Outdoor Tips and Tricks

Forgot pasta for a quick-cooking alternatives like polenta, quinoa, or couscous.

Polenta is especially versatile because it can be shaped into patties and pan-fried for a sweet or savory meal

Grilled Polenta Cakes
Polenta cakes can be a versatile addition to many meals. We do tend to prepare the polenta cakes at home and bring them along for grilling. You can also buy solid polenta in a tube that you can slice up which could save you some time (but you would have to read the ingredient list as some of the popular brands may contain cheese). Here is the at home part:

Ingredients:

8 cups water
2 cups cornmeal
1 TBSP Earth Balance or olive oil (optional)
1-2 TBSP nutritional yeast (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:

1. Bring water to a boil in a sauce pan.

2. Reduce to simmer and gradually whisk in cornmeal and KEEP ON STIRRING for about 20 minutes or until you just can’t take it anymore ( I usually make it to about 17 minutes).

3. Keep stirring and add any of your extra seasonings.

4. Take off heat and immediately pour (it should be thick and if you let it cool it will set too quickly to pour) into a baking dish (12 x 12 or 9 x 13 depending on your desired thickness).

5. Let set and refrigerated until it is time to pack in your cooler.

At the camp site:

1. Slice polenta into squares (or pre-slice at home).

2. Brush with olive oil if you are feeling fancy.

2. Place on grill. Cook until warmed through and slightly toasty.

3. Serve with grilled vegetables, stews or breakfast scramble.