Shrimp and Grits recipe included below. #shrimp #recipeoftheday #recipes #grits #comfortfood #goodeats #foodie #healthyeating #foodiefam
In my last blog post, I gave you a shrimp recipe that throw heart-healthy caution to the wind. This week, I am still on my shrimp kick but want to share with you one of my own favorite recipes even after implementing my own tips to lighten it up. With the start of a new year come new resolutions and recipes for health and prosperity. You can use any of my tips to transform your more decadent recipes into something good for you any day. Here are a few of my tips for eating healthier with the way we already cook in the South.
Butter is used in many great southern recipes. I use chicken stock or bouillon instead of butter to gain richness in steamed or sautéed vegetables instead of butter. When making a roux with butter, reduce the roux by half of what the recipe calls for. It may take longer for a sauce to thicken but it helps to ward off unwanted calories.
When a recipe calls for oil simply to sauté or sear meat and vegetables, I use cooking spray or reduce the measurement. Cooking spray is easier to control than oils in the amount that is used. This also significantly reduces the amount of fat taken in at any meal.
Cheese and cream can also boost a recipe from healthy to indulgent. My cheese drawer is stocked with lower fat, stronger tasting cheeses. I use half a cup of sharp reduced-fat cheddar for a full cup of mild cheddar in my Tex Mex dishes. I use a smaller portion of goat cheese in place of cream cheese or heavy cream. I like the flavor of goat cheese better than reduced-fat or fat-free cream cheese. Heavy cream can also be replaced with low fat evaporated milk in sauces. Romano, parmesan, and blue cheese are strong cheeses that are already lower in fat than many kinds of cheese. These cheeses are stronger in flavor. So a half cup of Parmesan can replace a full cup of mozzarella for flavor sake.
Whole grain pasta, tortillas, rice, and bread can easily be consumed in much larger quantities than needed to get the fiber and benefits desired. I substitute fruits and vegetables whenever I can to make up for any energy I may be missing by cutting back on these starches. I add spinach to lasagnas, eat half sandwiches loaded with greens and tomatoes, add broccoli or squash to pasta sauces, and sometimes use quinoa instead of rice.
I use many of these same tips to lighten up my shrimp and grits. Shrimp and grits is a classic southern dish typically loaded with butter and cream. I have taken both out and added flavor. Trust me, where ever you are on the Shrimp and Grits spectrum, this is one recipe you will want to make over and over again. It is one of my more scrumptious modified recipes and a delicious way to start any year on the right foot.
Shrimp and Grits
Grits
2 cups stone-ground grits
6 cups water
1 tsp. black pepper
4 oz. goat cheese
2 tbsp. light margarine
12 oz. fat-free evaporated milk
Shrimp
6 oz. Andouille sausage, cubed
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 jalapeno peppers seeded and diced
1 cup yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tsp. black pepper
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
½ tsp. paprika
1 tsp. hot sauce, Valentina or Tabasco
1 medium lemon
1 cup shrimp stock or low sodium chicken stock
2 tbsp. fresh chopped parsley
2 green onions, thinly sliced
Prepare grits, not instant grits, by bringing 6 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Slowly whisk in grits. Lower the heat to a simmer and place a lid on the pot. Stir grits occasionally until they are tender. Read the directions on your grits for timing. Stir in pepper, margarine, and goat cheese. Gradually add in evaporated milk to the desired consistency.
In a deep skillet, brown the cubed sausage stirring for 3-5 minutes over high heat. Add olive oil, jalapeno, and yellow onion to the skillet lowering the heat to medium-high. Cook stirring until the vegetables are tender. Toss cleaned shrimp with garlic, pepper, cayenne, and paprika. Add shrimp to the vegetables and sausage. Cook shrimp stirring until shrimp turns pink. Add hot sauce, the juice from one lemon, and stock to the skillet. Stir to incorporate and cook just until the dish comes to a bubble.
Serve by dishing a serving of grits at the bottom of a bowl. Ladle shrimp and sauce over the grits. Top with parsley and green onions.
Serves 8. Calories 351 Total Fat 15.0g Sodium 801mg Protein 36.0g