Mexican Polenta Scramble

From EatingWell: October/November 2006 — Subscribe Now!

We've borrowed the best Mexican flavors and ingredients for this quick scramble. Poblano peppers can vary widely, but in general they have a medium level of spiciness. If you can't find them, green bell peppers can be substituted; to replace the heat of the poblanos, add a minced jalapeno pepper. Make it a Meal: For supper, serve with a side of black beans; for brunch, with eggs and corn tortillas.

4 servings, 1 1/2 cups each

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 poblanos or 2 green bell peppers, diced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 16-ounce tube prepared plain polenta, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 bunch scallions, trimmed and sliced
1 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese, preferably sharp
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 avocado, diced
2 tablespoons pepitas, toasted (see Tip)

Preparation

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until bright green and just starting to soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, cumin and salt; cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes start to break down, 2 to 3 minutes. Crumble polenta slices into the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in scallions, cheese, cilantro and lime juice. Serve the scramble topped with diced avocado and toasted pepitas.

Tips & Notes

Tip: Pepitas, olive-green-hulled pumpkin seeds, are commonly used in Mexican cooking and are a perfect snack when roasted and lightly salted. Find them in the bulk-foods section of natural-foods markets, Mexican grocers or at melissas.com. To toast pepitas: Cook in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.

Nutrition

Per serving: 315 calories; 20 g fat (6 g sat, 8 g mono); 20 mg cholesterol; 26 g carbohydrates; 13 g protein; 6 g fiber; 600 mg sodium; 645 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (220% daily value), Calcium (45% dv), Vitamin A (35% dv), Folate (20% dv), Potassium (18% dv).

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 1/2 vegetable, 1 high fat meat, 2 fat