New Recipe of the Week: Bad Day Pick-me-Up

Today Ben texted me from work, saying he was having a bad day. So, I decided to make some good down home comfort food for him. Seeing as it's Summer, only one thing came to mind: shrimp and grits.

Being from the south, I was raised on this stuff. However, this was my first attempt at making it myself. I think I did a pretty good job! (Just don't compare mine to my mama's...)

The recipe is courtesy of Martha Nesbit, and was taken from foodnetwork.com. It's really easy to make.  Yields 4 servings.

Ingredients

• 4 cups water
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup stone-ground grits
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 6 slices bacon, chopped
• 4 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1 cup thinly sliced scallions
• 1 large clove garlic, minced

Directions

Bring water to a boil. Add salt and pepper. Add grits and cook until water is absorbed, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter and cheese.

Rinse shrimp and pat dry. Fry the bacon in a large skillet until browned; drain well. In grease, add shrimp. Cook until shrimp turn pink. Add lemon juice, chopped bacon, parsley, scallions and garlic. Saute for 3 minutes.

Spoon grits into a serving bowl. Add shrimp mixture and mix well. Serve immediately.

Unbelievably good! I served this with a salad and a nice summery strawberry shortcake for dessert. All told, I spent about an hour making this, so it's great for weeknights. Hope y'all give it a try!