Shrimp + Grits with Creole Cream Sauce
| April 15, 2012 | Filled under Fish and Seafood, Lent, Quick Weeknight Meals, Shawn's Favorites |
Sometimes I come up with ridiculously complicated recipes with ingredient lists a mile long. I know, it’s incredibly annoying. Other times, I get into the mood for simple food. As long as you use good, quality ingredients, you really don’t need to use a million spices and seasonings to make things taste good. Lately, I’ve been in a simple kind of mood.
I’m taking a class about food blogging right now, and this afternoon I listened to an interview with Molly from Orangette. She commented that as she became more interested in food and cooking, she became less and less interested in fancy ingredients and food trends and focused more on the simply joy of eating something like cheese and crackers. That comment really made me pause and think about my own cooking. Back in the day if you asked your mother or grandmother for a copy of a favorite recipe, you’d get it written on an index card. It might have taken up both sides, but it probably wouldn’t compare to today’s recipes, which could easily fill an entire printed page.
Last night, I made a roast chicken that was so good that I almost cried. It was a simple dinner, but I used great ingredients and solid technique and that really showed in the final product.
I was nervous when I made these shrimp and grits a few weeks ago – it didn’t seem like I was putting enough in them, and I was worried that they’d be bland. In the end, I shouldn’t have worried. This isn’t a pretty dish and the ingredients and preparation are simple, but it has ton of flavor and it was exactly the kind of comfort food that we were in the mood for. If your handwriting is small, you might even get the recipe to fit on an index card.
Shrimp and Grits with Creole Cream Sauce
Yields 4 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutesOne afternoon last month, Shawn called on his way home from work and asked if he should pick up something to make for dinner – he knew that I didn’t have anything planned. I told him that I’d cook, but I really didn’t have any ideas. I asked him to just grab whatever looked god and I’d figure out something to make. When I finally got home, I found that he had purchased a pound of shrimp, a block of monterey jack, and a carton of grits. I guess he knew what he wanted!
I’d never made shrimp and grits before (and had only ever eaten it once!) so I consulted a few friends on twitter for guidance. I added a pepper that I had the the fridge and, taking a cue from the menu at New World, made a spicy Creole cream sauce to blanket everything with. The resulting dish might not be traditional, but it definitely hit the spot.
Ingredients
- 4 cups Water
- 1 cup quick cooking Grits
- ½ cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
- 1 pound peeled and deveined Shrimp
- 1 Tablespoon dried Oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried Thyme
- 1 Tablespoon Butter
- 2 Tablespoons Flour
- ¼ cup Skim Milk
- ¼ cup Tomato Juice (from a can of tomatoes)
- ¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper, or more to taste
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Green Bell Pepper, chopped
- 1 Onion, chopped
Preparation
- In a medium saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add the grits. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese.
- Meanwhile, combine the shrimp, oregano, thyme, and a little salt and pepper in a bowl. Toss the shrimp until it is thoroughly coated.
- Melt the butter in a small pan set over high heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring frequently, until it’s lightly tanned – like the color of coffee with cream. Slowly whisk in the milk. Stir in the tomato juice and cayenne.
- Add the oil to a skillet set over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the shrimp. Cook for a few minutes, or until the spices begin to brown. Reduce the heat to medium and add the pepper and onion. Pour the sauce over the shrimp and cook for 5 minutes, or until the sauce thickens and the shrimp is pink and cooked through.
Bitter Chocolate & Blood Orange Cake
| April 8, 2012 | Filled under Cake and Pastry, Desserts, Indulge |
I took a break from reality last week. I took a week off work, bought myself a pass for unlimited yoga, read three books, played around in the kitchen…it was wonderful.
One of the first things I made was this bitter chocolate and blood orange cake. The idea for it had popped into my head while I had been dreaming about birthday cakes the week before, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
While this cake didn’t look exactly how I pictured it would – the center fell, which could have been because the batter is so heavy or could have been because my baking powder has been expired for three months (oops!) – it was exactly what I wanted. Everything abut this cake is intense. It’s sinfully rich with an almost brownie-like texture and a complex, bittersweet flavor that lingers in your mouth for what seems like forever.
This isn’t a celebratory kind of cake and it’s not something that kids are likely to enjoy but, served with some whipped cream, it was the perfect post-yoga pick-me-up.
Bitter Chocolate and Blood Orange Cake
Yields 8 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 30 minutes.
This recipe makes a six inch cake- a size that I’ve found is perfect for two people. If you don’t have a six inch cake pan, it can be baked in muffin cups. I don’t think the recipe would lend itself well to a full sized cake, but if you insist, you can try doubling the recipe and baking it in a bundt pan.
I chose to drizzle my cake with chocolate glaze. It would be just as good with a dusting of powdered sugar.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Almonds, finely chopped or ground
- 4 ounces Bittersweet Chocolate (60%)
- 1/4 cup unsalted Butter
- 1/2 cup fat free Blood Orange Yogurt*
- 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1/3 cup Dark Brown Sugar
- 1 Egg
- 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
- 2 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder
- 3/4 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 pinch Salt
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 350*F. Grease a 6-inch cake pan and lightly dust it with cocoa powder.
- Add the chocolate and butter to a small saucepan set over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until melted. Remove from heat and whisk in the yogurt and vanilla extract. Set aside.
- Mix together the almonds and brown sugar in a mixing bowl. Beat in the egg. Mix in the chocolate mixture. Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Stir until just combined.
- Add the batter to the prepared pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the center is set and the edges of the cake begin to pull away from the pan. Cool completely before removing the cake from the pan.
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