Hot Sauce Aioli over Polenta Cakes

Ok folks…I don’t know if you’re in the market for a new brunch recipe but I got one for you anyway. Today I’m bringing you polenta cakes with fried tomatoes with hot sauce aioli.

What are polenta cakes, you say? Grits, seasoned and then grilled in cake form. You can totally find them in a tube at the grocery store if you’re not up to making these.

What are fried tomatoes, you say? Wow, you need to get out more. Fried tomatoes are pretty much a Southern staple, and are surprisingly simple to make. A lot of times you’ll see them as fried green tomatoes, but I like riper ones for this. I sometimes add them to sandwiches or just have them on their own, but atop these polenta cakes, they’re perfect. Throw these babies on some fresh arugula to up the fanciness.

The final piece is a very simple aioli based on Just Mayo and my favorite hot sauce, Hoff and Pepper’s Hoff sauce. Even if you don’t feel like making the whole brunch dish, you gotta whip up a batch of this sauce to keep in a squeeze bottle in the fridge. It will keep for at least a week and tastes good on literally anything.

Polenta Cakes with Fried Tomatoes

Savory cheesy polenta cakes with fried tomatoes and topped with hot sauce aioli for a unique brunch meal. Scroll down for hot sauce aioli. Recipe by The Friendly Feast.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American, Southern

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  

Polenta Cakes

• 1 cup corn grits (polenta)
• 3 cups water
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 T vegan butter
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 cup vegan parmesan (optional)
• 2 T nutritional yeast

Fried Tomatoes

• 2 medium semi-ripe tomatoes , thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 2 T vegetable shortening
• salt and pepper to taste

Additional toppings/garnish

• fresh arugula or spinach
• fresh parsley
• vegan parmesan

Instructions

 

• Bring water to a boil and add grits and salt. Reduce to a simmer and cover, stirring occasionally. Cook 20 minutes until creamy and thickened. Add remaining polenta cake ingredients and stir. Pour into a greased square baking pan and set aside to cool, then put into freezer for 5-10 minutes so hardened and easier to handle. Remove from pan by turning out onto a cutting board. Using a biscuit cutter or drinking glass, cut out circular shapes and set aside.
• Add shortening to a large pan over medium high heat. Stir together the dry fried tomato ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Dip the tomato slices into the mixture and coat thoroughly. Gently place in the pan and fry for roughly 3 minutes a side, until browned. Set aside cooked tomatoes briefly on a paper napkin lined plate before topping the polenta cakes.
• While the tomatoes are frying, grease a griddle or regular frying pan with cooking spray and turn on high heat. Cook the polenta cakes until grill marks or browning can be seen, about 3-4 minutes per side. This requires a bit of multitasking but it can definitely be done. Alternatively, you may do the polenta grilling first and keep warm in the oven, on a low setting.
• Add fresh greens to a plate, then polenta cake, topping with a fried tomato, Garnish with vegan Parmesan, Hot sauce aioli, and parsley.

Keyword breakfast, brunch, polenta, tomatoes

Hot Sauce Aioli

Not your average aioli–this one has a spicy kick! Recipe by The Friendly Feast

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Prep Time 2 minutes mins

Total Time 2 minutes mins

Course Staples

Cuisine American

Servings 1 cup

Ingredients

  

• 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise (I prefer Just Mayo)
• 1-2 T Hoff Sauce (or hot sauce of choice)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• salt to taste

Instructions

 

• Combine all ingredients and whisk. Add more hot sauce if you want a real kick, and add salt to taste. If you’re planning to drizzle from a squeeze bottle, add 1 T of water.

Keyword aioli, hot sauce