It’s Sunday but tomorrow we’ll start a new week of rushed, get-home-from-work-pick-up-the-kid-and-make-dinner evenings. This recipe, while nothing glamorous, is a weeknight go-to that puts food on the table in under 30 minutes. Can’t argue with that!

Serves 1 kid and 2 adults

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 cup polenta
• 3 cups veggie stock
• 1/2 bunch kale, chopped (or 1 bunch spinach, chopped)
• Handful fresh grated Parmesan (optional)
• Dash of fresh grated nutmeg
• Salt & fresh cracked pepper to taste

• 1 buckwheat cracker, broken into pieces
• 1/3 cup rolled oats (not quick cooking)
• 1 heaping teaspoon fresh chopped thyme
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
• Fresh cracked pepper to taste
• 1 package extra firm organic tofu, cut into “fingers”
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

1. In a saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and saute until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add veggie stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and stir in the polenta. Continue to stir until the mixture is thick and creamy, add the Parmesan if using, salt and pepper, and stir until incorporated. Turn off the burner, stir in the kale, cover and set aside.
2. To make the tofu fingers “breading”, place the buckwheat cracker pieces, oats and thyme into a mini food processor. Process until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs, then transfer to a medium sized bowl. Stir in the remaining dry ingredients.
3. In a large non-stick skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Drop tofu fingers, one-by-one, into the breading mixture and firmly press the breading onto all sides. Once all “fingers are breaded”, add them to the skillet and cook about 3 minutes each side, or until golden and crispy.
4. Serve the polenta along side the tofu fingers with ketchup (if you’re into that sort of thing – which we most definitely are). Enjoy.

Delicious and filling, polenta is a nice departure from our go-to rice, pasta or quinoa. Polenta (AKA: cornmeal) contributes to your daily iron, vitamin B-6, and magnesium intake. Kale gives a nice boost of vitamin C and these crispy tofu fingers will help complete your protein.