Teff Polenta Croutons Or Cakes Recipes

GREENS WITH POLENTA CROUTONS

Steps:

• For the polenta: Coat a 9- by 13-inch baking dish with a thin coat of olive oil.
• Combine 4 cups water and 2 teaspoons salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Slowly add the polenta, whisking constantly. Reduce the heat to low, bringing the polenta to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until thick, 5 to 8 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the butter, cheese and rosemary. Pour the polenta into the prepared dish and cool completely until firm.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick silicone liner.
• Unmold the polenta, cut into 1-inch squares and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until crisp and golden, about 1 hour.
• For the salad: Meanwhile, whisk together the vinegar and Dijon in a small bowl along with some salt and pepper. Add the oil in a thin stream, whisking constantly. Toss the greens with the dressing in a large salad bowl. Add the tomatoes, cranberries, and Roquefort and toss again. Arrange the salad on a large serving platter or individual plates. Top with half the croutons and serve immediately. Reserve the remaining croutons for another use in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days.

TEFF POLENTA CROUTONS OR CAKES

Steps:

• Make teff polenta as directed. Line a sheet pan, bread pan or baking dish with plastic wrap and spoon polenta on top. Press out to desired thickness and cover with plastic. Allow to stiffen completely, in the refrigerator if not using within the hour. You can also spread the polenta into a thin layer on the plastic on your work surface, cover with another sheet of plastic and gently roll over it with a rolling pin. Allow to cool and stiffen.
• Use a cookie cutter to cut rounds of polenta, or just cut into squares. Heat a heavy well-seasoned or nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat and add enough oil to coat well. Brown polenta pieces on both sides in oil. This doesn't take more than about a minute on each side. Each side should be crisp and brown. If the pieces are thicker cakes, turn down temperature a little so that they can heat through without burning. Remove to rack to drain. Serve hot or warm, or allow to cool and crumble into salads. They reheat nicely: place on a baking sheet in the oven at 325 degrees for 20 minutes.

TEFF POLENTA WITH TOASTED HAZELNUT OIL

Steps:

• Heat a heavy, medium size wide-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat and add teff. Shake pan and allow teff to toast until it begins to pop and smell toasty, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Immediately pour in water and remove from heat. Soak at room temperature for 3 to 4 hours, or refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place a 2-quart baking dish on your stovetop. Return saucepan with teff to stove and bring to a boil, stirring often with a whisk so that the seeds don't clump. When mixture comes to a boil add salt and chipotle, stir once and pour into baking dish. Use a rubber spatula to scrape out any teff that adheres to the saucepan.
• Place baking dish in oven (set on a cookie sheet if you wish, for easier handling). Bake 50 minutes, stirring with a whisk every 15 to 20 minutes. After 50 minutes whisk in 1 tablespoon of the hazelnut oil and return to oven for another 10 minutes, unless mixture is already stiff. Once teff is smooth, with no more liquid visible in the pan, serve at once, drizzling a small amount of the remaining oil over each serving.