Grilled Polenta with Pesto and Roasted Balsamic Tomatoes

This one is all my creation. I had pesto in the freezer and friends coming over for dinner the next evening. I needed an appetizer. Polenta is actually quite easy to make. Though, this dish does take a bit of planning ahead. You really need to make the polenta in advance. The good part is that you can eat some for dinner and spread the leftovers in a pan to chill for appetizers the next night!

Ingredients:

1 cup organic dried polenta

3 cups liquid (broth, water up to 1⁄2 cup white wine)

1 tsp. dried rosemary

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 Tbsp. nutritional yeast

2 Tbsp. vegan butter or grass-fed butter if tolerated

1⁄4 cup pesto (dairy free from pesto class)

1-pint grape tomatoes

1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

Avocado oil

Kosher salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Bring 3 cups liquid to a boil. Turn down heat to medium and gradually add polenta

   while stirring constantly to prevent clumping. Adjust heat to where polenta is just

   barely simmering. If the heat Is too high, it will bubble and pop, possibly burning you.

   So be careful.

2. Once polenta is gently simmering, add rosemary, salt, garlic powder and stir frequently

   until it thickens significantly and the polenta is soft and smooth, about 30 minutes.

3. Add vegan butter and nutritional yeast, stirring until completely combined. Taste and

   adjust seasoning as well as liquid to the taste and consistency that you like.

4. Pour polenta out into a baking dish sprayed with oil spray, spread out in dish so that top is smooth. It should be 1⁄4 - 1⁄2 inch thick. Let cool and refrigerate until solid.

5. In the meantime, place tomatoes in a 1⁄4 sheet pan and drizzle with oil, salt & pepper,

   and balsamic vinegar. Toss and roast in a 400-degree oven for 20 minutes.

6. Once polenta is solid, spray top with cooking oil and cut into approximately 3x6 inch

   pieces. Heat grill on high and place polenta down on hot grill at a 45 degree angle. After

   2-3 min. rotate the pieces 90 degrees. After 2-3 minutes, flip them over and do the

   same on the other side until both sides have nice grill marks. Remove from grill.

7. Slice grilled polenta into 1-2” pieces. Put a spoonful of pesto on each followed by a

   roasted balsamic tomato.

*Serve warm or at room temperature. If you tolerate dairy, you could sprinkle the top with

parmesan and broil till lightly browned.

• Polenta and pesto can both be made several days ahead or more (if frozen). Tomatoes can

be roasted day of serving.