Low Country Cooking

One of the highlights of a recent vacation in Charleston, South Carolina was having the opportunity to sample the area’s traditional dishes in many of the great downtown restaurants.  Grits is a common item found on breakfast menus in the south, however, I particularly enjoyed the popular shrimp dish, Shrimp ‘n’ Grits.  So much so, we tried it at several restaurants over the course of the week and noticed each chef put their own spin on the dish.   My favorite was at Southend Brewery & Smokehouse.  The savory sautéed shrimp and Tasso ham sat atop rich creamy grits.  When I got home I was determined to make my own ‘better-for-you’ take on the dish.  I was able to bring the fat down but keep the creamy richness in the grits by using fat free half & half.  There is usually ham, bacon or sausage sautéed with the shrimp, however I opted to leave it out to save on some of the sodium and fat.  I was able to infuse some smoky flavor into the dish by adding smoked paprika.  The dish comes together pretty quickly, so it's perfect for a weeknight dinner.

Creamy Shrimp ‘n’ Grits

Makes 4 servings

2 cups fat free half and half

2 cups reduced fat milk

1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

1 cup stone ground white or yellow grits

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch strips

1 package (8 ounces) sliced mushrooms

1 clove garlic, minced

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

6 green onions, diagonally sliced (about 1 cup)

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1.   Heat half and half, milk and black pepper to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat.  Stir in grits and return mixture to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed, stirring frequently.  Remove from heat and stir in butter.

2.   While grits are cooking, heat oil in large skillet.  Add red pepper, mushrooms and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes or until tender. 

3.   Add shrimp, green onions and paprika.  Cook for 3 minutes or until shrimp are pink.  Serve shrimp over grits.

Nutrition Information per serving: 365 calories, 11 g. total fat, 4 g. saturated fat, 240 mg. cholesterol, 684 mg. sodium, 29 g. carbohydrate, 3 g. dietary fiber, 18 g. sugar, 32 g. protein

Easy Late Summer Dinner

Although I grill all year round, I especially want to take advantage of cooking outdoors during the last wonderful days of summer.  I had a special request for a shrimp dish, so that's what's on the menu this week. 

I've moved into the third cyle of the 17 Day Diet with the addition of an expanded list of carbs to include whole grain breads, pita and tortillas, as well as being able to occasionally have carbs at dinner.  I've lost 13 pounds...not bad for a little more than a month on the diet.  To celebrate, I'm going to add some quinoa and broccoli to round out the meal.  Check out the quinoa link to learn about this nutritent rich ingredient.  Although it's appearance reminds me of couscous, it has a nutty flavor and cooks up in a way similar to rice. 

  

Herb Dijon Grilled Shrimp

Makes 4 servings

1 1/4 pounds shrimp, peeled with tails left on and deveined*

1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
8 (12-inch) wooden skewers

1. Mix shrimp, mustard, Italian seasoning and black pepper in a bowl.  Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.



2. Meanwhile, soak the wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes.
3. Place shrimp on skewers, inserting a second skewer about a 1/2 inch apart from the first one to keep the shrimp from twirling around the skewer as you're turning them on the grill.  (Instead of placing the shrimp on the skewer, you can also place them in a grill basket.)

4. Grill over medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until done, turning once.

5.  Remove from skewers to serving plate and serve immediately. Any leftover shrimp is great served chilled on a tossed green salad.

* I usually keep a bag of frozen peeled and deveined raw shrimp with the tail on hand in the freezer.  They defrost quickly in cold water for last minute decisions about dinner.  Costco sells a 2-pound package of the 31-40 count/pound size for $14.99.

Red Pepper Quinoa Pilaf

Makes 4 servings

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups fat free chicken broth

1 cup quinoa

1. Heat olive oil in 3-quart saucepan over medium heat.  Add bell pepper, onion and garlic.  Cook and stir for 3 minutes.

2. Add broth and quinoa.  Heat to a boil.

3. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until broth is absored.  Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes before serving. 

Broccoli Tip

The broccoli that I picked up at the farmer's market had long stems.  The stem can be woody and many folks just cut them off and discard.  But you're losing a lot of vegetable and good nutrition if you do that.  I find that cutting an inch off the bottom of the stem, then paring the stalk with a vegetabler peeler removes the woodier part of the stem (see photo).  I slice the stem crosswise up to the florets which I then cut into smaller pieces.  I steam them all together until done. 

Lancaster, Chocolate and Irresistable Farmer's Markets

The only thing worse than a garden full of zucchini that keeps on giving is a morning of farm-stand hopping that results in having purchased several weeks worth of fruit and vegetables!  I couldn't resist the gorgeous fresh summer produce from the local farms in Lancaster.  More on this later, but first an update on the diet. 

