Shrimp and Grits a trip to the Big Easy

When I drove a truck for a living I visited a lot of places across this great country we live in. Every different region has their own specific flavors and styles of cooking. One of my favorite areas is Southern Lousiana and the Cajun style of cooking. Here is a dish that comes straight out of Cajun Country, Shrimp and Grits. Now you can get Shrimp and Grits from a lot of other coastal areas of the south but nothing like the ones with a Cajun twist. Here is my version of this classic dish.

Grits made into cakes and browned. See below.

1 Bell Pepper

1 Med. Onion

1/2lb Andouille Sausage Med. Heat

1/2lb peeled and veined shrimp 40-50 ct. size

3 cloves of Garlic

1 Can of Diced Tomatoes

1/2 cup Dry White Wine

1 tsp Cayenne Pepper, little more if you want to heat it up little less if you dont.

1 tsp Ground Cumin

1 tsp Celery Seeds

1 tsp thyme

Salt and Pepper to taste

For the grits, I used 5 min. quick grits made per the directions on the package. Added 1/2 cup Motzerella Cheese graed and 1 stick of butter. Spread the grits in a pan to about 1" thickness. let them cool and set up. When ready, just prior to serving slice them into about 4"x4" squares and then cut diagonally across the square to make a triangle. Add some oil to bottom of skillet and pan fry the triangles until browned on each side and hot all the way through.

Now for the Shrimp and Andouille. Dice up Bell Pepper and Onion and sautee in a little oil in the bottom of a 2 qt. pot. Dice the Sausage and add into the pot and let it cook for a few min. Once Onions and Peppers are softened add the chopped up Garlic, the can of Tomatoes and the wine, bring these back to a boil. Add the spices and reduce to a simmer stirring occaisionally for about 2 hrs. Cover for the first 1 1/2 hr and then finish with it uncovered. Add the shrimp a few min before ready to serve. Shrimp cook quick and will get tough if over cooked. I used already cooked and peeled shrimp so they didnt need but about 3-4 min to heat all the way through. If using uncooked shrimp then maybe 5-6 min.

Serve over the grit cakes. Awsome is all I can say about this dish.