Pumpkin Polenta w Chorizo and Black Beans

If you are looking for hearty, spicy and a hint of sweetness, look no further. It vaguely reminds me of Frito Pie, with the corn layer on the bottom and the “chili” on the top. It’s great as a leftover lunch with a cool leafy salad to complement the heavier textures of this dish.

Ingredients

Meat-Beans

2-12 oz package of Chirizo, casing removed

1 medium Yellow Onion, chopped

3 cups cooked Black Beans (2-15 oz cans rinsed, drained or checkout Breakfast Beans on this blog)

1-14 oz jar of Roasted Red Peppers, packed in water , chopped

Pumpkin-Polenta

3 cups Chicken Stock

1-14 oz can Pumpkin puree

1 cup Yellow Corn Grits or sometimes called quick-cooking Polenta

1 TBLspoon Fresh Thyme

¼ teaspoon Sea Salt

¼ teaspoon Black Pepper

Directions

Meat-Beans

Place Chorizo in medium skillet over medium-high heat and cover. Stir occasionally, chopping up the meat into small bits. Fry for at least 10 minutes. Then drain off ALL fat, squeezing the meat with a spatula to get out any access. Add chopped Onions, stir into meat, cover and cook for 3-5 minutes. Monitor heat and turn down as necessary. Add Black Beans and Red Peppers, combine and heat mixture thoroughly. Turn down to simmer until Pumpkin-Polenta is ready.

Pumpkin-Polenta

Place Chicken Stock, Sea Salt and Black Pepper in large sauce pan over high heat. Stir and bring to boil. Stir in Corn Grits and continue to stir until it thickens. If lumpy, use whisk to break them up. Remove from heat and mix in fresh Thyme.

Prepare 6 dishes/containers and parcel out 6 equal portions of Pumpkin Polenta (about ¾ cup each), then top with 6 equal portions of Meat-Beans (about 1 cup each.)

Serve Hot and refrigerate/freeze the rest.

Abstinent Measuring

1/6 of Recipe = 1 Protein, 1 Starch, ½ Vegetable

Notes

Use Red Onion instead of Yellow for stronger Onion flavor

Serving Suggestions: Garnish with chopped Flat Parsley and 1 TBLspoon of grated “strong hard cheese” like Asiago or sheep, goat cheese. (I don’t really think it needs any garnish. There are enough flavors going on already; sometimes more is not better.)

Make It A Meal: Grab this leftover out of the freezer, add a Leafy Salad and you’ll have a feast for lunch at work or at home when you need a quick hearty meal.

Adapted from Pumpkin Polenta with Chorizo and Black Beans in 365: No Repeats Cookbook by Rachael Ray