Sweet Onion and Corn Cheddar Grits

Girl Cooks World

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April 23, 2019

Why, oh, why did it take me so long to discover grits? I’ve been a pretty big fan of their Italian cousin, polenta, for quite some time now, but after the past couple weeks I think I’m actually partial to Southern version. Why? I’m not exactly sure. With smoky bacon, cheddar and shrimp, my last version of grits was pretty destined to be a hit. But even these simple vegetarian grits, with only corn and cheddar as add-ins, are a super tasty and satisfying meal.

Perhaps its the Southern lack of pretention? While most polenta recipes will instruct you to stir for no less than 40 minutes, many Southern recipes seemed to recommend something in the 10-20 minute range. I found the finished dish no worse off, which makes these a totally doable weeknight option.

Sweet Onion and Corn Cheddar Grits

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

* 1 medium onion, preferably a sweet variety
* 1 Tablespoon olive oil
* scraped kernels from 2 ears of fresh, sweet corn
* 2 cups whole milk
* 2 cups water
* salt and pepper
* 1 cup stone ground grits
* 2 Tablespoons butter
* 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh green onions or chives

Directions:

Roughly chop the onion and then place in a food processor or Vitamix. Pulse until the onion is chopped/grated very finely. Alternatively, you can grate the onion on a box grater.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until the onion is transparent. Add the corn and cook for another minute or two. Add the milk, water, salt and pepper and bring to a boil over high heat. Whisk in the grits, decrease the heat to the lowest possible setting and cook, stirring, until the liquid has all been absorbed, about 15-20 minutes. Stir in the butter, cheddar cheese and green onions. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately.

Vegan Black-Eyed Pea Coconut Rice Pudding

Girl Cooks World

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April 23, 2019

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Vegan Black-Eyed Pea Coconut Rice Pudding

Does the idea of black-eyed peas in a dessert kind of weird you out? There were no moon cakes or daifuku mochi (or any other Asian bean desserts) in my youth, so I’ll totally understand if it does. I was finally turned by some Hawaiian shave ice with ice cream and azuki beans. So so good. I always think the tourists who skip the beans at Matsumoto’s or Aoki’s are totally missing out.

This rice pudding gets an Asian makeover with the addition of coconut milk and black-eyed peas. It also uses palm sugar, although you can certainly substitute white or brown sugar. But if you have access to a well-stocked Asian grocery, I’d urge you to seek it out. It has a much richer complexity than your standard table sugar, with notes of butterscotch and caramel. Once you’ve tried this pudding, we recommend you check out this vegan banana chia pudding. It also offers up a unique taste and texture!

Vegan Black-Eyed Pea Coconut Rice Pudding

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

8 cups of water, divided
1/2 cup black-eyed peas, rinsed
1/2 cup glutinous/sticky rice, rinsed
2 cans (15 ounces) coconut milk
2/3 cup palm sugar (can substitute white sugar or mix white and brown sugar)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup toasted unsweetened coconut (optional)

Directions:

Bring 5 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan and add the black-eyed peas. Return to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer until the black-eyes peas have softened. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, bring the remaining 3 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan and add the rice. Return to a boil, stirring frequently, and then reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until most of the water has been absorbed by the rice or evaporated. Add the coconut milk, sugar, and salt and stir to dissolve. Let simmer away until the mixture begins to thicken.

Stir in the black-eyed peas and stir gently. Continue cooking until the black-eyed peas are heated through and the pudding is at your desired thickness. Ladle into individual bowls and garnish with toasted coconut, if desired.

Southern Sweet Lime Tea

Drinks

Girl Cooks World

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April 23, 2019

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I suppose I should have tried to make and drink a true Southern sweet tea, but I just can’t bring myself to add a whopping 3 cups of sugar to a large pitcher of iced tea. But cut that amount of sugar in half and add a bunch of freshly squeezed lime juice? Count me in.

Since I’m a huge fan of Arnold Palmers (the drink, the man, the clubs), I’m not sure why I never thought to add a citrus other than lemon to my tea. Well my friends, I’m happy to say the lime works. In fact I might even like this version better than iced tea with lemons. And while I kept it somewhat traditional by using sugar in this batch, next time I’ll be using my new favorite sweetener, Stevia. Stevia, a natural and calorie-free sweetener, doesn’t always work as a perfect substitute for sugar, but I love how it tastes in beverages.

