Ingredients:
200g of quick cook polenta flour
28oz of water. (apx 4x the dry quantity)
(this is likely to give you some left overs but it depends on the size of your moulds).
1 tsp of salt
2 – 3 table spoons of dairy free pesto
3 large red sweet bell peppers
6x (straight sided) ramekins or timbals.
1/2 tsp of fresh ground black pepper
2 table spoons of pine nuts
4 – 6 medium leaves or spinach or chard. – cut into rounds or squares about the size of the mouth of the ramekins.
1/4 cup of water
1 tsp of fresh lemon juice
Steps:
—The peppers
Preheat the oven to 200
Wash and half the peppers removing the seeds.
Place the peppers, cut side down, (dome up), onto a lightly greased baking sheet.
Place in the oven for 20 – 25 min until the flesh is very tender and the skin is charred black.
Remove from the oven and as quickly as hot fingers permit, remove the skins. (if you wait till they are cold, the skin will partially re-adhere and this will be much more difficult).
Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and a pinch of ground pepper.
Set the skinned, roasted and seasoned peppers to one side.
— The chard
Removing the spines and stems, cut the chard or spinach into appropriately sized squares or circles.
Place prepared chard or spinach into a saucepan with about a 1/4 cup of water and the lemon juice.
Cook on medium heat for about 3-4 minutes. (we are just blanching them a bit)
Drain and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper
—
Into a large stock pot pour the water and salt
Get out a whisk to be ready – this stage moves fast.
Bring to the boil and then carefully add the dry polenta whisking as you do.
Turn the heat down to a low simmer,
The polenta will spit at you, so try to stir at arms length but do keep stirring for about 3 minutes, (or what ever your band of quick cook polenta instructions say).
Separate half the polenta into a separate bowl
Stir in the pesto and then set it aside.
Put your pine nuts into a small pan on a low / medium heat.
Stir with a wooden spoon, shifting them constantly for about 2 minutes or until slightly browned.
Careful… these will burn very quickly with just a moment of innatention.
—
Next take out your ramekins or similar small moulds. (this is what will give you the tower shape)
Build your polenta tower in layers. I generally put the plane polenta on top but this is really up to you.
Layer a large table spoon of regular polenta.
Dot with butter and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper.
A layer of roasted red pepper
A layer of chard or spinach
A layer of pesto polenta
and then finish with another layer of chard or spinach
When done, tap them a little on the kitchen counter to help the layers settle
Put them aside to set for about 5 minutes.
Invert onto a plate to serve, garnish with toasted pine nuts
