Time really flies and I seem to have accidentally taken July off! To be honest it's been a challenging few weeks and quite emotionally exhausting. As always, I've thrown myself into positivity, put things in perspective and taken comfort in creating some delicious recipes. But I've not quite managed to extend that energy to writing them down, so there's a lot to catch up on and some lovely dishes to come soon!
I've woken up this morning with a revival of energy now that things are slotting into place nicely. It's a tricky thing when you're dealt a blow in life that you know is unjust and even worse when it's an intentionally nasty one, but you have to trust that if you're a good person you'll be given what you deserve. Besides, 2020 has thrown up much worse for many others and it's important to remember when your problems are of the first world kind. I'm incredibly grateful that my family and friends are healthy, I have the most wonderful man by my side and an incredibly exciting new chapter on the horizon! Libby's Kitchen is relocating to a gorgeous little space that's just my own - ohh heaven!!! It's easy to get comfortable in life and that comfort can turn to complacency, so being forced out of that comfort zone helps you to see that maybe your situation wasn't all that in the first place, and there's a whole array of much better options out there.
Anyway enough of the personal crap... Who wants some grits?
I remember a while back when I was doing an American themed cuisine month and J asked for grits I was a little resistant. And to be honest, it's literally just because I didn't think they sounded very appealing, but I had no clue what they were. So I'll hold my hands up and apologise for my ignorance because grits are delicious!
I've followed a Jamie Oliver recipe, so I'm not sure how much he's altered it from a more authentic dish - I'm assuming a fair amount as he's dubbed his 'rich grits'. It's tasty either way! He serves it with sausage meat and prawns, so for the veggie alternative I used vegetarian sausages (cooked, then sliced) and roasted broccoli because it goes so well with the cheesy base.
Ingredients
For the grits:
250g cornmeal or polenta (I used polenta, as that's what I could find)
50g butter
100g grated cheddar cheese
Meat option:
6 pork sausages
olive oil
300g prawns
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
knob of butter
Veggie option:
6 vegetarian sausages (I used quorn)
olive oil
220g tenderstem broccoli
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
knob butter
Method
1. For the veggie option - preheat the oven to 180C and roast the broccoli with olive oil, salt and pepper for 12 minutes.
2. Cook the polenta or cornmeal to packet instructions - you may want to adjust the weight of the polenta you use if the packet gives a different serving suggestion, so you can ensure the water ratio is correct. Stir the grits constantly so you can keep an eye on when they're done and to make sure you're not getting any lumps. Once cooked, stir through the butter and cheese, season to taste, cover and set to one side.
3. For the meat option, squeeze the meat from the sausages and discard the skins. Roll into small balls (approx. 4 per sausage) and fry in olive oil. Once they're nearly cooked and browning nicely, add the prawns, garlic, paprika and butter and cook for a further 2-3 minutes until the prawns are cooked through.
4. For the veggie option - fry the sausages (check packet instructions). Slice into rounds before adding them back into the frying pan with the roasted broccoli, garlic, smoked paprika and butter. Toss to coat in the butter and cook for a couple of minutes.
5. Serve the grits and top with your sausage mixture, drizzle any remaining butter in the pan.
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