from Susan V of FFVK:"Since the polenta is so flavorful, I kept the seasoning in this vegetable and bean sauté very light, allowing the freshness of the ingredients to shine".
*See Mom's note below~
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1 recipe Herbed Polenta, below
1 small onion, chopped (approx. 1 1/2 C.)
3 cloves garlic, minced (approx. 1 tsp.)
1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, chopped (or a combination) (approx. 1 1/2- 2 C.)
8 oz. baby portobello mushrooms, sliced (approx. 3 1/2 C.)
1/2 cup vegetable broth
6 ounces baby bok choy, sliced (approx. 3 C.)
1 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained (or beans of choice)
1 teaspoon dried basil (use fresh if available)
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Optional: Vegan Parmesan
Make the polenta according to the directions below. After polenta is firm, cut into cubes and either broil them on an oiled baking sheet or brown them in a non-stick pan, turning after one side is brown. Keep warm until ready to serve.
In a large non-stick skillet, sauté the onion for 3-4 minutes, until it softens. Add the garlic, bell pepper, and mushrooms and add a sprinkle of salt. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until mushrooms soften. Add the broth, bok choy, beans, and basil, stir well, and cover. Cook for about 5 minutes, until bok choy is wilted but still bright green (I actually did it wrong and cooked it all together in the broth, but turned out fine. I also chopped the mushrooms and bok choy instead of slicing, so mine doesn't look as nice). Season to taste with salt and pepper, and stir in vinegar. Serve atop polenta cubes, sprinkled with vegan Parmesan, if desired.
Herbed Polenta (from Pressure Cooking: A Fresh Look by Jill Nussinow). Jill reserves half the basil and parsley to sprinkle on top of the polenta after cooking, but I stirred it all in at the beginning. She also includes 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil but notes that it is optional; I left it out.
4 1/4 cups water
1 cup polenta
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons chopped basil (can use 2 tsp. dried)
2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
2 teaspoons chopped oregano
1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
Bring the water to a boil in the cooker. Stirring, sprinkle the polenta into the water. Add the garlic, salt, bay leaf, half of the basil and parsley, the oregano and rosemary. Lock the lid in place and over high heat bring to high pressure. Immediately lower the heat to maintain pressure for 5 minutes. Let the pressure come down and release any remaining pressure after 10 minutes (yes, I used a pressure cooker, but you could probably just boil it on the stove- you'd just have to watch it closer, and it would take longer).
Remove the bay leaf and stir the polenta well. If the polenta seems too thin, simmer while stirring for a few minutes.Sprinkle with remaining herbs and serve as is, or pour into pie pans to cool.
When cool, cut into slices or brush with oil and pan sauté, grill, or broil. Makes about 5 servings
*NOTE from Mom: While I really liked the flavor, I felt it needed to have a sauce to bind the veggies. I'm going to try adding crushed tomatoes to the veggies next time thickened with a little corn starch (or perhaps a type of "white sauce" that is permissible).
*P.S. Dad really appreciated the fact that I broiled the cubes so polenta wouldn't be mushy (put cubes on lightly sprayed cookie sheet- took about 15-20 min. on Broil on med. rack ). The recipe took about 1 1/2 hrs. to make (I need a food chopper), but it was tasty- I'm sure I'll make it again!
Let me know what you guys think if you make it! Love, Mom
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