Ratatouille with Creamy Polenta

This Ratatouille recipe is a loose interpretation of the classic dish. The idea is to work with the veggies you have on hand and see what you come up with.

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Servings

Ingredients

Polenta

1 cup corn meal coarsely ground
4 cups water
1 clove garlic crushed
1 cup plant milk (I use organic fortified rice milk)
1 tsp. dried parsley
½ cup vegan "Parmesan cheese" plus additional for topping - see recipes above

Ratatouille

14.5 oz canned tomatoes with green chilies
15.5 oz canned kidney beans low sodium, rinsed and drained
2 medium eggplants chopped with skin on (about 6-7 cups)
1 Portobello mushroom large, chopped (about 1 cup)
½ onion large, coarsely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 cups braising greens chopped (kale, collard greens and/or chard)
¼ tsp. garlic granules or garlic powder
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried marjoram
fine sea salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Polenta

Add 4 cups of water to rice cooker.
Add cornmeal and crushed garlic and stir lightly.
Close rice cooker and cook polenta on white rice setting. (It will take about 20-30 minutes.)
When rice cooker beeps, carefully open the lid and stir the polenta. It should be thick and creamy.
Slowly pour in plant milk while stirring.
Add vegan Parmesan cheese and dried parsley and stir to mix thoroughly.
Cover and keep warm if Ratatouille is not done.

Ratatouille

While the polenta is cooking, add diced tomatoes, eggplant, Portobello mushroom, onion, garlic granules, dried oregano, basil and marjoram to a 5-quart sauté pan, cover and cook on medium high for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Reduce to medium heat after about 5 minutes.)
Add braising greens and cook for another 5 minutes.
Add kidney beans and continue cooking until veggies reach desired tenderness.
Keep warm if polenta is not done.

To Serve

Place 3-4 ladlesful of polenta into 4 pasta bowls.
Use a large slotted spoon to top each serving with 3-4 spoonsful of Ratatouille.
Sprinkle with vegan Parmesan cheese and sea salt and ground black pepper to taste.

Notes

Note: Nutrition information is a rough estimate for special dietary needs. I subscribe to the theories presented in the book Whole and believe we should focus on eating a variety of whole foods instead of counting calories or keeping track of individual nutrients.

Nutrition