For more delicious recipes by Marie of @marie.reginato, be sure to check out her cookbook Alternative Vegan here and her blog here!

Caramelized Fennel and Dill Polenta Cakes

Makes 4 slices / V, GF

3 tbsp (45 ml) olive oil, divided

1 medium fennel bulb, quartered and sliced

Pinch of sea salt

1 tbsp (15 ml) maple syrup

2 tsp (2 g) green onions, chopped into thin rings

2 tsp (2 g) dill, chopped

4 (1⁄2" [13-mm]-thick) slices of precooked polenta roll

2 tbsp (15 g) any flour (use brown rice flour as a gluten-free option), reserved for the polenta 

Directions:

In a medium-sized sauté pan on medium-high heat, warm half of the olive oil for 1 minute. Add in the fennel slices and a pinch of sea salt, and sauté for about 5 to 7 minutes, until the fennel is tender but still crisp. Remove from the heat and add in the maple syrup, green onions and dill. Mix well.

Remove the fennel mixture and set aside while you add in the remaining olive oil to the sauté pan. As the oil warms on medium-high heat, lightly press the polenta into the flour, so that it coats each side. This will prevent the polenta from sticking when cooking in the oil. Now sauté the polenta slices for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, until they’re crisp and slightly golden brown. Remove from the sauté pan and pat the polenta with a paper towel to remove any excess olive oil.

Top each polenta cake with the sweet fennel mixture and enjoy! 

Tip: I would suggest using a precooked polenta roll. It saves so much time and there are plenty of brands that offer polentas rolls with no additional flavoring added. I found mine at Trader Joe’s, but Amazon has them as well! Just type in “precooked polenta roll or tub.”