Even after the sugary chaos that surrounds Halloween has passed, autumn still seems to be the season for comfort food. It is for me, anyway.
I used to be a big fan of oatmeal during this time of the year. I would buy those huge containers of plain instant oatmeal and season it with...well, just about everything! Butter, salt, and pepper...applesauce and cinnamon...pumpkin and chai spice...you name it!
As any individual leading a g-f lifestyle probably knows, oats on their own do not contain gluten. HOWEVER, due to the fact that many companies that manufacture oat products produce said products on lines that also handle gluten-containing materials, many people who cannot tolerate gluten aren't able to have oats.
Which really sucks.
Of course, they do make g-f oatmeal, and it is pretty tasty. But it tends to be about three times the price of normal oats. And, for whatever reason, I can't find them anywhere! Not even at Meijer. I really don't want to order my oats online and then have to pay shipping and handling.
Grits have been a pretty decent substitute over the last few months. Since I have Southern roots, I quite enjoy a lovely, steaming bowl of grits in the morning, mixed with the tiniest smidge of butter and sprinkled with salt and pepper.
As lovely as buttery corn glop is...I did get tired of it eventually, haha. Right about the time the sight of grits was starting to make me sick, my mother introduced me to...another type of corn glop. In stick form.
Polenta is made from boiled cornmeal. The starch's gelatinization gives each stick its shape, and helps give it a creamy texture when blended. You can find it in the Italian section at any grocery store. It's basically Italy's take on porridge. You can blend it up like I do and season it with salt, pepper, and garlic (don't forget to top with cheese and tomato), or you can slice it up and fry it.
Maybe throw in some meat and stir-fry vedgies as well? Mm.
