Shrimp and Grits

I love grits for breakfast, but grits for dinner are even better. I always find it hard to come up with a "breakfast for dinner" option that actually includes vegetables, but grits are a great medium for that. So, I take the classic shrimp and grits, and add spinach and sometimes even red pepper to round out the meal. Of course you could have this for brunch too.

Now I live in the Blue Ridge Mountains and we don't have fresh shrimp to buy locally. Lucky for me I have a family that live on the coast and we buy tons of shrimp from them (and freeze them in dinner-serving sized portions). As for spinach, well you can get that anywhere local. But the grits are key. Having lived in Kentucky recently we became addicted to these stone ground grits from Midway. For $3 a bag, I always keep a few bags on hand. You can find other places closer to home (and I know I should) but these remind me of our favorite restaurant back in Louisville.

Shrimp & Grits

1 cup stone ground grits

4 cups water

Pinch of salt

10 ounces fresh spinach (or you can use frozen spinach, defrosted)

1 cup shredded white sharp cheddar cheese
1 T olive oil
1 pound shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 T hot sauce (or thereabouts...kind of to taste)
1 glug of dry white wine (about 1/4 cup if you must measure)
1 sliced green onion for garnish

1. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add grits and salt. Cook until almost thick, about 20 minutes. Stir in spinach and cheese until all is combined and melted.
2. About 15 minutes in to you grits cooking, heat oil in a skillet. Once hot, add shrimp. 
3. Top shrimp with hot sauce and wine. When shrimp begin to turn opaque, flip them over. Shrimp will only cook about 3 minutes total, so don't overcook them!
4. Serve shrimp atop grits and garnish with green onions. Enjoy!