Christy's Shrimp and Grits

Christy's Shrimp and Grits

Marinate for an hour or so:

2 lbs of raw de-veined and peeled shrimp
olive oil
garlic
fresh parsley
fresh basil
lemon juice
(No official measurements were given....1/4 C oil? 1/4 C lemon? 1/4 C basil and parsley? 2 t garlic?)

Place on skewers and cook on grill.

Cheese Grits
2 C Grits
8 C water
4 C cheddar (grated finely....melts easier) (Hans and the kids prefer less cheese ..3 1/2 C?)
6 T butter
salt and pepper
(extra milk if need to thin)
Bring water to a boil, add grits and cook until thickened, stirring often with a whisk to break up chunks.  When thickened, but still soupy, add butter and cheese, stirring until well blended. Add some milk if it thickens up too much.  (Keep warm until shrimp are ready!)

Serve with 2 slices of crisp bacon and a Flying Biscuit!

**My southern friend Christy cooked this for me...never having anything like this before, I loved it!  It was down home cooking, with a gourmet flare and flavor! Sure to become a family favorite, if for nothing else, the bacon seals the deal! Thanks Christy!
**Enough for 4 very generous adult servings, but could easy feed 2 adults and 4 kids...just depends on how many shrimp they like.

Baja Fish Tacos

Baja Fried Fish Tacos

1 C dark beer  (Or Ginger Ale)                     
1 C flour
1 t salt                         
1 1/2 pounds tilapia (I use frozen Tilapia Loins from Costco)
Canola Oil                     
12-16 corn tortillas warmed

Whisk beer, flour and salt. Rinse fish and pat dry; cut cross wise into 1 inch wide strips.  Pour about 1 inch of oil into 10-12 inch fry pan (tall sides are good to prevent oil splatter).  Heat oil on med-high heat. With a fork dip each piece of fish into batter, let drain briefly and then slide into oil, a few pieces at a time.  Cook until golden turning a few times.  2-4 minutes per batch.  Remove with a slotted spoon and put on a paper towel lines cooking sheet. Keep warm in a 200 degree oven.  Must be served with Cabbage and cilantro slaw and chipotle tartar sauce,

Cabbage Cilantro Slaw
1 1/2 quarts finely shredded cabbage         
1/3 C chopped cilantro
3 T lime juice                     
2 T oil
1/4 t hot chile flakes                 
salt to taste
Mix and keep chilled until ready to assemble tacos.

Chipotle Tartar Sauce
Rinse 2 T canned chipotle chiles and discard seeds and veins.

In a blender, blend the chiles with:
1 C mayo
1/4 C sweet pickle relish
1/4 C chipped onion until smooth.

To assemble taco, take a corn tortilla and top with a couple pieces of fish, then a spoonful of slaw and sauce to taste.  Yummy with lime juice squeezed over the top.


**I love these tacos! The hot crunchy fish, with the cold crunchy slaw and the warm spicy tartar...oh its heaven for me.  And I love them on a yummy corn tortilla (homemade if you have the time)!  You could get away with not frying the fish, or using a different slaw or lettuce, but don't substitute the tartar!
**Hans' sister Holly made these for me years ago and I have been thanking her ever since! Along with a ton of other fave recipes...like the midnight cake!

Tilapia with Lemon Vinaigrette

Tilapia  with Lemon Vinaigrette

8 T olive oil
3 shallots, thinly sliced
1 large head radicchio, coarsely chopped
1 (15 oz) can cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed (or great northern if you can't find)
1/3 C vegetable broth
Salt and freshly ground pepper
6 (5-6oz) tilapia fillets
Flour for dredging
Lemon Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

Heat 2 T of oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat.  Add the shallots and sauté until tender, about 2 minutes.  Add the radicchio and sauté until wilted, about 2 minutes.  Add the beans and broth, and cook until the beans are heated through, stirring often, about 5 minutes.  Season the radicchio mixture, to taste, with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, heat 3 T  of oil in a nonstick fry pan over medium-high heat.  Sprinkle the fillets with salt and pepper.  Dredge the fillets in flour to coat completely.  Shake off the excess flour and fry fillets until they are golden brown and just cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.

Spoon radicchio mixture over the center of the plates.  Top with fillets.  Drizzle the vinaigrette over and serve immediately.

Lemon Vinaigrette:
2 t finely grated lemon zest
¼ C fresh lemon juice
¼ C lightly packed fresh Italian parsley leaves
2 cloves garlic
½ t salt
¼ t freshly ground pepper
1/3 C extra virgin olive oil
Blend the lemon juice, parsley, lemon zest, garlic, salt and pepper in a blender. With the machine running, gradually blend in the oil.  Season the vinaigrette, to taste, with more salt and pepper.

**This is one of our all time favorite meals, for everyone. Hans requests it for his birthday. Truman and Gray eat 2 pieces of fish and Rock devours the beans.  Josie & Chloe like it.  It doesn't look all that impressive, but it is delish and pretty healthy, especially is if you cut down the oil in the frying and in the vinaigrette (just add a little water instead of some of the oil, makes it a little more runny, but the flavor is still there!)
*A little funny note, this is from the very first Giada De Laurentiis show I saw, Everyday Italian, on an airplane on our way home from Vermont, and I've been making it ever since.
*Served with a simple salad of spring mix, butternut squash,  toasted almonds, a crumbled lemon cheese and a simple vinaigrette. It was made up, but yummy.