Messy Vegan Cook

Mushroom Towers with Saffron-Garlic Polenta and Balsamic Roasted Tomatoes

Kip

mmm!

We really liked this recipe, but my husband was a little concerned that the flavours perhaps clashed a little. I thought the mild sweetness (I added perhaps a bit too much chestnut puree in my original recipe, which I cut down here) of the polenta went well with the tart taste of the tomatoes and vinegar.

I am fast developing an obsession for roasted tomatoes and probably eat them a few times a week at this point in time. I guess I'm making up for all the years of not eating tomatoes (I hate them raw, and never thought to eat them this way).

Mushroom Towers with Saffron-Garlic Polenta and Balsamic Roasted Tomatoes

Serves two
  • Ingredients for roasted tomatoes:
    • 250g baby plum tomatoes
    • 2 tablespoon olive oil
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
    • 4 tablespoon vegetarian worcestershire sauce
  • Ingredients for mushrooms:
    • 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
    • ½ teaspoon sugar
    • olive oil
    • 4 portabella or white cap mushrooms for stuffing
    • Shredded vegan cheddar (optional)
  • Ingredients for polenta:
    • 2 cloves garlic, minced
    • ½ cup polenta
    • 2 cups hot water
    • 1 tablespoon chestnut puree
    • Large pinch of saffron
    • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
    • Salt to taste
  • Directions/Method
    1. Brush undersides of mushrooms with oil and then combine the vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar for the mushrooms. Spread over the inside of the mushrooms evenly and leave to marinate until ready to put into the oven.
    2. Combine the olive oil, salt, and mushrooms. Mix well and place on a roasting tin or tray in a 175 degree celcius preheated oven for approx 45 minutes to one hour. I like them to be quite well roasted (read: burnt), so I might up the oven temperate and stick the fan on, too. I strongly dislike raw tomatoes, so that's probably why.
    3. For the polenta, begin by placing the water in a saucepan and adding the saffon threads to infuse for a few minutes. Keep the hob on a low heat and add the garlic and polenta. Whisk until smooth and leave over a very low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring often. The mixture will thicken a bit.
    4. After 20 minutes or so, add nutritional yeast, chestnut puree, and salt to the polenta mixture. Remove from heat.
    5. On a flat tray, stuff the mushrooms with even amounts of the polenta mixture and place in oven with the tomatoes for the remaining 15-20 minutes (give or take).
    6. To serve, mix the roasted tomatoes with the balasmic vinegar and worcestershire sauce. Decorate edges of two bowls or plates with tomatoes and place a mushroom in the middle of each. Stack a second mushroom on top, like a sandwich, and sprinkle with "cheese", if desired.
    7. Serve smiling, and hopefully take a better picture than I did (it honestly looked better in real life!)
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