This tea will definitely give you a little extra pep in your step. I was drinking this all last weekend and felt like the Energizer Bunny.

Southern Sweet Lime Tea

Yield: 16 servings

Ingredients:

14 cups water, divided
12 black tea bags
1 1/2 cups white sugar
4 limes, juiced, plus extra for garnish, if desired

Directions:

Bring 12 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Remove from heat and add the tea bags. Let steep for 5 minutes and then remove and discard the tea bags. Let cool slightly.

Combine the sugar with 2 cups of cold water. Add the mixture to the steeped tea.

Add the lime juice and cool to room temperature. Pour into a pitcher and refrigerate until cold.

Slice additional limes, if using, into thin circles.

Serve the tea over ice with a slice or two of fresh lime.

For another soothing, citrusy tea, you may want to try this Lemongrass and Ginger Tea as well.

Smoky Bacon and Cheddar Shrimp and Grits

Main Dishes

Girl Cooks World

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April 23, 2019

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Smoky Bacon and Cheddar Shrimp and Grits

I did a fair amount of research before creating this dish for the blog. And you know what I found? The vast majority of the recipes are named plain ol’ Shrimp and Grits. The problem with that? Well it totally ignores two of the dish’s most delicious and marketable components: bacon and cheddar. Obviously some folks need to work on their advertising and marketing skills (my brief stint in PR finally pays off!). Calling this shrimp and grits is like calling a bacon cheddar burger just a hamburger.

This dish brings together so many of the Southern favorites: pork, corn, and seafood. It’s by no means a complicated recipe. In fact, this is one of the fastest one-dish meals I’ve blogged about. And the components are common and relatively inexpensive. But it comes together as a hearty dish that’s attractive and fancy enough for a dinner party. Think of it as Southern seafood and pork polenta.

Having this blog means I don’t often get to make recipes multiple times since I’m always testing something new, even when I’m a big fan. But I’m making it a top priority to make this again before the week is out. I hope you guys will give this one a shot.

Just one final note. Although I’m a huge proponent and lover of leftovers, this is one dish that really is best eaten immediately. The shrimp and bacon are a perfect complement to the puddle of creamy and soft grits.

Smoky Bacon and Cheddar Shrimp and Grits

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

* 1 cup stone ground grits (can substitute polenta if you’re unable to find traditional grits)
* 4 cups of water or shrimp stock (can also substitute milk for a cup or two of water)
* salt and pepper
* 4 Tablespoons butter
* 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
* 6 slices bacon, chopped (this is easier to do if the bacon is slightly frozen)
* 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
* 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
* 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
* salt and pepper

Directions:

Prepare the grits by bringing the water or stock (or water and milk) to a boil in a large saucepan. Slowly whisk in the grits and season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to the lowest setting and cook, stirring constantly, for approximately 15 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and stir in the butter and cheese. Keep warm.

If you’re a good multi-tasker and you’ve already measured/laid out all the ingredients, you can probably prepare the bacon and shrimp while the grits are cooking. Just remember to give the grits a good stir now and again.

Fry the bacon pieces in a large skillet or saute pan until crispy, draining off some of the fat as it’s rendered (save for another use). Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. Again drain off any excess bacon fat, we just want about a Tablespoon or two to remain in the pan.

Add the shrimp and garlic to bacon grease and cook, stirring frequently, just until the shrimp has turned pink. Add the lemon juice, green onions and cayenne pepper and give the mixture a good stir.

Ladle some grits into a four individual bowls and top with a 1/4 of the shrimp mixture. Top with the crumbled bacon. Season, if necessary, with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Quick and Easy Tomatoes and Okra

Vegetarian

Girl Cooks World

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April 23, 2019

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Now I’ll be the first to admit that this may not be the flashiest recipe I’ve ever posted. I don’t expect many people to Stumble it or add it to Pinterest. But it’s still a winner in my book, and I’ll tell you why. There comes a point in every food blogger’s career that one of the recipes you were counted on didn’t turn out (I’m talking to you, key lime bars) and you need a replacement stat. And maybe you’re feeling a little bit lazy and don’t want to go to the store. And furthermore, perhaps you’ve eaten one too many Snicker’s peanut butter bars, are feeling kind of gross, and would really love to make something with that didn’t use copious amounts of sugar, butter or cream.

