Today, we’re taking homemade polenta to a whole new level… (way beyond skipping the stuff that’s sold in the tube). I ground up my own polenta from popcorn! Who knew it was as easy as that?
This recipe comes from The Homemade Flour Cookbook, by Erin of Naturally Ella. Erin is one of by best blog friends (BBF’s forever!), and I couldn’t be more proud of her and her beautiful new book. She breaks down the basics of making your own flour out of all sorts of grains, seeds, nuts, and legumes. It’s also packed with recipes for each type of flour. (Side note: if you don’t feel inclined to grind your own flour – you’ll still love her book for all of the wholesome recipes). I can’t wait to try her quesadillas made with Quinoa Tortillas, Buckwheat Enchiladas, and Blueberry Amaranth Muffins.
I tried milling this two ways – I used my little cheapie coffee grinder the first time, and my Vitamix the second. (See my notes at the bottom of the post for more details).
This home-ground polenta was creamier and tastier than the kind I usually buy at the store. Plus, it only took a few minutes to grind up and then it cooked faster than usual. (Less than 10 minutes on the stovetop).
I took the idea of Erin’s roasted zucchini salsa but made a raw version instead. I diced up the zucchini pretty small, tossed it with tomatoes (and other things), and let it marinate for a few hours so the juices could infuse into zucchini and take away it’s raw bite. (think: zucchini ceviche). At the end, I stirred in some diced avocado and topped it onto my grilled polenta. A perfect light meal for summer!
THE GIVEAWAY: And, of course, we’re giving 1 copy away. To enter, just leave a comment below. (Open to US residents. A winner will be chosen at random on Thursday).
grilled polenta with zucchini salsa
- 1 cup organic popcorn
- coffee grinder or high speed blender
- ½ cup corn flour
- 2 cups water
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 zucchini, diced small
- ¼ cup red onion, diced
- ½ of a serrano pepper, diced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- zest & juice of 1 lime (more as needed)
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- handful of chopped cilantro
- salt & pepper
- diced avocado
- optional - a few handfuls of arugula for serving
- Grind the popcorn in a coffee grinder or high speed blender (such as a vitamix). Sift to remove the hard pieces from the soft flour (don’t skip this step or you’ll have crunchy polenta).
- Make the polenta: In a medium saucepan, bring the corn flour, water, garlic powder, and salt to a boil. Cook, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens to a creamy consistency, 3 to 4 minutes. Spoon the mixture into an oiled 8x8 inch pan. Let the polenta cool completely. (I made mine a few hours in advance and let it chill in the fridge to set).
- Make the salsa: mix all ingredients together except for the avocado. Chill for at least 2-3 hours so the raw zucchini can marinate in the lime juice and seasonings. Remove from fridge, add diced avocado, then taste and adjust seasonings. Add more salt, pepper, and/or lime juice to taste. If it's too tart, add a pinch of sugar. (or see Erin's Roasted Salsa Recipe below)
- When ready to grill the polenta, slice in to 2-inch squares and brush each side with olive oil. Place on a preheated grill (I suggest using a grill pan since these are delicate). Cook each side until browned, 4-6 (or more) minutes depending on the heat of your grill. (or in my case: pan).
- Serve with salsa
- (optional - I served mine on top of a few handfuls of arugula).
Grinding notes:
I used this cheap coffee grinder for small batches. It did a pretty job – the flour was soft and fluffy – although I sifted out a good amount of harder kernel pieces that wouldn’t grind. (Although, popcorn is cheap and so was the coffee grinder). I think this is great for the occasional use, although I could tell the motor was getting warm (I paused every few seconds to let it cool) so I’m not sure how long it would last with this kind of use.
The vitamix blended the popcorn more thoroughly with less waste. (Although if you’re going to be blending flours regularly, Erin suggests getting a separate blender container for flours because these hard grains will dull the blade quicker).
recipe reprinted with publisher permission
this looks great. perfect for summer.
Popcorn polenta is just the neatest idea ever! Did you have a grain attachment for your vitamix?
I don’t have one (and I didn’t actually know one existed!)
And here I always thought that polenta wasn’t from the whole kernel. I’ve run out of corn meal a time or two, but always have popcorn on hand. I’ve ground oats and rice before – looks like this would be a good book for me!
This looks incredible! I have never tried milling my own polenta, but now I can’t wait! Thanks for the idea.
Good timing! I made a bunch of polenta the other night and have a ton of leftovers.
I never thought about grinding popcorn for polenta. Neat idea!
That looks SO good. I might have to try making it for dinner tonight! Thanks.
Absolutely beautiful! I had no idea polenta was that easy to make, too — need to try it!
Thanks for sharing this recipe. I love the fact that the raw zucchini salad brings something that is traditionally eaten during the winter (at least in Italy) and makes a totally viable summer dish. Lovely!
The recipe book looks gorgeous too!
ha – I didn’t realize zucchini was a winter vegetable in Italy – it grows all summer here 🙂
Hi Jeanie, I meant that here polenta is considered “pesante” (heavy) winter food probably because it’s usually eaten with stewed meats, autumn/winter mushrooms, and lots of cheese … so adding the raw zucchini and grilling it makes a great summer dish…
oh, ha! of course 🙂
there must be a trick in making the popcorn into polenta.
i gave it my best shot, ground popcorn in my vitamix. followed exactly and after stirring 30 minutes it was just still a watery soup, nothing at all began to firm. never had seen anything like it.
so, how do you get it firm like normal polenta?
very frustrating because like everyone else on this blog , i was super excited to make it as well.
help??
oh no – I’m so sorry you had trouble. Hmm… did you try setting it in the fridge anyway? Mine (after stirring it), firmed up a bit but it wasn’t super thick and creamy (like other polenta I’ve made) – I poured it into the glass container and let it chill in the fridge and it set.
Next time, I would maybe try adding less water to start with if you want to get it creamier straight out of the pot. (Hope this helps!)
Love this idea! I never would have thought of grinding your own flours, but I can see how it would be perfect for polenta : )
Yum, I love polenta, but I have not tried grilling it yet!
Yes, please! I always want todo polenta but can’t rationalize having cornmeal, corn flour, and polenta–popcorn is a great idea!
Polenta from popcorn! That’s genius!! Can’t wait to try it.
I found you on Pinterest this AM. I’m very excited to try new healthy ideas especially for my health. Thanks this looks like all must haves.
Nancy
This looks awesome! I love raw zucchini and I can’t wait to try it in this salsa. I had no idea polenta was ground popcorn kernels. Nice!
I love the idea of making flours, when I found out you could make almond meal from making almond milk and dry it out for use, my baking totally changed! I love polenta and had no idea you could make it just from popcorn!! I’m going to make this and top it with some grilled shrimp, cheers!
I know that popcorn is made from corn, and polenta is made from corn; I just never figured that popcorn could be made into polenta (or vice versa)! Polenta is such a great and versatile grain, too- a nice change from quinoa or couscous bowls. This recipe is so clever, yet simple. I can’t wait to get my hands on Erin’s book, which I’m sure is packed with other genius ideas. Lovely!
That is wicked clever! I can’t wait to try this way. Yum!
Wow, I never knew you could make polenta from grinding popcorn kernels! This recipe is totally up my alley!
I just started making my own bread and would love to learn more from the cookbook!