If I Don't Love You Baby, Grits Ain't Groceries

Thanks to Little Milton for the title.

As promised, my recipe for Grilled Shrimp and Grits. I love traditional Shrimp and Grits, but it's not exactly low fat. It has a roux based gravy, and usually has a lot of butter added besides. There's a little butter in this, but only in the grits. The rest of the fat comes from olive oil, which at least is better for your heart. It's a nice summer time meal, and if you've got a side burner on your grill (like I do), you can cook the whole meal outside.


Grilled Shrimp and Grits
(serves 4 normal people, or me and my husband)


1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup of olive oil
Juice of a lemon
Juice of a lime
1 clove of garlic minced, or 1 tbsp. of bottled minced garlic
Cayenne pepper and salt to taste

4 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1 large red bell pepper, cut into chunks
1/4 cup of olive oil
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Enough Bamboo Skewers for the shrimp and veggies, soaked in water for at LEAST 3 hours (a whole day is better)

1 batch Basic Grits (see earlier post), substitute chicken stock for the water
zest of one lemon, zest of one lime
1 tbsp of butter
Salt to taste.

Prepare your grill, medium heat is best for this.

For the Shrimp:

Whisk together olive oil and lemon and lime juice in a large bowl. Stir in garlic, cayenne, and salt. Toss the shrimp with the dressing, cover and refrigerate. Don't let this marinate for more than 10 minutes or so, because the acid will start to "cook" the shrimp, kind of like ceviche, which is not what we want.

For the Veggies:

Place the peppers and tomatoes in a bowl, and drizzle with olive oil and vinegar, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss gently to coat. Thread the peppers onto a couple of the bamboo skewers, and do the same with the tomatoes. Set them on a platter.

Next, take out your shrimp, and thread them on skewers, as well. Place them on a platter, and sprinkle with a little more cayenne, if desired.

Now, using tongs, place your skewers on the grill racks. Since there's so much oil on everything, the kebabs shouldn't stick, but you may want to coat your grill racks with cooking spray. Close the grill lid, and cook for about 2-3 minutes. Flip your skewers, and cook for two minutes more, or until the shrimp are pink and firm, and the peppers and tomatoes are soft. (If you get flare-ups, just turn your gas grill down, or keep a spray bottle of water handy to dampen your charcoal if you use that)

Mix the lemon zest, lime zest, salt and butter into the hot grits. Remove shrimp and veggies from skewers and serve over the grits. Garnish with parsley or tarragon if desired.


I like to drink a wheat beer with this, but a nice crisp pinot grigio works great, too.