By Rip Esselstyn
This polenta French toast is the mastermind of Ben Baker of the Travassa Spa and Resort, located in the Texas Hill Country (where we hold several of our Engine 2 Food Camp Immersion retreats). Ben came up with this wonderful recipe for our gluten-free, plant-strong participants. It serves its purpose as good ol’ fashioned comfort food.
Prep time: steps 1 to 10 take 10 minutes
Cooling time: as little as 30 minutes to overnight
Cook time: 5 minutes
Serves 6 to 12
Ingredients:
3 cups water
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 cup polenta
1 cup dried cranberries (about 5 ounces)
Directions:
- Add the 3 cups of water to a small pot.
- Whisk in the cinnamon and maple syrup very well, breaking up any clumps.
- Bring the mixture to a low boil.
- Following the package instructions and using the suggested polenta-to-water ratio (some varieties are of a coarser grind and will absorb more water), whisk the water and slowly pour in the polenta.
- Cook, stirring rapidly, to keep the polenta from forming lumps. When the polenta has thickened like a nice porridge, stir in the cranberries.
- Pour the mixture onto a baking sheet with a rim at least 1 inch high. Spread out the mixture to a thickness of less than ½ inch, making it as smooth as possible.
- Place a piece of parchment paper on the top of the smooth surface, and press the polenta flat. Allow the polenta to cool down, then refrigerate.
- Once the polenta has set, you can unmold it onto a flat, clean surface. Cut it into even squares, and then cut the squares into triangles.
- Over medium-high heat, cook the triangles on each side in a nonstick pan until they turn golden brown.
- Serve plain or with maple syrup or berries, or try Ben’s magic trick below.
Ben’s Baker Tip:
Top with Cabernet Cranberries. In a small pot over medium heat, combine 2 cups of Cabernet wine with 1½ cups dried cranberries. Cook, letting the mixture slowly reduce, and until the cranberries have absorbed all of the wine. The pectin that still resides in the cranberries will cause the mixture to thicken. Drizzle the sauce over your Polenta French Toast—you are in for a real treat!
Rip Esselstyn is a mission-driven man. As a swimmer at the University of Texas at Austin, he was a three time All-American. As a professional athlete, he was one of the premier triathletes in the world for more than a decade. As a firefighter for the Austin (TX) Fire Department, he helped people and saved lives. As a friend to other firefighters, he transformed the way Austin’s Engine 2 ate to save firefighters’ health. Now, as the author of The Engine 2 Diet, he is teaching people the irrefutable connection between what they put in their mouths and their ability to reach their ideal weight and their ideal health. Recently, he has teamed up with Whole Foods Market as a Healthy Eating Partner to raise awareness for Whole Foods Market team members, customers, and all of America about the benefits of eating a PlantStrongÔ diet composed of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds.
Rip comes from a family steeped in medicine. His great-grandfather, George Crile, co-founded the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic, where his father, Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., was chief of the breast cancer task force and completed one of the most extensive studies ever conducted on the relationship between the heart and diet–proving that a plant-based diet can stop, prevent, and even reverse heart disease.
Rip serves on the Board of Directors for The Wellness Foundation, EarthSave’s Meals For Health Program, and the AllergyKids Foundation.
