So..... Lent has begun and I'm doing my best to eat vegan. I've been yearning for some Italian comfort food from my childhood - beans and greens. I had a bunch of greens waiting for me in the fridge, as well as some leftover polenta, so this was a very quick and easy dinner to put together.
For the polenta, all I did was slice it in sticks about an inch thick 2 inches wide and 4 inches long, and fry it in olive oil until it was crispy and browned on the outside and creamy and smooth on the inside. The combination of the crispy/creaminess of polenta with the tart garlic goodness of the greens made me forget that I usually put parmesan on top of this dish! Even dear daughter forgot about the parmesan, which is quite the accomplishment. AND, I have enough left over for lunch tomorrow! Yay!
Greens and Beans
1 bunch greens (your favorite - any type will do)
1 large onion, diced
2 Tbs veggie broth powder plus 2 cups water, OR 2 C veggie broth
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp crushed dried rosemary
16 oz can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
16 oz can of diced tomatoes in juice
olive oil
lemon juice to taste
In a 3 quart pot, saute the onion and the garlic in olive oil till translucent. Add the pepper flakes, oregano and rosemary till fragrant, then add the greens and stir till wilted. Stir in the tomatoes, broth or broth powder and simmer for about 20 minutes to meld the flavors. Stir in the chickpeas and simmer for another 10 minutes or so. Taste for salt and pepper, then stir in lemon juice to taste. Yummy!
Serve over fried polenta patties, with one on the top for garnish.
For the polenta, all I did was slice it in sticks about an inch thick 2 inches wide and 4 inches long, and fry it in olive oil until it was crispy and browned on the outside and creamy and smooth on the inside. The combination of the crispy/creaminess of polenta with the tart garlic goodness of the greens made me forget that I usually put parmesan on top of this dish! Even dear daughter forgot about the parmesan, which is quite the accomplishment. AND, I have enough left over for lunch tomorrow! Yay!
Greens and Beans
1 bunch greens (your favorite - any type will do)
1 large onion, diced
2 Tbs veggie broth powder plus 2 cups water, OR 2 C veggie broth
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp crushed dried rosemary
16 oz can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
16 oz can of diced tomatoes in juice
olive oil
lemon juice to taste
In a 3 quart pot, saute the onion and the garlic in olive oil till translucent. Add the pepper flakes, oregano and rosemary till fragrant, then add the greens and stir till wilted. Stir in the tomatoes, broth or broth powder and simmer for about 20 minutes to meld the flavors. Stir in the chickpeas and simmer for another 10 minutes or so. Taste for salt and pepper, then stir in lemon juice to taste. Yummy!
Serve over fried polenta patties, with one on the top for garnish.
2 comments:
I LOVE polenta, and my husband doesn't. I should try it this way, it looks so very yummy.
And, enjoy the leftovers for lunch - often my favorite part of the day!
polenta, called mamaliga in Romanian, is kind of dull. Alton Brown (from Food Network) has a polenta recipe that has it cooked (actually baked) in a chicken broth - we can use vegetable broth - with chopped onions. It adds a lot of flavor. Google Alton Brown savory polenta for the recipe. for lent we need to omit the parmesan cheese!
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