Well, the stars aligned when I found this recipe; it’s healthy, fast, and I miraculously had all the ingredients on hand. Oh, and did I mention that it tastes awesome and it’s vegan? Not too shabby for an 11th hour replacement, huh?

Quick and Easy Tomatoes and Okra

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

* 2 Tablespoons olive oil
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* one 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
* 1 pound sliced, frozen okra
* 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
* salt and pepper

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until the onion begins to turn golden. Add the tomatoes and okra and stir to mix. Reduce heat, cover, and let cook, stirring occasionally, until the okra is hot and tender.

Stir in the lemon juice and add salt and pepper to taste.

Poat Dot – Cambodian Grilled Corn

Vegetarian

Girl Cooks World

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April 23, 2019

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I realize this post is slightly cruel. After all, the vast majority of you don’t have access to sweet Kahuku corn year round, and, furthermore, the next corn season will not be for many, many months. But this recipe is just too good to not share immediately.

Popular street food in Cambodia, grilled corn gets slathered in a salty and sweet fish sauce mixture punctuated with fresh scallions and red chile. If you’ve never used fish sauce before, this would be a great introduction to the stinky liquid gold; it single-handedly adds a sweet, salty and umami quality.

Intrigued but can’t bear to wait until next summer to try out this recipe? I’m thinking the sauce could also be used for a corn side dish or corn salad. Just make the sauce as written below and pour it over some defrosted frozen corn for a side for your next Southeast Asian meal.

Poat Dot – Cambodian Grilled Corn

Yield: 6 ears of corn

Ingredients:

* 6 ears corn, silk removed and husked pulled back and tied to form a handle
* 2 Tablespoons fish sauce
* 1 Tablespoon water
* 1 1/2 Tablespoon palm sugar (can substitute regular sugar)
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 hot red chile pepper, seeded and minced
* small bunch scallions, thinly sliced
* 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions:

In a large stockpot, bring several inches water to a boil over high heat and then add the corn. When the water returns to a boil, cook for another 5 minutes. Remove with tongs and drain off excess water. Remove to a plate and pat dry.

Over an open gas-stove flame char one of the ears of corn, rotating it every so often until slightly blackened on all sides. Remove to a serving platter and repeat with the remaining ears of corn.

Combine the fish sauce, water, palm sugar, salt, chile pepper and scallions in a small bowl and stir until the palm sugar is dissolved.

Heat the vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the fish sauce mixture, bring to a boil and let simmer until the sauce has thickened slightly.

Remove from heat and brush the mixture over the corn. Serve immediately.

Note: Feel free to prepare the corn on the grill or just use steamed corn. Above is the method I use when I want the taste of grilled corn but don’t have access to a grill.

Cambodian Spicy Chicken Noodle Soup

Girl Cooks World

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April 23, 2019

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Like pho? Then this Cambodian chicken noodle soup will probably be right up your alley. Chicken is cooked in a lemongrass and garlic broth until falling apart tender. The meat is then combined with a little fish sauce, some fresh herbs and chile, and naturally gluten-free rice sticks, or noodles. Forget that gluten-filled Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup (or any other canned variety) next time you’re sick- garlic, basil and chile peppers have all been used as natural remedies to ward off the common cold and other illnesses.

Of course, there’s no reason to wait until you’re sick to try this gem; it’s healthy and relatively easy to make. And for you Canadians who celebrated Thanksgiving yesterday, this recipe would also be a great way to use up any extra turkey lying around … just use some of the bones for the initial stock (with the lemongrass and garlic) and then remove the bones prior to adding some shredded turkey.

