One of my favorite parts of cooking is the ability to innovate. When I got my HungryHarvest farm box this week, I was inspired to use the assortment of vegetables to make something that I wouldn’t typically make in a normal week. I baked polenta rounds until they were slightly brown and crispy on the edges, and topped it with sauteed veggies in a white wine, shallot, garlic sauce with shiitake mushrooms and cannellini beans.
The veggies were seasoned very simply, just with garlic, shallot and Italian seasoning. The cherry tomatoes pop burst when heated and this juice adds a tartness. I also add white wine for flavor and a bit of champagne vinegar at the end for extra tart freshness. If you do not have champagne vinegar, feel free to add a squirt of lemon or omit this step altogether! If you have fresh herbs on hand, such as thyme, please feel free to add! It would enhance this dish even more!
The dish is a complete meal. The polenta, a coarsely ground cornmeal, provides healthy carbs, it is loaded with veggies and the cannellini beans add protein. It was so delicious and I was grateful to have leftovers!
Baked Polenta Rounds with Italian-Seasoned Veggies, Shitake Mushrooms and Cannellini Beans (V+GF)
Ingredients
- 1 16 oz tube prepared polenta
- extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow squash Sliced finely
- 2-3 shallots sliced
- 3-5 cloves garlic chopped
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 2 tbsp champagne vinegar
- 1 bunch fresh spinach Cleaned thoroughly
- 8 oz shitake mushrooms cleaned and sliced
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 10 oz container cherry tomatoes Or mini tomatoes of choice
Instructions
- Bake the polenta
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F
- Remove the polenta from wrapping and cut into 1/2 inch slices
- Drizzle polenta with olive oil. (Feel free to add less, but for crispier polenta, I drizzle generously)
- Bake for about 15 minutes, flipping halfway.
- The polenta is done, when browned and crispy on the edges.
For the Veggies
- In a pan of skillet, heat a few tbsp of olive oil.
- Add the shitake mushrooms and saute for a couple minutes until they are caramelized on the edges. Salt lightly.
- Set aside the shitake mushrooms and return the pan to heat.
- Add 2 tbsp of olive oil, and when hot, saute the shallots and garlic.
- Add the Cherry tomatoes and allow them to blister for a couple minutes. The tomatoes may pop and that is totally ok! It adds to the sauce.
- Add the white wine and allow it to reduce and form a sauce. The shallots will caramelize slightly.
- Add Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
- Add the squash and saute for a few minutes.
- Add the spinach. I broke the leaves off the stems and roughly broke up the spinach in my hands until it was wilted into the dish.
- Return shitake mushrooms to the pan.
- Add champagne vinegar and stir, remove from flame.
- Top veggies on polenta and serve!
Notes
