Quick Polenta with Salad & Lemon Ricotta Recipe

Weeknight dinner 101 - make it simple and snappy. 

We tend to get to the end of our day and drop the ball on our food and nutrition choices because it’s easy to when you’re exhausted and out of ideas for what to cook for dinner. 

This quick dish is a nourishing meal that ticks all of your nutritional requirements without making life more exhausting. 

Polenta is a very quick base to prepare. With 15 minutes and a couple of stirs, it is ready and provides a sustaining, cheap option for nights when the cooking time for something like brown rice is far too long to consider. 

Polenta is also a source of iron and vitamin B3 and whilst it doesn’t have a lot of protein in it, the added ricotta in the polenta as well as on top makes up for it. 

The broccoli salad is a delicious topping that provides sweetness, crunch and more beneficial nutrients to the dish. Broccoli is rich in fibre, vitamin C and folate and is one of nature’s greatest health foods which combats inflammation in the body. 

The ricotta is a source of protein for the dish and ties the salad and polenta together. 

Get the broccoli roasting, mix the dressing and ricotta up, put the polenta on the stove and you’re pretty much good to go. 

Give yourself 30 minutes to prepare this dish when you get home from a long day and you will have something served up that not only fills you up but benefits your body in the long run. 

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5 everyday superfoods

vegetarian, gluten free

Serves 4

Ingredients

Broccoli salad

• 2 heads broccoli, cut into small florets
• 2 tbsp slivered almonds
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• A pinch of salt and pepper
• 1 tsp dried chilli flakes

Dressing

• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 tbsp dried currants
• A pinch of salt and pepper

Lemon ricotta

• Half a 375g tub fresh ricotta
• 1 lemon, zest and juice
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper

Quick polenta

• 3 cups vegetable stock
• 1 cup organic polenta
• The other half of the 375g tub of ricotta
• 1 tsp rock salt
• 1 tsp pepper

How to make

• Heat your oven to 180 degrees and place the broccoli florets, slivered almonds, extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper and chilli flakes into a rimmed baking tray, tossing everything together. Roughly spread everything out on the tray and then put into the oven to roast for 15 minutes
• Mix up the dressing by placing all of the dressing ingredients, including the currants, into a jar and shaking them together. Set aside
• Mix up the lemon and herb ricotta by putting all the ingredients into a small mixing bowl and combining them with a fork until smooth. Taste the ricotta and adjust to your preferred taste with salt and pepper if needed. Set aside
• To make the creamy polenta, bring the vegetable stock to a boil in a saucepan on the stove and once boiling, add the polenta stirring it in so it does not clump. Turn the stove down to a simmer and leave the polenta to cook for 15 minutes giving it a stir every now and again. Once thick and creamy, turn the stove off, add the other half of the ricotta to the polenta as well as salt and pepper and stir until smooth and creamy
• To assemble the dish, pour the dressing over the broccoli and almonds and toss, place a serving of polenta at the bottom of each bowl, dollop on some lemon herb ricotta and top with the dressed broccoli and almond salad. Season if needed and enjoy

Roberta's tips

• Once the polenta cools it will harden so add a touch more liquid to loosen when re-heating
• Store each component separately for up to 3 days and combine when ready to eat

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Roberta of Naturo Medico is a Naturopathic Practitioner who specialises in preventative care and women’s health. From her Melbourne-based clinic, Roberta sees women of all ages wanting to meet their own health goals and assists them on their path with personalised treatments specific to their needs.

Alongside practice, Roberta shares healthful and nutrient-rich recipes with her readers who inspire her to continue educating on what health and wellbeing means and how it can be achieved.

Follow @naturomedico on Instagram for more healthy eating inspiration!