1 cup cornmeal

3 cups water, or chicken broth

1 tablespoon oil

1-2 tablespoons white miso paste (it has a milder taste than darker miso)

1 small onion, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Stir fry the onion with oil in a large pot. Caramelize them if you’d like. After it’s cooked to your satisfaction, add the water and bring it to a boil. Stir in cornmeal and simmer on low, stirring frequently for 5-10 minutes or more, depending how creamy you would like your polenta. Add more water as needed. Stir in the miso at the end (you want to avoid boiling miso to preserve the healthy nutrients that result from miso’s fermentation process).

Eaten fresh, polenta will have a creamy consistency. But once you refrigerate it, it solidifies! Pour it into a loaf pan or other shallow dish, and refrigerate. After it cools, cut it into slices and top with the veggies and/or protein of your choice! You can also pan fry or grill the slices to give them a toasty, golden exterior.

Optional Add-Ins

·  Butter or ghee

·  Chopped nuts

·  Corn (for texture)

·  Curry powder, lemon pepper, chili powder, or other spices

·  Fresh spinach (it cooks into the polenta as you stir)

·  Garlic, minced

·  Ginger paste

·  Green onion or chives

·  Hot sauce

·  Milk

·  Olives, pitted and chopped

·  Parmesan cheese or other grated cheese

·  Pine nuts

·  Roasted sesame oil

·  Rosemary, basil, or other herbs

·  Sausage

·  Sundried tomatoes

·  Pasta sauce

·  Pine nuts toasted

·  Tomatoes, diced

Check out my e-book Easy Hiking Recipes: Simple Meal Ideas for Day Hikes and Other Outdoor Adventures here: http://amzn.to/1aTSpaO. Learn more at www.easyhikingrecipes.com.