One of my favorite luxury dishes is shrimp and grits. Why do I consider it a luxury choice? Because it’s usually loaded with fat and calories. If you make shrimp and grits in your home kitchen, you can reduce the calorie content while still keeping that flavor POW!
My usual version of this dish has a barbecue-vibe with a tangy sauce coating the shrimp. For this version, I started with fresh ingredients to give the sauce lots of body.
Start by cooking onions and red and green bell peppers in olive oil.
Add garlic, tomatoes and seasoning and cook until the sauce is very thick.
Add shrimp to the pan and cook until it’s done! Serve over prepared grits for a flavor sensation!
Shrimp and Grits
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ yellow onion, finely chopped
½ red bell pepper, finely chopped
½ green bell pepper, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 ½ cups canned diced tomatoes, with juice
12 ounces shrimp, peeled and deveined
Pinch crushed red pepper
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup yellow grits
3 cups chicken stock
¼ cup heavy cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tablespoons butter, if desired
Cook onions, green and red bell peppers in olive oil in a chef’s pan set over medium heat. When the onions are clear, add garlic and cook one minute more. Add tomatoes, crushed red pepper and paprika and cook until sauce is very thick, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, heat chicken stock until it comes to a boil. Sprinkle grits into the boiling liquid. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to stir. When grits get thick, they should be tender, if not, add additional water and continue to cook and stir until they are done. Add cream, cheese and butter if desired. Stir until incorporated and remove from heat. Salt and pepper shrimp and add them to the pan with the sauce. Cook shrimp for 2-3 minutes on each side until it’s opaque and curled. Toss shrimp well with the sauce and serve over grits.
