Miso Shrimp and Grits

Grits Should Be Gritty
When it comes to Southern favorites, like shrimp and grits, I'm hard to please. Shrimp and grits dishes are appearing on menus north of the Mason Dixon line more often, but the flavors and textures are hit or miss. While Southerners are tolerant of ridiculous food combinations--sugar in the grits, hot sauce in the grits, biscuit and eggs and bacon chopped up and mixed in with the grits--there is one I think we all agree on: grits need to be gritty. At least slightly. Creaminess is great, but some restaurants are turning out grits that are damn near pudding. We need to know we're eating grits.

Sear the Shrimp and Sauce It
Now about the shrimp: grill or sear them before adding them to the grits. Visually, the shrimp will stand up to the texture of the grits if they are grilled or seared. If there is one thing that finer restaurants consistently get right and which generally can't be rivaled by home cooks, it's sauce. I can (almost) forgive wimpy grits if the sauce is something smoky flavored or creamy with bits of lobster (I could go on).

Seared Shrimp

This brand of Red Miso is lower in sodium than most.

Miso and Shrimp with Grits
When you can't find a restaurant with your kind of shrimp and grits, or if you want to make an outstanding bowl or two of shrimp and grits for company, give my recipe a try. I've developed it over the last few weeks with the help of The Flavor Bible by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg. This is the best book on the market (in my opinion) for combining compatible foods and flavors (more on this book in another post). In my recipe, the grits are creamy but still recognizable as grits, the sustainable shrimp are seared, and the sauce is made from miso paste, which adds a satisfying smokiness and savoriness.

Miso Shrimp and Grits

*(Note: the recipe quantity for grits was updated on May 12, 2012)
Recipe-- Sauce and Shrimp (Serves 2-3)
Ingredients
1 cup of vegetable broth
2 teaspoons of red miso paste
2 green onions, sliced thin (reserve the sliced green tops for garnish)
1 dozen raw, cleaned and deveined, medium shrimp

Directions

1. Warm vegetable broth on medium heat, but don't let it boil (boiling would kill the live cultures in the miso, once it is added).
2. Stir in the miso paste and green onions.
3. Allow the sauce to reduce (10-12 minutes); stir occasionally. 
4. Sear the shrimp for 1 minute on each side while sauce is reducing (finish cooking shrimp in the sauce).
5. Add shrimp to sauce during the last minute or two of reducing.
6. Pour shrimp and sauce over hot grits.

Recipe--The Grits
Ingredients
3 cups water
Pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/2 cup of stoneground yellow grits
1 tablespoon of mascarpone

Directions

1. Add a pinch of salt to the water and bring to a rolling boil (be careful to use only a pinch. The miso paste, which you will use to make the sauce, is salty).
2. Add four tablespoons of grits and immediately begin to stir with a whisk.
3. Add garlic powder; continue stirring.
4. Cook the grits slowly at medium-low heat, stirring frequently to avoid lumps. 
5. Add mascarpone and stir until creamy. 

Savory Salmon Muffin Tops with Portabella Mushroom Gravy

My latest obsession has been about muffins. Not the sweet kind, though. Savory muffins with salmon and cream cheese have seeped into my dreams.

My waking thoughts have been about achieving a light but satisfying savory muffin in "real time." I knew that a legume flour would provide more heft to the muffin and boost the protein as well, but I would sacrifice some of the lightness. I wanted the muffins to be eggless, only because I'm avoiding egg yolks these days. Finally, I have been longing for mushrooms (my husband is allergic, so I rarely cook with them) and pictured savory muffin tops lacquered with a mushroom gravy. With any kind of muffin, I would rather eat the crusty tops, so the only muffin pan I own makes muffin tops.

I encountered fresh turmeric at my local organic market and decided to add some of it to the savory muffin tops. If you've never sampled fresh turmeric (pictured below), its taste is like bitter carrot, but it is fresh ginger's twin. I hoped that by mincing a 1-inch piece, I would add flavor and visual interest to the muffins.

Savory Salmon Muffin Tops 

Equipment: Muffin-top pan

Ingredients

• 1 cup of organic, unbleached white flour
• ½ cup of organic garbanzo bean flour
•  ½ teaspoon of salt
• 1 tablespoon of Old Bay Seasoning
• 1 teaspoon of aluminum-free baking powder 
• 1 ½ cups of organic soy milk (or regular, low-fat milk)
• 4 ounces of organic cream cheese
• 1 6-ounce can of boneless, skinless Alaskan Pink Salmon 
• 1 teaspoon of olive oil
• 1-inch piece of fresh, grated turmeric (or 1/8 teaspoon of turmeric powder)

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2.  Mix dry ingredients together in a large, glass bowl.
3.  Add soy milk and cream cheese. Mix ingredients, breaking the cream cheese clumps with a fork.
4. Drain salmon and add to the ingredients. Stir ingredients, breaking down the salmon into smaller clumps (do not use a electric mixer)
5. Grate fresh turmeric into bowl and mix ingredients well.
6. Fill muffin-top pan one-half to two-thirds full.
7. Bake muffins for 25-30 minutes. Test for firmness and look for the muffins to pull away from the sides of the muffin compartments.
8. Broil very briefly to brown the muffin tops if needed. (Keep an eye on them, though.)
9. Let the muffins rest while you make the mushroom sauce.

