Shrimp Scampi and Parmesan Grits

Are you stuffed from all the thanksgiving turkey you ate over the holiday? I’m ready to move forward and not look back at the self-induced poultry coma that had us all laid out on the couch making weird moaning sounds. Something fresh, healthy and easy to make. Something that would be a perfect weeknight meal for those of us that need something quick to serve at the diner table.

NW Seafood has some really fresh local seafood, the best in town in fact! I always go there if I’m cooking anything seafood related. When I went in this last time, they had some great looking St. Augustine shrimp that was just brought in from the coast. Sold!

I love shrimp. Actually, so does my best friend. She will pile her plate with shrimp cocktail at a party and then go back to get another helping. Her plate piled with tail shells cracks me up. What’s not to like about shrimp? If it is in your freezer, it only takes a few minutes to defrost under running water, which is great in a pinch. I’m all about time saving and easy recipes. So I thought of putting my own Mediterranean twist to a southern dish by making Shrimp Scampi and Parmesan Grits…click on link for recipe.

There are so many variations of the traditional southern shrimp and grits dish. Southern, cajun, southwestern….gruyere, cheddar, smoked gouda cheese…..bacon, sausage, pancetta…..and it goes on and on. I have found a way to make the classic dish without it seeming so heavy. I shy away from heavy and creamy foods, but this one seems lighter and fresher with the lemons and fresh herbs, and you cant go wrong with garlic. Lots of garlic.

I started with making the grits as they take longer to cook. I used stone ground white grits, which is more commonly used, and followed the recipe on the package with a few modifications. I used milk rather than water to give it a creamier texture and more depth. I also added parmesan to give it a salty nutty flavor that will pair well with the shrimp scampi. Here is what it looked like in the pot when it was cooking… Doesn’t it look creamy?

While I was cooking the grits, I started working on the shrimp. Peeling and deveining the shrimp is probably the most time consuming part of the whole meal. Smooth sailing from there. When you are cooking shrimp, you don’t want to take your eyes off it because it only takes a couple minutes per side.  I’m not sure if my time management skills were on point or if I just lucked out, but I timed it to where they both finished at the same time. Perfection!

These shrimp had me licking my fingers when I checked to make sure the seasoning was right. You can totally taste the garlic. Couldn’t help but go for a second taste test. Once I assembled the dish, I added a little bit of good olive oil on top for garnish. It was beautiful and delicious! All of my dinner guests, including my boys, left an empty dish. I will not mention names, but I might have seen someone actually lick their plate clean. I call that a success!