Breakfast Friday | Orange Maple Polenta
/You guys kind of rule.
Your kind + generous words from my last post are appreciated more than you could ever imagine. Hearing that many of you are going through similar life-career challenges was comforting. Not that I enjoy hearing you’re confused and a bit messy feeling like myself, but it was reassuring to know you don’t have it all figured out yet either.
You’ve also nudged + cheered me on just enough to really make me want to keep talking about these things in more depth. And for that I thank you. It’s like free therapy. It helps to get it all out there and share my thoughts and experiences with all of you. Although, I can never be 100% sure what the response will be, which makes things slightly intimidating. But I think I can handle it.
Now let’s bring breakfast back, shall we?
If you remember my citrus obsession last year it’s starting to ramp up once again.
Today we’re starting with an orange infused polenta breakfast bowl. This was inspired by my orange honey corn cake which is one of my favorite recipes to date. Cornbread meets cake with a kick of orange and honey. Oh my yes.
Polenta is a fun breakfast grain to add into your routine. You can make a big batch ahead and reheat throughout the week, or if you have the quicker cooking kind it’s easy enough to make in the morning.
It’s also nice change of pace from the oatmeal family.
And I swear polenta is extra filling. It really sticks to your ribs. Or maybe it expands in your stomach? Either way, polenta is good stuff.
Instead of honey I’ve infused this bowl with maple and a few warming spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, and clove.
It’s topped with orange segments and sliced almonds adding bright flavor and mandatory crunch. Crunchy toppings on top of any type of hot breakfast cereal is just not optional.
Orange Maple Polenta Porridge
gluten-free, vegan // yields 2 large or 4 small servings
- 1 cup uncooked polenta grits, plus a 2:1 ratio of water to non-dairy milk
- 1-2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon unrefined coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- pinch of clove
- 2 oranges, rind removed and oranges sliced
- sliced almonds
Cook polenta grits according to package directions with a 2:1 ratio of water to milk. I use Bob’s Red Mill Polenta which cooks in a little over 5 minutes, but different brands will vary. After polenta is cooked and a creamy consistency is reached move to a cool burner and stir in the maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla, orange zest, spices, and salt until fully combined.
Portion into bowls and top with orange segments and sliced almonds. Top with a drizzle of maple syrup if desired. Serve hot.
notes: To remove orange segments: Carefully cut the rind from the orange starting from the top and working your way to the other end with a sharp knife. Continue around the orange until all the rind is removed. Make cuts on the inside of each white [pith] line where the orange segments are and remove the orange slices. This should leave you with orange slices free of any pith.
Please tell me you’re as obsessed with citrus as I am.
Happy weekend!
Ashley
