Shrimp & Grits

A classic dish of the “low country”, most famously Charleston, SC and Savannah, GA.  Most versions use heavy cream in the grits and bacon fat in the shrimp.  My mother developed this lighter version, which is substantially less likely to give you or your loved ones a heart attack but remains delicious.  Although the recipe looks long, the grits themselves are trivial to prepare and can be done in parallel with the shrimp and pan sauce.

What's a "grit"?

Grits are made by coarsely grinding up corn, and are commonly served as a hot breakfast cereal (think "oatmeal") in the American South.  If you're familiar with Italian cooking, grits are very much like polenta; if that doesn't ring a bell, think of Cream of Wheat made with corn.  Grits can either be paired with sweet toppings like maple syrup or served with savory additions like cheese.  The simplest way to eat them is with salt and butter.

Shrimp and Grits

serves 4

Grits

Bring to a boil (uncovered, or milk will boil over):

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup milk

1/2 tsp. salt

Whisk in:

1 c. quick cooking grits (NOT instant)

1 c. additional chicken broth or milk

Reduce heat to medium low and simmer, stirring, about 5 minutes until thickened.

Stir in:

1/2 tsp. Tabasco or to taste

1/4 tsp. white or black pepper

a pinch of paprika for color

one of the following cheese blends:

a) 3/4  c. shredded sharp cheddar & 1/4 c. Parmesan

b) 1/2 c. sharp cheddar & 1/2 c. pepper Jack

c) 1 c. smoked cheddar

d) 1 c. smoked Gouda

Set them aside, covered, to keep warm.

Shrimp

Toss in a plastic bag:

1 lb. large shrimp, peeled

1/4 c. flour

1/4 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper

1/8 to 1/4 tsp. Creole seasoning

Saute on medium:

1 tbsp. canola oil

1 tbsp.  butter

coated shrimp

Brown shrimp on both sides, then remove them from the pan and set aside.

Saute for 1 minute in the same pan:

1 c. sliced mushrooms

1/2 c. sliced green onions

1 small tomato, diced

Stir into pan to deglaze and finish cooking the mushrooms:

1/2 c. chicken broth

2 tbsp. lemon juice

1/4 tsp. Tabasco

To assemble

Divide cooked grits among 4 large shallow soup bowls.  Arrange shrimp on the grits and spoon the mushroom pan sauce over top.

Recommended products:

Don't already have a box of grits in your pantry?  Go find yourself some Quaker quick grits.  Avoid the similar Quaker product "instant grits," as these have an undesirable texture.  If you can't find Quaker in your store, look for Albers quick grits.  It's an extremely similar product with identical cooking instructions.

Quaker Quick Grits

Albers quick grits

Sausage and Shrimp Gumbo

Gumbo can have almost any protein in it, but this is my favorite combination.

Sausage and Shrimp Gumbo

serves 4-6

Brown in a skillet on medium heat, then drain and reserve:

1 lb. smoked sausage, in 1/4" slices

Combine in a Dutch oven:

1/4 c. oil (neutrally flavored like canola or peanut)

1/4 c. flour

Stir roux continually over medium heat about 10-15 minutes until it browns; the traditional shade is the color of a copper penny.  Once the color starts to turn, it goes fast.  Be careful: roux is also known as "Cajun napalm", and it can spatter!

Add and simmer on medium low, stirring occasionally, about half an hour:

2 c. chicken broth

1 medium green pepper, diced

1 medium white or yellow onion, diced

2 stalks celery, chopped

1/2 bag frozen sliced okra, thawed

1 can petite diced tomatoes, drained

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp. dried parsley

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Tabasco to taste

the reserved sausage

At the end, add 1 lb. small raw shrimp, peeled.  Serve in bowls over scoops of cooked long grain rice.

Recommended product:

Sausage can vary wildly in its fat content, so pay attention to the labels at the store.  The traditional choice is andouille, a Cajun spicy pork sausage.  I use my slightly healthier stand-by, Jennie-O hot Italian turkey sausage.

 

Mrs. Jefferson’s Capitolade of Roast Fowl

Known simply around my house as "Mrs. Jefferson's", this is the best possible thing to do with leftover Thanksgiving turkey and gravy.  It comes from the Monticello Cookbook and was originally served at Thomas Jefferson’s home as a breakfast dish (no, thanks).

