Roasted Cauliflower, Broccoli & Sausage Served On Polenta

This was a great dish I made up the other day. It was one of those days where I had no idea what I was going to make. I looked in my fridge and I had half a cauliflower and a bag of broccoli. As usual, I had sausage in the fridge as well. I took all of those ingredients out and decided to use them for an entree. I roasted them with a drizzle of olive oil until everything was golden brown and delicious. I then added the sweet pepper and tomato sauce to the veggies and sausage and made a delicious concoction.

I could have served it with al dente pasta but I thought of something different- how about polenta?? I had not made polenta in a very long time so I wasn’t sure if I had it in my pantry. I found just enough for the evenings dinner. A lot of people buy the pre-made polenta in a large tube. I don’t think that stuff tastes really good. Make it fresh- it is super simple and delicious. I used a combination of chicken broth, milk, parmesan cheese and a bit of butter. It took all of 10 minutes to make, and I had a delicious, healthy starch to serve for dinner.

I served the vegetables and sausage on top of the warm, creamy polenta. It was unbelievably delicious. It took a bit of convincing for my daughter to try the dish. It was the first time she tried polenta and ate it- I am not sure how happy she was, but she ate it.

Try the roasted cauliflower, broccoli and sausage on polenta- you will love it.

• 3 cups cauliflower florets
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 4 chicken sausage links, sliced
• 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
• 2 teaspoons salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the cauliflower, broccoli and sausages on a large lined cookie sheet. Drizzle the oil and salt. Mix well and roast for 30 minutes till the vegetables are golden brown and soft. Taste for seasonings and keep aside.

• 1 cup fresh tomato sauce or marinara sauce
• 1 red pepper
• 1 orange pepper
• 1 tablespoons extra light olive oil
• Salt

Start the grill outside or preheat the broiler. Coat the peppers with the oil and grill or roast them till the skin is charred- about 20 minutes. Place the peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap for 20 minutes. Take the peppers out and peel the skin and take the seeds out. Place the peppers in a blender with the tomato sauce. Blend till smooth. Taste for seasonings and add salt if needed.

Place the vegetables in a large frying pan with 2 cups of the sweet pepper sauce. Mix well and taste for seasonings. Add salt if needed.

• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup polenta
• 3 to 4 teaspoons salt
• 1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon butter

Bring the milk and chicken broth to a boil. Add 2 teaspoons salt and pour the polenta in slowly while whisking constantly until it thickens. Turn the heat off and add the cheese and butter. Taste for seasonings and add salt if needed. Depending on needed consistency, add more chicken broth or milk if needed.