Sunday, February 21, 2016

Spicy Polenta Loaf


2 tbsp Organic Salted Butter
4 Large Organic Kale Leaves, stems removed & leaves torn
1 tbsp Organic Coconut Sugar
1/2 tsp Freshly Ground Black pepper
1/2 tsp Himalyan Pink Salt
8 Trump Mushrooms, sliced lengthways
3 "Field Roast" Mexican Chipotle, Vegetarian Sausages, Diced
1 Packet Polenta
1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
4 cups Organic Vegetable Broth
1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Reggiano Cheese


Melt one tablespoon of the butter in a sauté pan, add the kale and shake the pan a little to cover the kale in the melted butter, sprinkle the coconut sugar, salt and pepper over the kale and cook, stirring gently for about 2 - 3 minutes until the kale has just started to wilt, but not burn.  Remove from the pan and set aside. 

Add the sliced mushrooms to the pan and cook lightly turning once until just starting to brown on both sides, remove from the heat and set aside in another dish.

Add the diced sausage meat to the pan and sauté for about 2 minutes, (do not let it burn) remove the pan from the heat and set aside. 

Bring the vegetable broth to a rolling boil add the rest of the butter and pour in the polenta and Cayenne pepper, stirring constantly with a balloon whisk to prevent any lumps from forming.

Once all the broth has been absorbed remove from the heat.  Spoon half of the polenta into a *cling wrap lined loaf dish, pat down firmly to make a base, then add the kale, spread it evenly over the polenta and pat down lightly, distribute the diced sausage evenly in a layer over the kale, place the sliced mushrooms over the sausage and sprinkle half of the Parmesan cheese over the mushrooms.

Cover this with the remaining polenta mix, press down lightly to make a flat surface, sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top and set aside to cool for about one hour.  Once cooled, refrigerate for a couple of hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.


Remove the polenta loaf from the tin and slice into serving portions; place the slices on a lightly oiled baking sheet (or Silpat, if you have one) and bake in the oven for approx 10-12 minutes. 

*line a loaf pan with cling wrap overlapping all around to fold and seal in the polenta loaf before refrigeration.


Saturday, February 20, 2016

About Time!

WOW, how time flies!  It's been two years since I last posted in Daisy's Galley, and I have an absolutely delicious new recipe to add today, "Spicy Polenta Loaf".  I'm sorry for the delay… In my defense, life on a sailboat makes consistency quite impossible; and speaking of consistency, what was that fabulous quote from Oscar Wilde? "Consistency is the refuge of the unimaginative".
Anyway enough of my rambling excuses…

The past two years have been a crazy roller coaster ride for me with "change" being the operative word used to describe my crazy lifestyle.  I have absolutely no consistency in my life, I honestly don't know from one moment to the next where I will be next.  This is something I've  actually finally come to terms with; happily I'm never bored, but in the same vein I never have a chance to catch my breath either.

Over the past two years I've totally stopped including meat into my diet, limited my dairy intake and moved much closer towards a totally plant based diet. I'm not going to stand on a soapbox and give my reasons for this change, they're personal and I don't want to lecture, however, since adopting this lifestyle I've been thinner, fitter, healthier and happier.  I've also discovered that a Vegetarian/Vegan diet is truly delicious, I honestly haven't missed meat at all.
The other major change in my life is that I've moved back onto Daisy (my sailboat) full-time, well when I say full time, Daisy is now my permanent home, but I'm still constantly traveling the world to visit family and friends.  At this moment I'm back in Atlanta helping my youngest daughter pack up house.  Once this is done Bob and I are heading off into the Pacific for a couple of years.
Recipes from Pacific Islands in my future, for now:
Spicy Polenta Loaf coming up next...