Shrimp and Grits

SOMEbody keeps trying to convince me that grits are good. This is courtesy of Southern Living Magazine, and I do admit it doesn't look bad. Except for the grits...but MAYBE

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.

Ingredients
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
Preparation

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

Pizza Pronto

From Redbook
This recipe has been tested by Redbook
With this 10-minute recipe, dinner will be on the table before your stomach begins to rumble. Cut into wedges, this pita pizza also makes great finger food for a party.

4 (7-inch) pocketless pita breads
1 Tablespoon basil-flavored olive oil
2 Tablespoon tapenade (olive paste)
8 thin slices soppressata
4 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
1 each red and yellow bell pepper, seeded, cut into strips
16 slices plum tomatoes
1 cup grated fontina cheese
Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
1/2 cup fresh arugula leaves

1. Adjust oven rack to bottom position; preheat oven to 500 degrees F.

2. Place pita breads on a large baking sheet. Brush each with olive oil, then spread on tapenade, dividing evenly. Place soppressata, then mozzarella cheese, on pitas. Scatter bell peppers, tomatoes, and fontina cheese on top. Bake in oven 5 to 7 minutes, until crisp and cheese is melted. Remove from oven. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired; top each pizza with arugula.
Tip: Try Genoa salami or pepperoni instead of soppressata.

Makes 4 servings. Each serving: 500 cal, 27 g fat, 22 g protein, 43 g carb

www.rebookmag.com August 2008

Citrus Basil Salmon

I can't get enough salmon, and the fact that it's good for you is a real plus. But finding new recipes and ways to cook it can be a challenge.

2 Tbspbasil olive oil
4 Tbsp EACH grated lemon zest and lime zest
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 7-8 oz skinless salmon fillets, (about 1-1 1/2 inch thick)

Garnish: julienned strips of fresh basil leaves, lemon zest and lime zest

1. In a large shallow dish, whisk together 1 Tbsp. of the basil oil, 3 Tbsp of the lime juice, 1/2 tsp of the grated lemon zest, 1/2 tsp of the grated lime zest, 1/2 tsp of the salt and 1/4 tsp of the pepper. Add salmon to the dish, turning to coat fillets.

2. Spray a large non-stick skillet with olive oil cooking spray. Heat over medium high heat. Add salmon, rounded side down and cook for 4 minutes. Turn the fillets and cook for 3-4 minutes for medium rare or longer for desired doneness. Remove from heat.

3. Spoon the remaining basil olive oil and the remaining lemon and lime juice over fillets, dividing evenly. Sprinkle the fillets with the remaining lemon and lime zest, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Garnish as noted above.

makes 4 servings
each serving 320 calories, 14 g fat, 43 g protein 3 g carbs

www.rebookmag.com August 2008

Summer Cantaloupe Soup

I just tried this out and I love love love this soup. Wonderful for those steamy hot days when you don't feel like adding anything else hot to your body. It's creamy, cool and light.

1 medium cantaloupe, peeled, seeded and diced
1/4 cup lime juice
1 (14 oz) can light coconut milk
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. ground cinammon
1 medium seedless cucumber, peeled, cut into 1/4 inch dice
1 cup additional melon (honeydew or cantaloupe) cut into small cubes
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint leaves
1 Tbsp. agave syrup or honey, to taste

In a blender, puree chopped cantaloupe, lime juice and coconut milk. Pour in a large bowl through a sieve. Discard pulp.
Whisk chili powder and cinammon into the cantaloupe puree. Stir in cucumber, melon cubes and mint. Season to taste with the syrup and chill for an hour.

Makes 6 (1-cup) servings

recipe from www.redbookmag.com, August 2008

Passion Iced Tea Lemonade Drink

Ingredients
3 tea bag (Tazo Passion Tea)
3 cups boiling water
1 (12 ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate
1 teaspoon orange extract

Directions
Remove tag and string from tea bags and place in a 2 qt pitcher. Pour in the boiling water and allow tea to steep for 10 to 15 minutes.
Add lemonade concentrate and orange extract, then top up pitcher with cold water.
Chill for 3 to 4 hours and serve over ice. (Shake the mix just prior to serving because the lemonade tends to settle at the bottom. )

note: I made this recipe and it is very close to the original. I did make the tea a little stronger, and added about 1/4 less of the lemonade than was suggested, since it tends to be quite sweet. I didn't add the water topper until I had poured it, so that I could account for additional ice melt if I was going to drink this over a longer time frame. I didn't think the orange extract was necessary, but found out it really does add an extra kick to the tea. I used only about a half teaspoon though. All in all, a successful recipe that mimics the original quite well. You'll need to tweek it to your own tastes.