If you are Italian, Southern or Mid-Western your eyes no doubt widened just a bit when you saw the title, as these are all WLS no-nos -
BUT - through the magic of a well known substitute - you can have these tastes you miss!
What is this magic food?!? Almond Meal!! That stuff you've been using for a white flour replacement has multiple personalities and can do stand-in work for these other items as well.
This recipe for low-carb grits/polenta is based on classic Italian polenta with Parmesan cheese. My favorite use so far is with greens (I wrote up the serving suggestion at the bottom of the recipe), but I have lots of ideas to experiment with - specifically "Shrimp and Grits"
If you can boil water, you can make this low-carb substitute for soft polenta or grits. Even better, it can be made in many different ways. The recipe here is based on the classic Italian dish. But since it basically mimics a corn meal mush, it can be flavored similar to grits or other soft corn meal recipe. It can even be made sweet into a kind of pudding with berries or other flavorings. Additionally, with a little more or less water, it can be made thinner or thicker. Thinned a bit, it makes a serviceable cheese sauce for vegetables.
Almond Polenta with ChivesNutrition Facts
Serving Size 73 g
Amount Per Serving
Calories 138
Total Fat 11.3g1
Saturated Fat 1.9g
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 6mg
Sodium 220mg
Total Carbohydrates 4.4g
Dietary Fiber 2.3g
Sugars 0.8g
Protein 6.6g
1 cup almond meal or almond flour (they are essentially the same thing)
1 cup water (or 1/2 water and 1/2 milk/cream)
salt (about ¼ teaspoon if you're using the salty cheese. Closer to ½ teaspoon otherwise)
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (if you are using a microplane grater, which makes it fluffier, use about 2/3 cup) (Note: Do NOT use the dried grated cheese from the green can on the shelf!)
pepper
Put almond meal, liquid(s), and salt in a medium-sized pot. Whisk until almond meal is free of lumps. Bring to boil over medium heat, whisking occasionally. Once mixture is boiling, whisk continuously for 1-2 minutes, until it visibly thickens. Remove from heat, and whisk in cheese, whisking until it is fully melted. Add pepper to taste.
Cook's Notes: Mixture will thicken as it cools. The thickness also varies somewhat depending upon the almond meal. If you want it thinner, simply add a little more water. It reheats fine, but add a little more water if you do this. Also, note that it is more filling than regular polenta or grits, so you'll probably want a smaller serving size.
Serving Suggestion: One of my favorite ways to serve this polenta is with sauteed greens(spinach, chard, kale, etc), often with one or more of the following: onions, mushrooms, bacon, garlic. They are also tasty with a little puddle of red-eye gravy!
RECIPES