Name: Creamy Coconut Polenta
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: One 13.6 ounce can coconut milk ((see Tips)); ¾ cup whole grain polenta ((see Tips)); 2 cups whole milk, (warmed); 1 tablespoon salted butter; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Creamy Coconut Polenta

Have you discovered polenta yet? I just started experimenting with it in the last couple of years, and I worry that it’s an under-appreciated and undiscovered ingredient for many people. I LOVE IT!! There is an appetizer recipe in The Recipe Girl Cookbook for BLT Polenta Squares. That recipe features polenta in solid form- flavored with fresh herbs and topped with sundried tomato, creamy cheese and watercress. I could eat a million of those. The recipe I’m sharing today is also in my cookbook. But this polenta recipe turns out a very creamy and wonderful side dish: Creamy Coconut Polenta

This polenta may be eaten as a lovely side dish to chicken or beef or seafood… or you may wish to top it with something too (Sweet Chili Pulled Pork as pictured above!)

This polenta recipe is cooked slowly on the stove with coconut milk and whole milk (much like you slowly cook risotto to get it to its tender state) before topping it off with butter, kosher salt and chives.

I topped my Creamy Coconut Polenta with another recipe from The Recipe Girl Cookbook: Sweet Chili Pulled Pork. They’re a perfect match, and they’re two of my favorite recipes in the book. The best part is that they’re both easy-to-prepare, and they are family-friendly too. You’re in luck > My friend Sommer featured my recipe for Sweet Chili Pulled Pork! So you get two recipes in one. And all of the recipes below are featured on blogs too! Since there are 195 recipes in The Recipe Girl Cookbook, you get a little hint of what’s in the book by trying out some of the recipes that are being shared.

The Recipe Girl Cookbook may be purchased online at Amazon. Here are some more recipes that have been shared from The Recipe Girl Cookbook:

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Creamy Coconut Polenta

This makes a lovely side dish to chicken, beef or seafood.

Prep: 25

Cook: 30

Total: 55

Servings: 4 servings

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Ingredients

▢ One 13.6 ounce can coconut milk (see Tips)
▢ ¾ cup whole grain polenta (see Tips)
▢ 2 cups whole milk, warmed
▢ 1 tablespoon salted butter
▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
▢ ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
▢ 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Instructions

In a medium saucepan, bring the coconut milk to a boil. Whisk in the polenta and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring often.
Add 1 cup of the milk and stir. Continue to stir and simmer for 6 to 7 more minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 cup of milk and continue to simmer, still stirring often, until the polenta is thick and creamy, 6 to 7 minutes.
Stir in the butter, salt and pepper. Serve immediately and top with chives.

Notes

This recipe is gluten-free adaptable: just be sure to use a brand of polenta that is known to be GF.
Using regular coconut milk for this recipe (instead of the light version) will turn out a much more creamy polenta.
Do not use quick-cooking polenta for this recipe as it is not cooked in the same manner.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 402kcal, Carbohydrates: 33g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 28g, Saturated Fat: 22g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 22mg, Sodium: 663mg, Potassium: 462mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 672IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 177mg, Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.