Cheesy Polenta with Roasted Vegetables

I never had polenta until a few years ago. My mom hated the yellow stuff so we never had it. After tasting it for the first time, I remember being in complete shock at the notion that there are people in this world who are going around not liking polenta. It's craziness! Who doesn't like polenta? If you don't like it, I must know why. It's confounding, so please tell me. I'm dying to know. 

If you, for some obscure reason have had an aversion to poletna in the past but want to try it again (I do this with root beer floats every six years or so...still hate 'em), this is the perfect dish. This poletna is rich with vegan cheese and topped with absolutely scrumptious, roasted vegetables. I don't know if the polenta or the vegetables star here. I couldn't quit snatching up the roasted veggies while waiting for the poletna to do it's thing. They're sweet, somewhat caramelized, and pair perfectly with the cheesy polenta. 

This is one of my ultimate polenta dishes! It's so good, it's going to be one of the vegan/vegetarian options at Todd's sister's wedding! Feelin' pretty darn fancy pants about it...in case you hadn't noticed. 

Cheesy Polenta with Roasted Vegetables

By Katie Henry - Produce On Parade

This poletna is rich with vegan cheese and topped with absolutely scrumptious, roasted vegetables. I don't know if the polenta or the vegetables star here. They're sweet, somewhat caramelized, and pair perfectly with the cheesy polenta.

Ingredients

• 2 small zucchini, diced
• 3 small yellow summer squash, diced
• 1 orange bell pepper, de-seeded and diced
• 1/2 sweet potato, diced
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• drizzle of olive oil
• sprinkle of kosher salt
• sprinkle of ground black pepper
• 4 cups water
• 1 cup stone-ground polenta, dry
• 2 cups vegan cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup large flake nutritional yeast
• sprinkle of kosher salt
• sprinkle of ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450° F. Dice the vegetables and scatter them on large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Give them a good shake and a stir. Roast for 25 minutes, stirring halfway through. When done, remove and set aside. Reduce oven to 350° F.
2. Bring a large pot with the 4 cups of water to a boil. Give it a sprinkle of salt. Once boiling, slowly add the polenta while stirring continuously for 5 minutes. Then, turn to low heat and stir frequently for about 25 minutes to thicken. Stir in the cheese and nutritional yeast until melted and well combined. Remove from heat.
3. Coat a 9x9 inch baking dish with a nonstick cooking spray. Pour in the polenta and smooth over the top and bake for 15 minutes. Then, add the roasted vegetables on top and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes.
4. Remove from oven, season with salt and pepper, and allow to rest for 5 minutes being serving. Serve hot.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 00:45
Total time: 00:50
Yield: 6 servings

Scrumptious!

My little Bobbledore is now seven years and two days old. Time flies when you have such a great companion! 

German Word of The Day: Polenta --> Maisbrei (pronounced: mice-brye) *EDIT* A German reader informed me that they pretty much use the word Polenta as well! So happy to know the real word usage...it's just polenta peeps. Don't be going around saying maisbrei, okay? 

Good Deed of The Day: Take 5 seconds to sign this petition to outlaw animal crush videos. This is absolutely horrific, monstrous, and one of the cruelest things imaginable. Please sign it.  

Bananas Foster Crepes

So, disclaimer, I hate making crepes. This is probably due to the fact that I'm horrible at making them. So much so that the making of these particular crepes, if it were filmed and made into a movie (omg who would do that), would be rated R. There was a lot of cursing, I'm embarrassed to admit a bit some much crying, and a great deal of self-doubt. Crepe making has never been my thing. I love, love, love them, however...I can't make them. Truely. I've tried everything. Every tip, every trick, and I've researched them to death. It's my tragic flaw. 

To make matters worse, my best most normal looking crepes happen to be made on an actual crepe pan (that I love more than crepes themselves) that my grandmother gave me. It's the one that she used to use. My Grandma is my idol and so anything that has influenced her life, I of course, must have so I can be just like her. However, brace yourself, said crepe pan was misplaced several years ago during a move. And that's the story of how the light in my soul went dark with the loss of a very dear pan and one quick *pouf*. My lost, beloved, Grandmother's crepe pan. 

Anyways, for some reason or another I was feeling pretty full of myself Sunday morning when I decided to make these crepes. I had just bought a ton of bananas and wasn't really sure what to do with them all. In fact, I was going to make a savory crepe when there those bananas were, just staring me in the face. Unfortunately, we only had whisky on hand as opposed to rum. But really, who cares. Whisky worked like a dream.

Since I'm terribly honest and would never try to deceive you...my crepes (even the above) looked like they were made by a T-Rex. Seriously. These crepes you see in the photographs? These were my were my All Stars. They were the Lebron James (sorry, Honey) of my crepes. If you're even remotely decent at making crepes, good for you, you've been blessed by some higher power. If you're a lowly, ordinary human being crepe maker like me, I've got a tip. When you put the batter in the pan, only roll the pan slightly. You'll have somewhat of a thicker crepe, but it'll be okay. Then, don't flip it. I know, it's heresy! Just don't. It'll be fine, let it cook for a minute longer then slip it out of the pan in (mostly) one piece. Voila!

I cannot explain to you how good these crepes were. Bananas bathed in a salted vanilla caramel sauce and tucked into fresh, buttery crepes. This dish is perfect for a decadent breakfast or a snazzy dessert! You'll have to try them for yourself. 

