Monday, June 30, 2014

saturday morning jumped out of bed

 After seeing a post about Relished Food (now switched to Home Chef) on The Preppy Vegan, I was interested to see what types of vegan meals they offered on their site. I somehow got on their email list as well, and although I did not order any of the meals - they looked really good and was helpful for some inspiration.

I saw a few weeks ago one of their meals featured grilled polenta, and since we've been using our new BBQ - I thought this would be a great way to test out a new grilled option. I added my own spin on the meal since I wasn't sure what exactly they used for theirs anyway, and this was an easy and delicious Friday night dinner.




Grilled Polenta and Zucchini with Toasted Pine Nut Bruschetta (serves 2):
1/2 tube of polenta (You could make this home-made by using cornmeal and water, but this was easier)
1 zucchini
2 tsp minced garlic
2 plum tomatoes
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup basil, chopped
1- 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 t salt & 1/4 t pepper to taste

Prep the grill or preheat a pan on medium high heat. Start by slicing the polenta into slices. Then slice your zucchini into similar sized slices. Lay the zucchini slices out and sprinkle with salt & pepper to taste and 1 tsp of the minced garlic evenly on each slice. Place on the grill or in a saute pan to cook.This could also be done on a baking sheet in the oven at 350 degrees.
To make the bruschetta, start by toasting the pine nuts in a small frying pan. This will only take a few moments, so keep a close eye on them to prevent burning. Chop the tomatoes and basil. In a bowl, add the tomatoes, basil, toasted pine nuts, vinegar, and salt and pepper. 
When the polenta and zucchini are done (browned polenta and tender zucchini), remove from heat. Lay slices on each plate and top with bruschetta mix. Top with extra chopped basil.




Enjoy!