#MeatlessMondays

Classic French ratatouille sounds fancy, but is actually a simple, lovely way of cooking vegetables that are all in season at the same time together in a single plan. Ratatouille together with creamy polenta make a dinner that’s at once hearty and warming, fresh and oh-so-flavorful.

“Ratatouille—a classic combination of late summer vegetables, cooked to tender perfection—is an ideal partner for creamy goat cheese polenta. Together, they’re the vegetarian dinner of your dreams!”

The Modern Proper

Serves: 6 minutes

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Calories: 513

Ratatouille

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, halved
• 1 small globe eggplant, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 1 medium yellow squash, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 1 yellow, red, or orange bell pepper cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 4 Roma tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher sea salt
• Freshly cracked black pepper
• 5 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed

Polenta

Ingredients

• 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 cups whole milk, plus more as needed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups stone-ground polenta or yellow cornmeal
• 8 ounces goat cheese
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
• 10 to 12 fresh basil leaves, minced

Cooking Instructions

1. Make the ratatouille. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease an 8 x 8-inch baking dish with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and rub the cut sides of the garlic clove all over the bottom and sides. Discard the garlic clove.
2. On a clean work surface, spread out the eggplant, zucchini, squash, bell pepper, tomato, and onion. Drizzle them with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with the garlic powder, salt, and black pepper to taste. Toss to coat well.
3. Transfer the veggies to the prepared baking dish.. Scatter on the thyme leaves.
4. Cover. and bake for 20 minutes, then uncover and continue baking until the vegetables are tender, about 25 more minutes.
5. Meanwhile, make the polenta. In a medium pan, combine the stock, milk, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and slowly whisk in the polenta.
6. Cook, stirring often, until the polenta begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 30 minutes.
7. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 6 ounces of the goat cheese. If you’d like the polenta a bit thinner, stir in a bit more milk.
8. To serve, divide the polenta evenly among six bowls and spoon on a generous serving of the ratatouille. Top with additional goat cheese, toasted pine nuts, and basil. Serve immediately.

Nutrition

• Protein: 18g
• Carbohydrates: 56g
• Total Fat: 25g
• Dietary Fiber: 8g
• Cholesterol: 45mg
• Sodium: 1213mg
• Total Sugars: 12g

Why Meatless Monday?

• Meatless Monday is of utmost importance, especially in the United States, as we consume much more animal products than the rest of the world.
• The meat industry uses vast amounts of our finite fossil fuels and water and lots of grain to feed livestock, which is extremely inefficient. Why not use those resources to feed people more directly?
• About 1,850 gallons of water is needed to produce a singular pound of beef, comparable to only 39 gallons of water per pound of vegetables. A vegetarian diet alone could dramatically reduce water consumption by 58% per person!
• Meat production also is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, which has proven to correlate to the climate change crisis. 
• Some benefits of eating plant-based once a week include:
  • Save 133 gallons of water with each meatless meal!
  • Reduce your carbon footprint by 8 pounds each Meatless Monday you participate in
  • If you commit to participating in Meatless Monday every Monday, that is equivalent to skipping one serving of beef for a year, would save the same amount of emissions as driving 348 miles in a car.

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If you have a recipe you would like to share with us for #meatlessmondays, please email christian.bearden100@gmail.com.If you would like to make an impact on reducing food waste and hunger help us grow our food rescue operations: Donate

Creamy goat cheese polenta with ratatouille. The Modern Proper. (n.d.). Retrieved November 1, 2022.

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