Polenta with Rice and Beans-Forks over Knives Cookbook

Polenta Crust:
2 C boiling water
3/4 C polenta (also known as corn grits)
1/4 tsp salt


1 C low-sodium, no-fat vegetable broth
One 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 small diced onion
1 C short grain brown rice
1 T chile powder
One 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup fat-free, low-sodium salsa
1 avocado, mashed
4 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp garlic powder

For the polenta crust: Bring the water to a boil and whisk in the polenta and salt.  Cook, stirring constantly, for 10-12 minutes until the polenta pulls away from the side of the pan.  Dump the cooked polenta into a large pie dish (I used an 8x10 pyrex dish) and spread evenly over the bottom and sides of the dish.  Set aside.
Combine the broth, tomatoes, onion, rice, and chile powder in a rice cooker or saucepan.  Cook until all liquid is gone and the rice is tender, about 45 minutes.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
After the rice is cooked, stir in the black beans.  Spread the rice-bean mixture evenly on

the polenta crust.  Spread salsa over the rice-bean mixture.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Remove from the oven and set aside for 5-10 minutes.
Meanwhile, mash the avocado in a small bowl with the lemon juice and garlic powder.  Slice the pie, and put a dollop of avocado mixture (about a tablespoon) on each slice before serving.

This was really good and easy to make.  I added a few more black beans on top before serving.  I served this with baked veggies, baked sweet potatoes topped with Tofutti sour cream, grilled asparagus and grilled Portobello mushrooms.