Creamy Leek Polenta

Oct 31, 2023 09:30AM ● By Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

Creamy Leek Polenta

photo courtesy of Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

2 Tbsp nondairy butter, divided

3 large leeks (white and pale green parts only), washed and thinly sliced

4¼ cups water (or half vegetable stock and half water)

1 cup coarse cornmeal (polenta)

¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes

1 tsp salt, added gradually to taste

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Melt 1 tablespoon of the nondairy butter in a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat.

Add the leeks and stir to coat. Cover and cook until the leeks soften, stirring occasionally for 7 to 10 minutes.

Add the water and broth, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and slowly pour in the polenta while whisking simultaneously. Whisking is essential, otherwise the cornmeal will clump up. Continue stirring until the mixture is thick and creamy.

At this point, switch from a whisk to a wooden spoon and continue to stir. Add the nutritional yeast and salt and continue to stir until it is thoroughly combined and the mixture is thick and creamy.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the remaining tablespoon of nondairy butter. Cover, and let sit for 15 minutes before serving.

Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and divide the polenta among plates.

Reprinted with permission from The 30-Day Vegan Challenge: The Ultimate Guide to Eating Healthfully and Living Compassionately by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

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In-Print, Conscious Eating recipes recipe vegan National Content November 2023

Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather. Sadly, another season has started ramping up. Tick season.

• The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

• According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

• Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details. Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

• May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

• For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

• Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml