Archive for April, 2012
Last night I had the intention of using a recipe to make our shrimp and grits dinner, but I just winged it instead. I was surprisingly impressed by my efforts. I am pregnant and was starving so there was no time for patience in following a recipe & adding extra ingredients. Here’s what I threw together…. Also, I only snapped a photo with my iPhone since I was hungry and there was no time to get my big camera out 
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INGREDIENTS:
SHRIMP & GRITS
- 1 bag of fresh or frozen jumbo shrimp (peeled, devained, mine had the tail on)
- Metal or wooden skewers
- Salt & Pepper
- Tony Chachere (seasoning)
- Garlic Powder
- Lemon Pepper
- Chopped fresh cilantro or dried cilantro
- Olive Oil
- 6 C of instant Grits
- Butter
- Shredded sharp cheddar
SALAD: (Throw any produce you have together to make a pretty salad!)
- Mixed Greens
- Carrot (shredded)
- Colored Bell Pepper
- Cherry tomatoes (sliced)
- Banana peppers
- Light Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Salt & Pepper
- Tony Chachere (seasoning)
- Lemon Pepper
- Mozzarella (diced)
- Green onions (chopped) – save some for grits topper/garnish
DIRECTIONS:
1. Thaw shrimp (run room temp water over shrimp in collander & set aside until thawed).
2. Skewer shrimp (I used three metal skewers) and set on a foil lined baking sheet.
3. Drizzle olive oil over all the shrimp so they’re coated.
4. Sprinkle all the different seasonings onto the shrimp (to your liking- I used a lot). Flip & repeat so both sides are coated with olive oil & seasoning.
5. Let sit while you warm up the grill (we use a gas grill so it was only a few minutes).
6. While your waiting on the grill, make your grits (follow instructions on box/packets). I boiled 2.5 C of water and added 1/2 C of milk in once it was boiling. Then, I added the grits and whisked until smooth-ish.
7. Add butter and shredded cheese (to your liking) to the grits, as well as, Salt & Pepper and Garlic powder.
8. Grill shrimp for 2.5 min on one side, flip and grill about 3 min on other side. (Total of about 5 minutes- until they’re pink & not opaque.)
9. While shrimp is grilling and grits are simmering (stir often until smooth and thick) make your salad.
10. Fill a large bowl with grits and top with chopped green onions. ENJOY!
