Green Chili Polenta with Beans and Rice

The first time I had polenta, I thought, "This is the Mexican corn-bread." Well, it is. Polenta is made from corn meal and has a mushy consistency before you cook it. I found mine at Trader Joe's. They have an organic polenta that comes in a tube like breakfast sausage. For my vegetarian friendly cooking habits, it's a great find.

This polenta is not your momma's polenta--probably because your momma never made polenta. But it's still delicious and easy! That's the best combination, or shall I say combinacion?

Ingredients
2 packages of polenta (I got mine from Trader Joe's, but you can probably find it in your local grocery in the Hippie food section)
1/2 cup of frozen corn
1/2 cup of frozen spinach
1 12-14 oz can of green chili enchilada sauce
1 small can of diced green chiles
1/2 cup of plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup of shredded Mexican cheese
1/4 cup diced green onion (you could use white or red onion if you want)
1 Tablespoon of olive oil
And rice and beans of your choice. I prefer black beans (drained and rinsed) and classic Spanish rice.

Directions
1. Start the rice. It is usually easy, but takes the longest, so you want to get that going first.
2. In a medium size pot, add spinach, corn, diced green chilies, Mexican cheese, onion, and enchilada sauce.
3. Bring the pot to a boil, then lower heat and let simmer for 10-15 minutes on low. Stir regularly.
4. Slice the polenta into 1/4-1/2 inch slices.
5. Coat a frying pan with the olive oil. Fry the polenta until brown and crusty (3-5 minutes on each side)
6. Meanwhile, warm the beans in microwave safe dish.
7. Continue to stir green chili sauce.
8. Serve by placing the polenta on the plate with rice and beans. Smother the polenta with the green enchilada sauce mixture and top with Greek yogurt.


Enjoy! This dish has all of the flavors of a great Mexican dish! It's delicious, quick, and inexpensive.