VEGAN
OIL-FREE
ORGANIC
IN THE PANTRY
BUDGET-FRIENDLY
EASY

Recently, our old fridge finally went to fridge heaven.  Circumstances caused us to be without a fridge for a few days, and I sadly had to toss the refrigerated stuff.  And the frozen fruit for smoothies!  (sniffle.)  We ate out once, but since our food budget was already off, I wanted to resist eating out again before we had our new fridge.  I was remembering that pull to just hit the drive-thru - so quick, easy, and inexpensive.  I recalled how easy it was to give in to the temptation.  I started doing an inventory of our pantry to shut out the drive-thru ghost voices.  Tubes of polenta.  A tomato.  Onions.  Cans of black beans.  Hmmm.  And lo, this recipe was born.

Stacked:  The Towering Pagoda

Early on in our marriage, my husband and I went to Honolulu.  It was my first time there, and I was in awe of all the island beauty.  We found a little restaurant in Chinatown called Indigo.  I think we went there because we loved the name.  It was "eurasian fusion" if I remember right.  It was long ago, but now and then one of us recalls the Pagoda, a dish we had ordered at Indigo that was a marvel to us.  Stacks of veggies piled high into a beautiful tower - something we'd never experienced before.  I've wanted to create my own food tower ever since.  Lightbulb:  Polenta stacks!

Less Expensive Than Drive-Thru

I had some other goals with this meal, too.  Since I was recalling the drive-thru temptation, I was hoping this dish could compete in terms of price.  Let's say the nearest drive-thru had a special deal on a typical drive-thru meal:  $1 each for burgers, fries, and drinks, so $3 per person.  I know that  would often cost more, but sometimes it's possible.  For our family of four, that would be $12.  Creating a meal from what we already have on hand means we wouldn't be spending the extra $12 - we already had it, so it was already a win.  Yet I also wanted to break down the cost just to see if the "real food" I had would win out.  So here goes:

• 1 small avocado from Trader Joe's: $1

• 1 red pepper from Trader Joe's: $1.50

• 1 large tomato from local grocery: $1.32

• 1 red onion from Trader Joe's: $.70

• 2 cans black beans from Costco: $1.60

• 6 garlic cloves from local grocery: $.50

• 1 tube polenta from Trader Joe's: $1.99

• spices/salt from local grocery: $.10

• nutritional yeast from Amazon: ~$.50

• nut milk from local grocery, or homemade (¼ soaked cashews blended with 1 cup water) : $.50

• water to drink: $.00
  =$9.71, or $2.43 per person - less than one of the cheapest ($ & nutrition) drive-thru meals available! And (drum roll, please) all the ingredients I priced out above were organic. Yes! Organic foods really can be affordable. This dish is loaded with quality nutrition, too - lots of protein, fiber, vitamins, and more. When comparing price, nutrition value, and general quality of this real, homemade food dish to the processed drive-thru food example, real homemade wins on all counts!

A Zen Moment After A Busy Day

When we're tempted to go through the drive-thru, aren't we also looking for something easy?  That's another criteria I wanted to establish for this dish.  Making this recipe might not be faster than picking up drive-thru on your way home, but it is easy, and with 30-45 minutes prep & cook time,  may be faster than making a special trip for takeout.  Turn on some music, grab a glass of wine - doesn't that sound better than hopping in the car for takeout?  And will you feel better after eating this compared to takeout?  My guess is yes.  Plus, I wanted this recipe to be low-stress, so that it's possible to get into kind of a zen mode when preparing it.  I know I did, and it was just what I needed to reboot for the evening.   Sound nice after a long day?  The steps are organized to flow easily.  So give the family some carrots or fruit to munch on while you prepare this and just  r  e  l  a  x  and enjoy the process.  The recipe may look long, but that's just because I wanted to spell it out clearly; processes overlap, saving time.  Please read through the recipe before starting to get the full picture.  The kids could have a lot of fun assembling the towers of polenta, too.

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POLENTA STACKS -SO EASY TO MAKE!
 

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Easy Polenta Stacks with Garlic Cream Sauce

EASY                                                                                                              
OIL-FREE
VEGAN
UNDER $3 PER SERVING

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Servings:  4
Prep/Cook Time:  About 30-45 minutes, depending on # of hands and how zen you want to be.

Ingredients

• 1 large tomato

• 1 tube of polenta

• ½ teaspoon each coriander and smoked paprika

• ¼ teaspoon chipotle or chili powder

• ¼ cup water

• 1 onion (red if available)

• 1 red pepper

• 6 garlic cloves, divided

• 2 cans of black beans

• 1 cup boxed plain nut milk or recipe*

• ¼ cup nutritional yeast

• Salt to taste

• 1 small avocado

Method

1.  TOMATO:  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a roasting pan with parchment or a Silpat.  Thinly slice tomato into 8 slices if possible.  Lay the tomato slices on the parchment and place on the middle rack while the oven is heating.

2.  POLENTA: Line a cookie sheet with parchment or a Silpat.  Slice the polenta into 12 slices and place them on the parchment.  Set aside.  When the oven reaches 375 degrees, go to Step #4 and come back to where you left off.

3.  BLACK BEAN MIX:  A) Heat a medium fry pan on medium-high.  B) Mix the spices and salt in a small ramekin and stir in the ¼ cup water.  Set aside.  C) Test the pan for readiness:  toss a drop of water in the pan and if it collects into a ball, the pan is ready.  D) Meanwhile, slice onion into thin slices.   When the pan is ready, reduce heat to medium and add the onion slices, stirring frequently until the onion begins to soften.  E) Chop the red pepper and mince 3 cloves of garlic.  Add them to the pan, stirring frequently until softened.  F) Drain and rinse the beans well until bubbles subside, then add them to the pan along with the spice mix.  Stir occasionally to combine. G) Cook for a few minutes until well combined, then reduce heat to low.  Salt to taste.

4. BAKE POLENTA:  When the oven reaches 375 degrees, move the tomatoes to the lower rack and add the polenta to the middle of the oven. Bake for 20 minutes.  When the timer goes off, turn off the oven and check on the tomatoes and polenta periodically until you finish the rest of the dish.  The tomato should be soft through the center and polenta slightly toasted when done.

5.  GARLIC SAUCE:  Heat a small saucepan on medium heat.  Mince the remaining 3 cloves of garlic and have it ready with the nut milk and nutritional yeast.  Once the pan is hot, add the garlic and then add the milk just a few seconds after, stirring constantly.  Stir in the nutritional yeast and keep stirring until well combined and starting to bubble.  Reduce heat to low, stirring occasionally.  Salt to taste.

6.  PLATE:  Once the polenta is done, assemble the polenta stacks.  Place a polenta round on a plate, add a spoonful of bean mixture and a roasted tomato slice, then repeat until you have stacked three polenta rounds and two roasted tomato slices.  Spoon more bean mixture around the base of the polenta and on top of the stack.  Slice the avocado, adding slices to the top of the stack and on the plate, then drizzle the sauce over the dish.  

7.  ENJOY!

*Cashew milk recipe

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I use organic ingredients whenever possible for more nutrients, flavor, fewer toxins, and to support organic farmers.  It’s what I want in the world, so I vote with my dollar.  Experiment:  If money that would normally be spent on processed foods went to the best organic, fresh, real food ingredients available, notice if your body prefers the change.  Real food can be quick, easy, and even fun to make, like this recipe.