Polenta Stir-Fry

Happy Friday! I don't know about the rest of you, but this whole vegan recipe blitz has me eating and feeling healthier. I've been vegetarian for just over 13 years now (over half my life!), and I was vegan for several years during college. Then, after graduation, two things happened to get me off track.

1.) I moved back home for several months while I searched for a job. Few, if any, people in my hometown even know what vegetarians eat -- let alone what vegan even means! Many grocery stores didn't carry essential staples, etc.

But this also works into the second thing that happened.

2.) I got lazy.

I've always been into cooking and baking on some level. Usually into baking much more. However, taking time to create healthy, unique, VEGAN dinners has proven to be an incredibly satisfying experience. And my husband and I are definitely benefiting from it. This weekend, I'll share with you all one of my proudest creations: sweet potato ravioli with tofu ricotta!

For now -- one of my favorite (and REALLY easy) vegan dishes is this polenta stir-fry. It's low in fat, combines simple flavors, and, at least in my experience, is a crowd pleaser. Even non-vegetarians like it . . . so that's always a good thing!

Best of all, I made this a few weeks ago and used fresh tomato and zucchini from the garden. It's getting a bit late in the season for that (at least in my garden), but, if you can, use local produce. This recipe serves up two generous helpings of the stuff. Feel free to double it, triple it, etc.!


What you'll need . . .

• 1/2 to 3/4 log of pre-made polenta (cut into 1/4 inch thick slices -- and use how much you want to use)
• 1 large tomato
• 1 large zucchini
• 1 large red onion
• Olive oil
  

For sauce . . .

• Balsamic Vinegar
• Raspberry jam
• Honey (if you don't eat honey, use a bit of your favorite sweetner)
  
• Ground black pepper
  

Method . . .

1. Chop the onion, zucchini, and tomato into large chunks.
2. Cut polenta into slices.
3. Heat oil in a wok or large fry pan until hot.
4. Throw in the rounds of polenta into the pan and carefully cook (they get soft -- so flip them gently) until lightly browned on each side.
5. In another, smaller pan, throw in the onion and zucchini. Cook until just soft, but not mushy. You want a slight bit of crispness.
6. Once veggies are soft, turn off heat and throw in tomato. Mix together until warmed.
7. Divide veggies onto two plates and top with equal rounds of polenta.
8. Mix the balsamic vinegar, raspberry jam, and a bit of honey to taste to create a thin, sweet sauce.
9. Drizzle sauce over each dish. Top with pepper to taste.
   
10. Enjoy!

This tasty stir-fry is part of VeganMoFo. For more delicious vegan recipes -- including sweets, soups, and other scrumptious things -- keep reading METHOD (subscribe to the RSS feed). As well, check out the VeganMoFo Flickr group.