Goat Cheese Polenta with Roasted Veggies

Have you checked out the blog Cookie & Kate yet? It really is an awesome place to find great vegetarian recipes - dinners, desserts, healthy, decadent....she does an awesome job creating a large variety of recipes. I subscribe to her posts and the day I got this one in my inbox I went to the store and made it the next evening. I just knew it would be delicious and it truly was.

I just love polenta so much - and when I saw there was goat cheese IN the polenta, I was sold. The roasted veggies (I used sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts) were amazingly delicious. And I was surprised that I really enjoyed egg as well (I cooked ours "fried over hard"). Two out of three of my kids gave this a big thumbs up (and really, I can't expect more than that since I have one who eats like a typical kid and two that are quite adventurous). This was a scrumptious vegetarian meal that was super filling.

Here is Cookie & Kate's recipe word for word (and make sure to explore her blog when you have a minute):

Ingredients:

Roasted vegetables

• About 2 pounds mixed vegetables, i.e. small butternut squash, red onion here, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, sweet potato, bell peppers <I used one peeled and cubed sweet potato, and Brussels>
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Fine sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Goat cheese polenta

• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 leek, white parts only, thoroughly cleaned and chopped <this was my addition>
• ½ teaspoon fine-grain sea salt, to taste
• 3 to 4 cups water, according to package directions
• 1 cup corn polenta (also called grits)*
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 to 3 tablespoons mild salsa verde (homemade or store-bought)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (about ½ cup crumbled)

Eggs, etc.

• 4 eggs, cooked as desired <I cooked mine "fried over hard" bc we don't like runny yolk>
• Finely sliced green onion, for garnish
• Additional salsa verde and/or hot sauce (I love Cholula)

Instructions

1. To roast the vegetables: Preheat the oven to 400°F. On a large, rimmed baking sheet, combine the vegetables with 2 tablespoons olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Toss until they are lightly coated in oil, then arrange the vegetables in a single layer across the pan. Bake for 25 to 40 minutes (timing will depend on your choice of vegetables), tossing halfway, until the vegetables are tender and deeply golden on the edges.
2. To cook the polenta: In a medium saucepan, warm 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the chopped bell pepper and ½ teaspoon salt <I added the leek with the peppers>. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pepper is tender, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the amount of water specified on your package of polenta, crank up the heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Pour in the polenta, whisk to combine, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until thickened, which can take as little as 5 minutes depending on your polenta, whisking often to remove any clumps. Remove the pot from the heat, and stir in the butter, salsa verde and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Add additional salt, if necessary. Gently fold in the crumbled goat cheese, just until combined. Cover and set aside.
4. Cook your eggs as desired. Divide the grits and eggs into 4 bowls. Divide the vegetables into the bowls and finish them with a light sprinkle of green onion. Serve with additional salsa verde and/or hot sauce on the side.