Pumpkin Polenta

H and I took a trip to the pumpkin patch, oh, over a month ago now. And that big ol' orange ball has been sitting on my kitchen counter taking up precious space. It's time I actually hack that thing apart and cook it up. With a large stash of pumpkin and our recent purchase of cornmeal for a low-iron source of carb, I decided to try out a pumpkin polenta recipe.

This was a quick and easy dish to whip up on one of those evenings where you unknowingly find yourself close to dinner time and come to the realization that you don't have anything ready, yet you still have an urge to fit in a game of Starcraft2. This recipe made enough for two dinners in our family. The first night, I topped it with some roasted kale (and a chicken thigh for some much-needed meat). On the second night, I threw some grated cheese into the mixture while reheating, and topped it with some fresh tomatoes.

N and I both found this pumpkin polenta a little lacking. It was a little bland and too runny for our liking the first night, but it did go quite well with the kale. The cheese made the polenta much tastier and creamier which met N's approval, but it was still a mediocre dish for me, perhaps because I have a general disliking towards mushy foods. It didn't go as well with the tomatoes than it did with the kale though.

The kids' taking to this recipe was interesting. A would not have any of it the first night. She was having a few very rough nights where she basic went without any dinner, but this dish was met with instant screaming and didn't even warrant a small spoonful for a test run. Second night was much better. A did manage to finish her entire bowl, but each spoon better have some of that red deliciousness called tomato in it! H was the opposite. He claimed to have liked the polenta the first night but not the kale (surprise, surprise) and finished his bowl without complaint. The second night though, he slaved away at the dish for what seemed like an eternity. Okay, maybe it was about an hour. Tomatoes have never been H's favorite so that I understand, but I'm a little surprised that the mushy, creamy, cheesy goodness was so agonizing for him.



Pumpkin Polenta Recipe

(Makes 6 servings)

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 cups water


• 3/4 cup cornmeal


• 1-1/2 cup milk


• 1-1/2 cup pumpkin puree


• 1 cup grated cheese (optional)


• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Combine 1-1/2 cups water with cornmeal.


2. Combine remaining 1-1/2 cups water, milk, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer.


3. Add cornmeal mixture and stir until thickened.


4. Add in pumpkin puree and cheese if desired and stir until mixed and cheese is melted. Remove from heat and let sit for few minutes before serving.


5. Add toppings as desired.

Nutritional Breakdown (According to MyFitnessPal.com)

Nutrition Facts
Servings 6.0
Amount Per Serving
Calories 194
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 9 g	14 %
Saturated Fat 5 g	26 %
Monounsaturated Fat 2 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 27 mg	9 %
Sodium 174 mg	7 %
Potassium 152 mg	4 %
Total Carbohydrate 19 g	6 %
Dietary Fiber 3 g	10 %
Sugars 5 g
Protein 9 g	18 %
Vitamin A	7 %
Vitamin C	0 %
Calcium	22 %
Iron	3 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.