Shrimp and Grits

There are some things that you would not expect to go well together like shrimp and grits. Shrimp and grits are something that everyone needs to try.

4 cups water
Salt and pepper
1 cup stone-ground grits
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
6 slices bacon, chopped
4 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 cup thinly sliced scallions
1 large clove garlic, minced

Bring water to a boil. Add salt and pepper. Add grits and cook until water is absorbed, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter and cheese.

Rinse shrimp and pat dry. Fry the bacon in a large skillet until browned; drain well. In grease, add shrimp. Cook until shrimp turn pink. Add lemon juice, chopped bacon, parsley, scallions and garlic. Sauté for 3 minutes.
 

Spoon grits into a serving bowl. Add shrimp mixture and mix well. Serve immediately.

Then there is Cajun shrimp and grits that fit my taste buds.

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 ounces tasso ham, minced (1/2 cup)

1 cup chopped onion $

1 garlic clove, minced

36 medium shrimp, peeled (about 1 1/4 pounds) $

1 teaspoon Cajunseasoning

2 1/4 cups water, divided

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 cup fat-free milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup uncooked quick-cooking grits

4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)

1/2 cup sliced green onions

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add tasso; sauté 2 minutes or until edges are golden. Add onion; sauté 2 minutes. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add shrimp to pan, sprinkle with Cajun seasoning, and cook 3 minutes, turning once. Add 1/4 cup water, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Remove from heat; add butter, stirring to melt. Cover and keep warm.

2. Bring milk, salt, and 2 cups water to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat. Gradually add grits, and cook until thick and bubbly (about 5 minutes), stirring constantly with a whisk. Remove grits from heat; add cheese, stirring with a whisk until cheese melts.

3. Spoon grits evenly onto 6 plates. Top evenly with shrimp, ham mixture, and green onions.

Tailgating the Southern Way: Part III

Last week I talked about the rest of the South Easter Conference teams and their tailgating traditions, however, I left out two schools.

We are going on to College Station Texas, home of the 12^th man and hometown aggies. The Aggies have a really excellent menu. Their menu consists of: spicy queso dip, layered spicy black bean dip, guacamole, beef fajitas with Pico de Gallo, and oven-baked churros.

If you are wondering what a churro is, well here it is, a churro is a fried-dough pastry based snack. Churros are popular in Spain, France, the Philippines, Portugal, Ibero-America and then Southwestern United States. In Spain, churros can either be thin knotted or long and thick. They are normally eaten for breakfast dipped in champurrado or cafe con leche.

The origin of churros is unclear. One theory is that the Portuguese brought the churro to Europe. The Portuguese sailed for the Orient and, as they returned from Ming Dynasty China to Portugal, they brought along with them new culinary techniques, including modifying the dough for You Tiao also known as Youzagwei in Southern China, for Portugal. However, they modified it by introducing a star design because they did not learn the Chinese skill of "pulling" the dough (the Chinese Emperor made it a capital crime to share knowledge with foreigners). As a result, churros are not "pulled" but rather extruded out through a star-shaped die.

Another theory is that Spanish shepherds made the churro, to substitute for fresh bakery goods. Churro paste was easy to make and fry in an open fire in the mountains, where shepherds spend most of their time

The next campus is in Nashville Tennessee home of the Vanderbilt Commodores. The Commodores are not generally known for football but they know how to tailgate. Vanderbilt’s menu consists of: beer batter fried pickles, sweet hot baby back ribs, cranberry almond coleslaw, Mexican style grilled corn, and over then moon banana pudding.

This is what all the South Eastern Conference has to offer for tailgating. These menus prove that the south know how to tailgate and show off their culinary skills.