This week my husband and I received an unexpected gift from our southern homeland...shrimp. Ever since moving to the Midwest, one of the things I've missed most has been fresh, reasonably affordable seafood. I can't deny that Arkansas is a landlocked state, but it's still within a day's drive of the gulf...Missouri, not so much. To celebrate this unexpected ambrosia, we revisited a southern classic that I have been working to perfect for some time now: shrimp and grits. My mom happens to be known for her world famous cheese grits. Unfortunately, the type of cheese that made her recipe so unforgettable has been discontinued by the Kraft company (tsk, tsk). I've been working on something comparable, and this week, I came darn close.
Southern Cheese Grits:
Preheat over to 350 F
Prepare 3/4 cup of instant grits as directed on the package
When the grits are cooked, remove the sauce pan from the heat and add:
2/3 lbs of Velveeta Cheese cubed
Note: This is 1/3 of a normal 2 lbs block, and the kind made with 2% milk works fine to help with calories
1 Tbs unsalted butter or margarine
3 Tbs sour cream (light works fine here too)
4-5 dashes of Tabasco Sauce (or to taste...)
Salt and black pepper to taste
Stir the ingredients until they are thoroughly blended, and then, transfer the mixture to a square baking dish. Add a light sprinkling of paprika across the top for color and bake until the top has a thin skin across the surface and a light crush around the edges. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool until reasonably firm. It should have the consistency of pudding not soup. Don't try to dish it up too early! This service 4 people for a meal (breakfast or dinner) or 6-8 as an appetizer.
Southern Barbecue Shrimp:
In a large saute pan, heat:
4 Tbs unsalted butter
4 Tbs canola oil
When the above are melted and hot, add:
2 Tbs mince garlic
2 canned green chilies, chopped
2 Tbs dried rosemary (thoroughly chopped/pulverized - whole leaves ruin the texture)
1 Tbs dried thyme
1 Tbs dried oregano
4 leaves fresh Thai basil, chopped
1 Tbs ground paprika
1/4 Tbs ground Cayenne pepper
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 lemon - squeeze the juice out over the pan and then thinly slice one half and add the slices
Cook the above ingredients until they are well combined and then add:
1 lbs of shrimp deveined but shells on (the larger and fresher, the better)
Cook until all shrimp are pink through and then remove from heat
This recipe is a modified version of one by Cheryl Smith posted to foodnetwork.com. Thanks, Cheryl, for getting us started!
We like to combine these two dishes for a dinner, but it can get a bit rich. I recommend a good vegetable and some plain bread to balance it out. They are also great the way my friend Beth served them for her wedding reception: a dollop of grits in the bottom of a martini glass and a couple of shrimp perched on the side...gorgeous appetizer!
Hope ya'll enjoy this Southern classic. More recipes, book reviews, travel blogs, and reflections on life are on their way. In the mean time, I want to see your best recipes. Show-me what ya got!
Southern Cheese Grits:
Preheat over to 350 F
Prepare 3/4 cup of instant grits as directed on the package
When the grits are cooked, remove the sauce pan from the heat and add:
2/3 lbs of Velveeta Cheese cubed
Note: This is 1/3 of a normal 2 lbs block, and the kind made with 2% milk works fine to help with calories
1 Tbs unsalted butter or margarine
3 Tbs sour cream (light works fine here too)
4-5 dashes of Tabasco Sauce (or to taste...)
Salt and black pepper to taste
Stir the ingredients until they are thoroughly blended, and then, transfer the mixture to a square baking dish. Add a light sprinkling of paprika across the top for color and bake until the top has a thin skin across the surface and a light crush around the edges. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool until reasonably firm. It should have the consistency of pudding not soup. Don't try to dish it up too early! This service 4 people for a meal (breakfast or dinner) or 6-8 as an appetizer.
Southern Barbecue Shrimp:
In a large saute pan, heat:
4 Tbs unsalted butter
4 Tbs canola oil
When the above are melted and hot, add:
2 Tbs mince garlic
2 canned green chilies, chopped
2 Tbs dried rosemary (thoroughly chopped/pulverized - whole leaves ruin the texture)
1 Tbs dried thyme
1 Tbs dried oregano
4 leaves fresh Thai basil, chopped
1 Tbs ground paprika
1/4 Tbs ground Cayenne pepper
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 lemon - squeeze the juice out over the pan and then thinly slice one half and add the slices
Cook the above ingredients until they are well combined and then add:
1 lbs of shrimp deveined but shells on (the larger and fresher, the better)
Cook until all shrimp are pink through and then remove from heat
This recipe is a modified version of one by Cheryl Smith posted to foodnetwork.com. Thanks, Cheryl, for getting us started!
Hope ya'll enjoy this Southern classic. More recipes, book reviews, travel blogs, and reflections on life are on their way. In the mean time, I want to see your best recipes. Show-me what ya got!
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