Mrs. Jefferson’s Capitolade of Roast Fowl

serves 4

Boil in salted water:

1/2 pkg. egg noodles

While noodles cook, saute briefly in a saute pan or stock pot:

2 c. cooked turkey, in bite sized pieces

2 tbsp. butter

Add and heat through:

1 c. leftover turkey gravy

1 tbsp. white wine or sherry

1/4 tsp. dried thyme or tarragon

1 tsp. dried parsley

1/4 tsp. paprika

Adjust the thickness of the sauce with a bit of broth if needed.  Either serve the turkey over the noodles or stir the noodles into the pot.

Parmesan Green Beans

Around my house, these are known simply as "the good beans" and are consumed in vast quantities whenever I make them. They're even better on Day 2, after they've had a night in the fridge to soak up the lemon juice.

The quantities below are my best guesses: I usually prepare this recipe a la Julia Child, throwing what looks to be the right amount of each thing into the bowl and taste testing as I go along until it seems flavorful enough.

Parmesan Green Beans

serves 6-8

Head and tail 3 lbs. of green beans, then snap ~in half to produce bite-sized pieces.  Boil in enough salted cold water to float the beans, until they reach your desired level of crispiness.  Drain and dress immediately, while still warm.

Toss together:

3 lbs. cooked green beans

1 tbsp. olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced zest of 1 lemon (optional)

1 tbsp. lemon juice

2 tsp. dried basil

2 tsp. dried parsley

1/3 c. shredded Parmesan

salt and pepper to taste

Lemon Bars

These are the most lemon-y of lemon bars.  They're very tart and not too sweet.

The recipe comes to me from CookingForEngineers.com (which includes such useful features as a Gantt chart), but was originally written up in Baking Illustrated.  I've made minor modifications, disposing of baking-specific ingredients that I don't typically buy like unsalted butter and whole milk.  Salted and 1% seem to work just fine.

Lemon Bars
makes one 9"x13" pan

Crust
Combine in food processor:
1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
2/3 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. cornstarch
3/4 tsp. salt

Add and process until flour forms a coarse meal (~12 seconds):
3/4 c. butter, cut into 1” pieces

Lubricate a 9"x13” baking pan with butter or cooking spray.  Press the crust mixture into the pan, at a thickness of about 1/4 inch (a large measuring cup is helpful for shaping).  Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Bake crust at 350 for 20 minutes, until golden brown.

Filling
Make the filling while the crust is baking.

Whisk together:
4 large eggs
1 1/3 c. granulated sugar
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp. salt

Stir in:
1/3 c. milk
2/3 c. lemon juice
2 tsp. lemon zest

Pour filling into the still-hot crust.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, until the filling is firm to the touch.  Rest on the counter or in the fridge until it's cool enough to slice and eat.

Shopping list
4 large eggs
1/3 cup milk
2-3 whole lemons for zest & juice (need 2/3 cup)

Check the pantry
1.5 sticks of butter (12 tbsp.)
2 cups AP flour
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch

Italian Orzo Salad

This was originally part of a larger pork tenderloin recipe, but I quickly realized I was making the pork as an excuse to eat the orzo salad.  So now it gets its own entry!

Italian Orzo Salad 

serves 6

Boil until al dente:

8 oz. orzo pasta

Dressing: 

1/8 c. olive oil

1/8 c. lemon juice

zest of 1 lemon

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp. rosemary, minced (I use dried)

salt & pepper to taste

Combine:

cooked orzo

dressing

1 large tomato, diced

1/3 c. kalamata olives, chopped

1/4 c. fresh basil, shredded

Orzo is a very small pasta the size and shape of large grains of rice.  It's a great base for pasta salads, and is also a good choice in soup.

I like to chiffonade my basil for this recipe:

Chicken Piccata

Most chicken piccata recipes are terrible: after a lot of sweat and tears, they come out greasy and bland.  The fine folks at Cook's Illustrated figured out a solution to this problem, and I've refined it further for a fast weeknight dinner.

Chicken Piccata

serves 4

Halve 1 lemon, pole to pole.  Cut crosswise into very thin slices (or use a mandolin).

