On a blustery, snowy night, curl up with a bowl of creamy goat cheese polenta. Protein-packed lentils and plenty of lacinato kale keep the dish from being too indulgent.
Ingredients
- 1 cup green lentils
- 3 cups water
- ¾ teaspoon salt, divided
- 1 cup corn grits, also called polenta
- 2 ounces herbed goat cheese
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups chopped kale, such as lacinato kale
- Red pepper flakes, to taste
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
Directions
Cook the lentils according to package directions. Meanwhile add the water and ½ teaspoon of salt to a medium pot and bring to a boil. When the water is boiling, whisk in the polenta. Turn the heat to a simmer and let cook for another 5 minutes, whisking regularly. Stir in the goat cheese, remove from the heat and set aside.
Heat a large pan over medium heat and add the olive oil and minced garlic. Cook garlic until it begins to brown, 1-2 minutes. Add the kale and cook until it begins to wilt, 2-3 minutes. Stir the lentils and ¼ teaspoon salt into the kale mixture.
Evenly distribute the polenta mix into 4 bowls and spoon equal amounts of the garlicky kale and lentils on top. Squeeze a lemon wedge over each bowl and sprinkle with red pepper flakes. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Analysis: 390 cal, 5 g fat, 15 mg chol, 510 mg sodium, 69 g carbs, 10 g fiber, 2 g sugar, 19 g protein.
Isadora Lassance lives in Tucson, Arizona, with her husband and their orange cat, Cheeto. A regular contributor to Gluten-Free Living, she also blogs about whole food and seasonal ingredients at shelikesfood.com
