Cold mornings require something hearty, something warm, something cozy.  After shoveling the driveway, hand me a spoon and let me shovel something infinitely lighter and more pillowy.  Polenta, please.  Sauté garlic, add a handful of sun-dried tomatoes, a sprinkling of cheesy nutritional yeast flakes, and let me dig into a bowl.

My favorite brand is De la Estancia.  It’s a fine grain polenta that cooks extremely quickly and is smooth in the mouth, unlike some coarse polenta brands.  My current favorite sun-dried tomatoes are from Trader Joe’s and come in a resealable bag.  What I like most about them is that they aren’t covered in oil in a jar and don’t have to be rehydrated before use.  They still have their moisture – like raisins or dried figs.  They come in julienne slices that can be cut down to a dice, if preferred, with kitchen scissors.  The only negative is that they aren’t organic.

The polenta cooks in a minute with a process that’s similar to making boxed mashed potatoes.  If I’m in the mood for a larger breakfast, I top it with beans, sautéed greens, or roasted vegetables.

Easy Breakfast Polenta

Serves 2 as a meal, 4 as a side

• 2/3 cup fine grain polenta
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups vegetable broth or 2 cups water + ½ vegetable bouillon cube
• 2 Tbsp sun-dried tomatoes, chopped small
• ¼ cup rice milk (or other non-dairy milk)
• 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
• Salt and pepper, to taste

• Optional toppings:  fresh basil, red bell pepper chunks, beans, sautéed greens, or roasted vegetables

In a small pot, sauté garlic in oil over a medium heat.  Once garlic is translucent and fragrant (about 3 minutes), add broth (or water and bouillon cube, if using).  Bring broth to a boil.  Once it has reached boiling, lower to a simmer and slowly add polenta, stirring constantly.  Once polenta is thick and pulls from sides (about one minute), add rice milk, nutritional yeast flakes, and sun-dried tomatoes.  Stir to combine and add salt and pepper.