Using the butterflying technique, cut 4 chicken breasts in half to yield two thinner cutlets.  Salt and pepper them, then coat in flour.  In olive oil, saute cutlets in batches for 2-2.5 minutes per side over medium high heat.  Set aside.

Then in the same pan, make the sauce.  (The flour left behind by the cutlets will help to thicken it.)

Saute on medium for 30 seconds:

1 small shallot, minced (or substitute 1 clove garlic)

Add and simmer for 4 minutes:

1 c. chicken broth

thin lemon slices

Add and simmer about 1 minute more:

1/4 c. lemon juice

2 tbsp. capers

Pull your pan sauce off the heat and slowly melt in 3 tbsp. butter (i.e. monter au beurre).  Serve immediately over chicken.

Cooking the lemon slices in the chicken broth softens them and makes them edible, peel and all.  The easiest way to produce thin pieces is to slice the lemon as pictured below, in slices as thin as you can manage:

This recipe calls for a minced shallot.  Contrary to popular belief, shallots and green onions are not the same thing.  They're close cousins, but the two aren't completely interchangeable.  In this recipe, green onions would be too harsh.  If you need to make a substitution for the shallot, use garlic.

Behold the mighty shallot.

 

Here's how to butterfly a chicken breast.  In most recipes, this is intended to produce a thinner, single piece of meat.  Here, we're using it to cut a breast completely in half.

Mediterranean Bok Choy

I've changed a good number of things around, but the original inspiring recipe is from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything.

Mediterranean Bok Choy

serves 4

Chop:

3 medium heads baby bok choy

Separate chopped stems from leaves.

Saute for 3 minutes:

2 tbsp. olive oil

stems from chopped bok choy

Add and cook an additional 5 minutes:

greens from chopped bok choy

salt and pepper

1/3 c. beef stock

Finish with:

1/4-1/2 c. roughly chopped black olives

1 tbsp. red wine vinegar

Shrimp & Lime Pasta

The first time I made this recipe, I misread "teaspoon" for "tablespoon" and accidentally tripled the amount of lime juice it called for.  Honestly, I think it came out better that way - and so the change has stayed.

Shrimp & Lime Pasta 

serves 4

Saute in olive oil for 5 minutes until soft:

1 small white onion, thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper, diced

Add and saute until shrimp is cooked:
1 lb. shrimp, peeled
2 cloves garlic, minced

Add and heat through:

3 tbsp. lime juice

1 jar chunky salsa

Toss with 3/4 lb. cooked long pasta.

This is very much a "semi-homemade" recipe: store-bought salsa provides the bulk of the sauce, with fresh vegetables added for flavor and crispness.  Everyone say hi to Aunt Sandy!

Tomato Massala Chicken

Butter chicken and chicken tikka masala are two of the most beloved Indian dishes in the US and UK.  They're also related recipes.  This version combines the best of both worlds: the ease of meat preparation for butter chicken (recipe from Budget Bytes), but some of the finishing touches for the sauce found in tikka masala (recipe from Cook's Illustrated).

Tomato Massala Chicken

serves 6

Quickly brown in large stock pot:

2 chicken breasts, diced and seasoned with salt and pepper

2 tbsp. butter

Remove chicken to a side plate.

Saute for 3 minutes, until just softening:

1 white or yellow onion, diced

1 inch fresh ginger, minced

Add and bloom for at least 30 seconds:

1 tbsp. garam masala

1 tbsp. tomato paste

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Add and simmer, covered, on medium low for 10-15 minutes:

28 oz. can crushed tomatoes

2 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

reserved chicken

To finish, stir in:

2-3 tbsp. garlic olive oil

3/4 c. heavy cream

Serve over basmati rice.

Recommended product:

If you'd rather be healthy, substitute the heavy cream with an entire single-serving cup of Fage plain Greek yogurt, in either 0% or 2% fat.

Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad

From Cook's Illustrated, another great summer dinner.  If you want to use store-bought pesto, you can saute the chicken and then skip straight to the end.

Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad

serves 6-8

Boil 3/4 lb. rotini in large pot.  Meanwhile, season and saute 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 5 minutes per side).

In food processor, blend 10 sec. until smooth:

1/2 c. pine nuts, toasted

1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 c. chopped fresh basil

2 tbsp. lemon juice

salt to taste

Slowly drizzle in 2/3 c. olive oil.

