Ok, I’ve picked myself off, dusted myself off and have moved on in the world of savoury breakfasts. Today I made a successful foray into another previously uncharted territory of corn. I made polenta!

But first, a few thoughts:

In my week of savoury breakfasts, I am definitely noticing a striking resemblance of my breakfast choices to foods typically consumed at lunch and dinner. But to be honest, I’ve been having trouble coming up with good breafkast ideas that don’t include soy. Tofu scrambled “eggs”, soy breakfast sausages/veggie bacon are traditional vegan breakfast solutions but aren’t an option for me. A) I’m allergic to soy and B) the stuff is nasty. Have you ever tried composting tofu? Come back to it 6 months later you’ll still find it hanging out. Gross.

Secondly, don’t despair if you’re not into corn! Although I’ve definitely been on a mini-corn-kick, it’s just because I’m just curious about it since I’ve never really used cornmeal. Stay tuned for something different soon though…Variety is good for the soul and the stomach!

Back to Polenta. I took a recipe from the Get it Ripe cookbook and played around with fillings. The recipe called for blueberries but to make it savoury, I used a roasted red pepper sauce in half, and a mango salsa in the other half. The roasted pepper version was better, but regular salsa would also have been good, as would have regular pasta sauce, or maybe even pesto.

Here’s the recipe, slightly adapted from the Get it Ripe version. Check out Jae’s blog, Domestic Affair, with lots’a vegan whole foods recipes.

Savoury Breakfast Polenta

• 1/2 cup non-GMO cornmeal
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 3/4 cup fruit juice (I used apple cider but maybe vegetable stock would have been more savoury)
• 3/4 cup filtered water
• 1/2 tsp olive oil, plus extra for coating the pan
• 1/2 cup savoury sauce of your choosing (e.g. Tomato sauce, salsa, roasted red pepper sauce, or pesto)

Mix the cornmeal, salt and juice (or veg stock) in a small bowl.

Bring water to a boil in a medium sized saucepan. Once boiling, slowly stir in the cornmeal mixture.

Cook uncovered on med-low for 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning on the bottom of the pot, until it is thick and smooth.

Remove from heat. Stir in the oil and then gently fold in the savoury sauce of choice. You don’t need to mix it a ton – getting a marbled effect is kind of neat. Scrape polenta into a lightly oiled or parchment-lined baking dish or pie plate. I went for individual portions in muffin cups. Smooth out evenly, and allow to set for about 30 minutes at room temperature.

Cut the polenta as desired. You can store leftovers in the fridge for 4-5 days and warm it in a toaster oven or frying pan before serving.

Ta da! This one is quite the opposite of crumbly. You’ll see!