Normally when my husband and I travel, all bets are off on dieting.  But having been to the Amish country several times over the years, we've eaten our fill of delicious Pennsylvania Dutch specialties like chicken pot pie, funnel cakes, apple dumplings and pretzels plus chocolate in every shape and form.  So we decided to see how well we could follow the 17 Day Diet on vacation.   We were traveling with my brother and his family, so we didn't want them to miss out on any of the fun food places in the area.  We started out in Lititz, Pa. and had lunch at Cafe Chocolate.  We chose the chili and meatloaf options and were satisfied we didn't stray too much from the plan.  After we all earned Official Pretzel Twister status at the Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery and did some deep breathing at Wilbur Chocolate, we toured the Amish Country.

Keeping our dieting resolve, we stayed away from the 'all you can eat' buffets and selected restaurants in the area that allowed us to choose a salad and fresh fish or poultry.  Our hotel included a complimentary breakfast and thankfully they had fruit and yogurt among the offerings.  So I feel we stayed on track while we were on the road for the last 2 days.  I'll see what the scale says tomorrow....

Now back to all that produce, specifically the squash which is my go to vegetable for grilling during the summer.  I usually buy a mix of yellow and green and grill enough to have leftovers on hand for a quick toss in a salad or a side dish later in the week.  At my local supermarket, the salmon was $1/pound off if you purchased 2 pounds or more.  Although that's more than we can use in one meal, I'll cook it all off and use the extra for lunch with a tossed salad during the week.  I'm going to grill the salmon sprinkled with a dry rub on a cedar plank and serve it with the squash and some sliced tomoatoes with basil....yum! 

Grilled Cedar Plank Salmon

Makes 8 servings

1 cedar grilling plank

2 pounds fresh Atlantic salmon fillets

3 tablespoons Smoky Grilling Dry Rub, recipe follows

1. Soak plank in water for at least 30 minutes.
2. Place salmon, skin-side down, on soaked plank.  Season with Smoky Grilling Dry Rub.

3. Set plank on preheated grill over low to medium heat; close the grill lid.  Grill for 10 to 15 minutes or until the salmon flakes easily with a fork.

Smoky Grilling Dry Rub: Mix 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 2 packets Splenda (R), 1 tablespoon ground black pepper, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning and 1 tablespoon smoked paprika.  Store in airtight container.

Grilled Summer Squash

Green or yellow summer squash

Kosher salt

Ground black pepper

Balsamic vinegar

This is a recipe that you can adjust to the amount of squash you have. I usually purchase 1 to 2 squash per person depending on their size. Diagonally cut each squash into 1/2-inch-thick slices.  Sprinkle with some kosher salt, then drizzle with a little olive oil.  Grill slices over medium heat for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side until tender.  Remove squash to a serving platter and drizzle with some balsamic vinegar.  Refrigerate leftovers.

Another Diet...Is this THE ONE?

Here I go again....a new diet.  I've tried many of them and they work until I get bored with either the food, the incessant measuring and tracking, the deprivation or the planning....to name a few.  My friend recommended The 17 Day Diet and is already into the second cycle.  Boredom is not an issue because every 17 days you change up the foods you eat.  During the first cycle you're basically eliminating simple carbs, but the only foods you have to measure are the dairy and the oil.  Pick up the book so you understand the details. I picked it up at Borders during it's 'Going Out of Business' sale and saved a few bucks.  So I'm into Day 7 and it's working....I've lost about 3 pounds and I'm not bored (yet).  Today at the supermarket I found tilapia on sale, so that is the star of tonight's dinner: Tilapia with Basil Pesto and Red Pepper and Cauliflower Stir-Fry.

Tilapia with Basil Pesto

Makes 4 servings

Basil Pesto, recipe follows

1 pound tilapia fillets (about 4 fillets)

1. Make Basil Pesto; reserve 2 tablespoons for this recipe, then freeze remaining in 2 tablespoon amounts for the next time you make this recipe.



2. Place tilapia on a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray (I usually line with foil then spray for easy clean up).  Spread pesto evenly over fillets. 

3. Bake at 450 degrees F. for 10 minutes or until fish flakes when tested with a fork.

Basil pesto: Put 3 cups fresh basil leaves, 2 garlic cloves and 1/4 cup olive oil into blender.  Blend until smooth.  Stir in 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese.  Makes 1/2 cup pesto.

Red Pepper and Cauliflower Stir-Fry

Makes 4 to 6 servings

1 head cauliflower

3/4 cup fat free chicken broth

3 red bell peppers

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 bunch green onions, diagonally sliced

1. Cut up cauliflower into bite-size florets.  Place florets and broth in 4-quart pot.  Heat to a boil; reduce heat.  Simmer for 5 minutes or until tender-crisp.

2. Remove stem and seeds from bell peppers and cut into strips.

3. Heat oil in large skillet.  Add peppers and stir-fry for 3 to 4 mintues or until tender crisp.

4. Add cauliflower with any remaining cooking liquid and green onions.  Cook, uncovered, for 5 more minutes or until vegetables are tender.  Season with ground black pepper if desired.
5.