Toss together:

pesto

cooked chicken, cut into strips

cooked rotini

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved and lightly salted

1/2 lb. arugula or baby spinach

Chicken & Mexican Green Rice

One of the few recipes I have that calls for chicken thighs, rather than breasts. 

Chicken & Mexican Green Rice 

serves 4-6

Season 1.5 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs with salt and pepper.  Cook in skillet over medium high heat for 5 minutes until one side is nicely browned.  Set aside.

Saute in the now-empty skillet for 5 min:

1 white onion, chopped fine

2 poblano peppers (or other mild green peppers), seeded and chopped

Add and bring to a boil:

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. ground cumin

14 oz. can green enchilada sauce

1 c. long-grain white rice, raw

Nestle chicken into rice, browned side up.  Cover and cook on low heat for 20 min., stirring every 5 minutes.

Stir in 1/2 c. chopped cilantro, and add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve at least two thighs per person.

Green enchilada sauce is typically sold in a can, not a jar.  This threw me off the first time I went hunting for it, and I ended up bringing home some sort of salsa verde instead.  (I think it still lurks in the back of my pantry, waiting for a use.)

Chicken & Mango Slaw

From the fine folks at Cook's Illustrated. This was the cover recipe that induced me to buy their summer recipes special two years ago.  Boy, am I ever glad I did!  Many of the stand-by recipes included on this blog have their origins in that slim volume.

If you’re planning to store this for leftovers, let the remaining combined slaw drain in a colander for 5-10 min. before putting in the fridge.  Otherwise the excess sauce will make the cabbage soggy by the next day.

Chicken & Mango Slaw  

serves 6

Bring to a boil in a large skillet:

1 c. water

1 tbsp. fish sauce

1 tsp. sambal oelek

Add 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cover, and simmer over medium low for 10-15 minutes.  Flip the chicken half way through.

Whisk together sauce:

5 tbsp. cream of coconut

5 tbsp. lime juice

1 tbsp. fish sauce

1 tsp. sambal oelek

Combine and toss:

1/2 head green or Napa cabbage, shredded using food processor disk

2 mangoes, sliced thin and bite sized

1/3 c. chopped cilantro

cooked chicken breasts, shredded

sauce

Recommended products:

Cream of coconut is a confusing product name.  It is NOT the same as "coconut cream" (or "coconut milk").  And in my grocery store, it's shelved in a completely different place: it's with the booze mixers, in a bottle more reminiscent of sunscreen than a food product.

Sambal oelek is an Asian chili garlic condiment.  It packs a very spicy punch, so use it sparingly.  Look for it in the Asian section of your grocery store.  I've always seen it in this exact packaging:

Beef & Broccoli

Raw oyster sauce has an off-putting odor.  Soldier through that part and you will be rewarded with an incredibly tasty dish that comes together in the time it takes to cook the rice.

Beef cuts suitable for stir fry are very tender.  I typically pick up top sirloin when it's on sale and use it in this dish.  However, because of its low fat content, sirloin is very easy to overcook.  As soon as the meat looks sealed, add the sauce.  And as soon as the sauce comes together, pull it off the heat!

Beef & Broccoli

serves 4

Whisk together sauce:

1/2 c. beef broth

1/3 c. oyster sauce (usually 1/2 jar)

1 tbsp. soy sauce

1 tbsp. sherry

1 tbsp. corn starch

Stir fry:

2-4 tbsp. peanut oil
3-4 medium heads of broccoli, chopped into florettes

1 package mushrooms, sliced

salt and pepper

When broccoli is mostly done, add:

1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp. sherry
1 bunch green onion tops, chopped

After 30 seconds, add:
1-1.5 lb. beef, cut in bite-sized strips (pref. sirloin or blade steak)
salt and pepper

When beef is just browned, add sauce.  Reduce heat to medium and cook another ~3 minutes.

Serve over jasmine rice.

