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Cajun Grilled Shrimp and Grits

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Cajun Grilled Shrimp and Grits is summer comfort food at its best. Marinated grilled shrimp meet creamy cheddar grits and a drizzle of spicy scallion butter. (Heat level is totally customizable to your preferences.) Grab a fork and dig in!

cajun grilled shrimp and grits

I remember vividly the first time I had grits. It was during college in Richmond, Virginia, at the Jefferson Hotel’s legendary Champagne Brunch. After several trips from our table to explore the bountiful chafing dishes that lined the hotel’s Rotunda, I came across a dish of cheesy grits.

“Oh, polenta,” my half-Italian, child-of-the-North mind thought. I took a small scoop for good measure, and went on my way.

Back at the table, I took my first bite. And, I fell in love.

Despite looking quite like polenta, the texture was a bit different. The grits had more of a porridge-like consistency than I expected. They were also cheesier than any polenta dish I’d ever had, with a slight bite from the addition of what must’ve been an aged cheddar. When the yolk from my Eggs Benedict started mingling with the grits, I’m pretty sure I heard ethereal music in the background.

Ok, so it was probably the brunch harpist. But, the grits really were outstanding!

cajun grilled shrimp and grits

Cajun Grilled Shrimp

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Gouda and Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

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These rich Crab and Gouda Stuffed Mushrooms, with sweet lump crabmeat, garlic, and Dijon, are a perfect appetizer or side dish for any celebration. 

Crab and Gouda Stuffed Mushrooms

I walked into a store today, and a display of chocolate hearts and stuffed bears greeted me, with a giant sign proclaiming that Valentine’s Day is just around the bend.

I shouldn’t be surprised given that the same location was selling Halloween candy in August, with fully decked halls in October, but I, for one, would love to hit the pause button on the holiday jumping and savor the arrival of 2017.

New Year’s Eve is primetime for appetizers, and this year I’m sharing one of our favorites: Crab and Gouda Stuffed Mushrooms. These elegant mushrooms, stuffed with lump crabmeat, cream cheese, Gouda, and a touch of Dijon, are perfect for any celebration, from Christmas and New Year’s to game watch parties and beyond.

When you think about it, is there any special occasion that wouldn’t benefit from a stuffed mushroom on the menu? Not in my house!

hollowed mushroom capscremini mushroom caps on pan
Stuffed mushrooms are so easy to make and are always a crowd-pleaser.

For this recipe, I like to use cremini mushrooms. They have a bit of a deeper flavor than buttons, which complements the crab and Gouda well. (Button mushrooms can certainly be substituted if you prefer them or are unable to find cremini.)

For the filling, I use sweet lump crabmeat and add sautéed chopped mushroom stems, scallions, and garlic to the cheeses for an extra boost of flavor. A squeeze of lemon juice just before serving brightens the rich flavors for a well-balanced bite….

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Tortilla Crusted Tilapia

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Full-flavored and easy to prepare, this crispy breaded fish is brightened by Cherry Tomato Pico de Gallo and Cilantro-Lime Crema for a festive summer dinner.

Tortilla Crusted Tilapia

I always seem to have a surplus of tortilla chips in the house during the summer. While I love dipping into a good bowl of salsa poolside, I’ve found that when crushed up, all of those leftover salty chips (especially the fragments at the bottom of the bag that are otherwise undippable) also make a delicious coating for chicken and fish. Not to mention easy. Just toss the chip crumbs with your favorite spices and you have an instantly crunchy, flavorful breading that’s easy enough to pull together even the busiest of weeknights. In one of my favorite summer dinners, I bread flaky tilapia fillets with cumin- and chipotle-seasoned chips and pan fry until crispy and golden. Served with Cherry Tomato Pico de Gallo and a drizzling of Cilantro-Lime Crema, this Tortilla Crusted Tilapia is a bright, fresh, full-flavored dish equally suitable for a quick weeknight meal or to serve to summer dinner guests.

Dredging the tilapia in flourTilapia is my favorite fish to serve with a tortilla chip coating; it’s firm, yet flaky, so it tends not to fall apart during cooking. Most of your favorite white fishes can be substituted; flounder, cod, and haddock would all work well, though it’s best for the fillets to be on the thinner side so they cook quickly and evenly in the pan. In terms of chips, you can use whatever variety you have on hand, though, I’ve found a coating made exclusively of blue corn to be a little tougher in texture. When I have both varieties available, I like to use a mixture of yellow/white and blue corn chips, crushed finely (easy to do by just popping them in a plastic storage bag and rolling with a pin). The light, crispy texture of the pan-fried coating is a great contrast to the tender fish, and its confetti-like appearance a festive addition to the dinner table.

tortilla crusted tilapia filets in panPan fried tortilla crusted tilapia fillets…

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Labrador Lounge Lobster Mac and Cheese & The Jersey Shore Cookbook

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Disclosure: I received a copy of The Jersey Shore Cookbook from Quirk Books to review.
As always, all opinions expressed are my own.

Labrador Lounge Lobster Mac and Cheese #sponsored

As a Jersey Girl born and raised, there are few summer traditions I love more than heading “down the shore.”

This in mind, you can imagine my excitement when I received a copy of Deborah Smith’s new book, The Jersey Shore Cookbook: Fresh Summer Flavors from the Boardwalk and Beyond (Quirk Books, 2016), to review. Smith, founder and executive editor of the online food magazine, JerseyBites.com (to which I am a contributor), has compiled a collection of 50 recipes from some of our state’s best shore restaurants, bakeries, and chefs.

As I turned to the recipe for Lobster Mac and Cheese from Labrador Lounge in Normandy Beach, there was no question as to what I’d be making first from the book. When dreaming of a Jersey summer, who can resist a good Lobster Mac?
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