Lenten Friday Recipe: Broiled Polenta with Ratatouille

(Note on Thursday: I'm putting this up early, but post-dated, for Friday. This way, if you want to shop for the ingredients and make it tomorrow, you can.)

I first made this one Friday last Summer because they girls wanted to know what ratatouille was after seeing the movie of the same name. I had no idea, but found this in one of my Weight Watchers cookbooks, and it wasn't too difficult. It's time-intensive because you have to chop everything up, but it was kind of neat to make it. Plus, it was yummy! It makes a nice meatless Friday dish.

Broiled Polenta with Ratatouille

3 points per serving, makes 6 servings

(Note from book: For a more substantial meal, stir in two 15-ounce cans rinsed and drained kidney beans or chickpeas into the ratatouille during the last 5 minutes of cooking. 1/2 cup of the beans will and 1 point per serving.)

Ingredients:

• 8 sun-dried tomoato halves (not packed in oil)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 (3/4-pound) eggplant, unpeeled and cubed
• 1 (1/2-pound) zucchini, cubed
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil, or 1 tablespoon dried
• 1 (16-ounce) tube refrigerated polenta
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  

Instructions:

1. Soak the sun-dried tomatoes in warm water to cover until softened, about 15 minutes. Drain, discarding the liquid, then chop the tomatoes.



2. Meanwhile, heat a nonstick Dutch oven. Swirl in the oil, then add the onion and garlic. Saute until golden, about 7 minues. Add the eggplant, zucchini, green and red bell peppers, tomatoes, sugar, salt, ground pepper, and the chopped sun-dried tomoatoes; bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are softened and the flavores are developed, about 30 minutes. Stir in the basil during the last 2 to 3 minutes of cooking.



3. Meanwhile, preheat the broiler and spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray. Cut the polenta into 12 crosswise slices, arrange on the baking sheet. Sprinkel with the cheese and broil 5 inches from the heat until hot and the cheese is golden, about 4 mintues.



4. Serve the ratatouille with the broiled polenta rounds.

Per serving (generous 1 cup ratatoille and 2 polenta rounds):

• 156 calories
• 4 g total fat
• 1 g saturated fat
• 3 mg cholesterol
• 634 mg sodium
• 26 g total carbohydrate
• 5 g dietary fiber
• 6 g protien
• 120 mg calcium

[image source]

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