Special PSA - All Thin-Mint Girl Scout cookies are now vegan! Woot, woot! Upon learning this Todd told me, " I'll take 1 million boxes please."
Asia and Italy collide in today's recipe. Have you used broccolette? Perhaps it's common in the states. It's so fun! I've never found it in our grocery stores up here in Alaska, but it came in my Full-Circle box and I was beyond giddy with excitement. I happened to have a polenta roll that I got for Christmas (food gifts are the best) and it was definitely calling out to me from the fridge.
I was craving a kind of stir-fry/asian dish and I thought this would be a great way to use my broccolette. Why not just combine stir-fry, broccolette, and polenta then?! If you're on the fence with regards to pairing polenta with an asian influenced sauce, don't be! Polenta is so neutral that it really just tends to blend in with whatever the bolder flavors of your dish are.
“Never waste your time trying to explain who you are to people who are committed to misunderstanding you.”
Asian Broccolette Polenta
Tender broccolette and bell pepper sauteed with polenta in a sweet stir-fry sauce. Asian meets Italy in this unique dish! The use of pre-made polenta allows it to come together very quickly.
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
- 1 medium bunch of broccolette, florets and stems cut on the diagonal
- 1 red or yellow bell pepper, diced
- 1 18oz. roll of pre-made polenta, diced
- Sauce:
- ¼ cup + 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp. water
- 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
- 1 Tbsp. agave nectar or maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp. corn starch
- dash of red pepper flakes
- pinch of black pepper
Cooking Directions
- First, chop the vegetables. Studies show that if broccoli is allowed to rest 10 minutes after being chopped, it’s antioxidants are greatly increased.
- In a large frying pan heat the sesame oil over medium. Then, add the vegetables and polenta. Sautee for about 10 minutes until the broccolette becomes bright green and the polenta begins to break down.
- Meanwhile, whisk together all the sauce ingredients.
- Add to the vegetables and stir well, deglazing the pan. Cover and allow to cook for an additional 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The polenta should break down and the vegetables should be tender when done. Serve hot.
Dutch Word of The Day
Daylight --> Daglicht (doch-lickt) We have so much daylight now up here in Alaska. It's actually light when I get off work now! Huzzah!
Good Deed of The Day
Did you hear about President Obama's commitment to preserving the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge up here in my home state. Let's help make that a reality! Some places are too special to develop they said. I agree.
Today's music is from a band that's a few classes below me in high school! They are one of my very favorite bands, who I discovered a couple years ago off hand and then learned they were from Palmer, AK!
