Shrimp and Grits

It is the season of Lent.  A time of sacrifice.  During Lent, many people give up meat on Fridays.  So, cooking this time of year takes a little extra planning.  For me, it is especially difficult.  You see, my Old-School Italian husband, (Italian Catholic, you know the ones who eat the Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve) does not eat seafood.  I know!  I grew up on the river, so you know I LOVE seafood.  But him, not so much.  So, what do I cook?  I usually make cheese pizza, or pasta with no meat, or beans.  His non-love usually beats my love, so I stay away from seafood at home.  But sometimes, I make what I like and he just has to fend for himself!  Haha!  That's what I did today.  I love shrimp and grits!  The sweetness of the shrimp with the creaminess of the grits, plus the spiciness from the seasoning - it's just perfection to me.  Bonus:  it's pretty easy to make!  Here's how I did it:

SHRIMP AND GRITS

1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
canola oil
Tony Chachere's Creole seasoning
Louisiana hot sauce
Worcestershire sauce
2 TBS unsalted butter, cut into pats (plus more for grits)
Quick grits
salt and pepper
fresh parsley, chopped (about 2 TBS or so)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

If your shrimp were frozen, thaw completely.  You can put them in the fridge the night before to thaw or put them in a colander and run COLD water over them until they thaw.  Either way, dry them well with some paper towels.

After they are dried, drizzle a little canola oil on them (not too much, don't drown them).  Then season them well with Tony's and rub it in.  Make sure everything is distributed evenly.

Put them on a cookie sheet with sides and roast in the oven for about 5 minutes, depending on the size of your shrimp.  Mine were medium sized (41-60 count - that means there are that many shrimp per pound).  I think that size is perfect for this dish.  You will know they are done when they turn pink and curl up.

While the shrimp are in the oven, prepare the quick grits - just follow the package directions.  When the grits are done, season to taste with salt and pepper and add as much butter as you like.  Set aside.

As soon as the shrimp comes out of the oven, top with the pats of butter and let melt.

Add a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce to taste (more if you like it spicy, just a little if you don't).

Stir around to coat the shrimp. Then, sprinkle the chopped parsley on top.

Serve over warm grits.

This was so amazing!  I've only ever had this dish in restaurants because I was intimidated to try it at home.  Well, no more!  It was really easy and so good!  Do yourself a favor and give this one a try.  You will love it!  Hopefully you have a husband (or wife) who loves seafood too because this is a great dish to make for someone you love.  It looks impressive, but as you just read is super simple.  That'll be our little secret, though.  Enjoy!