Good Morning…Here’s wishing you all a wonderful Monday and a great week. Meatless Monday is back! Every day is meatless here and I hope some of the recipes that I share entice you to add a meatless meal to your week! Today I have a simple recipe that is loaded with flavor. It is inexpensive, hearty and truly yummy! As with most of my recipes you have control…there are no exacts…just a good base and then you can use your own culinary paint brush to add the details… tailored to you and your families likes! I really hope you give this one a try. It’s a great way to use up the vegetable odds and ends that seem to gather and form a little community in the fridge! So add some of your favorite veggies and have fun!
Bon Appetit!
Vegetable Medley and Creamy Cheesy Polenta
Vegetable Medley
here is what I used:
10 ounces of Baby Bella mushrooms sliced thin
1 Yellow Bell Pepper and 1 Red Bell Pepper
1 nice size green zucchini sliced thin
2 fresh tomatoes diced (you can use a good can variety also when fresh are not in season : )
1 nice size yellow squash sliced thin
1 full bunch of scallions thinly sliced from white to green
4 cloves of garlic
Your favorite grated cheese shavings (I love Pecorino Romano for this dish but of course I know you have your favs!)
olive oil (I use 3-4 tablespoons)
Vegetable broth
Balsamic Vinegar
Salt & Pepper
Simply heat your oil and add your scallion whites and your thinly sliced or crushed garlic… saute for a minute or two (until lightly golden garlic happens). Then simply add your vegetables (except the scallion greens) one at a time and toss to mix. Once all veggies have been added, saute for about 5 minutes…then add a 1/4 of a cup of veggie broth and a splash of balsamic vinegar (this as all items are optional…but that little splash adds a wonderful depth of flavor to the dish…just brightens it up!) If I were to give a measurement…it would be a tablespoon or two…always start with the least and taste…you can always add but not subtract : ) Cook for another 3 or so minutes and then the mixture is done. (cooking time varies depending on how you like your veggies) Toss in 1/2 of your scallion greens and reserve the rest for garnish. The nice juice is perfect for spooning over the polenta…
Time to make our
Creamy Cheesy Polenta
Ingredients:
4 cups of water
2 cups of milk (optional…you can use all water if you would like)
1 1/4 cups of yellow cornmeal (aka…polenta)
1 cup of grated cheese…your favorite grated cheese
salt and pepper
3 tablespoons of butter
First you bring your liquids to a boil in your saucepan. Salt the liquid (this is very important) then it is time to whisk the cornmeal in. Lower the heat to low until the mixture thickens. You should never leave this unattended and you should stir often. If the mixture is too thick…add a little water or milk. Cooking time is about 15 minutes. When it looks like nice and thick mashed potatoes…turn the heat off…add the butter and cheese and mix.
Now serve right away…the longer the polenta sits… the thicker it gets. Spoon your veggies over the polenta…top with cheese shavings and scallions and serve!
NOTE: There is also an instant polenta available.
It is a warm and comforting dish with little work and no major expense and feeds a family of 4 with some left over polenta! What to do with it in case some is left over? Try spreading it in a little brownie pan and allow it to chill over night…cut nice size squares and pan fry and top it with an egg…YUM! No waste!!!
Bon Appetit!
Hope you enjoy!
See you tomorrow!
(((HUGS)))