Mexican Pie

 

Are you looking for a super easy, delicious meal?  I have one that passed all four taste test - mine, omnivore Chad, picky Ry, and veggin lovin S.  I found this recipe in the companion Forks Over Knives Book - The recipe is actually by Karen Campbell, of the The Campbell Family - The China Study.  The recipe is called Polenta with Rice and Beans, it is found on page 143.   I made modifications and will share how I prepared it.

(my family calls it mexican pie!)

Ingredients (I found all ingredients at Trader Joes):

One tube of organic polenta

1/2 cup of low sodium, no fat veggie broth

1 can of Trader Joes' fire roasted tomatoes

1 cup of Trader Joes' frozen organic brown rice

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 can organic black beans drained

1/2 cup fat free, low sodium salsa (I used TJ's green salsa)

• I evenly, yet thinly sliced the polenta and laid the rounds flat in a pie dish.  You want to create an even layer of polenta to serve as the crust.  So, I used my fingers and mashed the polenta together.  Very fun!
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• In a large sauce pan, I combined all of the ingredients EXCEPT for the salsa and black beans.  I stirred and let this simmer until the rice was fully thawed.  The recipe says to let all of this cook for about 45 minutes until the liquid is gone.  I did not have time for that, so  I added the black beans, let it cook for awhile longer, then drained the liquid.  
• I poured the rice and black bean mixture over the polenta, then layered the salsa on top.
• Stick the whole pie in the oven for 30 minutes.
• 
  After it cools a few minutes slice, and top with avocado or vegan sour cream.

There are many variations to this dish, dont be afraid to add your favorite veggies, more spices and try out different salsas.

This pie made enough for one dinner for the four of us, S's lunch the next day and my lunch the next two days.  (S and I even ate it cold!)