Making Shrimp & Grits with Fried Green Tomatoes

Have you ever been in a situation where you had to make your own cornmeal? Well it turns out a coffee grinder can work wonders on dehydrated corn kernels. Just make sure you sift the ground products (unlike yours truly, who forgot to do so) so that you separate the finer textured powder, which is the corn meal, from the hard bits, which is the grits. The recipe for fried green tomatoes below has been adjusted for vegans, so if you’re not one yourself, then follow the substitution step written below.

VEGAN FRIED GREEN TOMATOES:

[ 2 Medium sized green tomatoes + 1 cup flour + 3 tablespoon rice flour or regular flour + 1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder + 2 tablespoon water + 3/4 bread crumbs + 3/4 cup corn meal + 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper + salt and pepper to taste + oil enough to shallow fry ]

Put the one cup of flour onto a plate.

Combine the 3 tablespoon flour, turmeric powder and water in a shallow bowl. Adjust water if the batter is too thick.You can substitute this mixture for 2 eggs (beaten) if you’re not a vegan.

Combine the breadcrumbs and corn meal in another plate.

Slice the tomatoes into 1-inch thick slices.

Place on a rack on top of some paper towel or a tea towel and sprinkle salt before turning them over. Leave them for 10 minutes so the salt can draw out the water from the tomatoes.

Cover the tomato slice with flour.

Then dip it in the turmeric powder batter (or beaten eggs).

Then cover it with the breadcrumb-cornmeal mixture.

Return it back to the rack and chill in the fridge for about 10-15 minutes just to firm up.

Heat enough oil in a frying pan to shallow fry the tomatoes on medium-high heat. Fry the tomatoes for 2-3 minutes per side. This allows the tomato to soften a bit and the crust to become crunchy.

Drain on paper towels and keep warm in the oven while you make the shrimp and grits.

JALAPENO SHRIMP & CHEESY GRITS:

CHEESY GRITS:

[ 2 cups water + 1/2 cup coarsely ground cornmeal + 1-2 tablespoon unsalted butter + 2 ounces sharp cheese of your choice + salt and pepper to taste ]

Place the water and salt into a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Once the water comes to a boil, gradually add the cornmeal while continually whisking.

Once all of the cornmeal has been incorporated, decrease the heat to low and cover.

Remove lid and whisk frequently, every 3 to 4 minutes, to prevent from sticking or forming lumps; make sure to get into corners of pot when whisking. Cook for 20 minutes or until mixture is creamy.

Remove from the heat, add the pepper and 1 tablespoon of butter, and whisk to combine. Once the butter is melted, gradually whisk in the cheese a little at a time. Set aside.

JALAPENO SHRIMP:

[ 1 tablespoon butter + 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined, without tails + 1/2 - 1 tablespoon Cajun or Old Bay seasoning + juice of 1/2 a lime + 1 garlic clove, minced + 2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped roughly + 1/3 cup sweet corn kernels + 2 tablespoon water ] OPTIONAL: Sliced green onions to sprinkle on top.

In a bowl, mix the shrimp with the cajun or Old Bay seasoning and set aside.

Heat the butter in a skillet and add in the garlic. Stir fry for 1 minute then add the jalapeno and corn and stir fry for another minute.