365 True Things: 324/Food

We've decided to give a modified Whole 30 diet another try. One impetus: pine pollen. As in, allergies. One point of the diet is to stop eating things like dairy and gluten that some people, anyway, are sensitive to. It's a way of stressing your body as little as possible, giving it a better chance to deal with other allergens that simply can't be avoided.

Another reason, for me anyway, is that it's very easy for me to get lazy about food and gravitate toward . . . bread and cheese. And I'd like to have a better-rounded diet.

Luna was helping

So, tonight I spent a little while looking at recipes. I settled on chicken adobo (Thursday) and braised lamb shanks (Saturday) —yes, I like meat; I don't know how you vegetarians, or even more so, vegans, do it—plus veggies and rice or polenta. There will be leftovers.

One recipe I made the other week was so delicious we ended up with virtually no leftovers. There were three of us, granted—but it was supposed to serve six. I won't be making it anytime soon because it relies on a whole mess of cheese (but no meat). But as soon as David says cheese is back on the table? I will definitely make it. Here's the recipe.

Polenta with Fontina and Roasted Vegetables

3 Tb olive oil
1 small eggplant, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
2 small zucchini, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
2 small yellow summer squash, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1/2 red onion, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 orange bell pepper, seeded and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 cup stone-ground polenta
2 Tb unsalted butter
1 cup (4 oz.) grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded fontina cheese

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Oil and rimmed baking sheet and an 8-inch baking dish.

In a large bowl, combine the eggplant, zucchini, squash, red onion, and bell pepper. Drizzle with the 3 Tb oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Arrange in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Roast, tossing once, until the vegetables are caramelized, 20–25 minutes. Set aside. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, in a heavy saucepan, bring 4 cups salted water to a boil over medium heat. Stirring constantly, very slowly add the polenta. Cook, stirring constantly, until polenta begins to thicken, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook the polenta, stirring frequently, until the polenta is soft, about 25 minutes. Add the butter, Parmesan, and fontina and stir until the cheeses melt. Pour the polenta into the prepared baking dish and smooth the top.

Bake just until the polenta begins to set, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and top evenly with the roasted vegetables. Continue to bake unto the vegetables are heated through, about 15 minutes. Serve directly from the dish.

[They say in fall or winter you might try it with butternut squash, mushrooms, and Gorgonzola. That also sounds yummy.]