I have been thinking about tapas recently. Everyone loves small cocktail food and that is essentially what tapas are. But what about for dinner? Why not, I thought? I went to Foodgawker and searched for tapas but wasn’t inspired – not for dinner anyway. In fact some photos had no relationship to tapas at all. I guess some keywords weren’t entered very carefully. Then I saw something with possibilities but I went to the end of the four pages of tapas and found nothing and so went back and now, having just eaten dinner, I am very glad I did. These worked out really well. They look good and with the special dressing, they tasted like a million dollars. I found the idea at the She Eats Bears blog.
This is not a low Fodmap recipe.
Mushroom, Polenta & Tomato Tapas - Vegetarian & Gluten-Free
Author: Suzanne Perazzini
Ingredients
- 400g polenta
- 3 big tomatoes
- 8 Portobello mushrooms
- 50g feta Cheese
- Small handful of parsley
- A lug of olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- Small lump of parmesan
- 4 sundried tomatoes
- Salt & pepper
Method
- Turn on the grill to 180°C/350°F.
- Cook the polenta as per the packet instructions but use less water to create a firm mixture. When ready, flatten the mixture onto a cutting board and let it cool.
- Slice up the tomatoes into rounds.
- Cut out rounds of polenta a little bigger than the tomato slices.
- Destalk the mushrooms and wipe them clean with a paper towel. Don’t use water.
- Whiz together the last 6 ingredients in a mini processor to create a dressing.
- Brush the dressing all over the tomatoes and mushrooms.
- Place the tomatoes and mushrooms under the grill in the oven (not too close) to brown and soften.
- Brush olive oil over the polenta rounds and grill them on a grill on the stove, turning to create nice lines on both sides.
- To assemble, place first the round of polenta, then a tomato slice and a mushroom.
- Crumble some feta cheese over the top and any remaining dressing. Serve.
Perhaps it is quite stupid to say, first of all, that these look so stylish and elegant!! But that was the first impression! Love the colour palette! Which then leads to appetizing, which leads to healthy eating! What a lovely idea I must copy 🙂 !
I like the way your mind leads you through the senses. I think the way food looks is so much a part of the enjoyment of it. Copy away.
Suzanne
What a great idea! I also love tapas, and look for ways to them into a complete meal. I really need to try this, there’s a big bag of polenta waiting for me:) Thanks Suzanne!
The strange thing about my packet of polenta was that it said to cook it for 30-40 minutes but it was well cooked after 10. Also the quantities of water to polenta were wrong so I had to wing it. Polenta is a great gluten-free grain.
Suzanne
I love tapas (appetizers, small plates – whatever you want to call them). Actually, at many restaurants I find the starters to be more interesting than the mains. Nice recipe and really attractive presentation.
Thanks. I usually order two starters and ignore the main at a restaurant – much more interesting, I agree. And then maybe there is room for dessert….
Suzanne
I love tapas. We have a few tapas restaurants in Sydney and they are always good fun. It’s such a great way to eat. These mushroom and polenta tapas look amazing. They are so beautifully presented. xx
Thanks, I love finding ways to make the food look good – that part of it is important to me as well as the taste.
Suzanne
I love polenta, what a perfect way to serve it for a party!
I like how it can be cut into any size you want – bigger for dinner or even bite-sized for a cocktail party.
Suzanne
Just wrote an article on Polenta myself and in researching recipes, this looked so yummy I included a link to this page and your recipe photo. 🙂
Olio By Marilyn
https://www.oliobymarilyn.com/2012/11/lets-talk-food-26-polenta-torte-with.html
Thanks, Marilyn, I will check it out.
Suzanne
How many polenta tapas does the recipe make?