being bad can be so good.

i'll admit, i'm a little tense about bad food. its probably because i had my share of hot dogs and chicken wings when i first arrived in North America 18 years ago.  coming from Poland, where food may have been rich, but it was very natural and always home made, i threw myself into a brief period of teenage food overindulgence that led to a pretty rapid fifteen pounds. and while it took a little longer to rid myself of the excess weight, going vegetarian about six months after my arrival had saved me from all the chemical chicken and mystery-meat of hot dog wieners.  mind you, there were still some very unhealthy veggie options available for a young teen experimenting with a non-meat diet.  most fake meat products out there have incredibly long lists of ingredients and many of them are pretty chemical. or i could have been the kind of vegetarian teenager that subsided on bread and cheese, and nothing else.  but luckily, the years of home made food and watching both my grannies and my mom always using fresh ingredients - many of which came from our own garden plot - to prepare our food, was probably what saved me.  all that food knowledge and the focus on seasonality and locality (even if out of sheer necessity) became an integral part of the memory quilt that was my childhood.

so today, i'm still a little weary of fast food, grease, or even pub fare.  but there is something about the change of seasons, particularly the coming of autumn, that makes me nostalgic for beer and greasy snacks. maybe its the back-to-school feeling, along with its after-class pub and bar visits? maybe its the fact that the body longs for richer food because its getting colder out? maybe its the nostalgia of late night neighbourhood walks with J, with our occasional midnight trips to the local bar for a huge plate of nachos, or to one of Toronto's awesome pizza parlors? or maybe its the "what's good for your soul, MUST be equally good for your body" that is Marc-Oliver's infectious philosophy (at least when it comes to Nutella and dumplings)... i don't know what it is, but grease and beer were on my mind all day...

so, i gave into the craving. but this is me, and my food blog, much like myself, are focused on healthy food adventures. so this means that today's "greasy" offering is still pretty damn healthy.  all the ingredients are wholesome, and things are baked rather than fried.  and no animals were harmed in its preparation.  overall, its satisfying as anything, with the added benefit of being pretty easy on your body and (if you are like me) on your mind.

this recipe for baked polenta fries is inspired by fries such as these that i had at Toronto's Live Food Bar, a raw food restaurant in my old neighbourhood that also has some cooked items on their menu (http://www.livefoodbar.com/).  i also spotted a similar recipe on the Martha Stewart website, though hers used prepared polenta (in casing, which you can buy at most food stores) (http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/baked-polenta-fries).  mine, was made from scratch, which maybe requires a little more time and effort, but is really easy and cheaper (if you are watching your budget).  also, my chipotle "aioli" is vegan, as it utilizes thickened coconut milk as the base (yes, i'm obsessed with coconut milk).

finally, just because you are having an indulgent meal, doesn't mean you should skip your veggies.  that's why i paired these yummy fries with a Mexican-inspired heirloom tomato avocado salad. remember, always eat your veggies!  oh yes, and i almost forgot.  these are even better when washed down with some wonderful local micro brew... its the west coast, there are so many options!

baked polenta fries with coconut chipotle aioli

for the polenta, you'll need: 
1 cup of corn meal (medium)
4 cups of water
1t salt

salt the water, bring water to boil, turn down the heat.
slowly add the cornmeal, stirring while adding. stir well to dissolve all clumps.
cover with a lid, keep simmering on low heat for 10mins or so.
transfer into a shallow pan, smooth out the surface.  you want it to be about half an inch or 3/4 of an inch thick. and refrigerate for at least an hour.

for the polenta fries:
1T olive oil
1t smoked paprika
generous sprinkling of cayenne or chili pepper flakes

cut the firmed up polenta into rectangles (about 1 and a half inch long).
place on a baking sheet, brush with olive oil and sprinkle with paprika and hot peppers.
bake at 400F for 35-40 minutes, flipping over about half way through the process.  broil for the last 3-5minutes. 

for the aioli: 
2-4T of thickened coconut milk (refrigerate a can of coconut milk for a couple hours, skim the "cream")
2-4t chipotle sauce (or you can use chilies in abodo sauce, finely chopped or blended)
1 big clove of garlic, minced
a pinch or two of smoked salt, or any other salt
a little coconut milk/water/lime juice to thin it out

mix the ingredients together.  add more chipotle sauce to adjust the taste to suit your preference for heat and flavour.