Spanish Polenta Cakes

These delicious cakes came about as an accident of sorts. We were trying to make something…else…out of polenta. And it turned out to be a bust. It tasted great, but it looked like ground beef which was nowhere near what we had in mind. While the first recipe was on its way to the hall of shame, Clark used the remaining polenta to create a treasure out of trash.

Moral of the story: there are no “accidents” when cooking, there are only lessons and learning. [The only exception to this moral is if someone gets injured while cooking – but that’s an entirely different kind of accident.]

These Spanish-esque polenta cakes are bite-sized, flavorful, and easy – what more can you ask for in an appetizer?

Recipe Time: 35 minutes

INGREDIENTS [makes 18 – 2″ cakes]

2 c. cooked polenta
4 Tbsp. cilantro [chopped]
2 cloves garlic [minced]
juice of 2 small limes
2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast [optional, but recommended!]

Preheat the oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.

Use your hands to form the mixture into 2″ cakes, about 1/2″ in thickness. Bake for 24 minutes, flipping once at the halfway point.

We topped them with fresh salsa like we used in this recipe. They would go great with guacamole as well! Or a simple squeeze of lime juice would do the trick too.

Related: Grilled Polenta Bruschetta