Shrimp and Cheesy Grits - Pink Saturday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...One of the benefits of having family spread across the country is the opportunity to sample regional foods and meet with like-minded folks who also enjoy the kitchen. Today's recipe is the kidnapped offspring of one that was developed by chef Jon Bonnell for a side dish that was to be served in his Texas restaurant. Under normal circumstances, I would have nothing to do with a dish like this. Years ago, while traveling in the South, I developed an active dislike of grits which appeared, unrequested and unseasoned, on my breakfast plate - over and over again. I equated them with paste. Truth be told, I thought paste had more flavor. At any rate, this past year I was given a copy of Bonnell's book, on the condition I make a version of his shrimp and grits. I should be ashamed I know, but I wanted the book, so my version of shrimp and grits was born. For the uninitiated, grits are coarsely ground dried corn that's served boiled, or boiled and then fried. While they're related to corn meal, they are more coarsely ground. They can be found on the cereal aisles in all large food markets. I've used quick cooking grits in my recipe and my directions are based on those that come on the box of grits I buy. If you make this dish, check the instructions on your box to make sure there are not vastly different from the ones I give here. You may also want to increase the heat by adding more hot pepper sauce. Be careful if you do that. The dish can quickly turn to fire if too much is used. This is a wonderfully easy recipe. It is, unfortunately, high in calories because of the amount of cream used to assemble the dish. While you can cut back to half-and-half, the dish really is not the same. Despite my initial reservations, I've really come to love this dish and serve it as an entree for family and close friends. I think you might like it too. Here's the recipe.

Shrimp with Cheesy Grits...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Jon Bonnell

Ingredients:
Grits
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon butter
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (i.e. Tabasco)
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon Creole seasoning
1/2 cup quick grits
1/2 cup grated Monterey or Pepper Jack cheese
Shrimp
12 ounces Andouille sausage, cut in 1/2-inch dice
1 teaspoon butter
1 pound large (16 - 20) count shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (i.e.Tabasco)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1) To make the grits: Melt butter in a medium nonstick skillet set over medium heat. Add onions and saute until soft, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds longer. Add hot sauce, heavy cream and chicken stock and bring just to a simmer. Whisk in Creole seasoning and grits. Cook, stirring constantly until mixture begins to thicken, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Fold in cheese and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes.
2) To make shrimp: Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet set over medium heat. Add sausage and saute in butter until lightly browned. Add shrimp and cook for two minutes. Pour in cream and add hot sauce. Reduce heat and cook until cream thickens slightly and shrimp is cooked through, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3) To serve: Spread grits on a small platter. Pour shrimp and sauce over grits. Yield: 4 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Blue Corn Muffins - One Perfect Bite
Spoon Bread with Leeks and Gruyere Cheese - One Perfect Bite
Oven Baked Polenta - One Perfect Bite
Garlic Shrimp and Cheddar Grits - A Dose of Frosting
Shrimp and Andouille Sausage - Framed: My Life One Picture at a Time
Grits and Grillades - Deep South Dish

This post is being linked to:
Pink Saturday, sponsored by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.

Shrimp and Corn with Fresh Basil

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I hope there are no secret rules or pledges associated with Meatless Monday. I'm going to proceed on the assumption that fish and shellfish are fair game for use by those participating in the challenge. I'll be working with shellfish today. I live in an area where frozen Alaskan shrimp are cheap and plentiful. While they're not suitable for all applications, the shrimp are perfect for budget family meals. Today's recipe takes all-American ingredients and uses a simple Asian stir-fry technique to make a wonderful family meal. This is a five ingredient recipe that actually works. Bob is always dubious about these really easy meals. I made this for his lunch today and got a high five for my efforts. While I used thawed, frozen corn to make the dish, it will be even better when fresh local corn can be used. I've adapted this recipe from one that appeared in Gourmet magazine a decade ago. I think those of you who try this, will love it. Here's the recipe that garnered me a "...this is really good!" Bon appétit.

Shrimp and Corn with Fresh Basil...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, adapted for Gourmet Magazine

Ingredients:
1/4 cup unsalted butter
3 cups sweet corn, thawed if frozen
1 pound shelled large shrimp
1 bunch green onions (white and tender green), chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over moderately high heat, then sauté or stir-fry corn and shrimp, stirring, until shrimp are cooked through, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in scallions and basil and season with salt and pepper. Yield: 4 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Camarones a la Mexicana - One Perfect Bite
Brined Shrimp with Jalapeno and Garlic - One Perfect Bite
Shrimp Omelet from the Pearl River Delta - One Perfect Bite

This post is being linked to:
Meatless Monday at My Sweet and Savory

Shrimp Cakes with Sweet and Sour Tomato Sauce

Vendor Selling Tomatoes in China

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Now that Carnival and Mardi Gras have ended, meals in some households will be changing. Fridays between now and Easter Sunday will become meatless. For most who observe, this presents no problem. There are a wealth of recipes, really good recipes, that address the dietary constraints of this period. We've come a long way from grandma's mystery casseroles and overcooked fish. Each year I make it a point to search out, or create, new meatless meals to keep everyone at my table on board without complaint. Today's recipe is not only meatless, it's also easy to make if you have a food processor. All the ingredients you need to prepare this can be found in any well-stocked supermarket. The one item that might sound strange to your ears is ginger juice. It's a bother to find a place that sells it, but it can easily be made at home if you have fresh ginger available to you. To make the juice simply grate ginger and squeeze the juice from it. A garlic press makes easy work of the task. This dish can be on the table within 45 minutes. Bob and I first had these shrimp patties in Beijing. We encountered them over and over again as we crossed the country, though they did get hotter as we moved towards the interior. This dish will serve four people if served with rice and a vegetable or two. Here's the recipe for this surprising good sweet and tangy shrimp dish.

Shrimp Cakes with Sweet and Sour Tomato Sauce...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
Shrimp Cakes
1 pound fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 egg whites
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon ginger juice
1 teaspoon finely grated ginger
Oil for deep frying
Sweet and Sour Sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons unsweetened rice wine or dry sherry
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Directions:
1) Place shrimp in bowl of a food processor. Process until a pulp or paste forms. Scrape into a medium bowl.
2) Place egg whites in another. Beat just until frothy. Add cornstarch, ginger and ginger juice and mix to combine.
3) Add egg mixture to shrimp and stir, going in one direction only, until everything is thoroughly mixed.
4) Combine chicken broth, ketchup, vinegar, sherry, sugar salt and cornstarch in a small pan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until it begins to thicken. Simmer for 1 minute more. Remove fro heat. but keep warm.
5) Heat oil to 375 degrees F in a wok of deep frying pan. With wet hands, fashion large spoonfuls of shrimp mixture into silver-dollar sized cakes.
6) Working in batches, deep-fry shrimp cakes over moderate heat until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
7) Arrange shrimp cakes on a serving plate. Pour warm sauce over all. Yield: 12-14 shrimp cakes.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Singapore Noodles
Farfalle with Fresh Tomato and Basil Sauce
Vegan Red Lentil and Sweet Pepper Flan

This is being linked to:
Outdoor Wednesday - A Southern Daydreamer