Polenta Pizza with Mushrooms and Rocket

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Vegetarian and gluten-free pizza that is both filling and delicious! Polenta pizza base topped with fried mushrooms, creamy mozzarella and the peppery rocket is our idea of a 'Friday Night In' treat! Read on for the recipe and ideas on how to make this wonderful pizza vegan!

I haven't used polenta all that much for a very long while. As a matter of fact, I remember buying my first bag of polenta. I read somewhere that a good way to make your sweet potato fries crispy is to sprinkle them with a bit of polenta. And I specifically remember not being able to find a small bag of it and having to buy 1.5kg of polenta. But that's how my love for it started, really! I was there with a massive bag of it and had to make something delicious. Some of my favourite polenta recipes include:

• Baked Polenta Chips With Smoky BBQ Dip
• Cheesy Polenta Muffins with Chilli and Sundried Tomatoes

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Tips & Tricks:

• Make sure you let the polenta bubble for at least 10 minutes before spreading it onto baking trays. You want it thick and sticky. If it's too thin, it will stick to the baking tray and won't be crispy when cooked.
• If you're using cornmeal, use fine or medium, but keep in mind that it cooks a lot quicker, so you may not need to bubble it for that long.
• Fry the mushrooms until all the water that may have been released into the pan, has evaporated. Adding too much extra moisture on the pizza bases will make your polenta base soggy.
• If you don't fancy red onion chutney, replace it with red pesto, or sundried tomato paste. Both are equally delicious on this pizza.
• You can replace rocket with watercress or lambs lettuce. Adding some greens on top really lightens up the dish. We love the peppery greens in this recipe to balance out the sweetness of the chutney and the creaminess of the mozzarella.

Want to Make it Vegan?

We tried to make this pizza vegan last January when we were cooking plant-based meals all month. And it was very rather easy to do without compromising on flavour.

• Replace the butter with vegan spread.
• Replace parmesan with 2 big tablespoons of nutritional yeast.
• Make sure you use vegan stock.
• Use blobs of vegan cream cheese (we love Violife Original Soft Cheese and Tesco Free From Soft Cheese) instead of mozzarella.

How to Make Vegetarian Polenta Pizza?

Preheat oven to 200C Fan. Line a large baking tray with baking parchment (we highly recommend Bacofoil - it is strong and lasts forever!) and lightly brush it with olive oil.

Place the polenta/ cornmeal in a large pan. Pour the hot stock over the polenta and, stirring continuously, heat on medium heat, until it comes to a boil. Let the polenta bubble for 10 mins (or less if using cornmeal), stirring continuously. It should be thick and sticky. Remove it from the heat and stir in grated parmesan, butter, half of the mixed herbs and a generous pinch of salt.

Spread the polenta into two large circles/ovals/ or whatever shape you like your pizza in over the lined baking tray. Place the tray in the oven for 30-35 minutes until the polenta bases are set and browning at the edges.

Whilst polenta is baking, heat a tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan. Add the quartered mushrooms and the rest of the mixed herbs. Fry on medium-high heat for 6-7 minutes until the mushrooms are browned and start to shrink.

Once the polenta bases are cooked, spread 2 tablespoon of red onion chutney on them, then scatter the mushrooms (avoiding any juices that may have been released in the pan).

Tear the mozzarella ball into bite-size pieces and scatter it on top of the pizzas. Return the pizzas to the oven for another 10-15 minutes, until the mozzarella has melted.

Once cooked, scatter the rocket on top of the pizzas and serve immediately.

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Our favourite type of mushroom is shiitake. What is yours? If you like cooking with mushrooms, have a look at the recipes below. Maybe with can tempt you to try some of our personal favourites:

• Mushroom Agnolotti with Truffle Oil Sauce
• Vegetable & Mushroom Miso Ramen Bowl
• Spinach and Mushroom Risotto with Pecan & Garlic Drizzle

Or if you ae looking for a quick and easy mushroom-based dinner, why not try our Quick & Easy Cream Cheese Pasta or Creamy Mushroom and Blue Cheese Soup?