Real Recipes From Real Home Cooks ®

sunshine grits/polenta

Recipe by
C G
Vallèe du Willamette, OR

The American South Meets the Magical Mediterranean! From Delicious Living (adapted). For thicker porridge use the larger amount of polenta/grits indicated.

yield 4 serving(s)
prep time 10 Min
cook time 5 Min
method Stove Top

Ingredients For sunshine grits/polenta

  • 1 c
    water
  • 1 c
    milk or milk alternative (rice, coconut, etc.)
  • 1/2-3/4 c
    quick cooking grits, quick cooking polenta or ground semolina
  • 1-2 Tbsp
    orange zest
  • 1 md
    orange, peeled, seeded and remove as much of the pith as you can
  • 1/2 c
    plain yogurt, drained/greek yogurt (whole milk yogurt is best!)
  • 3 Tbsp
    good quality honey
  • 1/2 c
    pistachios, toasted (good subs: walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pecans)
  • light sprinkle of a warm spice: cinnamon, cardamom, allspice or freshly grated nutmeg

How To Make sunshine grits/polenta

  • 1
    Combine water, milk, and a pinch of salt in a saucepan and heat until very hot but *NOT* boiling. Whisk in grits/polenta/ or semolina and return to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and whisk until polenta thickens, 5-10 minutes. (Cooking times will vary. Quick cooking grits only take 5-6 minutes to cook whereas ground semolina only requires 1 minute if that.) Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for at least 5 minutes.
  • 2
    Zest orange to yield 1 teaspoon; then peel orange and dice sections. Note: I used a food processor on PULSE to prep the orange flesh. In a small bowl, combine zest, orange pieces, yogurt, 1 tablespoon honey and a pinch of warm spice of choice.
  • 3
    Stir remaining honey into polenta and divide into bowls. Top with orange-yogurt mixture and sprinkle with nuts. You can garnish more orange zest on top, too if desired.
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