Spicy Shrimp with Andouille Sausage on Grits

We had this for dinner last Sunday. It was delicious.

Sauce

• 1/3 cup green hot pepper sauce
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 cup whipping cream

Grits

• 5 cups water
• 3 cups whole milk
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 2 cups corn grits*

Shrimp and Andouille Sausage

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 8 ounces smoked andouille sausage,** sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped (I left this out)
  
• 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped (I left this out)
  
• 1/2 cup minced onion
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 30 uncooked large shrimp, peeled, deveined
• 4 plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
• 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

Preparation

Combine hot pepper sauce, wine, shallot, lemon juice and vinegar in heavy medium saucepan. Boil over medium heat until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 15 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup cream. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
Bring 1/2 cup cream, 5 cups water, milk and butter to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Gradually whisk in grits. Simmer until grits are very soft and thickened, stirring frequently, about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, heat olive oil in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add sausage, both bell peppers, onion and garlic; sauté until vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes. Add shrimp, tomatoes, Cajun seasoning and Old Bay seasoning and sauté until shrimp are opaque in center, about 6 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Bring hot pepper-cream sauce to simmer. Spoon grits onto 6 plates, dividing equally. Spoon shrimp mixture over grits. Drizzle hot pepper-cream sauce over and serve.
*Corn grits, also known as polenta, are available at Italian markets, natural foods stores and some supermarkets. If unavailable, substitute 2 cups regular yellow cornmeal, and cook about 30 minutes.
**A smoked pork-and-beef sausage available at specialty foods stores. Smoked bratwurst, kielbasa or smoked Hungarian sausage can be substituted.

Roasted Cauliflower with Kalamata Vinaigrette

This is a great new way to serve cauliflower. It was in the September issue of Gourmet magazine. As the magazine says..."cutting cauliflower into thick meaty slices, core and all is a neat trick...caramelizing its edges...a biny olive vinaigrette adds just the right sharp-savory note."

1 (2 1/2 to 3lb) head cauliflower

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 small garlic clove

1 to 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (to taste)

1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, finely chopped

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450F with rack in lower third.

Cut cauliflower length wise to 3/4 inch thick slices. Put in a large 4 sided sheet pan and toss with 2Tbsps oil and 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper. Roast turning once or twice, until golden and just tender, about 25 minutes. While cauliflower roasts, mince and mash garlic to a paste with a pinch of salt, then whisk together with lemon juice, remaining 2 Tbsp oil, olives, 1/8 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp of pepper. Serve cauliflower drizzled with Kalamata vinaigrette.

Serves 4.

Lentil Soup

I have been looking for a very flavorful lentil soup; so I searched all the available recipes and took the best (I think) from each. I forgot to get sausage; so I ended up with a non meat version using liquid smoke to impart the "sausage" flavor. Since I really wanted a depth of flavor with some "pop", I added a jalapeno, but this is certainly optional.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive olive

1 onion, chopped

2 carrots, diced

2 celery stalks, diced (use the leafy parts too)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and chopped

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon corriander

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

2 cups lentils cleaned

1 can chopped or crushed tomatoes

8 cups of liquid (I used 1 can beef broth; 1 can chicken broth; 1 cup v8 juice and 4 cups water)

1-2 tablespoons of liquid smoke

2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons of port wine

salt to taste

Cook all vegetables and garlic for about 5 minutes. Stir in all liquid, lentils and seasonings except liquid smoke, vinegar and port wine. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for at least an hour. Add the vinegar, liquid smoke and port wine and simmer for 30 minutes or until desired doneness. At this point, I used my imulsion blender and had a mixture of half pure and half whole lentil blend. Add salt to taste. I simmered for another 30 minutes. Depending on how thick or thin you like your soup, feel free to add more liquid (including water) after the initial hour of simmering.

Domestic Goddess Redux--Pain-Au-Chocolat Bread Pudding

This dish is impressive and easy. If you don't have pain au chocolat, cut croissants from Costco in half, and put chocolate chips in the middle. Use the Costco croissants, as they are the only local ones made from butter. From How to Be a Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson.

Pain-Au-Chocolat Bread Pudding
3-4 stale pain au chocolat
2 1/4 cups milk
2 1/4 cups heavy cream
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 large egg

4 large egg yolks
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
 Preheat oven to 325F.
Butter a 6-cup ovenproof dish, cut up the pains au chocolat--I cut rough slices of about an inch--and arrange them in the dish. Put the milk and cream into a pan and bring near to boiling. Whisk the egg, the yolks, and the sugar in a large wide-mouthed measuring cup. When the milk and cream are nearly boiling, pour over the eggs and sugar, whisking continuouly. Add the vanilla and then pour over the slices of pain au chocolat and leave to soak for 10 minutes.
Transfer to the preheated oven and cook for about 45 minutes, or until the pudding is softly set. 

The Domestic Goddess--Pistachio Macaroons

Nigella Lawson's How to Be a Domestic Goddess: Baking and the Art of Comfort Cooking, is one of my favorite cookbooks. Mary and I cook from it all the time. Last night Mary made two recipes--pistachio macaroons and pain-au-chocolate bread pudding. The macaroons are unbelievably good, and much easier to make than they look. Try them!

