Meatless Monday: Mixed Greens with Spicy Soy Sausage over Polenta

Mixed Greens with Spicy Soy Sausage

10-12 oz. organic mixed greens (Such as kale, collards, mustard greens, beet tops, swiss chard, etc. You can get a bag of pre-washed mixed greens at Whole Foods or Trader Joe's)

2 links of your favorite spicy soy sausage, chopped into rounds (or about 1/2 link of Trader Joe's soy chorizo)

3-4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tsp. salt or to taste

1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper or to taste

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (you can leave these out if you don't want any spice)

1-2 tbs. extra virgin olive oil

In a large, deep pot over medium high, heat olive oil and garlic and saute until just tender but not browned. Add a sprinkle of salt and red pepper flakes, then add your soy sausage. Saute sausage for 2-3 minutes, then use tongs to slowly add the greens and toss them gently in the oil. Season with salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Cook greens for 7-9 minutes or until wilted and tender. Set aside.

Creamy Polenta 

1 cup quick-cooking (not instant) polenta

3 cups soy creamer or broth 

2 tbs. Earth Balance or herb butter

1/2 cup grated Parmesan or your favorite cheese blend

Fresh ground pepper to taste

1 tsp. garlic powder (optional)

Bring soy creamer (or broth) and 1 tbs. of the Earth Balance or garlic herb butter to a simmer in a medium sized saucepan. Add the polenta slowly in a thin stream while stirring with a whisk or spoon. Stir for about one minute until the polenta just separates from the sides of the saucepan. Add the cheese and continue stirring until it melts and disappears. Finish with the other tbs. of Earth Balance or butter.  Top with mixed greens and sausage.

Coconut Milk Crepes with Fresh Fruit and Lemon Mascarpone

The lemon mascarpone recipe can be found in this previous posting. Follow that recipe with the addition of 1 tsp. of good quality vanilla extract. Since the batter should rest before cooking, I like to whip it up before dinner, then fry the crepes afterward for dessert.

1 cup flour 

1.5 cups light coconut milk from a can or So Delicious brand Coconut Milk Beverage (I bought this recently and have been using it a few different recipes, it makes a delicious drink, too - over all it's a good investment)

2 eggs

2 tbs. Earth Balance of butter - melted

2 tbs. sugar or agave syrup

Pinch of salt to taste

In a large bowl, whisk together all ingredients except eggs until well-blended. Add eggs one a time, whisking well after each addition. Store the batter in your refrigerator for about an hour before cooking the crepes. You can start on the filling while you wait.

Heat a bit of butter in a crepe pan (or a small-medium sized nonstick skillet with shallow sides). Keep the heat fairly low or else the crepes will brown too quickly. Hold the pan with one hand and drop about 1/4 cup of batter in with the other. Swirl the pan around so the batter evenly covers the bottom in a thin layer.

Serve crepes with a dollop of mascarpone and your favorite fresh fruits. I used strawberries, as they taste great with the lemon flavor.

You can also serve the crepes with plain lemon curd inside and an orange sauce like a Crepe Suzette.

Quick Orange Sauce

2 tbs. Earth Balance or butter 

1/2 cup orange liqueur such as Triple Sec

1 cup fresh orange juice

In a saucepan, melt Earth Balance or butter over medium-high heat. Add orange and liqueur and let sauce reduce for about 30 seconds or until slightly thickened. Pour warm sauce over the crepe and serve with whipped cream or powdered sugar if desired. For a more traditional Crepe Suzette style, you can make the sauce in a pan and place a crepe directly inside while the sauce reduces.