Slow Cooker Shrimp and Grits

9 Oct By

The Gentleman is from South Carolina so Shrimp and Grits is a required meal in our home.  This recipe works great in a slow-cooker.  For more flavor try adding andouille sausage instead of bacon.

Slow Cooker Shrimp and Grits

1 cup stone ground yellow grits
1 cups skim milk
3 cups chicken broth
1 tsp olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 small onion, diced
1 large tomato, diced
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
½ cup shredded pepper jack cheese
4 slices bacon, cooked until crispy
¾ lbs. deveined and peeled shrimp
2 tbsp. chopped parsley
1 tbsp. lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste.

Add grits, milk and broth to slow cooker set to low heat.  In a small skillet, heat olive oil, garlic and onion.  Cook until onion is soft and add contents of skillet to the slow cooker along with tomato and cayenne pepper.  Cook approximately 5 hours or until grits have absorbed liquid.  Stir in cheese, bacon, shrimp, parsley and lemon.  Continue cooking about 30 more minutes or until shrimp is opaque.  (This recipe can be cooked longer on low – just add additional broth to keep grits from burning).

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Food is Joy : Add-ons

11 May By

My blogs about the joy of food paused this week while I battled a cold and bureaucracy, but now that I can breathe through my nose again, I’m dreaming of the things I’ll cook this weekend.  Like most of you, I have a few go-to recipes I use for busy weeknights to keep us fed:  baked chicken and rice, green salads, broiled salmon, etc.

While they’re good on their own, these “same-old” meals really do get boring, so I do my best to mix them up with some simple mix-and-match add-on ingredients. 

Do you have a favorite recipe add-on?  Share it with a comment!

1.  Bacon.  I probably don’t actually need to convince you that bacon makes everything better. Use bacon slices to wrap pretty much anything your going to cook, or chop it and use as a topping or stirred into sauces and casseroles.  For ease, try cooking a whole package of bacon and freezing the slices in a plastic baggie – they’ll thaw during cooking.  And forget turkey bacon – go for center-cut pork bacon or try it’s newer sibling, beef bacon.

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2.  Caramelized Onions.  Thinly slice an onion, and cook it in butter over low heat (this is key – cook the onions too fast and they won’t caramelize).  For particularly strong onions, you can add a little sugar as you cook.  I use these guys to top everything from roasted chicken to mashed potatoes to salad (yes – GREAT in lieu of dressing) and they only take a few minutes to prepare!

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3. Sauteed Mushrooms.  Just like those onions up there, these can top pretty much anything.  Use a high quality olive oil or butter (I prefer butter!) to saute mushrooms until they release their liquid.  I like to add in some chopped garlic too – the mushrooms absorb the flavor so nicely!

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4. Capers.  Oh ignored little gem, I love you capers!  These are literally the simplest addition to any recipe – just open the jar and sprinkle them on.  But that salty-savory addition of flavor is unmatched.  I love sprinkling a few capers on to fish, salads and chicken.

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5.  Mrs. Dash®.  You don’t have to be on a salt-limiting diet to enjoy these seasoning blends – just a couple of shakes and you’ve totally changed the flavor of your go-to dish.  My favorites are : Southwest Chipotle (really nice smoky-spicy flavor), Extra-Spicy (for a good kick!), and Garlic and Herb (awesome on steamed or roasted veggies).  Easy.  And no, Mrs. Dash doesn’t pay me or know I’m writing this.

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Coconut-Stuffed Bacon-Wrapped Jalapenos

1 May By

It’s been ages since I’ve posted one of my recipes, hasn’t it?  The Gentleman and I recently spent a lovely Saturday tailgating at a Steeplechase with friends.  The horsepark was about an hour from our home and we knew there would be a lag between our arrival and chow time, so I opted to make some finger foods that hold up well over time.

These little beauties combine contrasting flavors – salty, spicy, sweet, smoky – into a small package that delivers a tasty punch.  In fact, they were so good that I only managed a “before” picture!

Enjoy.

Coconut-Stuffed, Bacon-Wrapped Jalapenos

1 dozen fresh jalapeno peppers
6 oz reduced fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup shredded coconut
2 tsp honey
1/2 tsp smoked paprika*
12 slices uncooked bacon (I used Trader Joe’s Uncured)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Slice jalapenos in half, lengthwise.  Us a small spoon to remove seeds and white membrane (Careful!  This is the hot part – wear gloves or avoid touching your face afterwards).  in a small bowl combine softened cream cheese, coconut, honey and paprika until well blended.  Spoon cheese mixture into jalapeno halves taking care not to over fill.  Wrap each stuffed jalapeno with a half slice of bacon and secure bacon with a toothpick.  Transfer stuffed jalapenos to a broil pan sprayed with olive oil.  Bake 375 for about 25 minutes or until bacon is crispy.

Bacon-wrapped anything is pure genius. Link up with Goings on in Texas to share your genius!

Unveil Your Genius Link Party

*Note: you can use plain paprika, but it won’t much change the flavor. Go fo the gold and use the smoked kind!

 

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Bringing Home the Bacon (And Baked Beans)

19 Feb By

That title up there?  That’s what I’ve been up to the past few days.  From time to time my day job turns into a day-and-night job and last week was one of those weeks.  I’m too tired to describe how tired I was when I finally turned out the office lights.  I did manage to keep my Bacon-Bringer in Chief (the husband) and I fed fairly well last week and I realized that it’s been FOREVER since I’ve shared some recipes.

So, let’s remedy that.

We’ll start simple.  Last winter, while planning our vegetable garden for the year, I asked The Gentleman to list his favorite vegetables for me (he’ll eat pretty much anything I cook so it’s hard to know what he actually likes without asking).

He answered, “baked beans.”  I have to be honest:  I love that answer.  And no, we can’t plant baked beans.  And no, they’re not the healthiest “vegetable” ever.  But yes, they are SO GOOD.

Anyway, in my ongoing effort to keep us eating whole, healthy foods I embarked on a quest to make delicious homemade baked beans.  These are a cinch – enjoy!

Baked Beans

1 lb dried navy beans, rinsed and soaked overnight
1/4 cup tomato paste
3-4 cups water*
5 slices center-cut bacon
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup molasses
2 Tbs. brown sugar**
1 tsp. Texas Pete or other hot sauce
1 tsp salt

In a slow cooker crock, combine soaked beans, tomato paste and enough water to cover the mixture by about 1 inch.  Stir well. Cook bacon until crispy. Add bacon, bacon drippings, onion, garlic, molasses, brown sugar, hot sauce and salt to the beans.  Set slow cooker to low temperature and cook 8-12 hours until beans are tender and sauce is thickened.

* Adjust so water covers beans by about 1 inch.  I usually use 3 1/2 cups.  For a richer flavor, substitute chicken or vegetable broth.
**I prefer our baked beans more savory, but if you like them sweeter, add another tablespoon of brown sugar.

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