Shrimp and Grits

Are you ready for some serious yumminess?  Oh, I think so too.  Behold:

Shrimp & Grits

Ingredients:
2 cups quick cook (not instant) grits, cooked in 3 cups of water
2 or 3 medium onions finely chopped
2 lbs cooked, diced shrimp  (You can use petite salad shrimp.  I used the frozen kind and it was great.)
1 TBSP minced garlic (The kind from a jar works great.)
1 stick butter
1 finely chopped bell pepper
3 jalepeno peppers, finely chopped (I used one large banana pepper since I REALLY can't deal with spicy stuff right now.)
11/2 cup heavy whipping cream
12 cup roasted chopped pimentos (jar)
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
1 1/2 cup monterrey jack cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 TBSP Old Bay seasoning
2 TBSP Creole seasoning
1/4 cup parsley flakes

Cook grits according to package directions, just reducing water amount.

Saute' onions, garlic, bell pepper, jalepeno (or banana) pepper, and butter in a large skillet.

Isn't it pretty?  So green!  You can ALMOST pretend it's good for you.

Pour grits into a large bowl and add sauteed veggies.  The grits will be super-thick, due to the reduced water amount.

Add roasted peppers, cheeses, and seasonings.  Stir well.  Add shrimp, heavy whipping cream, and parsley.

Pour into a large, greased pyrex dish. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Enjoy!

I served my shrimp and grits with Torie's recipe for Country French Bread.  It is AWESOME!!!

Do you know about Zoe's Kitchen yet?

So, while this isn't technically a recipe like I would normally post, I wanted to let you know about a fabulous restaurant that I've recently discovered, Zoe's Kitchen.  (Click for a location near you.)

Recently, I was invited to come try some of Zoe's new menu items.  Unfortunately, we weren't able to go because of a death in our family.  The Zoe's representative, Lindsey Limbaugh, was so gracious to me that she offered to send us two free lunch cards so that Jason and I could still come in and try the new items at our convenience.  How awesome is that?!?

Last Monday, en route to our ultrasound  appointment, we stopped off at Zoe's Kitchen in SoHo.  The kids got quesadillas, as they always do, and Jason and I both got the Hummus salad plate:

Not only was it beautiful and colorful, but it was incredibly tasty, too!  Everything was so fresh and delicious.  I am something of a picky eater, but I was all over this food!   The hummus is very light and creamy, which paired perfectly with the fantastic pita bread.  The tomato-cucumber-white bean salad (bottom right) is fresh, delicious, and oh-so-yummy.  (The fact that I don't eat raw tomatoes did not deter me whatsoever.  I totally got the clean plate award!)  The Greek salad was awesome, as usual.  I love Zoe's Greek dressing, and was stoked to see that they have bottles of it for sale in the restaurant.

I was in Birmingham again on Friday, so I decided to get Zoe's Kitchen to go for dinner.  I picked up a roll-up combo dinner and chose a combination of their chicken roll-ups and their new steak roll-ups.  Words do not do those roll-ups justice.  While I loved the chicken, the steak was unbelievable!  It was so thinly sliced, flavorful, and perfectly tender.  The combo dinner also includes a yummy rice pilaf and my favorite Greek salad.  Even though this dinner wasn't free, it was still excellent!  If we hadn't devoured it so quickly, I would have taken some beauty shots of it.  Alas, it was too good to wait for pictures!

(I didn't even mention their caffeine-free hibiscus green tea that I'm completely addicted to.  I wish they bottled the stuff and sold it in the grocery store.)

For a satisfying, fresh, dare I say healthy-for-you meal, you've got to try Zoe's Kitchen.  You will thank me later.  Or now.  Now is good, too.

By the way, if you are interested in obtaining a free lunch or two from Zoe's Kitchen, check out Rachel's giveaway.  If you win, please take me.  :)

***(Other than the 2 free lunches, I was in no way compensated.  They didn't even ask me to review it!  I just love Zoe's Kitchen THAT much!)