Cambodian Spicy Chicken Noodle Soup

Yield: 4 appetizer-sized servings

Ingredients:

* 10 cups water, divided
* small handful (about 4-6 ounces) Thai rice sticks (linguini shaped rice noodles)
* 1 pound chicken parts (leg, thighs or breasts), skinned but with the bone left in
* 2 stalks lemongrass, woody outer leaves removed and then smashed
* 2 cloves garlic, smashed
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 2 teaspoons palm sugar (can substitute regular sugar)
* 2 Tablespoons fish sauce, plus extra for serving
* juice of two limes
* green onions, cut on the diagonal into 1/2-inch pieces
* 1 hot red chile (I used a jalapeno pepper), minced
* handful of thai basil, roughly chopped
* handful of cilantro or sawtooth herb leaves, roughly chopped

Directions:

Heat 4 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Remove from heat and add the rice sticks. Let sit until noodles have softened. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

Bring the remaining 6 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan and add the chicken, lemongrass, and garlic. Return to a boil and skim the surface. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until the chicken is very tender.

Remove the chicken to a plate and let cool just enough so that you can shred the chicken meat and return it to the saucepan. Add the salt, palm sugar, and fish sauce, lime juice, green onions, minced chile, basil, and cilantro or sawtooth herbs and stir to combine.

Place a small heap of cooked noodles in each bowl and then top with the soup. Serve with extra fish sauce on the side.

Stuffed Dates

Girl Cooks World

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April 23, 2019

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Before we get into the sweet and salty stuffed dates recipe, let me talk to you about another great appetizer. If you’ve never had a bacon wrapped date before, you owe it to yourself to try one as soon as possible. The version that’s stuffed with blue cheese is great, but I like almond filling even more; the almonds provide a really nice crunch and texture. I once brought several trays of them to a potluck BBQ; at first people were hesitant to try them since they thought the combination sounded odd. Well my friends, they were things gone and people are still talking about them to this day.

But what if you’re a vegetarian or vegan? No worries, this bacon-free version gets the job done. Pitted dates are stuffed with almonds, sautéed in a little olive oil and then get a hefty sprinkle of sea salt. You get the warm, soft sweetness of the dates, the crunch of the almond and the sea salt gives you that salty contrast. The fact that you can make these so much quicker than the bacon-wrapped version is both a blessing and a curse… I have a feeling I’m going to be making these pretty often from now on.

Sweet and Salty Stuffed Dates

Ingredients:

pitted dates
almonds
olive oil
sea salt

Directions:

Gently stuff the pitted date with a whole almond. Repeat with as many almonds and dates as desired.

Heat a very thin layer of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place the stuffed dates onto the skillet. Cook on one side until the dates has softened and darkened a bit. Flip to the other side and again cook until the other side has darkened slightly.

Remove to a serving platter and sprinkle generously with sea salt. Enjoy!

*Check out my Dates with Pistachio and Mascarpone Filling recipe.

Greek Salad

Girl Cooks World

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April 23, 2019

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I’ve made Greek salad I don’t know how many times in my life. As it turns out, I’ve been doing it all wrong. What a difference some fresh oregano and real (i.e., sheep’s milk) feta makes… it’s absolutely incredible. These two simple upgrades take almost no extra effort but truly make a world of difference taste-wise.

I know that there are countless Greek salad recipes out there in cyberspace. But as much as I love providing you guys with original and unique recipes, there are those times I’ve got to be a little selfish. My obsessive-compulsive self loves that posting on Girl Cooks World is so much neater and cleaner (and takes up so much less space!) than my unorganized binders and folders of stained recipe print-outs covered in my chicken scratch notes. I knew this salad was a keeper so I’m mostly posting it for my future reference.

But I’m sure you guys will love it too. I kept it simple, but if you’re feeling crazy, throw in some red or green peppers in as well. And stay tuned for a super duper lentil salad coming up this week (as well as a killer shrimp dish!). There’s a lot of good food to come…

Greek Salad

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

* 2 cups chopped tomatoes (~2 large tomatoes)
* 2 cups chopped cucumbers (~1 large cucumber)
* 1 cup diced red onion (~1/2 medium red onion)
* 1/2 cup crumbled sheep’s milk feta cheese
* 1/2 cup kalamata olives (optional)
* 1/3 cup olive oil
* 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
* 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
* 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
* salt and pepper

Directions:

Combine the tomatoes, cucumber, onion, feta cheese and olives in a large bowl and stir lightly to combine.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, oregano and salt and pepper. Pour over the vegetables and toss to combine. Serve immediately.