I saw Heather's polenta recipe and had to give it a try! I couldn't do the tube of polenta and wasn't sure what she used, so I looked for a recipe in my cookbooks that I never use (Do you?!)
and found an easy one then went from there with her recipe. It was delicious! The polenta made so much that I made one kind for Bill and the other for Nick and I.
The last time I had polenta at home was probably the last time Bill cooked a real vegetarian meal for me, and I'm guessing that was around 3 years ago? I remember it being grueling and that is why it was probably so long ago, but this recipe was simple!
Oven-Baked Polenta adapted from All About Vegetarian Cooking by Joy of Cooking
MELT in large saucepan:
2 T. butter or olive oil
Stir in and bring to boil:
1.5 c. veg stock and 1.5 c water
Stir together then gradually stir into the boiling liquid:
1 c veg stock + 1 c water and 1.5 c yellow cornmeal
Cook, stirring constantly, over low heat until cornmeal is thickened, about 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 and spray a baking dish. Pour polenta into dish and top with 1/2 cup skim milk and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Cook 20 minutes.
Then:
I split the polenta in half. I put half of it in the dish below and topped with mushrooms and mozzarella cheese.
I took 1 cup pumpkin (canned), 1/2 cup skim milk and warmed up in the saucepan, and then added the other half of the polenta, salt, pepper, cumin, cinnamon, 1/2 cup thawed frozen spinach and topped with 1/2 cup roasted chick peas (in the oven with olive oil at 400 for 15 minutes or so).
Score - Nick ate some, I thought it was really tasty and pretty easy too!
Today I had a doctor appt - every 4 weeks, and everything was good. We're at 24 weeks and 2 days: The baby's heart rate was 152 (similar to Nick's, could it be a boy? heart rates mean nothing though, I don't think!), I was measuring 24 weeks and gained 14 lbs so far. I just looked back and had gained 13 lbs with Nick so that made me feel like I was on track - yay!! I have not even been weighing myself at home and I don't care about the weight gain right now. I know I am being active and as long as I am eating well, I have to go with it! I feel huge, but I'm not sure if maybe I am carrying differently or since #2 was so quick after #1! and/or the fact that I was 6 lbs up when I got pregnant from pre-pregnancy weight!
Sounds yummy! I will have to try it out! I have so many cookbooks and I rarely use them!!! My hubby won't let me buy another until I start using them!
ReplyDeleteI love polenta - I'll have to try this recipe!
ReplyDeleteI've been afraid to try cooking polenta, but this recipe seems easy enough (plus the 15 minutes of stirring could count as part of an upper body workout hehehehe). I'm going to try it!
ReplyDeletei love polenta but we don't eat it much because Andy only likes it one way. I make it and put it in a baking dish, covering the bottom. it's the base for a taco bake thing i make. i layer it with beans, onions, tomatoes, etc.
ReplyDeletePolenta is something I have never tried... in fact, I don't even really know what it is! Looks interesting, and good for you getting right back on the healthy wagon!
ReplyDeleteI love polenta! But I like the tube polenta, too! I like to slice off rounds and brown it in a suate pan - yumo! Might have to try this one!
ReplyDeleteWow, 24 weeks already! Whoo hoo! And you sound like you're right on track for a healthy baby #2!! Yayyyy!
I have never tried polenta!
ReplyDeleteOhhh! I've been totally craving polenta recently. I never thought of making it sweet - sounds delish. I have pumpkin at home too!
ReplyDeleteWow, that looks amazing. Don't worry about the weight. Last time I was 6-8 lbs higher than my desired weight and I lost it all post baby.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a great recipe, thanks!
ReplyDeleteYou're right that HRs for a baby don't mean much. "They" -- as in those mycterious "old wives" -- say that the higher the HR, the better chance it's a girl, so in the 150s would be a "girls" HR. But, clearly that doesn't hold water since, as you mention, Nick's HR was like that.
Yum - this looks SO good! I am crazy about chickpeas AND polenta, so the same dish is right up my alley :)
ReplyDeleteHi! I did not use the tube of polenta (I never have). Did you ask on my blog? I think I replied to your comment. I am glad you managed and liked it.
ReplyDeleteI love polenta - I'll have to try this recipe!
ReplyDeletedata entry work from home