Polenta Cakes with Balsamic Shrimp and Mushrooms over Baked Kale
Jamie says: Buongiorno! K and I are off to Italy today! We will be going to Florence, Venice, and Rome. In honor of our trip, I hope you enjoy this polenta recipe. If we can get to a computer, we might post some of our good eatings in our Two Sisters Dine Out blog.
Polenta Cakes with Balsamic Shrimp and Mushrooms over Baked Kale
Ingredients:
Baked Kale
- 27 oz bag kale (Glory Foods)
- 3 Tbsp olive oil (Filippo Berio)
- 1/4 tsp coarse sea salt (Alessi)
- 1/8 freshly ground pepper
Balsamic Shrimp and Mushrooms
- 12 oz container white, prewashed sliced mushrooms (Publix)
- 3/4 lb peeled, deveined, shrimp (Publix Seafood)
- 1/4 cup classic balsamic extra virgin olive oil vinaigrette (Bolthouse Farms)
Polenta Cakes
- 17 oz roll of original polenta (Marjon)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil (Filippo Berio)
- 1/3 cup shredded, reduced fat 2% milk, low moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese (Publix)
Directions:
- Baked Kale: Preheat oven to 375°F. Divide kale among two large metal baking dishes. Drizzle olive oil on top. Add sea salt and pepper. Toss to mix. Bake for about 32 minutes or until brown and crispy.
- Balsamic Shrimp and Mushrooms: Meanwhile, rinse mushrooms and shrimp in a colander under running water. Place in a pot with a lid and pour balsamic vinaigrette on top. Place lid on top of pot and shake to mix. Marinate in refrigerator. When kale has cooked 22 minutes, place pot of shrimp on a burner set on medium heat. Cook for 10 minutes or until shrimp are pink and mushrooms are soft, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Leave lid on pot to keep warm.
- Polenta Cakes: Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan on a burner set to medium-high heat. Slice polenta into 1/2 inch circles. Pour 1/2 of olive oil into pan (reserving 1/2 for the next batch of polenta cakes). Carefully place 1/2 of polenta circles on pan. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side or until polenta absorbs oil and cakes are lightly browned, if desired. Flip polenta cakes, cooking for and additional 5 minutes. Remove from heat, place on a plate, and immediately top with 1/2 of mozzarella cheese. Repeat process, adding reserved olive oil to pan. Place the second batch of finished polenta cakes on top of the first polenta cakes and then sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
- Assemble meal: Divide kale among plates. Top with polenta cakes. Then add shrimp and mushrooms and a little of the cooked vinaigrette on top.
Serves: 3. Enjoy!
The polenta cakes reminded me of arepas (which are amazing); the baked kale has earned its place as a favorite; and the shrimp and mushrooms had a nice balsamic/red pepper flavor from the vinaigrette. And in the end, they all came together nicely to make a tasty dinner.
- Nutrition note: The Polenta Cakes with Balsamic Shrimp and Mushrooms over Baked Kale is a gluten-free meal. Always check the label though, just in case a product’s ingredients change.