Breanne's Polenta with Black Beans and Coconut Tomato Quick Weeknight Meals Recipe Contest 2009

Recipe: Polenta with Black Beans and Roasted Coconut Tomato Sauce
How long does it take? 35 minutes
Category: Vegetarian
Name: Breanne
Why is it a favorite meal? Many of the ingredients are pantry staples and very adaptable to whatever you have on hand. You can substitute different beans, greens, or even roasted peppers for the tomatoes in the sauce. It's a warm and filling autumn dish.

Polenta with Black Beans and Roasted Coconut Tomato Sauce
1 can black beans (15 ounces)
1 can diced tomatoes in juice (28 ounces)
6 large stalks swiss chard, kale, or collard greens
3 large or 6 small garlic cloves, diced
1 package pre-cooked polenta (18 ounces)
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 tbs. jamaican jerk seasoning
3 tbs. olive oil
1 tbs. apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup water
1 tbs. chopped fresh thyme

Preheat oven to 500F. Empty entire can of tomatoes in a ceramic or glass baking dish, add coconut milk, and place in the oven. Bake 35 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tbs. olive oil in a saucepan. Add 1-2 cloves diced garlic, 1 tbs. jerk seasoning and cook 2 minutes. Add entire can of black beans and set heat to low, stirring occasionally.

Separate swiss chard stems from leaves. Dice stems very fine and add to a saute pan with 1 tbs. of oil and 2-3 cloves diced garlic. Heat through on medium 2-3 minutes, then add chopped leaves, apple cider vinegar, and 1/3 cup water. Cover with a lid and set heat to low.

Check on the tomato sauce. Stir in fresh thyme and continue to roast.

Heat 1 tbs. olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Slice polenta in 1/2" thick slices. Sprinkle one side with remaining 1 tbs. jerk seasoning. Fry polenta, about 3 minutes per side until light brown and crispy.

To serve: spoon about 1/3 cup of beans on a place. Top with a heaping spoonful of greens and a slice of polenta. Top with about 1/4 cup tomato-coconut sauce and enjoy!

Thanks Breanne, and good luck! Readers, give Breanne a thumbs up if you like this recipe!

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Comments (21)

it's the first chilly fall morning in chicago, and this looks like an awesome dinner for tonight

Polenta--perfect for all seasons. And I also need a way to use fresh greens from the garden.

Looks delicious!

This sounds really good and really quick! I'm going to make it this week, and I think I might add butternut squash in somehow. It does seem like an adaptable recipe.

I've never used polenta, but have been looking for an easy dish and this one's the ticket!

Looks like a delicious combination of flavors!

MMMmm....sounds luscious!

Sounds very tasty, I love beans!

love the recipe, breanne. good luck!!

Great recipe Breanne. Easy instructions with suggestions for variations. This is a winner in my book. Best of Luck to you.

Breanne, this was delicious! So many of the entries in the vegetarian category were disappointing because I couldn't serve them to a vegan, or someone who is lactose or gluten intolerant. This one could work for me and everyone I know!

What a wonderful, creative recipe :) Thanks!

go breanne go!! this looks so awesome. can't wait to try it! maybe this weekend. i've done polenta and tomato sauce, and i've done polenta and black beans, but never coconut! this sounds super tasty and is a pretty innovative combo. good luck!

ooh yeah, this could be an even thriftier dish with homemade polenta and dried/soaked beans. maybe throw some squash or sweet potatoes in the tomato coconut sauce.

i have to admit, i love the seasons and always look forward to fall, spring, and summer dishes. in the winter though, its nothing but baked goods.

we made this last night and it was awesome. next i am going to try the lasagna roll ups.

i'm going to make it for brunch. but i will probably cook my greens with some bacon!

thanks to everyone who gave this a thumbs up. it was amazing to hear how many of you were rooting for me, actually made my recipe (thanks gin, emily and andrew), and who also got their family, coworkers, and other friends to vote. i had a blast making this and testing it out on my roommate (who thankfully stayed up late to try it and offer suggestions). this was a great contest and i'm excited to try out some of the other recipes.

These flavors are amazing together. Thank you for the recipe! My only complaint is the four pans needed to prepare the dish. The cleanup takes a little bit of oomph off the end of the "quick weeknight meal".

oh, hm, i made these with three pans but i made extra sauce so i didn't mind that so much. i added garlic and onion and more chard to the extra sauce and had it on whole wheat pasta the next day. totally yum.

Would have been nice if it was clearer that she meant pre-made polenta, not pre-cooked polenta grains. I got halfway through cooking this before I realized that the polenta cake was not included in the recipe.