Shrimp and Grits

Last night reminded me why I enjoy cooking so much more than baking.

Because I don't "do" recipes. I mean, sure, if I've never made something before- I'll check out a recipe. But usually, I throw whatever I want to into a pan -based on my personal tastes and cravings - and see what happens.

And usually it turns out pretty dang good if I say so myself.

Last night was no exception. I knew we had shrimp and knew we had grits... so why not do one of my favorite southern classics.

My thought process while cooking goes something like this:

Grits or polenta... grits or polenta. I am running low on grits, so I'll use polenta this round.

Cheddar... cheddar makes everything better - add that to my polenta.

Shrimp... hmmm. I feel like a lot of flavor. Let me cook down some diced pancetta (which will be nice and crunchy to sprinkle on top), and the cook the shrimp in the pancetta drippings and some olive oil. Andddd let's sprinkle the shrimp with Old Bay. I like Old Bay. Might as well toss in some minced garlic and shallots... since I have those lying around. Hmmm this needs to be a little thicker to make some sort of a sauce. A pad of butter? Don't mind if I do. Anddd some white wine. I'm pregnant... white wine doesn't count if I cook it. And some lemon juice - butter, white wine and lemon are my trifecta... remember. Ohhh scallions? It needs something green in there. I'll toss some in with the shrimp while they're cooking and then put some extra on top for more crunch.

Let's plate this thing. Big scoop of cheesy polenta, lots of shrimp on top... drizzle some of the sauce too. I like some heat. Let's add a few shakes of Tobasco on top. And some fresh cracked pepper. Don't forget the scallions and pancetta! And... because I can... a little bit of Locatelli cheese (because we put it on everything.)And voila.

Dinner.

In, I promise, less than 15 minutes. And better tasting than you can find in most restaurants because I could make it according to what I want.

So take THAT baking. You and your measuring cups can get on outta here.

MPLT's Shrimp and Grits
(please don't ask for quantities because I don't measure anything. eyeball it.... except for the grits/polenta - that needs to be exact)

Grits or polenta (polenta is smoother than grits) - cook according to directions
Shrimp - peeled and deveined
A couple 1/4inch thick slices of pancetta --- ask at your deli counter, remember?
Scallions (green onions)
Lemon
Sharp cheddar
Locatelli --- totally optional, unless you live in our house... then it's mandatory
Garlic, minced... just a clove or two
Shallots, minced
Old Bay seasoning --- not necessary but it gives the shrimp a bit more kick
Tobasco - totally
Butter and olive oil... because you SHOULD

Directions:
Get your grits/polenta going. Timing is key because once they cool off, they turn into a hard jello. You want to time it so your shrimp are ready to be plated once the grits are done. Once the grits are almost done (the water is absorbed and they are nice and creamy) add your cheese. Salt and pepper.

Make sure your shrimp are clean and dry... sprinkle with Old Bay prior to cooking.

Sautee pancetta (cut it first into small pieces) in a teeny bit of olive oil (it doesn't need much.) Once they are crispy, remove to plate with a towel to remove excess oil. Don't clean the pan.

Depending on how much fat was in your pancetta, you might need to add olive oil or butter to the pan... the shrimpies need something to cook in. Add in your shallots and garlic first. Let them start cooking (but don't brown) and then throw in your shrimp. Please know that shrimp cooks SUPER fast. Once you can see they are pink on one side, flip 'em over. They'll cook even faster on the other side. Toss in your scallions to get soft. Once the shrimp are cooked, quickly add in your white wine, butter, tobasco... whatever else to make your "sauce." Salt and pepper.

Plate up! Grits first, then all the shrimp goodness on top. Then add your pancetta and extra scallions. Squeeze some lemon/put on extra tobasco/whatever. Add more cracked pepper.

That's it folks. So easy Chad could do it (but he won't). ;) It tastes amazing and looks fancy and is something out of the ordinary. If you make it for your man, he'll run out and buy you something fancy... I promise!

Pesto!

Chad and I have desperately tried to grow basil in the past. Herbs, basil in particular, just hate us.

And, of course, this is the one herb that everyone and their brothers says, "You can't kill basil if you try!" Go figure.

I think part of the problem is everyone (including the farmers at the market!) tell us to do something different. So we have tried, sun and shade; damp, dry and wet; in a pot or in the ground - and in various combination. The only thing that is the same is the result: dead basil.

