Spinach and blue chees polenta

[Delightful Den]

Name of Recipe: Spinach and Blue Cheese Polenta
Number of People: 2
Ingredients:
620gm water
1tbs Vege Stock Concnetrate
20gm Parmesan cheese
100gm polenta
30gm butter
200gm baby spinach
50gm Blue cheese


Preparation:
Place Parmesan cheese in TM bowl and mill for 5-7 seconds speed 8 set aside
Add water and stock concentrate to TM bowl heat Veroma temp 8 minutes speed 1
Set  temperature 100 15 minutes speed 2 add polenta in slow steady stream when timer sounds check polenta should coat the back of a spoon or be pulling away from sides of bowl as it mixes.
Add butter, Parmesan and spinach mix on reverse speed 2 until spinach wilts.
Divide between 2 bowls and crumble half blue cheese over each bowl then fold through and serve immediately


Tips/Hints:
This is a soft polenta not like the firm version in the EDC that is allowed to set and then can be grilled. I used Castillo Blue for this and it really was a bit too soft.  In the past I have used the inexpensive Craft blue cheese that is firmer, it crumbles better and holds some shape when folding it through the polenta.

[fundj&e]

It sounds sooooooo good dennis, i wish my lot would eat polenta 

[Cuilidh]

... and I wish my DH could eat cheese!

[fundj&e]

no cheese,  thats a real shame 

[judydawn]

I couldn't imagine not being able to cook with cheese, what do you use as an alternative (if there is one) Marina. 

[Cuilidh]

I'm still working on this JD and Fundj because I really miss cheese and so many of my recipes incorporate it one way or another. 

There is a product called Nutritional Yeast Flakes which I have used once or twice and they do, to a certain extent, give a "taste" of cheese, but my initial reaction is that they aggravate flatulence, so that's not so good (however, I will experiment with it a bit more).  There are soy cheeses around and another product I have recently heard of called cheezley (or something), but I haven't been able to track down a local supply as yet.  It'll take a while to find a substitute, but at least I can feel virtuous that I am not eating so much cheese as I used to (but I do smuggle in a bit of parmesan or cheddar once in a while, I haven't been able to go without cheese totally yet).

I am sure QJ will have some ideas on her blog as well, but have not had the chance to have a really good search through there yet and I will also have to go through our own vegan thread as well.  Hopefully I will find something that works for us (also can't use milk, cream, yoghurt, etc.!)

[fundj&e]

when DD was i vegan i used to buy a cream cheese that was cheeses free lol, which was very nice when making dips.   

[Cuilidh]

Can you remember the name / brand Fundj?

[fundj&e]

its available in coles Cuilidh

[Cuilidh]

Thanks, Fundj.  Now that you've shown me the image, I know that I have seen it around but the penny just did not drop that it was vegan!  I should open my eyes when I go shopping.  Will have to go down to the supermarket and get some and see what I can do with it.

Cheers.

[fundj&e]

i know what u mean Cuilidh ,now that my coles has changed its lay out my eyes are wide opened, i have see things that i have not seen b4 lol

[Cuilidh]

That's why they change things around!

[Delightful Den]

Thanks, Fundj.  Now that you've shown me the image, I know that I have seen it around but the penny just did not drop that it was vegan!  I should open my eyes when I go shopping.  Will have to go down to the supermarket and get some and see what I can do with it.

Cheers.

Vegan does not necessarily mean dairy free.  Many vegans will eat cheese that has not been made using animal renit. We had a freidn who was vegan and there were certain types and brands of cheese that he ate as there were no products in them that required the death of an animal.

[cookie1]

Must make this as it looks lovely.

[cecilia]

Thank you for the recipe, Dashingden.  Delicious!