Showing posts with label Stone ground grits. Show all posts

Stone-Ground Garlic Grits with Cheddar and Mozzarella

in , , , , on Friday, February 17, 2012





“What’s with that white stuff on my plate?  I didn’t order that with my eggs and sausage!”  That’s what Bill used to say when he ordered breakfast down South.  No more!  He now loves grits as much as I do and even asked me to cook up some grits last night for dinner.

Most people around here are not familiar with grits or else shudder at the thought of it.  There’s baked grits, grits with a glob of butter, shrimp and grits, bacon and grits and then there’s stone-ground grits.  That’s the way to go but if you’ve followed my blog, you may recall it is not available here so I order the stone-ground grits from Nora Mill. 

Stone-ground grits are crunchy delicious with a little garlic and cheddar cheese.  This time; however, I added mozzarella cheese.  Don’t water it down and make it like cream of wheat and no sugar, please!  Think of grits as a side dish and dress it like a baked potato: cheese, onions, bacon, chives, green onions, sautéed mushrooms, jalapeño peppers or hot sauce.    

Here’s what Nora Mill advises for leftover grits:  Pour into a glass and chill.  The next day, slide them out, slice and fry them like mush for breakfast.  It’s great!






Stone-Ground Garlic Grits with Cheddar and Mozzarella

Ingredients:

1 cup stone ground grits
1 teaspoons salt
3 cups water
1 tablespoon garlic powder (I use more)
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
½ cup mozzarella cheese, grated

Method:

In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil.
Stir in grits and garlic powder and return to boil.
Reduce to low heat.
Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add more water as needed, being sure not to make it soupy.
Add cheeses.
Continue cooking on low heat for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently until cheese is melted and grits are creamy.
Serve

Start cooking and dress up your grits!



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Sautéed Shrimp over Creamy Grits

in , , , , , , , on Thursday, January 26, 2012




 I first had this dish in Savannah, Georgia and this is as close to it as I can get.  Even though it is a traditional Southern dish, it is extraordinary to this Midwestern girl.  How wonderful it would be to live along the Southern coastline ~ do some fishing, go home and cook up a little shrimp fresh from the water and serve it over creamy grits!

Shrimp and grits is an easy recipe.  Just have all the prep work done before you begin.  Then it will be a snap to cook up the dish.  And, you can even make the grits a little bit ahead of time as they will stay hot for a while.

This is one of the most satisfying grits dishes!  I could eat grits with just about anything ~ especially shrimp. 

Sautéed Shrimp over Creamy Grits

For the grits: 

1 cup heavy cream
2 cups water
1 ½ cups hot chicken or vegetable stock
¼ cup butter
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup Stone-ground grits

Method:

In large saucepan over medium-high heat, combine cream, water and hot stock, bring to a boil.
Add butter, salt and pepper.
Add grits slowly, stirring constantly, scrapping the bottom of the pan.
Reduce heat to medium-low.
Cook for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally so that they do not scorch.
The grits should have absorbed all the liquid and be soft.
If they are too thick, add a little water or warm stock. 


For the shrimp:

1 pound raw shrimp
6-8 bacon slices
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon paprika
Hot sauce, optional
4 ounces amber beer
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Method:

Place shrimp on a plate and season with salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning and paprika.
In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, fry bacon until nearly crisp.
When cooled, crumble into pieces.  Set aside.
Reserve 2-3 tablespoons bacon grease in the skillet.
Add onion, garlic and bell pepper, sautéing about 3-4 minutes.
Slowly add beer and Worcestershire sauce; cook down until onion is transparent and peppers are cooked about 10-12 minutes.
Add shrimp mixture and crumbled bacon.
Sauté 5-7 minutes until shrimp are opaque in center (cut to test).
Remove from heat.
Spoon hot grits onto serving plate; top with shrimp mixture.

Pam’s note:  Stone-ground grits makes a huge difference.  See my January 6, 2010 post for where I buy them.

Enjoy!



