Surprise!!! It's New Food Sunday...

New Food Friday was a flop. I tried Triple Sesame Tofu. It was horrible. I would describe it as 'soggy and lacking any other redeeming qualities'. The broccoli I made with it was good, but really is there ANY way to mess up that delicious vegetable? That is a rhetorical question because the answer is a resounding "NO, of course not!" New Food Friday did teach me something though, the lesson learned being, if the recipe calls for extra-firm tofu, use extra-firm tofu. Even pressing it did not help it hold its shape when dredging it in tahini and seeds. (And, I learned that I will not make that recipe again.)
Tonight, I made up my own recipe. I had veggies to use up and put together a new dish. Cutter said as we sat down to eat, "What is this? New Food Sunday?" I laughed and said, "sure." We had Ang's Polenta and Eggplant "Lasagna." I made a marinara sauce with the veggies I had left in the fridge: red onion, green pepper, zucchini and mushrooms. I sliced up a roll of store bought polenta (That was the new food, we have never had polenta before and it was GREAT! Hayden loved it. I will make it from scratch though next time. It didn't look that complicated. Cutter described polenta as 'cheese grits' and I agree with his assessment.), and peeled and sliced up the eggplant that was looking pretty sad in my fridge. Brushed all slices with evoo and sprinkled garlic salt on them. Baked them on a greased up cookie sheet in the oven for 25 mins at 450 degrees, turning half-way through. When they were done baking I layered everything up in a glass baking dish in the following order: sauce, eggplant, sauce, polenta (some nutritional yeast sprinkled in for good measure), sauce and a bit of vegan cheese on top, just for the 'lasagna effect'. Threw it back in the oven for about 20 more mins, at 350 degrees to let things get all cozy in there and called it d.o.n.e. There were "yums" heard all 'round the table. New Food Sunday was a success!
That is what I love about food, turning "what you got left" into a delectable masterpiece. There is something so rewarding about not letting food go to waste. I suppose that is my grandma talking, but really, using what you have and making it taste good can be a real rush. I challenge you to try it!
Happy Sunday Night. And good-bye Olympics, we will see you again soon!