I love polenta and I love breakfast-for-dinner. This week, the two were an obvious combination. I tackled a motley crew of veggies from the fridge and invited them to the party. This is the kind of dish intended to use up the lonely random veg hiding in your crisper, and it doesn't matter what combination you use. Success is guaranteed.



Polenta & Veg in Garlic Cream Sauce
Yield: 2-3 servings

2/3 cup quick cooking polenta
2 cups water
4 cups assorted fresh veg (I used red onion, broccoli, yellow pepper, mushrooms and sweet corn kernels)
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 cup veg broth, divided
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
fresh ground black pepper
1 recipe garlic cream sauce (below)

Garlic Cream Sauce
(You might recognize the basic sauce from this recipe)

1 Tbsp Earth Balance vegan butter sticks
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 cup plain unsweetened almond or other non-dairy milk
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp granulated garlic

For the polenta:
In a medium saucepan, boil 2 cups water. Reduce heat to low and add polenta, stirring to thoroughly soak. Continue to stir for several minutes over low heat until polenta begins to thicken. When it's about half as thick as you want it to be, remove it from the heat, cover the saucepan, and set it aside.

For the veg:
In a nonstick or cast iron skillet, heat lemon juice and 1/4 cup veg broth over medium heat. Add all the veg at once and cover. Allow to cook several minutes while you make the garlic cream sauce (see below).

After your cream sauce is complete, it's all about finishing up that veg. Stir with a wooden spoon and scrape any browned bits off the bottom of your skillet. (Yum!) Add 1/2 cup veg broth, basil and oregano. Stir to coat the veg and continue to cook uncovered until the liquid is almost gone. Add the final 1/4 cup veg broth and reduce heat to medium-low. Add pepper to taste.

For the garlic cream sauce:
In a small saucepan, melt margarine. Sprinkle in flour and stir with a whisk to combine. Cook over low heat until the mixture begins to pick up some color. Add all of the milk, salt, and garlic. Stir to combine and increase heat to medium. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce begins to thicken. Once it has reached the consistency you like, remove it from the heat and set aside.

To finish:
This meal can be served in a bowl or on a plate, depending on your preference. Whatever your vessel, spoon the polenta on the bottom, top with veg and spoon the garlic cream sauce over the lot. If you like a lot of sauce, you may want to double the cream sauce recipe.