The weather is cooling down here in Vancouver which means loading up on all those deliciously warm comfort foods we’ve avoided the past few toasty months! This one is no exception. Cheesy, garlicy and filling without all the guilty saturated fat and butter that’s typical in a polenta recipe. As someone who loves polenta, I always thought it was a crazy intimidating and time consuming thing to make.. but it doesn’t have to be. Plus it’s perfect to batch cook so you have left overs in the fridge for weekly meal planning (because let’s be real, none of us have time to cook EVERY day of the week.. unless you’re a food nerd like me). As per my usual entree-based meals, there’s no need to be precise with this recipe (aside from the proportion of broth-to-cornmeal part). Use whatever and however much of greens you have in your fridge, add more cheese, add more garlic.. it’s pretty versatile. Make it your own!

Ingredients:

Polenta

• 4 cups (1 tetra – 900-1000mL) low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 cup (250 mL) ground cornmeal
• Salt/pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup (60 mL or more!) parmesan cheese

Greens

• 1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bunch of greens (kale, swiss chard, etc – approx 4-5 cups) stem removed, roughly chopped/ripped
• Salt/pepper to taste

What to do:

1. In a large pot, bring broth to a boil. Slowly add cornmeal to broth to avoid clumps.
2. Reduce heat to low and cover. Stir polenta every 5-10 minutes to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pot. Continue for 20-30 minutes until cornmeal is cooked through, is thick, and no longer as a “bite” to the cornmeal.
3. Once cooked, stir in parmesan cheese.
4. As the polenta cooks, add olive oil and garlic to pan on medium heat. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until garlic is slightly golden and fragrant. Increase heat to medium-high and add greens. Cook until greens are wilted and warmed through (approx 5-8 minutes).
5. Serve greens either on top of polenta or mixed into the polenta. Garnish with extra cheese and fav seasonal fresh vegetables (I used grape tomatoes).
6. NOM!

Serves approx 4-6 individuals.