[RECIPE] Portabellini Mushroom-topped Polenta Cakes

Transform simple ingredients into a nutrient-dense and flavoursome dish that powers up your meal with this Portabellini Mushroom-topped Polenta Cakes recipe.

Forget heavy, sluggish meals. This dish delivers wholesome, delicious fuel designed to support recovery and performance and will leave you feeling satisfied and energised.

Ingredients

• 180g polenta 
• 750ml chicken stock
• 1 tbsp butter
• 4 spring onions, thinly sliced
•  6 spring onions, thinly sliced 
• 250g mini portabellini mushrooms, quartered
• 1 tbsp butter 
• 125ml cream cheese
• 3 tbsp tahini
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1-2 tbsp za’atar, for serving
• Clarified butter or ghee, for cooking 

Polenta is an excellent source of complex carbohydrates, providing sustained energy release that is ideal for fitness and maintaining steady blood sugar levels. Made from cornmeal, it is naturally low in fat and, when prepared simply with water or stock, is a low-calorie base (about 70-100 calories per 100g cooked serving). Polenta also offers a decent amount of fibre and plant-based protein, along with essential minerals like iron, magnesium, and zinc, and is a naturally gluten-free grain.

Method

1. Bring stock to a simmer in a large pot. 
2. Pour in the polenta and whisk constantly until smooth. 
3. Simmer and stir for 10 minutes until cooked. 
4. Stir in the butter and spring onions. 
5. Season well to taste. 
6. Pour the polenta into a dish or tray that is ± 1.5 –  2cm deep and smooth the surface. 
7. Cover with cling film and place in the fridge for ± 4 hours or overnight to set.
8. Cut the firm polenta into little rounds using a glass or cookie cutter. 
9. Heat a non-stick frying pan with a dollop of ghee or clarified butter over high heat.
10. Place polenta cakes into the hot pan in batches and cook until golden brown and crisp on both sides. 
11.  Into the same pan add the sliced spring onions. 
12. Cook on high heat until beginning to char. 
13. Add in the sliced mushrooms and the butter.
14. Sauté until the mushrooms are just tender. 
15. Season lightly. 
16.  Whisk the cream cheese and tahini together and season with a pinch of salt. 
17.  Spread a dollop of tahini cream cheese onto each pap cake.
18.  Top with a generous mound of mushrooms and spring onions. 
19. Sprinkle everything with a little za’atar, serve and enjoy!

Image and recipe by The South African Mushroom Farmers’ Association