Breakfast Friday | Orange Maple Polenta

You guys kind of rule.

breakfast friday >> orange maple polenta | edibleperspective.com

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.

breakfast friday >> orange maple polenta | edibleperspective.com

Now let’s bring breakfast back, shall we?

breakfast friday >> orange maple polenta | edibleperspective.com

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.

breakfast friday >> orange maple polenta | edibleperspective.com

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.

breakfast friday >> orange maple polenta | edibleperspective.com

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.

breakfast friday >> orange maple polenta | edibleperspective.com

Print this!

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.

breakfast friday >> orange maple polenta | edibleperspective.com

Please tell me you’re as obsessed with citrus as I am.

Happy weekend!

Ashley

breakfast friday >> no-bake polenta trail mix bars

Sometimes I spend hours racking my brain trying to come up with a new recipe.  There’s not a constant recipe catalog in my head spewing out new ideas left + right.  Sometimes I’ll have a streak with a lot of new ideas and other times I’m………blank.

breakfast friday >> no-bake polenta trail mix bars || edible perspective

Typically, the “blank” times are when I have a lot of things going on and maybe I’ve had some time away from the kitchen.

Right now I kind of feel like, “How do I cook again?  I forget.”

breakfast friday >> no-bake polenta trail mix bars || edible perspective

When it comes to breakfast I feel like I’m never short of ideas, but I was absolutely stumped this week. 

I didn’t want to make anything cakey and it’s still too hot for hot, porridge-type breakfasts.  I started thinking about polenta and how much I love polenta as a hot breakfast porridge.

But, like I said, it’s just too hot for that. However, the really unique/fun/delicious thing about polenta is that it glues together as it cools.  No eggs or binding agent needed, just polenta + water.  Pretty cool stuff.

breakfast friday >> no-bake polenta trail mix bars || edible perspective

You will typically find polenta in savory dishes, so I thought I’d try my hand at breakfastizing it.

breakfast friday >> no-bake polenta trail mix bars || edible perspective

Meet the polenta trail mix breakfast bar.

Super thick, dense, and chewy with a bit of crunch + sweetness from the mix-ins.  This recipe is fully customizable depending on your fruit and nut preferences.

It takes just a few minutes to mix up on the stove and then it’s off to the fridge to chill and gel together. 

breakfast friday >> no-bake polenta trail mix bars || edible perspective

After it’s chilled you can scarf it down or have fun with topping options.

breakfast friday >> no-bake polenta trail mix bars || edible perspective

I obviously go for the toppings.

breakfast friday >> no-bake polenta trail mix bars || edible perspective

A little peanut butter + banana?

Yep.

breakfast friday >> no-bake polenta trail mix bars || edible perspective

Or, Greek yogurt + Colorado peaches?

I’ll take that, too.

breakfast friday >> no-bake polenta trail mix bars || edible perspective

Print this!

No-Bake Polenta Trail Mix Bars

gluten-free, vegan // yields 9 large bars

• 3 cups water, or per your polenta cooking instructions
• 1 cup polenta/corn grits
• 1 cup dried fruit + nuts
• 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 2-4 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds, optional
• 1 1/2 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Boil water then stir in polenta slowly.
2. Reduce heat to simmer and stir polenta frequently for about 5 minutes until you reach a very thick/stiff porridge consistency.  Or, follow package directions as it may vary slightly.
3. In the last minute of cooking stir in the fruit and nuts, coconut, maple syrup, chia seeds [if using], coconut oil, cinnamon, and salt until well combined.  Taste and add more maple syrup if desired.
4. Cook for another minute and then pour into a 9x9 square pan and spread/pack firmly into the pan with the back of a spatula.
5. Refrigerate uncovered until fully chilled.
6. Slice polenta into squares, then top however you like, and eat.  Keep remaining bars wrapped or in a sealed container and refrigerated.
7. Or, preheat a skillet over medium and coat the pan with coconut oil.
8. Place the chilled polenta squares [or cut into strips] in the pan and cook for 2-4 minutes per side until golden brown.
9. Remove from the pan and add toppings, or eat plain.

breakfast friday >> no-bake polenta trail mix bars || edible perspective

I cannot wait to make these for ski season.  I am thinking they’ll hold up really well wrapped and stuffed in my pocket for hours and they also won’t turn rock hard in colder temps like many granola bars tend to do.

They’re also incredibly filling and filled with all sorts of healthy goodness.

Eat up!

#bfastfridayclub instagramtwitterfacebook

Ashley