Polenta Cakes With Ginger Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Garlic Green Beans

I wanted something easy and filling for dinner tonight. I found a few inspirational recipe videos on Youtube, a couple minutes on Allrecipes.com, and Voilà! A delicious dinner! Here are the original recipes for the Ginger Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Green Beans. The polenta is my own recipe.

Baked Polenta Cake

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp butter
• 3/4 cup finely chopped zucchini
• 3/4 cup diced onions
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 cup + 2 tbsp dried polenta
• 3/4 cup shredded Italian cheese blend
• 2 tbsp grated Parmesan
• 1/2 tsp salt
• pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450°. Spray an 8x8 baking pan (or ramekins) and set aside.
2. Melt butter over medium heat. Add zucchini and onions. Cover and cook about 10 minutes until tender. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups water and the cornmeal.
4. Heat the milk over medium heat until just simmering. Add milk/cornmeal mixture and cook, stirring constantly until very thick and it leaves the sides of the pan. Remove from heat.
5. Add cheese, stir well and then season to taste with salt and pepper. Add vegetables and stir until combined.
6. Scrape cornmeal mixture into the pan and smooth with a spatula. 
7. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and let sit for at least 10 minutes before cutting.

Ginger Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

• 3 large sweet potatoes
• 2 tsps grated fresh ginger
• 1/4 cup milk, warmed
• 2 tbsp orange juice

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375º. Scrub and dry sweet potatoes. Poke with a fork a few times. Wrap in aluminum foil.
2. Roast sweet potatoes until tender, 30 to 60 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool. When the temperature is low enough to handle, peel sweet potatoes and place in a small bowl.
3. At serving time, reheat sweet potatoes. Mash until smooth. Add ginger, milk and orange juice. Stir well to incorporate. 

Sautéed Green Beans with Garlic and Parmesan

Ingredients

• 1/2 tbsp butter
• 2 cups coarsely chopped fresh green beans (1" pieces)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp grated parmesan
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Melt butter in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add green beans and cook until tender. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 more minute. Remove from heat and place in a serving bowl.
2. Add parmesan and stir to incorporate. Add salt and pepper to taste.