Saturday Night Dinner

We stayed in last night and made this yummy meal. One of these days I’d like to eat at Crooks Corner in Chapel Hill, but for now I’ll just have to make one of their recipes on my own. I doubled the recipe so that we would have leftovers for this week. This recipe was in the February 2008 issue of Southern Living.

(Photo from Southern Living Magazine)

Shrimp and Grits

Prep: 20 min., Cook: 21 min. The original recipe is from Bill Smith, executive chef at Crook’s Corner, the landmark Southern restaurant in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

2 bacon slices
1 pound unpeeled, medium-size raw shrimp
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
2 teaspoons canola oil
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup low-sodium, fat-free chicken broth
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
Cheese Grits

1. Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat 10 minutes or until crisp; remove bacon, and drain on paper towels, reserving 1 tsp. drippings in skillet. Crumble bacon.
2. Peel shrimp; devein, if desired. Sprinkle shrimp with salt and pepper; dredge in flour.

3. Sauté mushrooms in hot drippings with oil in skillet 5 minutes or until tender. Add green onions, and sauté 2 minutes. Add shrimp and garlic, and sauté 2 minutes or until shrimp are lightly browned. Stir in chicken broth, lemon juice, and hot sauce, and cook 2 more minutes, stirring to loosen particles from bottom of skillet. Spoon shrimp mixture over hot Cheese Grits; sprinkle with crumbled bacon.

Yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings

Southern Living, FEBRUARY 2008

Cheese Grits

Prep: 15 min., Cook: 15 min.
This recipe goes with Shrimp and Grits

1 (14-oz.) can low-sodium fat-free chicken broth
1 cup fat-free milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup uncooked quick-cooking grits
3/4 cup (3 oz.) shredded 2% reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

1. Bring first 3 ingredients and 1 1/3 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; gradually whisk in grits. Reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until thickened. Stir in Cheddar cheese and next 3 ingredients.

Yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings

I roasted broccoli from the January/February 2008 issue of Cook’s Illustrated as our side. This is a wonderful, easy recipe and I’d highly recommend it to anyone.

Roasted Broccoli

1 large head of broccoli
3 T evoo
1/2 t salt
1/2 t sugar

1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position, place large rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Cut broccoli at juncture of florets and stems; remove outer peel from stalk. Cut stalk into 2 to 3 inch lengths and 1/2 inch pieces. Cut crowns into 4 wedges if 3-4 inches in diameter or 6 wedges if 4-5 inches in diameter. Place broccoli in large bowl; drizzle with oil and toss well until evenly coated. Sprinkle with salt, sugar, and pepper to taste and toss to continue.

2. Working quickly, remove baking sheet from oven. Carefully transfer broccoli to baking sheet and spread into even layer, placing flat sides down. Return to oven and roast until stalks are well browned and tender and florets are lightly browned, 8 to 11 minutes. Transfer to serving dish and serve immediately with lemon wedges.