this sit in the freezer for 45 minutes
4. in the meantime, get baking your kumara & potato & onion (bake the onion for the tomato & chickpea spread along with the others!) cut these lovely root vegetables into slices, drizzle in oil, and sprinkle with salt & pepper. let these bake in an oven of 170 C for around 40 minutes, or until crisp on the outside & tender on the inside
5. once your polenta is ready (should be soft but all integrated!) cut it into 4x4 inch squares & move into the frying phase. heat up your pan with a splash of oil & a larger splash of soy sauce. then very gently lay down your polenta squares (we fried 2 at a time). sprinkle with paprika. cook for around 4 minutes each side. flip very carefully as these squares are prone to falling apart!
6. in another pan, cook up zucchini in olive oil & salt and pepper
7. prepare spread: in a food processor, or using a blender, combine tomatoes, chickpeas, garlic, onions (that have been baked in the oven with the kumara & potato), salt & pepper, hot sauce
8. now the time has come to bring together these many components into an endearing stack! start with one fried polenta square. slather on a layer of tomato & chickpea spread, then add baked kumara & potato & zucchini. cover with another polenta square. add another layer of tomato & chickpea spread. top with mayo, basil, and sun-dried tomatoes! and there you have it: polenta stacks!

something missing from this creation? our fabulous friend tilly, who shared this meal with us, suggested we add something fresh to compliment & ease the intensity of all the fried & baked & processed layers. and we agree! you may like to add some grated carrot, or some finely diced tomatoes to top it off!