Healthy Recipe: Yummy Polenta Vegetable Casserole

Hi- 

I started this blog to share my favorite healthy recipes, no fats or oils added, lots of veggies, and other goodies. I like whole grain foods and lots of spices from all over the world, including my own garden. With my recipes, you can eat as much as you like and still lose weight!

I use no oil, even when sautéing! So, instead of using oil, I dry sauté': just heat up the pan and drop in your onions or veggies to be sautéed; they may stick a little at first, but just keep stirring them around. Soak the pan in water after it cools down for easy cleaning.

Polenta Vegetable Casserole

What is a polenta, you ask? Well - according to the New Oxford American Dictionary, it is "a paste or dough made from cornmeal, which is boiled and typically then fried or

baked". It's something yummy and easy to make!

Yesterday I made a warm and enticing polenta vegetable casserole with a bit of southern spice to it. I cook my own polenta, it’s real easy and you can keep it in the fridge for a few days, so make a big batch to keep for other recipes.

 

 There are three steps: first, you make the Polenta -- a corn bottom for your casserole; then, you make the vegetable mix for the casserole; and, finally, you bake the casserole.

However a really shortened version of this would be to cook the Polenta in the morning and serve some for breakfast with maple syrup and save the rest for the casserole; then put all veggies uncooked on top, add sauce and bake for about 40 minutes till veggies are crisp tender!

Ingredients for all steps:

1 cup cornmeal

2 cups water

½ white onion, sliced

½ red onion sliced

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 16oz bag of frozen mixed veggies

½ cup frozen spinach

1 teaspoon dried parsley

½ teaspoon dried herb mix

½-1 teaspoon Creole seasoning

½ -3/4 jar of tomato sauce 

¼ cup grated mozzarella cheese (optional) (adds fat)

1 large tomato sliced or ½ cup dried tomatoeshttp://ivysinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2013/03/home-dried-tomatoes.html

Shitake mushrooms

Step 1. Making the Polenta:

Cook 1 cup of stone ground yellow corn with 2 cups of water.

Bring to a low boil, and then simmer and stir for 10 -15 minutes, until the water is absorbed and the corn is creamy. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

Spread the cornmeal mixture onto the bottom of a casserole dish and put aside.

Step 2. Making the vegetable mix:

Dry sauté red and white sliced onions, leaving a few rings to place on top; add 2-3 cloves of minced garlic.

Add 1 bag of frozen mixed vegetables to the dry sauté (I like sliced zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots).

Cook it all until the vegetables become soft -- add a little water if needed.

Then, add ½ cup frozen spinach to the vegetables, and continue cooking until the spinach is defrosted.

Finally, add

1 teaspoon dried parsley,

½ teaspoon herb spice mix, and

½ to1 teaspoon Creole seasoning mix

Step 3. Making the casserole:

Spread the cooked vegetable mix that you prepared in Step 2 on top of the cornmeal spread you prepared in Step 1.

Sprinkle some grated mozzarella cheese, if you like.

Cover the mix with a 1/2-3/4 jar of tomato sauce; layer on top 1 sliced large tomato or homemade dried tomatoes; and decorate with some thinly sliced raw onion rings and shitake mushrooms.

Bake in preheated 350˚ oven for about 30 minutes until hot and bubbly looking. Serve hot--about 4 main servings.