Vodka Cream Sauce

We tend to keep several jarred sauces in our pantry for nights when I need to whip dinner up in a matter of minutes. Those sauces are good to have on hand and if I have the time I'll add extra veggies or protein to them, but creating a sauce (almost) from scratch always tastes so much better.

I've been making this one for a couple years now and I'm just now getting around to posting it. I feel the need to apologize for the iPhone picture, but at the same time I'm also not sorry. I love taking photos of food, but once dinnertime rolls around I just want to eat and relax with my husband! I'm working on posting more of our favorite recipes, which means there will be more iPhone pictures in the future. I'm sorry I'm not really that sorry.

What I'm actually really sorry for is not sharing this with you sooner. This is one of those meals that's hearty and flavorful enough to stand all on its own. Sometimes if I'm really feeling ambitious, I'll add shrimp to the mix (throw them in the sauce just before adding the cream so they'll have time to cook) or my new favorite way is to make it with bacon*. Put this on your menu and you definitely won't be sorry you made it!

Vodka Cream Sauce 

adapted from Cooking Light

serves 4

Ingredients:
8 ounces pasta of your choice
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (more if you want it spicy!)
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup (4 ounces) vodka
1/4 cup chicken (or veggie) broth
1 24-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup cream (whipping, heavy, half & half; fat free works fine, too)
3 tablespoons (about 10 leaves), fresh basil, thinly sliced
Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, set aside, and keep warm.

Heat oil in a large pot or skillet with high sides. Add onion; saute until soft and tender. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, garlic, and red pepper flakes, and black pepper; saute 1 minute. Add vodka; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer until liquid has reduced by half (if the vodka reduces rather quickly I sometimes add an extra splash or two just for kicks). Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt, broth, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 10 minutes. Using an immersion blender (or a blender), process until smooth. (If you used a large blender, return mixture to pan.) Stir in cream; cook 2 minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly until no white streaks remain. Stir in cooked pasta, basil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Serve immediately with Parmesan cheese and homemade bread.

*To add bacon: Omit olive oil; dice 4-6 slices of bacon and cook until brown and crispy in the skillet before adding onion. Remove cooked bacon to paper towels and let drain. Using the bacon fat, cook onions and follow the rest of the recipe. Add cooked bacon pieces to the sauce before adding cream.

Baked Shrimp

Want something seriously easy and fast? Honestly this is one of the easiest meals I've ever made. And quite possibly one of my favorites. I always buy shrimp when I find it on sale and stick it in the freezer until an idea strikes! I can't take ALL the credit for this dish because the base of this recipe is my Grandmothers. Every few months we have a big birthday dinner celebrating a few birthdays at a time. In January we have "BBQ" shrimp, which isn't actually barbecued. She takes a huge roasting pan and stuffs it with shrimp, oranges, butter, and lots of black pepper. It bakes until the shrimp are nice and pink and the smell calls everyone to the table. In desire of a really warm and filling dinner I took her idea and added my twist here and there to create this. This is a peel and eat shrimp so make sure you have a bowl ready for your shells and a towel for your hands! And don't forget some of Jessica's French Bread to soak up all the buttery juices on your plate.

Baked Shrimp

Shrimp- 2 lbs, shell on
Orange- 1 large
Butter- 1 and 1/2 sticks
White wine- 1/2 cup
Minced Garlic- 1 Tbsp
Parsley- 2 Tbsp
Johnny's Garlic Spread (optional)
Thyme- 2 tsp
Pepper- 2 tsp
Salt- As desired

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash shrimp and place in a greased casserole dish. Season with garlic, parsley, Johnny's garlic spread, thyme, pepper, and salt. Pour white wine over shrimp. Cut the butter into chunks and place all over the top of the shrimp. Place orange slices on top and cover with foil. Bake for about 20 minutes or until shrimp are pink and the juices are bubbly. Serve with warm french bread.

Shrimp and Grits

I'll be the first one to admit that the very thought of eating shrimp and grits had me gritting my teeth. Not only does it not sound appetizing (grits reminded me of oatmeal or poridge, and why would I want to eat that as a savory meal?), but it sure doesn't look all that great when it's served to you. School cafeteria mush anyone? I had a teeny taste of grits for the first time at Cracker Barrel and vowed to never try them again. I swear it tasted like cardboard, even with two pads of butter melted in it. Simply put, it was bland, and I don't like bland.

But then I tried cheese grits and everything changed. I discovered there are grits (the kind that tastes like sand and cardboard) and then there are grits (the kind that is so savory and creamy you wish it was never ending). Shrimp and grits, however, is a whole other level of just deliciousness.

This summer, my best friend flew in from New Mexico to hang out in Georgia for a few days, and while she was here we hung out in Savannah. If you're ever in Savannah, there's this nifty kitchen store called Kitchens on the Square, and the best part is that they host cooking classes! We took a class and besides making the following recipe, we also made southern classics like Tomato Sandwiches, Buttermilk Dill Cole Slaw, and Stuffed Banana Cakes. The shrimp and grits were fantastic and I told myself I'd remake them someday for my husband. Well, that day was yesterday.

I served them along with these collard greens, and he loved it so much that he described the meal, through a mouth full of grits, as "so freaking good." Grits don't have to be boring and flavorless. Just make this recipe and see for yourself!

Shrimp and Grits

adapted from Kitchens on the Square

Ingredients:
1/2 cup diced bacon (about 5-7 slices)
2 tablspoons unsalted butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablspoons fresh chives, roughly minced
1 cup quick cooking grits *see notes for using stone-ground (not instant) grits
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup heavy cream (can use whatever type of milk you have on hand)
salt and pepper to taste
shrimp, peeled, and deveined (desired amount)
1 cup goat cheese (or whatever cheese you would like—we had cheddar, so that's what we used)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a medium sauce pot, cook bacon until crisp. Add butter, garlic, and chives; saute another 2-3 minutes. Add grits and stir to coat with bacon fat (should look like bread crumbs). Stir in chicken broth, wine, and cream.

3. **Bring mixture to a simmer, stirring constantly. Continue to stir until grits have thickened, 5-8 minutes.

4.Season with salt and pepper; transfer to baking dish.

5. Scatter shrimp evenly over grits; crumble/sprinkle cheese over shrimp. Bake in oven for about 10 minutes or until shrimp are pink and cheese is melted.

*When using stone-ground grits: increase the following: 2 1/2 cups chicken broth, 3/4 cup white wine, 3/4 cup cream
**When using stone-ground grits: Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to medium, cover and cook for about 20-30 minutes, stirring often. Continue with step 4.