Fresh Lemon and Herb Grits
These are perfect served with grilled fish or shrimp.
1 cups water
1 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup quick grits (not instant)
½ stick butter
1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
Zest and juice of one lemon
2 tablespoons fresh herbs, any combination of parsley, chives, thyme, or basil; minced
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Bring water, milk, cream, and salt to a brisk boil. Slowly add grits, stirring constantly for 5 to 7 minutes, until grits are smooth, adding more liquid if needed. Turn heat off and add butter, stirring until melted and incorporated. Add lemon pepper, lemon juice and zest to grits. Sprinkle herbs and the pepper over grits and stir to combine. Serve hot.
Yield:4 servings
Pimento Cheese Grits
2 cups uncooked, stone ground yellow grits
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
½ cup mayonnaise
3 cups Monterey jack cheese, grated
1 (4-ounce) jar chopped pimentos, drained
3 spring onions, chopped plus extra for garnish
1 teaspoon sugar
Pinch cayenne pepper
¼ cup butter, softened
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Prepare grits according to package directions. Meanwhile, in bowl of a mixer, beat cream cheese, mayonnaise, and cheese together on low speed. Using a wooden spoon, gently stir in pimentos, spring onions, sugar, cayenne pepper, and butter. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Stir mixture into hot cooked grits, mixing well. Spoon into individual cups if desired or one medium-size bowl. Garnish with extra chopped spring onions. Serve warm with crackers or crostini.
Yield: 8 appetizer servings
Thick-Cut Bacon and Cheddar Cheese Broiled Grits
2 cups whole milk
2 cups water
1 cup stone-ground grits
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1 tablespoon butter
4 slices thick-cut bacon, diced
2 cups grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese
Pour milk and water into a 2-quart saucepan. Bring liquid to a boil and add grits and salt. Reduce heat to medium, stirring constantly until grits are thick-soup consistency is reached, about 8 minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring every 2 to 3 minutes, for about 20 minutes, until grits thicken and fall easily from spoon. Cook about 15 minutes more, stirring constantly to prevent from sticking to bottom of pan. When grits are creamy and fluffy, turn off heat, add pepper and butter, stirring to incorporate. Season with salt and pepper as needed.
While grits are cooking, scatter diced bacon in a dry skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, moving the pieces around with a wooden spoon, until firm and barely crisp, about 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Reserve fat. When grits are cooked, stir in half of cheese, bacon, and 2 to 3 tablespoons of reserved bacon fat. Stir until cheese melts. Transfer to a baking dish or cast-iron skillet. Sprinkle remaining cheese over top. Place dish 2 to 3 inches under a hot broiler and cook until nicely browned about 3 minutes. Serve immediately.
Yield: 4-6 servings
Cheese-Grits Chilis Rellenos with Roasted Tomato Gravy
3 cups cooked grits
¼ cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
Salt and black pepper to taste
4 plum tomatoes
6 medium poblano peppers
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and quartered
2 large cloves garlic, unpeeled
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
½ cup sharp grated cheese, grated (for topping)
While cooked grits are still hot, stir in grated cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. Core tomatoes with a sharp knife. Arrange tomatoes, peppers, onion, and garlic on a 9×13 inch roasting pan, with peppers on one end. Brush all vegetables with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Slide pan under a broiler, about 3 inches from flame, with peppers closest to front. Turn peppers every 3 minutes until skins are blistered and blackened all over, about 9 minutes total. Onion, garlic, and tomato should charred as well. Transfer peppers to a large bowl. Transfer tomato, onion, and garlic to a medium bowl; let cool. Set aside roasting pan. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. When peppers are cool enough to handle, gently massage skins to remove and discard. Cut a 3-inch slit down side of each pepper and gently spoon out seeds and any fibrous veins. Fill each pepper with ½ cup cheese grits and place in roasting pan. When tomato, onion, and garlic have cooled, remove skins from tomatoes and garlic and discard. In a food processor, process vegetables to a chunky puree, about 30 seconds. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over peppers. Bake on middle rack until tomato sauce bubbles gently, about 15 minutes. Scatter extra cheese on top and place pan under broiler about 2 inches from flame until cheese has browned. Serve immediately.
Yield: 6 servings
Fried Grits with Garlic Butter and Fresh Parmesan
3 cups cooked grits, (cooked according to package directions)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 stick butter, divided
½ cup flour seasoned with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup or more Parmesan cheese, zested or grated
Fresh chives, chopped for garnish
When grits are completely cooked, seasoned, and still hot, pour into an oiled baking dish to a depth of ½ to 1-inch deep. Cover with plastic and chill until firm. When grits are firm enough to cut, use a 3-inch round biscuit cutter or ring and cut into 4 to 6 circles. Dredge each cake in seasoned flour and place on a pan, shaking off excess flour. In a large skillet, heat olive oil and ½ stick of butter over medium heat until butter begins to foam. Carefully slide cakes into pan with a spatula, being careful not to break cakes. Fry until golden brown, turning once. Transfer fried grits to a serving platter. Using same skillet, add remaining butter and heat until it begins to foam over low to medium heat. Add garlic and sauté just until garlic starts to turn, stirring constantly, being careful not to burn the garlic. Immediately pour garlic butter over fried grits and sprinkle fresh Parmesan cheese over all. Garnish with fresh chives and serve hot.
Yield: 4 servings
