Spice up your Breakfast Routine with this easy to make Mexican Polenta Scramble.
A quick sauté of green peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes and Polenta makes for an easy one skillet dinner. Top it off with some sliced Green Onions, Salsa, or Pine Nuts for even more plant-based yumminess.
I know you’ve all walked past those tubes of Polenta in the store and wondered, “What in the world IS that stuff?”.
Well – it’s Polenta! Back in the old days of Northern Italy, it was commonly known as peasant food as it was cheap, filling, and nutritious. And as we all know – peasant food usually turns out to be pretty healthy.
But Polenta is not an ingredient…..think of it as more of a meal. A dish.
The term ‘polenta’ refers to the traditional Italian preparation of a variety of coarsely ground grains or starches cooked into a porridge. Chestnut flour, chickpea flour, or coarse ground rice are just a few of the many grains that were traditionally used, however cornmeal polenta is by far the most common – particularly in the United States.
So basically, polenta is a porridge – made from ground cornmeal – much like grits from the American South.
For convenience – it’s cooked and sold in those little plastic tubes, ready to heat and serve.
And it is delicious!
Mexican Polenta Scramble
This recipe uses Polenta just like Tofu in a Tofu Scramble. Fry up some peppers and tomatoes, sprinkle in a little Chili Powder and Cumin, and then crumble in the Polenta.
Instant one skillet dinner.
You can serve it like I did, alongside some Black Beans and Rice, or wrap it up in your favorite Tortilla with a dollop of Salsa and sliced Avocado.
The best part of Polenta? Besides that yummy corn taste? It’s both fat-free and cholesterol free and includes some trace amounts of vitamins and minerals like Iron, Calcium, and Protein.
The best piece of advice I can give people who are Brand New to this way of eating?
Don’t be afraid to try anything new just because you’ve never had it before. These are usually the greatest discoveries!
Enjoy!
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Total time: 30 mins
Serves: 8 Servings
- 2-3 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1 Green Bell Pepper, diced
- 7oz can of Whole Green Chiles, diced
- 1 Jalapeño, diced
- 4oz Mushrooms, diced
- 15oz can Diced Tomatoes, drained
- 16oz Polenta, precooked in tube
- 1 tsp Ground Cumin
- 1 tsp Chili Powder
- ¼ tsp Salt
- ¼ cup Cilantro, chopped
- 1 Tbls Lime Juice
- 2 Tbls Pine Nuts, toasted (optional)
- Saute garlic and diced peppers in a large skillet using a little veggie broth
- Add in mushrooms and stir until softened
- Drain the juice from the tomatoes and stir them in,
- Add spices and stir to combine.
- After a few minutes, slice the polenta into ½" thick rounds and slowly crumble it in
- The more you stir the Polenta - the faster it will break down into - well mush. So if you want larger pieces - stir just enough to combine
- Fold in Cilantro and Lime Juice and serve
Serve with Rice and Black Beans. 3.5.3208