Crispy Polenta with Sauteed Vegetables

Photo: Courtesy College Vegetarian Cooking

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This recipe is a spin on something I tasted in France, and I don’t mind saying that we’ve done a way better job than they did. Cooking the polenta from scratch gives the best results, but you could also buy a roll of cooked polenta (find it near the pasta in the supermarket). Trim a little off the ends of the roll and slice it into eight slices. Brown two slices for each serving.

INGREDIENTS
2 cups water
1 vegetable bouillon cube
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup uncooked polenta
1 clove garlic
1 red onion
1 zucchini
1 yellow squash
1 red bell pepper
3 tablespoons canola oil
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

PREPARATION
1. Line an 8- or 9-inch baking pan with plastic wrap. Bring the water, bouillon cube, and butter to a boil in a saucepan. Slowly pour the polenta into the pan, stirring constantly. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring frequently, for 20 to 25 minutes, or until creamy. Spread the polenta evenly in the prepared pan and refrigerate until completely cooled, about 30 minutes.

2. While the polenta is cooling, peel and finely chop the garlic or pass it through a garlic press. Peel the onion, cut it in half, then cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Cut the zucchini and yellow squash into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Cut the bell pepper in half, remove the seeds and membranes, and cut into thin slices.

3. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet and add the garlic, onion, zucchini, yellow squash, and bell pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the balsamic vinegar. Remove the vegetables from the pan to a bowl and set aside. Wipe the pan clean with a paper towel and return it to the stovetop.

4. Cut the cooled polenta into 4 squares, then cut each square into 2 triangles. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in the pan over medium-high heat and add the polenta triangles. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until lightly browned, then flip the squares over and cook for 4 to 5 minutes on the other side. Place 2 pieces of crispy polenta on each of 4 plates and top with some of the vegetables. Serve immediately.

Reprinted with permission from College Vegetarian Cooking: Feed Yourself and Your Friends. Copyright © 2009 by Megan Carle and Jill Carle, Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, Berkeley, CA. Photo Credit: Penny De Los Santos.

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