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The last day of 2011

It has been a great last day of a momentous year. I’ll have a year in review tomorrow, but this last day was about taking it easy and eating good food. Nothing new, right? 😉

After a week of laying low and recuperating, I finally ventured out to town for some food and breathe fresh air. This last round of being sick is about to put me down for the count. One of my resolutions is to bathe in Vit. C daily. I’ll try to embrace my Oompa Loompa skin if it means I don’t have so many returning sinus infections/colds/flu/pneumonia.

So, without further dawdling, my last big meal of 2011.

Lowcountry Shrimp and Grits. Lowcountry refers to the cuisine around the low country of South Carolina and Georgia. Because of the heavy emphasis on seafood and creole seasonings, it is a twin sister to Louisiana cajun cuisine.

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Grits
  • 2 Tablespoons of butter
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup of sour cream
  • 1 cup water, and additional may be needed to thin grits.
  • 1 cup quick cooking grits
  • 1/4 cup EACH of cheddar, parmesan, gruyere cheeses.
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Shrimp

  • 1/2 cup butter, divided
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped celery
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
  • 2 teaspoons creole or cajun seasoning
  • 1-1/5 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 64 shrimp)
  • 8 ounces dry white wine*
  • 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped tomato
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
  • Garnishes: julienned prosciutto, crumbled cooked bacon, chopped fresh chives
  1. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan. Add garlic and 1 tablespoon thyme; sauté 1 minute. Add milk and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil; whisk in grits. Reduce heat to lowest setting; cook 10 minutes or until done, stirring occasionally. Add cheeses and sour cream. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm. If they set too firmly when ready to serve with shrimp, add water or milk to thin and reconstitute.
  2. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet. Add garlic, celery, bell pepper, onions, thyme, cajun seasoning; sauté 30 seconds. Add shrimp, and cook 7 minutes. Remove shrimp and veggies from skillet.
  3. Add wine, stirring to loosen browned bits. Reduce heat to low; whisk in remaining butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Stir in lemon juice, tomato, and parsley. Cook 3-5 minutes. Return shrimp and veggies to pan. Stir to mix with butter tomato sauce. Serve over grits. Garnish, if desired.

* If you would rather not use the wine, use broth or lemon juice.

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Now I have one hour to finish about 6 blog posts that I’ve started. Those few who actually read my rambling thoughts, I hope I don’t mess up your reader with a barrage of old posts. 🙁

One hour left! Happy New Year!

Shrimp and Grits | Biscuits 'n Crazy

Thursday 5th of September 2013

[…] Adapted from Katrina Runs for Food’s Lowcountry Shrimp and Grits.  […]

jenn

Wednesday 4th of January 2012

Hi! I love you blog and am going to make this for my boyfriend from NC tonight! He will love it! Quick question - in the instructions for the grits it says to add cheese and sour cream, but there is no sour cream in the ingredients list. I'm sure it would be delish either way, but what do you recommend?

Thanks again for your blog - you probably don't even know how many people you are inspiring to run! I have never done a full marathon, but have done a half and prefer a 10 mile race - I am really slow and 10 miles is about what I can handle before I am totally useless. Thank you so much for your story and your spirit.

Anna

Sunday 1st of January 2012

Loving the cheesy -seafood treat...Continue sharing with us healthy and yummy recipes. Great job! Thanks a lot...I look forward to another year, peeking into your kitchen adventures ;)

Katrina

Monday 2nd of January 2012

Thank you so much!

Simply Tia

Sunday 1st of January 2012

This looks so comforting. I've never had grits but this is too inviting. Makes me want to go out and make some soon.

Katrina

Monday 2nd of January 2012

Just remember they do set up fast so have milk or broth handy to get them back to a good consistency.

Lee

Sunday 1st of January 2012

That looks delicious. I didn't even know that I liked grits until I moved to Georgia. I think because before I moved here, I never had them with cheese!

Katrina

Monday 2nd of January 2012

I was raised on grits..but always with butter and cheese. I've had them at restaurants without anything and it was like wet sand in my mouth. blech.