Baked Polenta with Roasted Veggies

Is January over yet?  No, it's only halfway through, you say?  WHAT IS HAPPENING.  Christmas was 79 years ago.  How is it only January 17th.  I suppose it's a good thing that January lasts an eternity, because it takes me 79 years to get back into a decent routine.   I finally feel like I've recovered from the madness of the holidays and am capable of cooking, working out and returning emails.  Just in time for a 3-day weekend and blizzard... yeesh.  But, will it be a blizzard?  The weather people are like, we'll get somewhere between 0 and 9 feet of snow.  Enjoy.  I guess I should rush off to the market to buy 29 gallons of milk as people tend to do before "possible" snow storms.  

Or, I could stick to buying vegetables and polenta so I can make this delicious side dish again.! Carson and I loved the combination of sweet, roasted vegetables and buttery polenta, all topped with a bright, salty vinaigrette.  We served it alongside salmon, but you could also add beans for protein (this recipe does that, which I loosely based the dish on) and make it a Meatless Monday dinner.  I hope you enjoy it, and stay safe and warm this weekend with your gallons of milk.        

Baked Polenta with Roasted Veggies

Printable Recipe

Serves: 4-6

4 tbsp olive oil, divided

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp capers

1 small shallot, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 pre-packaged tube cooked polenta, sliced into 2-inch pieces

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1 red bell pepper, cut into 2-inch chunks

1 yellow red bell pepper, cut into 2-inch chunks

1 zucchini, cut into 2-inch chunks

4 roma tomatoes, quartered

Mix 2 tablespoons oil, lemon juice, capers, shallots, garlic and salt and pepper in a small bowl.  Set aside.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  On a buttered baking dish, lay out polenta.  Slice the 2 tablespoons of butter and place a sliver on top of each piece of polenta.  On a baking sheet, arrange the vegetables.  Add the remaining two tablespoons of oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine.  Place both vegetables and polenta into the oven, and cook for 20 minutes, flipping the polenta and tossing the vegetables halfway through baking process.  Once cooked, arrange polenta and veggies on a platter and drizzle with lemon caper vinaigrette.