Posted by Jennifer (the student) on January 30, 2013

This is one of my all time favorite recipes. Something about it is so comforting.

Ingredients for the Polenta:

• 1 cups water
• 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 cup polenta
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried basil
• sea salt, to taste

 Ingredients for the Chickpeas:

• 1 TBSP olive oil
• ½ onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• ½ cup low-sodium vegetable broth
• ½ tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• ¼ cup water
• fresh ground pepper, to taste

Ingredients for Spinach:

• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 2- 6 oz bags of spinach
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 4 tsp pine nuts, lightly toasted
• sea salt, to taste

Instructions:

1. In a large pot, bring water and vegetable broth to a boil and slowly stir in polenta, garlic and basil.
2. Season polenta with sea salt and keep warm until serving.
3. In a medium sauté pan over medium heat, add onion and olive oil and cook for about 3 minutes until onion begins to soften.
4. Add garlic and chickpeas and cook for a few minutes.
5. Add broth, basil and pepper and reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Add lemon zest and lemon juice. Mix cornstarch with water and add to the pan. Turn heat to medium-low and cook until slightly thickened. Keep warm until serving.
7. In a large sauté pan over medium heat, add olive oil and start adding spinach, little by little. Until it cooks down.
8. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, sea salt and pine nuts and combine.
9. Serve with a layer of polenta on the bottom, topped with spinach mixture and finish with a layer of the chickpea mixture.
10. Enjoy!

♥ ♥