Crispy Polenta and Zucchini Chips

I'm Italian, therefore removing gluten has been one of the toughest parts of going into such a restricting diet as the Low FODMAP one.
Luckily nowadays there are many affordable options on the market, but cornmeal is so far my favorite.

Yesterday, I was really craving some crunchiness in my sad winter evening. I then decided to bake some golden polenta and zucchinis chips.

Needless to say, nothing has been left on the serving plate. Everyone in my family loved them!

I felt like a witch putting all the ingredients together in my cauldron. First, polenta, then shredded zucchini, third fresh rosemary, and in conclusion a generous amount of Parmigiano, my favorite cheese, and most importantly, lactose-free. The smell was absolutely divine, thus I could not wait to enjoy it on the couch watching my favorite tv show.

Lately, a bloated gut along with endless cramping pain has been my worst nightmare. I had no courage to have a night out. As a result, I ended up spending every single night at home with my bestie, my water bottle. That is until I finally found my own personal food balance with recipes like this, being able to enjoy my nights. Finding what's triggering for me has been quite a journey, but it's now rewarding, therefore it was worth the hard work and patience towards the goal of finally feeling better!

I prefer it baked in the oven rather than pan-fried. It's a lighter, healthier, and guilt-free snack!

Makes: 4 servings
Serving size: about 6 triangles, depending on the size
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes

Ingredients for crispy polenta and zucchini chips:

• 3 cups of water
• 6.5 ounces of cornmeal
• 1/2 tbsp of salt
• 2 medium zucchini
• 2 tbsp of olive oil
• 4 tbsp of grated parmesan cheese
• a spoon of rosemary leaves

Directions for crispy polenta and zucchini chips:

1. Put the water to boil on a pot.
2. Pre-heat the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit on conventional heating (two lines, one at the top and one at the bottom of a square) this will allow homogeneous cooking.
3. In the meantime, shred the zucchini and squeeze the liquid out of them with a clean cotton tea towel then leave it on the side. Drain them is extremely important in order to obtain a crispy result.
4. Once boiling, add the salt and one spoon of olive oil into the pot.
5. Start pouring slowly the cornmeal into the pot, mixing it vigorously with a whisk.
6. Keep mixing on low heat for about 10 minutes.
7. Once the polenta is ready and without lumps, add the zucchini, most of the grated parmesan, and half of the rosemary.
8. Mix it evenly.
9. On a greasy oven tray, spread the mixture evenly and thinly (the thinner, the crunchier).
10. Add the residue of rosemary on top of the mixture, along with the grated parmesan cheese and then the olive oil to finish.
11. Bake it for about 20/25 minutes, more if you want to go for super-crusty, but beware not to burn it!
12. Once removed from the oven, carefully cut it into triangles and serve it warm!