Ratatouille Polenta with Ricotta

Did you guys have an active weekend? I hope you were able to get outside and enjoy the amazing weather (minus the little storm on Saturday)! Kyle and I have been loving the Olympics! I cannot get enough of it, especially after having the opportunity to live at the Olympic Training Center for 6 months. I'll touch on that more in another post, though. Anyway, after watching the Olympic tennis matches this weekend, Kyle and I felt inspired to put our tennis skills to the test before going to the gym. Unfortunately, my inner Serena didn't come out as much as I wanted it to, so I got my frustration out with a nice long run. 

My little sister also came in town for Lollapalooza. Before she went to the music festival, we had a great time exploring the farmer's market and doing a little shopping. Her visit inspired me to try out some of my new vegetarian recipes since she is a vegetarian. Check out my version of ratatouille served with polenta and low fat ricotta cheese to add some protein. Enjoy this for your meatless Monday meal, and to get your week off to a great start.

                                                         Ratatouille Polenta with Ricotta
                                                                 serves 4 large servings

Ingredients
2 Garlic Cloves, Minced
1 Large Yellow Onion, Chopped
1 Green Pepper, Chopped
1 Orange Pepper, Chopped
2 Small or 1 Medium Zucchini, Chopped
5 Tomatoes, Chopped
6-8 fresh basil leaves, Chopped
1 C Instant Polenta
3 C Water
1/4 C Grated Parmesan
Low-Fat Ricotta
Balsamic Vinegar (optional) 

Start Cookin'
1. Saute the garlic, onions, and peppers  with 1 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil until tender (about 10 minutes), season with salt and pepper to taste
2. Place the onion mixture in a separate dish, and saute your zucchini in 1 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil  until tender.
3. Add the tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes have reduced down.
4. Add the onion mix and basil to the pan.
5. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to let the ratatouille simmer for 10 minutes.
6. While the veggies are simmering, bring 1 C of polenta and 3 C of water to boil. Be careful because the polenta will bubble and may splash out of the pan. This will cook quickly (5 minutes), so be sure to stir often.
7. Once the polenta is done cooking, add 1/4 C of grated Parmesan and season with salt and pepper to taste. 
8. Place 1 serving of polenta (about 1/4 c) on the plate and top with the ratatouille. Top with as much ricotta as you wish and a little balsamic vinegar to bring all of the flavors together.

I hope this recipe starts your week of healthy eating and living off to a great start. Stay tuned for more recipes this week! Fuel Strong!