Makes 8 muffins

Portabella Mushroom Gravy

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons of butter
• ½ small onion 
• ¾ cup vegetable broth
• ¼ cup Red Zinfandel or Merlot
• 1 medium or ½ large Portabella mushroom, chopped finely

Directions

1. Melt butter in sauté pan over medium heat.
2. Add onions and cook until vegetable is translucent.
3. Add vegetable broth.
4. Add wine.
5. Add mushrooms and simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes. Watch and stir while gravy reduces.
6. Pour over salmon muffin tops and eat hot.

* Don’t worry if, after cooling, the muffins level off. It will be the perfect surface for the gravy! 

Deep-Dish Organic Potato Bake

My Sister-in-Law, Phyllis Gates-Moseley, is known in our family for her high-spiritedness, her friendliness, her mile-wide enthusiasm, and absolutely for her potato bake. This casserole has been a familial favorite for more than 20 years. When there is a family gathering, there will be Phyllis's potato bake on the table without fail. If family members are running late for the gathering, well, they just miss out. Nobody is polite, nor are they thinking of others, when they scoop up a serving of this cheesy, velvety, crunchy-on-the-top potato casserole.

So when I was solicited by a representative of the Idaho Potato Commission to submit a recipe and photo of a dish made with IDAHO® Potatoes, naturally, I thought of Phyllis and her potato bake. I made a few changes to the recipe: I used organic IDAHO® Potatoes, organic white cheddar--and I made it deep dish--for more of what we love about Phyllis's casserole.

Found these organic potatoes at my local Wegman's market

Peel and place potatoes in iced water

Shred potatoes and white cheese. 

Spread crushed cornflakes on top of potatoes and cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 75 minutes. 

I was paid by the Idaho Potato Commission to purchase items for, make, and photograph this recipe.

 (I'm giving half of the proceeds to Phyllis!) 

Deep Dish Organic-Potato Bake 

Ingredients

·      3 pounds of organic Idaho® potatoes, peeled and shredded**

·      2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar

·      1 medium onion, minced

·      1 stick of margarine, melted (reserve 2 tablespoons)

·      ½ cup of condensed cream of celery soup

·      8 ounces of sour cream

·      8 ounces of white (or regular) cheddar cheese, shredded

·      ¼ teaspoon of salt (optional)

·      1 teaspoon of white pepper

·      1 cup of plain cornflakes

1.             Fill large bowl with ice, water, and two tablespoons of white-wine vinegar (which will keep potatoes from browning). Place shredded potatoes in this mixture as you peel and shred them.

2.             Drain shredded potatoes in colander for 10 minutes; gently squeeze excess moisture from potatoes and transfer to a dry bowl.

3.             Add onion, margarine, condensed soup, sour cream, cheese, salt (if needed) and pepper to the potatoes; blend ingredients by stirring.

4.             Spray a 96-ounce baking dish lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Pour mixture into the baking dish and set aside.

5.             Place cornflakes into a sandwich bag and crush with a rolling pin or substitute. Once the cornflakes are crushed, add the remaining melted margarine and shake bag until crushed flakes are evenly coated.

6.             Spread cornflake topping evenly over the potato mixture.

7.             Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and bake casserole for 75 minutes. Let it rest for 10 minutes after baking. Serve very warm.

Serves 12

**A food processor was used to shred potatoes for this recipe.

Oyster Po Boy on A Gluten-Free Bun

It's been two weeks since our trip home to Alabama, but my mouth is still "tuned up"--as my mother used to say--for a delectable oyster po boy from Mobile's The Boiling Pot* seafood restaurant. Rather than wait until next December for my dream sandwich, I conjured a version of it in my kitchen.

The Boiling Pot's oyster po boy comes with oysters that are surely gilded by the fry-fairy. These oysters  are plump and graceful on the bun. I just had to stare before I took a bite of this sandwich, all golden and non-greasy and snuggled in its checkered wrapper. There was a slice of tomato, shredded iceberg, and a sandwich pickle. "When I get back to Maryland," I thought, "this oyster-po-boy affair won't end."

Oyster Po Boy from Mobile's Boiling Pot Restaurant

 So I tried my hand at an oyster po boy and made a few adjustments to my dream sandwich. I didn't attempt to improve the Boiling Pot's sandwich--I don't think it's possible, anyway--but on mine I included organic veggies, healthier greens, and a gluten-free bun.

I used Wegman's Chesapeake Bay Wild-Caught Oysters, which are harvested sustainably in "approved, East Coast waters," according to Wegman's website.  Wild-caught American oysters are a "Good Alternative" choice, according to the Monterey Bay Seafood Watch organization. Most oysters eaten worldwide are farmed and are as healthful and clean as wild oysters--and are considered more sustainable. 

