Shrimp and Grits

Shrimp and Grits - Classic southern dish but with a healthy twist! Packed with flavor and seasonal southern ingredients all while staying true to its roots. 

It’s so easy to forget where we come from. To get lost in our own little world. But sometimes we need to go backward before we can move forward. 

I watched an episode of Chef’s Table, Mashama Bailey - Owner of The Grey in Savannah, Georgia, and I came back to my senses. I remembered where I came from. My Roots. I remembered the sound of fried chicken crackling in a cast-iron skillet. The egregious smell of chitlins cooking in a large black pot outside on a hot summer day. The sweet taste of muscadines after picking them straight off the vine. 

And most of these memories were created by the Black American women who helped raise and shaped me into the person I am today. They are the reason why soul cooking is a thread in my DNA and they inspire the recipes that I create. 

Now for this recipe, grits are the star of this dish. And even though this woman didn’t raise me, she influences the way that I cook today. Edna Lewis. As a renowned chef, author, and teacher, she inspired generations of Southern cooks to honor their own roots. 

Most importantly, she taught me how to make grits. And since this is a health food blog and ...that I and dairy do not get along, I have healthified the recipe but stayed true to her technique. 

Southern soul food is also about cooking with seasonal vegetables. Well, I can't think of a better vegetable to highlight in this recipe, other than okra. Pairing its roots to a creole inspired "gumbo" sauce, we are highlighting all walks of southern soul food! 

And of course, we can't forget about the bacon! 

The last nostalgic thing I will say is that this was my first official meal in my new place. I wanted to Christen the place with a meal that paid an ode to my southern roots and the amazing women that got me to where I am today.

Picture of the meal - in my new apartment. It’s only right to be drinking dry white wine from the meal in a cup. I hope this nourishing comfort meal sparks something inside of you to either find the appreciation of soul food like I have or to find it in your own roots.

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Shrimp and Grits - Classic southern dish but with a healthy twist! Packed with flavor and seasonal southern ingredients all while staying true to its roots.

Ingredients

Grits

• 2 cups of water

• 2 cups plant-based unsweetened milk

• 1 cup instant grits

• 1 Tbsp grass-fed butter

Shrimp 

• 1 lb medium-large raw shrimp peeled, de-veined, tail-on

• 1 tsp cajun seasoning

• ½ lemon

• 1 Tbsp olive oil

Sauce 

• 1 tbsp gluten-free flour

• 1 tsp low-sodium worcheshire sauce

• ½ medium onion, chopped

• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 fennel bulb, white part thinly sliced

• ½ cup chicken or seafood broth/stock

• ¼ cup dry white wine

• 1 Tbsp grass-fed butter

• Salt, hot sauce, and red pepper flakes to taste

Add ons

• 6 oz whole okra

• 1 tbsp grass-fed butter

• 8 slices cooked bacon

Garnish: Fennel fronds 

Instructions

1. To prepare the grits: Bring 2 cups of water and milk in a medium saucepan until just simmering. Stir grits into the simmering water and milk. Cook, while stirring often, until the grits are tender to the bite and have thickened to the consistency of oatmeal. As the grits thicken, stir them more often to keep them from sticking and scorching. Season grits generously with salt and stir in the butter. Remove from heat and let rest, covered, until serving. Serve hot. 

2. To cook the shrimp, toss them with the Cajun seasoning. Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the shrimp. Saute until opaque (about 2 min) and remove from skillet. Squeeze the juice of 1/2 lemon and set aside. 

3. Add the flour to drippings in the skillet and whisk well. Add the onion, jalapeno, and fennel; saute about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for another minute. Add the stock and simmer until reduced by half (about 10 minutes). Add the worcheshire, wine, and butter.  Taste for seasoning, and add salt if you like. I love it spicy so I add red pepper flakes and hot sauce to mine. 

4. To pan-fry okra: Cut okra in half; long wise or chopped. Heat a pad of butter to a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Once the butter is melted, add okra. Cook for about 5 minutes or until each side is brown and crispy. 

5. Serve immediately over the warm grits. Add slices of cooked bacon and pan-fried okra. Garnish with fennel fronds for color and enjoy!