Peasant polenta pie

 

Polenta, made from boiled cornmeal, is a traditional dish throughout Italy. In this recipe, it is formed into a crust and baked. Then some goodies are added on top of the crust, and the whole dish is broiled for under 5 minutes. The cheese used in this dish is, as always, soy cheese, and adds the right balance to all of the veggies and other flavors. It can be easily made in under an hour, and is adaptable to different vegetables that you may have handy or leftover. This pie is a winner. Enjoy!

Peasant polenta pie

Crust: 1 1/2 cups coarse cornmeal

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups cold water

2 cups of boiling water

olive oil

Filling: 1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, sliced thinly

5 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

1 thinly sliced bell pepper, any color will do

10 ounces sliced mushrooms

6 ounces of steamed green beans, sliced in half, and/or 1 small zucchini, sliced thinly

2 teaspoons dried basil

1/2 teaspoon oregano

coarse ground pepper, to taste

1 package of shredded soy mozzarella cheese

1/2 container of grape tomatoes, each cut in half

4 browned slices of turkey bacon, crumbled

Combine the cornmeal, salt, and cold water in a small bowl. Have the other two cups of water boiling, and add the cornmeal mixture, stirring constantly. Cook over low-medium heat for about 10 minutes. The mixture will get very very thick. Remove it from the heat, and allow it to cool.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Oil a 10″ pie pan, and add the polenta. Use a spatula to spread it evenly and flatly over the bottom and sides of the pan. Brush the surface with olive oil, and bake for 45 minutes (uncovered).

Meanwhile, while the crust is baking, saute the onion in the olive oil until softened. Add the bell pepper, mushrooms, garlic, and zucchini (if you desire to use it), and saute until everything is tender. Then add the spices, the green beans (if you choose to use them), and the crumbled bacon. Stir and saute for another couple of minutes.

Turn the oven temp to broil. Sprinkle half the soy cheese onto the bottom of the polenta crust, then evenly lay the tomatoes on top of the cheese, then add the veggie/bacon mixture on top of this, and finally top with the remaining soy cheese. Broil for under 5 minutes until lightly browned, and serve.