happy at home

BIRTHDAY DINNER SUCCESS

Tonight was the fabulous dinner for my father in law that I posted about earlier in the week. It went very well and he seemed to enjoy it, as I had hoped he would. So often, things are much better in my mind than the reality ends up being. The food turned out great and we had a sweet little centerpiece of yellow flowers put together by our house horticulturalist, Caed.
I had never made shrimp and grits before, so I was a little nervous. In fact, I have never cooked "a grit" in my whole life until tonight. Shrimp and Grits is a great dish though...southern comfort food at its best. Here is the recipe, in case you are interested.

Shrimp and Grits
Ingredients:
1 Ib. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 cups grits
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 cup white wine
Equal amounts of paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Lemon Juice
Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish (optional)

Directions:
Shrimp- Boil shrimp for 1-2 minutes, just until pink. Place chopped garlic in preheated saute pan w/ oil. Season cooked shrimp with paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, then place in saute pan. Sear on high heat for 30-45 seconds. Place shrimp in bowl and set aside. Deglaze pan with white wine, making sure to get all of the flavor off the bottom of the pan. Slowly add cream and let it simmer just until it thickens.

Grits- Prepare grits according to package directions...please, no instant grits! Add chicken stock to simmering grits and season with salt and pepper. Add cheese, if preferred. Transfer grits to serving dish, add shrimp and squeeze half of lemon on top. Top with cream mixture. Garnish with scallions and lemon wedges, if desired.