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Cheesy Polenta with Zucchini Stew

A baked polenta served with a simmered zucchini, eggplant, and tomato stew.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 20 ingredients
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Why it works: Olive and eggplant match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 2% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 943 recipes. Both carry alpha-pinene, which smells pine, turpentine. The science ↓

Cheesy Polenta with Zucchini Stew

Time1 hour simmer

Ingredients

Directions

Make the polenta

  1. Bring 2 cups water to a boil.

  2. Slowly add cornmeal, stirring constantly.

  3. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens.

  4. Lightly beat eggs and egg whites with remaining ¼ cup water.

  5. Add to cornmeal; cook and stir until bubbly.

  6. Remove from heat; stir in cheese, jalapeno pepper, margarine and ¼ teaspoon salt.

  7. Pour into 9-inch square baking pan.

  8. Cover and refrigerate several hours or until firm.

Make the zucchini stew

  1. Heat olive oil in medium saucepan over medium heat until hot.

  2. Cook and stir onion, eggplant and garlic 5 minutes or until onion is transparent.

  3. Add zucchini, tomato, bell pepper, parsley, oregano, rosemary, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, red pepper and pepper blend.

  4. Simmer, uncovered, 1 hour.

Brown and serve

  1. Spray large nonstick skillet with nonstick vegetable cooking spray.

  2. Heat skillet over medium heat until hot.

  3. Cut polenta in 6 rectangles.

  4. Cook over medium heat 8 minutes on each side or until crusty and lightly browned.

  5. Serve zucchini stew over polenta.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

595Calories
19 gProtein
42 gFat
41 gCarbs

Counts 17 of 18 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 17 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Olive Oil1 tbsp (14g)119
Cheddar Cheese1 oz (28g)113
Butter1 tbsp (14g)102
Egg1 large egg (50g)78
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Eggplant1 cup cubed (82g)35
Yellow Bell Pepper1 medium (119g)31
Tomato1 medium (123g)22
Cucumber1/2 cup sliced (52g)16
Chili1 tsp (2.7g)8
Clove1 tsp ground (2g)7
Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Oregano1 tsp dried (1.8g)5
Garlic1 clove (3g)4
Rosemary1 tsp dried (1.2g)4
Parsley1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g)1
Salt1 tsp (6g)0
Waternot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Olive + eggplanttop 2% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together943 recipes

    Shared aroma: alpha-pinene (pine, turpentine).

  2. Pepper + clovetop 5% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together17,451 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).

  3. Eggplant + clovetop 6% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together154 recipes

    Shared aroma: alpha-pinene (pine, turpentine).

  4. Pepper + eggplanttop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together1,123 recipes

    Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).

  5. Olive + oniontop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together29,779 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Cornmeal
Forms the thick polenta base that sets firm when chilled and cut.
Eggs
Add structure and help the chilled polenta hold its shape.
Cheddar cheese
Adds savory flavor and richness to the polenta.
Eggplant
Softens into the stew, giving it body and a tender texture.
Zucchini
Provides the bulk of the stew and mild, tender vegetable texture.
Tomato
Adds moisture and acidity that brighten the stew.

The step that matters

Chilling the polenta until firm. Cornmeal mixture must be fully chilled and set before cutting; if it is still soft it will break apart and will not crisp evenly in the skillet.

Swap the jalapeno

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (egg, cheddar cheese, pepper, olive, onion, eggplant, clove):

  1. Garlicfits better
  2. Oreganofits better
  3. Thymefits better
  4. Jalapenothe original

Fit is the average pairing score against egg, cheddar cheese, pepper, olive, onion, eggplant, clove. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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