Recommended products:

Don't buy anything labeled "cooking sherry" that shows up on your grocery store shelves.  Cooking sherry has salt added to make it unpalatable for drinking, and this can throw off the flavor for recipes, too.  Instead, pick up a dirt cheap dry sherry at your local adult beverage market.  The bottle below retails for a whopping $4:

 

Lemon Rice

This recipe comes from the Fearrington House Inn in North Carolina, and is particularly good with seafood.  It can be prepared entirely on the stove top, but I find the microwave makes a superb rice cooker that never burns the grains on the bottom.

Lemon Rice

serves 4

Saute for 5 minutes, until soft:

1 tbsp. butter

1/2 white onion, minced

Add and saute for 1 minute to absorb some of the butter:

1 c. raw long-grain white rice (e.g. Jasmine)

Transfer to a microwave-safe casserole.

Add and microwave 20 minutes:

1 3/4 c. chicken broth

zest of 1 lemon

juice of 1 lemon (or 1/4 c. lemon juice)

Salmon Dill Marinade

Salmon and dill are a match made in heaven.  For me, this is right up there with grilling asparagus in a little olive oil with salt and pepper: sure you could cook your salmon another way...but why?

Salmon Dill Marinade

Marinate overnight in:

1/3 c. olive oil

1/3 c. lemon juice

1 1/2 tsp. dill

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. Dijon or other brown prepared mustard

1 clove garlic, minced

Grill or broil for 10 minutes.

Beef Cacciatore

Beef cuts suitable for quick cooking are very tender.  I typically pick up top sirloin when it's on sale and use it in this dish.  However, because of its low fat content, sirloin is very easy to overcook.  As soon as the meat looks sealed, add the sauce ingredients.  And as soon as the sauce comes together, pull it off the heat!

Beef Cacciatore 
serves 6

Boil 8 oz. of short pasta like rotini or penne while the cacciatore is coming together.

Saute in olive oil until soft:

1 large green pepper, large dice
2-3 carrots, thinly sliced

2 cups of mushrooms, sliced

1 tsp. salt

Add and cook until beef just browns:

1 lb. beef, sliced thin (pref. sirloin or blade steak)

1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried thyme

Add and simmer until sauce flavors meld:

2 tsp. anchovy paste (or 2 minced fillets)
6 oz. can tomato paste
14 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 c. red wine

2 tbsp. garlic olive oil
1 tsp. red wine vinegar

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Stir in the cooked pasta.  Serve.


Shopping list:
1 lb. sirloin or blade steak
14 oz. can diced tomatoes
6 oz. can tomato paste
1 green bell pepper
3 medium/2 large carrots
2 cups mushrooms

Check the pantry:
basil, dried
thyme, dried
red wine for cooking, 1/2 cup
penne or rotini pasta, 8 oz. (1/2 box)
garlic olive oil
anchovy paste
red wine vinegar

Spaghetti Puttanesca

From Cook's Illustrated.  This an incredibly fast, incredibly flavorful dish.  In the time it takes you to boil the water and cook the pasta, you can finish the sauce. 

There's only 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes in this dish, but that's enough to make it quite spicy.  Cut this in half if you have any doubts about your tolerance for hot food.

Spaghetti Puttanesca 

serves 4

Start bringing water to boil for 1 lb. spaghetti.  Meanwhile…

Heat on medium, 2-3 minutes:

2 tbsp. olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp. water

1 tsp. red pepper flakes (less if you don’t like it very spicy)

8 anchovy fillets, minced

Stir in and simmer 8 minutes, until thickened:

28 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained

Add:

3 tbsp. capers, drained

1/2 c. black olives, pitted and chopped

1/4 c. minced fresh parsley

salt to taste

Toss over cooked and drained pasta.  Serve immediately.

Shrimp and Rice Salad

From Cook's Illustrated.  Mango chutney is most likely sold in the "ethnic" aisle of your supermarket with the Indian foods, rather than with the rest of the jams and jellies.

Shrimp and Rice Salad

serves 6

Cook 1.5 cups of basmati rice.

Puree in blender until smooth:

1/2 c. mango chutney

2 tbsp. lime juice

1/3 c. olive oil

Saute briefly over medium heat until just cooked:

1 lb. medium shrimp, seasoned with salt and pepper

Toss together:

mango chutney mixture

cooked rice

cooked shrimp

1/3 c. chopped fresh mint

4 green onions, minced

1 c. frozen peas, thawed and salted

salt and pepper to taste