foodie: polenta pie with cashew "cheese"

this simple, yummy recipe was inspired by the feel good guru's recipe in her forks over knives cookbook. not only is this polenta pie hearty, filling and delicious, it's also gluten-free and vegan!

here's what you'll need for polenta pie for 2...

12 oz polenta (for simplicity sake, i used 1/2 a store bought log of polenta)
toppings -- like sauteed veggies (i used onions and red peppers with garlic), marinara sauce and herbs
olive oil
water

for the "cheese":
1 cup no-salt cashews
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp minced garlic
herbs of your choice
1/8 to 1/4 cup of water
1/4 cup nutritional yeast (optional) -- this adds a tangy, cheesy flavor

cashew "cheese" balls

preheat oven to 375 degrees

1. spray baking tray or pizza stone with olive oil.  spread polenta onto tray (1/2 inch thickness).  i had to add a bit of water to the polenta and mash it a bit before spreading it out.  bake for 30 minutes or until edges are crispy.

2. as the polenta crust bakes, saute your veggies and make the cashew "cheese".  in your food processor, combine cashews, lemon juice, salt, garlic, herbs and yeast (if using) -- blend.  add water little by little until you achieve a thick cream cheese-like consistency.  roll cheese into balls.

3. once crust is done, take it out of the oven, and top it with marinara (or pesto!), veggies and about 1/4 of the "cheese".  i sliced up a few of the cheese balls and then pressed them flat on top.

4. put pie back in the oven for another 10 minutes or so.

allow to cool for a few minutes before slicing.  this pie, though delicious, does not hold-its-own -- you'll have to enjoy it with a fork and knife :-)

bon appetit!


on a different note, here are a few pictures of our dog-baby, olive, in the back yard.  she's such a cutie!!!