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Garlic Cheese Grits Casserole

in , , , , , , on Tuesday, September 6, 2011



I love grits however prepared and it is probably an acquired taste but, I loved grits dishes when I first had them living in Louisville and it even made a Southerner out of Bill when grits won him over.  It’s kind of funny also that after we were married and had lived in Louisville a while, he was the one with the strong southern accent, and I was the one who grew up there!  I always knew he was a gentleman, and then realized he was a southerner too at heart, truly a southern gentleman!  


The Grit Poem
 
   Here's an ode to the lowly grit.
   The more you eat the better they git.
   Ye can get 'em yellow, ye can get 'em white,
   makes no difference if you cook 'em right!
   Eat 'em at breakfast, lunch or dinner.
   Anytime ye eat 'em, they're a winner.
   Eat 'em with eggs and a little meat,
   Without grits no meals complete!
   Some folks like 'em kinda bland.
   Others say butter makes 'em grand.
   As for me, just bring 'em on.
   ain't no way to fix 'em wrong!
   There's a special place in my heart
   for the farmers who do their part.
   To them I owe many thank  ye's.
   'cause without grits, we'd all be Yankees!
   Now don't ya'll Yankees start a fuss.
   We're glad ya'll moved here with us.
   Pick up a spoon and put 'em in your mouth,
   you'll thank God you moved down South!
   The best advice I've ever given,
   if you ain't eatin' grits, then you ain't livin!
   then you'll  enter  at Heaven's gate,
   and you'll  find grits are on your plate!
   Let me make just one more rhyme.
   It'll soon be breakfast time.
   No matter where you go to eat,
   be sure you get that Heavenly treat.    GRITS !!!!!
 William D. Faulkner
 
There really is a huge difference between commercial milled grits and stone ground grits.  I had never eaten stone ground grits until we took a trip to Savannah, Georgia and there was no turning back.  It is remarkable that being stone ground can make such a big difference.   

Since stone ground grits are not available here in Cary, I order mine from Nora Mill Granary just as I do my stone ground corn meal.  Here is what the folks at Nora Mill say about grits:  “Mass-produced grits are steamed to loosen the tough outer shell before the grains are dried, and the hull, bran and germ are removed, leaving a product somewhat lacking in nutritive content – not to mention taste.  Nora Mill Stone Ground Grits are stone ground from dried, hulled, locally grown corn kernels and always include the nutritious and flavorful germ of the corn.  The germ is rich in niacin, iron and riboflavin.”  They made a believer of me as their grits are not only tasty; they have a great crunchy, gritty texture also!

If you have never eaten grits, you are in for a surprise and now is a great time to try the versatile dish.  Grits can be made spicy by adding jalapeno peppers or shrimp, bacon, scallops, crab, mushrooms, andouille or any other kind of sausage, whatever you like!  Here is a great delicious grits casserole recipe loaded with cheese and garlic, having a great creamy yet crunchy texture:

Garlic Cheese Grits Casserole

Ingredients:

4 ½ cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup stone ground grits
1 stick butter
1 tube Kraft Garlic cheese
2 eggs, beaten
½ teaspoon baking powder
Milk
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese, optional

Bring water and salt to a boil. 
Slowly stir in grits and return to low boil.
Cook for 5-10 minutes until thickened.
Add garlic cheese and butter to hot grits and stir until melted and incorporated.
Pour 2 beaten eggs into measuring cup and add enough milk to make 1 cup liquid.
Slowly stir the egg mixture into the grits.
Cook 2-3 minutes.
Pour the mixture into a greased casserole dish.
If desired, sprinkle top with ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese after 30 minutes of baking.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.


Note:  If you can not find a roll of Kraft Garlic Cheese, substitute 1 ½ cups grated cheddar cheese and 1-2 teaspoons garlic powder, depending on how much of a garlic taste you want.  Or, try 10 ounces herb and garlic cheese, such as Boursin.



Yummers!!!  Love those grits, y’all!

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