Chesapeake Oysters Harvested Sustainably by Hand Raking

On its site, Monterey Bay Seafood Watch states that "most oyster farming operations are...well managed and produce a sustainable product." Since oysters feed by filtering vegetation from the water, they don't require tons of fish feed (like some farmed fish do) and they help keep their own environment clean. If your local supermarket or fish monger sells farmed oysters, then you can buy and eat this sustainable seafood with confidence. 

Soak oysters in milk first

Chop parsley

Dredge oysters in seasoned bread crumbs or cornmeal

Fry oysters, two minutes each side

Enjoy!

Here's the Recipe:

Oyster Po Boy on A Gluten Free Bun
Ingredients

• 1 8-ounce container of shucked oysters in water
• 1 cup of unsweetened soy milk (or typical, low-fat milk)
• 1/2 ounce (about 3 sprigs) of fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 cups plain bread crumbs or cornmeal**
• 1 tablespoon of  Old Bay Seasoning
• 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of pepper
• Safflower, Canola, or Grapeseed Oil (for pan frying)
• 8 grape tomatoes, sliced in half
• 6-8 leaves of oak lettuce (or similar)
• 6-8 leaves red tango lettuce (or similar)
• 2 gluten-free hot-dog buns, lightly toasted

Directions

1. Drain oysters in colander, then soak them for 15 minutes in the milk.
2. Chop parsley while oysters are soaking.
3. Place bread crumbs or corn meal into a resealable plastic bag.
4. Add Old Bay Seasoning, paprika, salt, pepper, and chopped parsley to bag; seal and shake to mix seasonings.
5. Drop oysters, one at a time, into bag of seasoned bread crumbs or corn meal. Shake gently to coat oysters. (Alternative: you can place ingredients in a bowl to coat the oysters.)
6. Pre-heat 10- to 12-inch fry pan with one-half inch of oil included. 
7. Fry oysters for 2 minutes on each side (oysters should reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees).
8. Drain oysters on a cookie rack placed on a plate or on paper towels.
9. Assemble the sandwich by placing lettuce on the hot dog buns followed by the four-five oysters on each bun. Add grape tomatoes on top.
10. Add your favorite condiment on top, such as Thousand-Island Dressing or another creamy dressing.

This recipe will yield two oyster po-boy sandwiches.

* Apparently, The Boiling Pot doesn't have a website. I linked to Urbanspoon's page, which includes descriptive reviews, including mine.

**I used Panko breadcrumbs in this recipe, but if you are avoiding gluten, just substitute the Panko breadcrumbs with cornmeal. 

Sustainable-Shrimp Stir Fry

During the recent holidays, my family and I went on vacation and ate our big-old heads off. We devoured fried fish, fried oysters, fried shrimp, snow crab legs, cakes, fried pies, white-flour biscuits and pancakes and...did I mention the fried fish? The food was tasty but our vacation diet of fried foods, breads and sweets made us feel sluggish--inside and out.  Since returning home to Maryland, we're happy to eat our usual steamed and broiled seafood, organic vegetables, beans and whole grains. Still feeling the effects of holiday food indulgence? Try a stir fry with sustainable shrimp, organic vegetables, and whole-grain brown rice.

Finding Sustainable Shrimp

I made this quick and easy dish with sustainable shrimp, which you can probably find at your local supermarket (especially if you buy it frozen). To increase your sustainable-seafood-buying confidence, follow guidelines offered by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch. This organization informs consumers about "best choice" and "good alternative" seafood with the goal of preserving ocean ecosystems and protecting over fished species. Another helpful resource is the Marine Stewardship Council's "Sustainable Seafood Product Finder."  On this site, you can find a detailed listing of sustainable seafood according to brand or retailer. 

I used raw, frozen shrimp (which was shelled and deveined) for this recipe and spooned the stir fry over steamed, brown rice. 

Sustainable Shrimp Stir Fry Recipe

Ingredients

3 tablespoons of safflower or canola oil

1/2 medium organic onion, chopped

1/2 small organic cabbage, sliced thinly

3 medium organic carrots, sliced

2 medium organic zucchini, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon of fresh, grated organic ginger 

2 tablespoons of low-sodium soy sauce

1 teaspoon of miso tamari (optional)

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 pound sustainable shrimp, medium to large (thaw first if using frozen shrimp)

1/4 teaspoon cracked pepper 

2 cups of steam, short-grain brown rice

Salt to taste (optional)

Directions

1. Heat oil in a wok or 10-inch fry pan. Add and saute onions until translucent.
2. Add cabbage, carrots, zucchini, and ginger and saute for two to three minutes. Stir thoroughly to coat vegetables with oil and onions.
3. Cover vegetables; let them to steam for five minutes (subtract two minutes for you want crunchy stir-fry vegetables.  Five minutes should result in firm, not soft, vegetables .)
4. Remove cover; add soy sauce, miso tamari (optional), and red pepper flakes. Stir to distribute seasonings.
5. Add shrimp; cover and steam for three minutes or until shrimp show color and curl inward. If you purchase pre-cooked shrimp, cook shrimp just long enough to heat through. Add cracked pepper.
6. Taste and add salt if needed.
7. Spoon over freshly steam brown rice and serve hot.

*Serves 2-3