Pistachio Macaroons
Ingredients
1/3 cup or 3 oz.  pistachios
3/4 cup confectioners  sugar
2 large egg whites
1 Tbsp.  sugar

Buttercream
1/4 cup or 2 oz. pistachios
1 2/3 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

Method
Preheat the oven to 350F.
Grind the pistachios in a food processor along with the confectioners sugar (this stops them turning into an oily mess), until fine as dust. Whisk the eggs whites until fairly stiff, but not dry, sprinkle the sugar over and whisk until very stiff. Fold the whites into the pistachio-sugar dust and combine gently. Pipe small rounds onto your lined baking sheet, using a 1cm plain nozzle. Let them sit for about 10 minutes to form a skin. Put in the oven and cook for 10-12 minutes. They should be set but not dried out.
Remove from the oven and let cool, still on their sheets, while you get on with the filling. Grind the nuts and icing sugar in the food processor as before. Cream the butter and continue creaming as you add the nut dust. Make sure you have a well combined soft buttercream. Sandwich the macaroons together with the buttercream filling.

Collard Greens with Red Onions and Bacon

Also adapted from Epicurious.com, here is the recipe for collard greens that we used. My only adaptation was leaving out the sugar. I was surprised to find that the vinegar sweetens the collards, so don't leave it out.
Collard Greens with Red Onions and Bacon

Ingredients   
1/2 pound sliced bacon, cut crosswise into fourths3 medium red onions, chopped coarse (about 3 cups) 1 1/4 cups chicken broth   
1/4 cup cider vinegar 
2 tablespoons firmly packed dark brown sugar, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes, or to taste 
4 pounds collard greens (preferably small leaves), coarse stems and ribs discarded and leaves and thin stems washed well, drained, and chopped coarse    
Preparation
In a deep heavy kettle cook bacon in 2 batches over moderate heat until crisp and transfer to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but about 3 tablespoons drippings and in drippings remaining in kettle cook onions, stirring occasionally, until browned slightly and softened. Transfer onions with a slotted spoon to a bowl.
To kettle add broth, vinegar, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, and about half of bacon, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add about half of collards, tossing until wilted slightly, and add remaining collards, tossing until combined. Simmer collards, covered, 30 minutes. Stir in onions and simmer, covered, 30 minutes more, or until collards are very tender.
Serve collards topped with remaining bacon.

New Years Day Dinner

In my family, we have a tradition of serving special foods for the new year. These include black-eyed peas, pork, and greens (collards, for example). They are supposed to bring good luck.
I've never cared for black-eyed peas--they are the blandest of the dried beans to me, so I went on Epicurious.com to find a good recipe. I found one, and significantly adapted it. I've listed the original recipe below, then my adaptation.
It was delicious!

Garlicky Black-Pepper Shrimp and Black-Eyed Peas
by Paul Grimes--Gourmet magazine 
yield: Makes 6 servings 
active time: 25 min 
total time: 40 min  

For black-eyed peas:
4 bacon slices
4 scallions, chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
1/2 medium green bell pepper, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 Turkish bay leaves or 1 California
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon hot red-pepper flakes
2 (15-ounces) cans black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1 3/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

For shrimp:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine

Make black-eyed peas:
Cook bacon in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until browned but not crisp. Transfer bacon to a plate, then tear into small pieces.
Cook scallions, carrot, celery, bell pepper, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, red-pepper flakes, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in fat in skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are pale golden, about 10 minutes. Add black-eyed peas and broth and simmer 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

Make shrimp:
Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Season shrimp with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Cook shrimp with garlic, stirring occasionally, until just opaque (shrimp will not be fully cooked), about 3 minutes. Add wine and bring to a boil, then briskly simmer 2 minutes. Add bacon and black-eyed-pea mixture and simmer until just heated through (mixture will be juicy). Discard bay leaves.

Ellen's Adaptation:

First, I used 1 lb. of dried beans, about the equivalent of 4 cans of peas, so I doubled the recipe for the peas from there. (I quadrupled the recipe for the shrimp.) I soaked the beans overnight, then cooked them in 2 qts of boxed organic chicken broth, with all the aromatics (scallions, garlic, carrots, celery, bay, thyme, and red pepper) added. I left out the green peppers, because I'm allergic to them.

Cooking the peas in the broth gave them a depth of flavor that they wouldn't have had coming out of the can. When the peas were cooked, I sauteed the bacon, added more green onions to the bacon fat, and cooked them until wilted.

I used 4 pounds of 25 to 30 count peeled shrimp. I bought the raw, tail-on shrimp from Costco, defrosted them overnight in the refrigerator,  and removed the tails. I cooked them according to the directions (but quadrupling the ingredients, as I was using 4 times as much shrimp), then combined the beans, shrimp, and bacon, and reheated everything. I added enough broth to make it a bit soupy--not at all dry.

The recipe was really quite good. We'll do it again.