Beautiful Roasted Veggies and Baked Polenta Wonder

I made this dinner a while back and it was lovely sans cheese, so feel free to be bold and let the plants shine! My friend recently made this and added the asparagus and parsnips, genius! She also gets credit for editing my patchwork instructions when she sent the recipe back to me.

2 carrots, sliced
1/2 - 1 onion, sliced
1 large red pepper, cut into short strips
1-2 parsnips, sliced
10 asparagus spears (approx), cut into bite-size pieces
1 small bunch of spinach
drizzle of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 can of tomato sauce
1 can of kidney beans
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Polenta:
1 can of low-sodium vegetable stock
2 cups almond milk
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 tablespoon fresh basil
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup cornmeal


Directions:

1. Cut all the vegetables and put them on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. When the vegetables are done roasting, set aside to cool and reduce oven temperature to 375°F

2. Make the polenta:
In a medium sized sauce pan, over medium-high heat, bring the vegetable stock, almond milk, spices, and salt to a rolling boil. Add the cornmeal gradually, stirring constantly to avoid clumps. Add the nutritional yeast and stir constantly until the mixture is thickened and consistent. Once it starts to thicken, trade the whisk out for spoon and stir until the polenta pulls away from the sides of the pot. Add 1/2 the Parmesan cheese to the polenta and stir to combine. Poor the mixture into casserole dish and top with the remainder of the Parmesan cheese.

3. Blend the kidney beans and the tomato sauce together and pour 1/2 the mixture on top of the polenta.

4. Evenly spread the roasted vegetables on top of the polenta and sauce. Spread the rest of the tomato sauce mixture over the vegetables and top with spinach. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

5. Bake for 35 minutes or until bubbly and the cheese is melted and slightly browned.

6. Let it rest for about 10 minutes. Cut into squares and serve warm.

Other suggested additions: eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, kale, capers, Kalamata olives