Polenta and Stacked Veggies

With the holidays in full swing I haven't been cooking as much as I'd like to(gasp). As much as I love to cook a delicious meal at home, I find dining out with friends and family terribly hard to resist. I was all by my lonesome this evening as my husband had more holiday parties to attend so I decided to indulge in something he doesn't particularly like...polenta! "What, why doesn't your husband like creamy smooth, parmigiano laced, milky polenta", you ask. The answer is "I also have no clue"! But that's okay, polenta for one is just as delicious! I whipped up a big batch and ate it with crunchy char grilled veggies that tasted of garlic and aged balsamic.. Oh goodness, this dish is HEAVENLY!

Ingredients:
2 cups polenta
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup whole milk
1 cup grated parm cheese
1 tablespoon basil chiffonade (fancy term for thinly sliced)
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
5 cloves garlic, smashed
1 tablespoon aged balsamic
1 Italian eggplant cut in 1 inch rounds
1 large yellow and green zucchini cut in a 1/2 inch thick bias
1 red and green bell pepper cut into 2 inch lengthwise strips
salt and pepper to taste

Heat a grill pan on your oven. In the meantime sprinkle the eggplant with 1/2 tablespoon of salt and let the stand. Toss zucchini in 1-2 tablespoons of oil or until lightly coated. Place on the hot grill and turn over after the bottom side has grill marks (about1-2 minutes). Repeat. Place cooked zucchini in a large bowl with the smashed pieces of garlic. Toss the peppers in oil until both sides are lightly coated and cook about 5 minutes or so on each side (they take a lot longer). Add cooked peppers to the large bowl.
Rinse the salt off the eggplant and pat dry. Rub the eggplant with olive oil, it absorbs it very quickly so just ensure that both sides have a light coating. Place on the grill and cook about 2-3 minutes on each side. Add cooked eggplant to the rest of the veggies and toss in a good amount of salt (about1-2 teaspoons) and pepper as well as the balsamic.

Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a med-large saucepan.  Reduce the heat to low, add the polenta and whisk for about 5 minutes or until it has come together in a porridge like consistency. Add the parm cheese, basil, milk and a dash of salt. Whisk until the cheese has melted.

Plate by spooning a good amount of polenta on a bowl, top with some veggies, top with more polenta and a dash of grated parm cheese...yum!