Can anything beat the comfort of a crispy, golden-fried dish? And when you add a mouthwatering, cheesy, savory topping that’s also gluten-free, it’s like the cherry on top. Sometimes you simply crave that satisfying, homemade-style fried treat for your palette.
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So here is one of my favorite plays on a crispy fried polenta recipe. This is a quick and easy alternative to crispy fried zucchini slices. It’s a fun way to enjoy zucchini rather than the traditional fried zucchini recipe. This variation on zucchini fritters transforms an appetizer to a lunch or full dinner.
Also, I always love to build a meal around a vegetable side dish as a main ingredient. In fact, I’m constantly on the lookout for recipes that allow me to cater to both vegetarian preferences and the meat lovers in my family.
If you are a gardener and have zucchini in your garden, then it is even more fun! I get my zucchini at the local farmer’s market. They always seem to be bigger and sweeter than in the grocery store.
Growing zucchini or summer squash is a snap.
For best harvest, plant zucchini seed in late May through early July. It’s a warm season crop so it needs warm soil and warm air.
It grows best in full sun. The plants mature in about 45 -55 days so it’s very quick.
Most people pick when they are relatively small for best flavor.
Zucchini squash blossoms battered and fried and a whole nother yummy treat.
One of the best vegetables to use in almost every category of cooking.
We can use squash in almost every culture’s cuisine, making it a natural complement to pan fried polenta.
Zucchini nutritional facts:
According to the USDA, a one cup serving of zucchini, chopped, offers approx 21 calories.
It has about 1.5 grams of protein and is very low fat ( less than 1/2 gram) and low carbs.
Zucchini, often overlooked as a superfood because it is lacking a bright color, is a very versatile vegetable.
However, it actually packs a punch with superfood vitamins and benefits.
Bake (or I should say hide) in breakfast breads to give your kids extra vitamins.
Fry and dip in ranch dressing or any other favorite dipping sauce.
To prepare, it’s easiest to put the zucchini through the food processor with a shredder attachment. Then pat the zucchini dry on paper towels. Like baked zucchini, the shredded pieces stay juicy in the middle.
Flash cook zucchini on high heat until golden brown. Brown as a single layer in the saute pan with a blend of butter and olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. *A large saucepan will also work, but a saute pan is better.
Next, prepare the polenta. There are lots of good choices for polenta that are premade either plain or with herbs. I often will make yellow corn polenta from scratch because it’s surprisingly simple to make both fried polenta cakes or creamy polenta.
Make a whole batch in advance which only takes about 5 – 10 minutes to cook. Save leftover polenta in a block, slices or bite sized pieces. Polenta is low fat, high carbs and a good source of fiber. When made from scratch it is naturally gluten free as well.
For the best homemade polenta, I saute corn meal (coarsely ground corn) with yellow onions and fresh garlic (or garlic powder). You can add a variety of ingredients depending on your taste. I love to add a good white wine or ale like a risotto (vegetable or chicken stock work well as well).
Put any kind of fresh or dried herbs to boost the flavor like rosemary, oregano, sage or parsley. Add salt, coarse ground pepper and butter as well. I use either milk or half and half to make it soft and creamy. Simmer over medium heat until cooked and then add in freshly grated parmesan cheese.
You can cook the polenta a few different ways. For this dish you can cook in the pan to a golden brown with a crust on the bottom–careful not to let it stick to the bottom. Form the polenta into patties and pan fry. You can use an air fryer or bake on a parchment paper lined baking sheet until crispy.
If using the premade kind, just cut the polenta into slices.
This dish has built in dipping sauces by topping the zucchini with a gorgonzola (or vegan substitute), Parmalat or Dolce cheese. You can also always use fresh mozzarella or ricotta. Go ahead, you have my permission to throw on more than one!
Vegan and alternative cheese have been growing in variety, popularity and have improved a great deal in taste.
Here’s a great list of gorgonzola cheeses and their vegan subs from chefspencil.com.
Here’s their DIY recipe for Vegan Gongonzola made with Tofu.
1 ¾ cups of extra-firm tofu (about 14 ounces)
1/2 cup melted refined coconut oil
2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
4 tablespoons of white miso paste
1 ½ teaspoons of sea salt
1 teaspoon of onion powder
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
¼ teaspoon of spirulina
First press the tofu to drain off the liquid. Put all the ingredients, except for the spirulina in a blender.
Put the mixture in a bowl and mix until smooth.
Add the spirulina to “dot” the vegan cheese, then fold it over a couple of times. That’s how you’ll get the blue-green veins.
Put the mixture in a container lined with plastic wrap. Make sure to smoothen it out on the surface.
Cover it and let it rest overnight in the fridge. There’s your vegan tofu gorgonzola!
Now back to our recipe card:
To plate the dish, start with a layer of the polenta crispy patties. Next, lay on the sauteed shredded zucchini and top with the gorgonzola cheese. You can add in a grilled hanger or sirloin steak, roasted chicken or sausage. Many possibilities for variation.
Serve hot.
Crispy, golden, pan-fried polenta topped with cheesy and savory zucchini in under an hour? You'll make this quicker than you can get takeout and it'll satisfy that cheesy comfort food craving too.
- Slicing Polenta if making homemade polenta, add parmesan
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil for pan frying
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil for pan frying
- 1 tbsp Butter salted
- 2 cups Shredded zucchini and/or summer squash about 3-4 zucchinis or 2 zucchini per person
- 2 cloves garlic minced or crushed
- 1/2 tsp Oregano
- 1/2 tsp Rosemary
- 1/2 tsp Parsley
- 1/4 tsp Sage
- sea salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- 3/4 cup parmesan
- 1/4 cup more parmesan or gorgonzola or dolce
- Grilled fajita strips I like to use leftovers after taco night
- Sausage
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Coat a saute pan in olive oil
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Slice the polenta about a 1/4" thick
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Follow the polenta instructions or fry until crispy, flipping halfway through so it doesn't stick.
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Add 4 slices to each plate you are preparing
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Add olive oil to the same pan
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Grate the zucchini in the food processor with a shredder attachment, or a cheese grater/shredder
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Add the grated zucchini to the pan
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Once the zucchini is soft, add the pad (1 tbsp) of butter
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Add the garlic
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Add the spices you enjoy: rosemary, oregano, parsley, sage
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Plate the Zucchini (either on top of all 4 or over each polenta cake)
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In the same pan, grill up the fajita strips or sausage and plate on top of the zucchini
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Enjoy!
This is a meal you could make in advance and then bake to reheat. It's also great when you have leftover ground beef, fajita strips, or sausage from the night before.
Crafting this article has left me with quite the appetite. Now, I’m eager to whip up a fresh batch of this delicious dish!
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