Bananas Foster Crepes

Serves 4

• Crepes:
• 1 cup soy milk
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4  cup vegan butter, chilled 
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• pinch of kosher salt
• Filling:
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. vegan butter
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 2 large pinches of salt
• grating of nutmeg
• 2 ripe bananas, sliced
• 2 Tbsp. rum or whiskey 
• cinnamon (for sprinkling)
• powdered sugar (for sprinkling)

Notes: If you want a super hefty amount of filling in your crepes, then go ahead and double the filling recipe. I don't judge. 

To make the crepe batter, place all the crepe ingredients into a blender. Blend on high for a few minutes, until the butter is well incorporated. Cover and place in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes. 

When there's about 5 minutes left for the batter to chill, make the filling by melting the butter and the sugar together in a medium frying pan over low heat.

After a few minutes, once the sugars are caramelized add the vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Stir well to combine, then add the sliced bananas. Saute another few minutes, until the bananas are just a bit soft.

Remove from heat and stir in the rum. Return to a low heat and allow the alcohol vapors to cook off for about 1 minute. Remove from heat and set aside until ready to use. 

Coat a small frying pan with a nonstick cooking spray. Bring to heat over medium flame. 

Add 1/4 cup of the chilled crepe batter the pan. Tilt the pan slightly to widen the circle of the crepe. Allow to cook for about 1-2 minutes, until browned and somewhat crispy on the bottom. If you're feeling skillful, flip the crepe. If not, that's okay. Let it cook until the top is set then gently release the sides of the crepe with a spatula and slide it out of the pan. Stack the crepes on a plate.

Place about 1-2 Tbsp. of the filling to one crepe and repeat with remaining crepes.

Serve hot with a sprinkle of cinnamon and powdered sugar. 

Jammin' out to some classical music today: Aphex Twin – Avril 14th.

German Word of The Day: Breakfast --> Frühstück (pronounced: frou(rhymes with you)-schtuck

Good Deed of The Day: This is a big one! Sign this petition at the Humane Society of The United States to help put an end to cosmetics testing on animals in the United States. Please take a look at this exceptional infographic to learn more about animal testing. This is so very important!Recipe Card

[yumprint-recipe id='90']

Ginger Coconut Green Linguine

Prepare to be amazed on so many different levels. 

St. Patrick's Day is in ten days! Normally, I don't really do novelty recipes. I wish I did more, but honestly, I just don't think that far in advance...or care. It's mostly the latter. St. Pattie's Day was always fun as a kid. We would make green rice krispie treats and green eggs, among other things. When Todd and I have little chitlins we're going to make a ton of green vegan food for St. Patrick's Day! I find it preferable to use natural methods to make fun, green dishes as opposed to using a dye. I'm not a crazy anti-dye person but, dye in food just kind of freaks me out. I can't explain it. 

This green linguine is done in the time it takes you to boil a pot of water and cook the pasta. Seriously you guys. And it happens to be the is the perfect vegan St. Patrick's day entree! Serve with a side of broccoli and oh man, you will be a green super-star. So make this green linguine and you'll be eating your greens too! This pasta is a keeper for sure. Todd loved it, which, let's be real...it's swiss chard and spinach so...I was pretty impressed with myself. When I tasted it though, I understood why, and you will too. It's freaking delicious!

Slightly sweet with a hint of gingery spice, this delectable green linguine bathes in a creamy coconut, swiss chard, spinach, and basil sauce. Besides the utterly amazing flavor, what I love about this pasta is how quick it comes together. 

Ginger Coconut Green Linguine

Serves 6

• 16 oz. linguine, dry
• 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 1/2 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
• 1 15 oz. can lite coconut milk
• 2 tsp. vegan sugar
• 2 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. fresh black pepper
• red pepper flakes, to taste
• 1 bunch of fresh swiss chard, de-stemmed and chopped
• 2 large handfuls of fresh spinach
• 1/4 cup fresh basil (optional)

Notes: Kale can be used instead of swiss chard, if you prefer. Full-fat coconut milk can be used, just use half the can and add half a can of water. Try not to let the coconut milk boil over or it will curdle. Once the water for the pasta is boiling, add in the pasta and cook. The pasta and sauce should get done at about the same time. 

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Cook pasta according to package until al dente. Drain and set aside until ready to use. 

In a large, high rimmed saute pan heat the oil over low. Add the garlic and ginger. Saute until fragrant, about 3-5 minutes. 

Add in the coconut milk, sugar, lemon juice, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Stir well and bring to a slight simmer over medium heat. 

Now, add in the swiss chard and spinach. Cover and simmer for about 5 minutes over low, until the greens have wilted. 

Transfer to a blender, add the basil, and blend on high until smooth and creamy. Taste and add any additional seasonings you wish, then transfer back to the large saute pan and stir in the cooked pasta to coat. 

Serve hot. 

Don't forget to have your little kitchen helper by your side!

Yes, I cook in a full length nightgown that may or may not be inside out. I'm turning into my grandmother...actually, she did gift me it so...

Listening to Brand New – The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot and reliving 2004.

German Word of The Day: Coconut --> Kokosnuss (pronounced: co-cus-nose)

Good Deed of The Day: Sign this petition from The Human Society to help protect wolves with federal safeguards to stop trophy hunting and trapping seasons in several states. Thousands of wolves have been mercilessly slaughtered.

[yumprint-recipe id='89']