WEEK 19 WILDCARD WINNER
Blueberry Almond Breakfast Polenta
Photography by Sarah Shatz
BY ONE HUNGRY MAMA | SERVES 3 TO 4
A&M: One Hungry Mama gave us the history of this dish: “This recipe came to me right as I was about to overextend myself: I was eight months pregnant and, with a day of cooking ahead of me, almost decided to whip up impromptu blueberry corn muffins for breakfast. As I stared at the cornmeal trying to gear up to bake, it struck me: breakfast polenta!” Inspired by a Martha Stewart recipe, she blends almond meal with the polenta and cooks the two together, later adding vanilla, fresh blueberries, and cardamom. A bit of honey lends just the right amount of sweetness—a light touch keeps it from being cloying.
4 cups whole milk
¾ cup quick-cooking polenta
½ cup almond meal
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup honey
1 cup blueberries, plus more for serving
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of cardamom (or up to ¼ teaspoon)
Crème fraîche or sour cream
- Bring the milk to a simmer in a medium saucepan over high heat.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the polenta, whisking constantly until smooth. Add the almond meal and continue whisking for several minutes until the polenta thickens to a creamy consistency. Add the butter and whisk until it melts completely.
- Turn the heat off and whisk in the honey, blueberries, vanilla, and cardamom. Serve with a dollop of crème fraîche or sour cream and an extra sprinkle of blueberries.
Photography by Sarah Shatz
TIPS AND TECHNIQUES
We tried this with hazelnut meal instead of almond meal, too, and loved it just as much. You can also be flexible with the fruit: use whatever berries are in season.
ABOUT THE COOK
Stacie Bills lives in Brooklyn, New York, and writes about food and parenting on her blog, One Hungry Mama (www.onehungrymama.com).
Her favorite recipe from a cookbook: “Mark Bittman’s Orzo Risotto from How to Cook Everything because it’s simple, endlessly adaptable, can be fed to anyone (even a six-month-old!) and, of course, is utterly delicious however you personalize it.”
WHAT THE COMMUNITY SAID
CASJ: “I am eating a bowl of this right now—it is wonderful—I never would have thought to add the almond meal. Thanks for the great recipe!”