Vegetable and Polenta Bake | Eating Well 4 points

This recipe really surprised me. I thought it would be ok, I didn't realize the flavors would be so great together. I'm always leery of cooking with eggplant because it can be so bitter and the skin can be tough, so when the recipe just called for dicing it and sautéing it I was nervous about the flavor. I had no need to be nervous, the sauce that you make and top the polenta with can be used in anything I think, as a topping for linguini, as a mix for baked ziti, between layers of lasagna noodles, it was that good, I can only imagine it will be even better in the summer when make this recipe with fresh zucchini, eggplant and basil from the garden. I can't wait for that. Make this recipe.

I found this recipe on the Eating Well website, and calculated the weight watchers points to 4 points per serving, and this makes 8 servings, the serving seems small, but when paired with a garden salad or additional steamed vegetables it was really quite filling and satisfying. If you make this recipe or any variation thereof with the eggplant/zucchini mixture please let me know, I'm excited for the possibilities of this recipe.

Polenta and Vegetable Bake | Eating Well

weight watches points per serving = 4

Serves 8

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium eggplant, diced

1 small zucchini, finely diced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup water

10 ounces baby spinach

1 1/2 cups prepared marinara sauce, preferably lower-sodium

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

14 ounces prepared polenta, sliced lengthwise into 6 thin slices

1 1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella, divided

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450 degree F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish 1. with cooking spray.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add eggplant, zucchini, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and just beginning to brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Add water and spinach; cover and cook until wilted, stirring once, about 3 minutes. Stir marinara sauce into the vegetables and heat through, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in basil.

Place polenta slices in a single layer in the prepared baking dish, trimming to fit if necessary. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup cheese, top with the eggplant mixture and sprinkle with the remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Bake until bubbling and the cheese has just melted, 12 to 15 minutes. Let stand for about 5 minutes before serving.

Nutrition

Per serving : 215 Calories; 8 g Fat; 3 g Sat; 4 g Mono; 14 mg Cholesterol; 27 g Carbohydrates; 9 g Protein; 6 g Fiber; 667 mg, Sodium; 187 mg Potassium