Recipe: Polenta and Vegetable Hotpot

With the current wintery blast through New Zealand, I checked my recipe books and decided to try a new recipe, one that would cook in the crockpot while I worked on my writing. I came up with this recipe for Polenta and Vegetable Hotpot from One Pot, a book published by Bay Books.

Recipe:

300 grams (2 cups) polenta

2 tablespoons oil

1/4 teaspoon paprika

pinch of cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1.5 litres (6 cups) vegetable stock or water

3 spring onions, chopped

1 large tomato, chopped

1 courgette (zucchini), chopped

1 red or green capsicum (bell pepper), chopped

300 grams (10 oz) pumpkin (winter squash), peeled and cut into small dice pieces

100 grams (3 oz) button mushrooms, chopped

300 grams corn kernels (either tinned or frozen)

100 grams (1 cup) grated parmesan cheese

1 handful chopped parsley

125 ml (1/2 cup) cream (optional)

Method:

1. Pour one tablespoon of oil into the slow cooker and spread over the bottom and sides to prevent the polenta sticking.

2. Pour in the polenta, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and ground black pepper.

3. Stir in the stock and the remaining oil and combine well.

4. Add the spring onion, tomato, zucchini, capsicum, pumpkin, mushrooms and corn and mix well.

5. Cook on high for 2–3 hours or until the vegetables are cooked and the polenta is soft. Make sure to stir several times during the cooking to prevent sticking.

6. Before serving, add the parmesan and parsley. You can also add the cream if you want to add extra creaminess.

7. Test seasoning and add extra salt and pepper if necessary. Serve with a green salad.

Shelley’s Notes:

1. I enjoyed the end result very much, but if I made it again, I’d fry off the vegetables for a few minutes in a pan and add them a little bit later in the cooking process. I think this would add a little more flavor and color to the end product.

2. I don’t think the cream is necessary.

3. I’d serve it with a salad plus some garlic bread.

4. This really was delicious and would work for a vegetarian who eats dairy products.