Polenta Porridge with Stewed Strawberry & Tamarillo

When I am not having toasts and eggs for breakfast, my other option is porridge with fruits. I usually go for instant porridge for convenience  purpose but every now and then, I enjoy the repetition of stirring porridge over a stove and witness the transition from grainy oats to smooth and creamy mixture. I know it is a very small and ordinary task, but it is something little like that makes me feel like I had a good morning start. 🙂

Polenta is not something I would associate with a breakfast meal. However, after taking a leap (in my book) and ordered a polenta poridge from my favourite cafe in Orange in addition to my usual egg and mushroom toasts,  I was impressed.  So impressed that I’ve decided to recreate it at home.

 {Stewed strawberry & tamarillo}

Polenta Porridge with Stewed Strawberry & Tamarillo

(For two people)

What you’ll need:-

• 1 Tamarillo
• 250g/8 ounces fresh strawberries
• 1/2 tbsp cornflour
• 3 cups low fat milk
• 1/2 vanilla pod, slit in half (or a tsp of vanilla extract)
• 1/2 cup polenta – see Note 1
• 1 + 1/2 tbsps white sugar – or adjust to taste

Note 1: If you use instant polenta, follow the liquid to polenta ratio as specified by the packet instructions and scale up or down accordingly. I used the Macro Natural Polenta from Woolworths.

Stewed strawberry & tamarillo: Slice the tamarillo in half and use a small spoon to remove the flesh from the skin. Dice the flesh into smaller pieces and place in a small pot. Hull and dice strawberries and transfer them into the pot as well. Add cornflour and toss to coat the fruits. Add 2 tbsps of water to the fruit and place over low-medium heat and stew the fruits. Keep stirring the fruits gently to make sure they don’t stick to the pan. Over some time, the juice from the fruits will ooze out and keep cooking until the fruits are soft and mushy. Set aside.

Polenta Porridge: Gently boil 2 cups of milk with 1/2 vanilla pod over low-medium heat. When the milk is almost boiling (you’ll see a light foam forming on the surface), remove the vanilla pod and add polenta. Over very low heat (switch the smallest burner), keep stirring the mixture over low heat. When the mixture is getting too thick, add the remaining milk (1 cup) gradually and sugar. Keep stirring until the mixture no longer feels grainy. You may need to add more milk if it takes a little long for the the mixture to become not grainy and to achieve your desired consistency. Note – I find it helps to add 2 tbsps of milk just before finish cooking so that the porridge doesn’t become a really thick paste when it cools down a little.

To serve: Transfer polenta porridge to bowls and top with the stewed fruits. Serve immediately.