These Grilled Polenta Cakes with Pico and Grilled Vegetables are an exciting way to enjoy a meatless meal!
Dietary restrictions can make it tricky to navigate through the world.
Luckily being vegetarian is a choice for me rather than a necessity. If I’m at an event and can’t find something meatless to eat I have the choice of giving in to the (probably delicious) meaty lasagna or snacking on the nuts in my purse and hitting a drive-thru on my way home.
A few weeks ago I was able to enjoy a beautiful night out celebrating a friend who was about to be married. We went to Piggy’s, a very nice restaurant in town well known for their steaks and seafood. They only had one vegetarian option on the menu, a grilled polenta cake with grilled vegetables and a black bean avocado fajita.
I was so, so happy to be a vegetarian when my meal came. Had I not been a vegetarian I surely would have picked something meaty for my plate and missed out on this amazing meal. The polenta was crisp and slightly spicy while the vegetables were perfectly cooked. I couldn’t wait to get home and try making this for myself.
This grilled polenta cake was my (somewhat deconstructed) attempt to replicate that amazing meal. I currently don’t have time to make polenta from scratch so I used a ready made tube, but I can assure you that if you have time to make the real thing it will be well worth it. I’m absolutely crazy about the combination of vegetables here. Between the corn, peppers, and onions the dish really takes on a sweet taste.
What is your favorite vegetarian restaurant pick?
If you make this recipe, be sure to rate it, leave a comment, or tag #theliveinkitchen on Instagram!
Recipe
Grilled Polenta Cakes with Pico and Grilled Vegetables
Ingredients
- 1 red bell pepper,, sliced
- 1 bunch broccolini,, trimmed
- 1 medium red onion,, sliced
- Olive oil
- Coarse kosher salt
- 36 ounces pre-cooked polenta,, sliced into ¼″ discs
- Oven Roasted Corn and Black Bean Pico de Gallo
- 1 avocado,, diced
Instructions
- Preheat a grill pan or panini press to high.
- In a large bowl, toss bell pepper, broccolini, and onion in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until thoroughly coated. Season with salt and grill in the panini press in a single layer until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5-7 minutes.
- Remove the vegetables from the panini press and set aside. Lightly brush both sides of the polenta with olive oil, then grill, flipping once, until crisp and beginning to brown, about 15 minutes.
- To serve, place a spoonful of vegetables on a plate, top with a few slices of polenta, and top with oven roasted corn and black bean pico de gallo and avocado.
Gillian @ The Haas Machine says
So pretty! I love all these bright colors on this dreary day!
Lindsay Moe says
Thanks Gillian!
Kendra says
Love Piggy’s and this looks delicious and I’m not even a vegetarian. My kids just had polenta for the first time at school and they liked it so I may have to try this recipe.
Heather says
My family and I recently switched to vegetarian. We wanted to go out to eat to a place we haven’t been in a while (Chili’s). When we arrived, we realized every dish contained meat. We were about to order a dish and just tell them no meat……….then I noticed you could get a burger and substitute a black bean patty. So, we gave it a shot…………AMAZING! I had the guacamole “burger”. It was so yummy!
Lindsay Moe says
God bless the black bean patty! Yum!