Cheesy Polenta & Mushroom Chickpea Medley

So.  It’s Friday and I still haven’t posted my menu plan for the week.  This is because March is #crazypants and there IS no menu plan.  I’ve been eating cereal for dinner.

March is regularly the month where work becomes a little more insane than usual, and cooking/exercising/sleeping/being a nice person (sometimes, I do try to be one!) goes by the wayside.  Planning, schmanning.

And then yesterday, we had a glorious snow day, and I scrounged around in the pantry and came out with this heaping bowl of comfort – inspired by Cooking Light.

Cheesy Polenta & Mushroom Chickpea Medley

• olive oil
• 2 cartons mushrooms, sliced
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large red onion, sliced
• leaves from about 10 fresh thyme sprigs
• about 1/2 cup white wine
• 3 tablespoons or so balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup veggie or chicken stock
• salt, pepper, crushed reds
• 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 box instant polenta and…
  • 4 1/2 cups water
  • blue cheese
  • a little pat butter
  • salt, pepper
  • about a cup of parmesan
• topping: parsley (note: this would probably be heavenly tossed with a little arugula, which I did not have on hand)

1. In a large, deep skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat.  Add mushrooms, onion and thyme; cook down about 4-5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook an additional 3-4 minutes.  Add white wine and vinegar, cook down a few minutes.  Add broth and season with salt and pepper.  Add chickpeas, bring the whole thing to a boil, reduce heat and simmer.
2. For the polenta, bring your water to a roiling boil.  Add the polenta slowly – whisk swiftly so it doesn’t clump!  Remove from heat after it thickens and add your cheese.  I added the blue cheese cream from the steaks we had for Valentine’s Day as well as a hefty about of parmesan.  Season with salt and pepper.
3. Place the polenta at the bottom of a bowl, top with the mushroom mixture, a little bit of parmesan and the parsley.

The Verdict:

This is basically just comfort food in one bowl.  March: bring it on.