Home Cookin'

Had a bummer of a day at work today, and on the way home I had to stop and pick up some stuff for tomorrow night's dinner. I thought we were having one of my husband's coworkers over, but he canceled after I'd already gotten the supplies. I thought about picking up a six-pack at the liquor store next to the grocery store, but when I passed the seafood counter, I noticed extra-large shrimp on sale. So, I decided it's a lot healthier to self-medicate with shrimp n' grits than with beer, right? Right? It may not be the most authentic, but it hit the spot.

First, saute half a pound of peeled, deveined shrimp in olive oil over medium-high heat. When they start to turn pink and curl up, remove them to a plate

Then, add diced onion, garlic, green pepper, and celery to the hot oil, along with a decent pinch of salt. I used a small onion, three cloves of garlic, a rib of celery, and a large green bell pepper. Cook them until they get soft, about five minutes.

Open a can of whole, peeled tomatoes, with no added salt, and crush them by hand. Sure, you can buy diced or crushed tomatoes, or throw them in the blender, but I like the hands-on approach. Really squish the little guys.

Add the tomatoes to the veggies, along with some hot sauce. My hot sauce has a scantily-clad lady on it, sweet!

Simmer that for five to ten minutes, then add the shrimp back to the pan and poke them under the tomato broth. Let that simmer for a little bit.

While the shrimps simmer, make the grits! Add a half a cup of corn grits to a combination of one cup each of water and milk, that has come to a boil. I add pepper, too. Whisk for about five minutes, or until the grits thicken up.

Then, whisk in 2-3 oz. of grated cheddar cheese. When it's smooth, slap the cover on and let it set while you put the finishing touches on the shrimp.

The finishing touch is a small handful of fresh parsley, roughly chopped, stirred into the shrimp mixture, which has been taken off the heat.

Now comes the fun part: serve and enjoy! Makes two huge servings. Hope you enjoyed my pictorial walk through the comfort food dinner I made myself tonight!