So instead of stressing myself out over it anymore, I decided to take the cheater's option: go to the farmer's market! And that's just what I did this weekend - three huge bunches (stuffed a whole plastic grocery bag) for $5. I love you N.C. agriculture!

And what better to do with a ton of basil than to make homemade pesto. And that's just what I did.

I cleaned it thoroughly.


Picked off all the leaves.


Chopped the garlic... a LOT of garlic.


Ground pine nuts, walnuts and garlic together in the food processor.


Blended in my basil and extra virgin olive oil. Added pecorino romano cheese.


Made a mess (sorry Chaddy.)


Packed it in several small containers (make sure to add a small layer of olive oil on top) to freeze for later.


Success! It is delicious. So go forth and make pesto!

Yes, I'm still cooking

I realized I have not done a good job about blogging about my food adventures lately - even though I'm back to cooking most of our weeknight meals.

I'm continuing to l.o.v.e. our Papa Spuds weekly deliveries. The last couple of weeks have been even better since there is an abundance of delicious summer crops so I'm able to get a lot for my money. We've gotten tons of stuff - green cabbage, red potatoes, yukon gold potatoes, salad greens, collards, kale, basil, corn, raspberries, blueberries, green beans, potatoes, tomatoes, fresh milk and even - this week - flounder fillets caught the day before from the Carolina coast.

All these crops have made for some delicious - and easy - dinners. Most nights we've paired whatever protein we feel like (chicken, pork, beef... and now fish!) with potatoes in some sort of fashion (potato salad, roasted potatoes, boiled potatoes, etc.), and two or three fresh veggies.

{my shipment for the week - minus the flounder: sweet corn, red potatoes, kale, basil and tomatoes}

Last night, I made PW's Spicy Pasta Salad with Smoked Gouda, Tomatoes and Basil... since I've always had luck with her pasta dishes. I added some roasted chicken --- since I need to get my protein --- and used cellentani instead of mostaccioli and it was a perfect dinner. My fresh Papa Spuds tomatoes and sweet basil were perfect in it!


Even Chad, who doesn't prefer thicker pasta (he's a spaghetti/angel hair kinda guy) loved it. The best part was I was able to do all the prep the night before (cook the pasta, chop my veggies and cheese, make the dressing) and quickly assemble it that evening so I could feed Chad before he had to run out the door to Bible study.

Tomorrow night we're going to be cooking the flounder - which I'm leaving up to Chad. Despite my comfort in cooking, I don't have lots of experience cooking fish so I'm passing the buck on this one to the mister. I'll be happy to do the accompaniments - roasted potatoes, corn, sliced tomatoes and sauteed kale! ;)

So I'm sorry for not keeping you update with my cooking, but fear not - I'm back in action.

Veggie Chili

Continuing my (thankfully) healthy cravings of fresh veggies and fruit - and recognizing the need to add some more protein in my diet - I decided this weekend to make vegetarian chili.

I started with this:

Red onion, white onion, yellow squash, zucchini, jalepenos, green and red bell pepper. I love cooking with fresh veggies - of bright and assorted colors.

Took about 30 minutes to dice everything up into bite-sized pieces, and threw them in the pot to soften.

Added some canned diced tomatoes, kidney beans and black beans. Along with plenty of chili powder, cayenne and cumin.

And let it cook baby cook for about 5 hours.

But... then I got sick. And didn't get to eat any. But luckily I made such a huge pot that I froze 3/4 of it to enjoy at a later date.

But Chad liked it. :)

I know I'm bad... but here's a recipe

I know I haven't posted in forever. But I have my reasons... and I promise I'll pick up the pace sooner than later.

But for now, I'll leave you with a post for my most favorite "grown-up" grilled cheese sandwich (sans pictures.)

You'll need:
Good, fresh focaccia bread (Why focaccia? Because I say so)
- Brie cheese
- Arugula
- Mango Chutney

Assemble into a sandwich. Cook until the cheese is melted (be it stovetop, panini press, oven) and eat.

It is heaven... in an sandwich.

So what's your favorite "adult" version of grilled cheese? Or are you still a white bread and Kraft singles fan?

Recipe: Best Hummus Ever

You would never guess it, but Raleigh is lucky to be home to an ah-maz-ing Middle Eastern restaurant called Neomonde. If I could eat there for lunch every day of the week, I would make that happen.

And while I've tried many things on their menu, they have one lunch special that is my go-to and it takes an act of God to get to me order something else. My "lunchbox" includes a warmed veggie wrap (pita with marinated egg plant, zucchini, squash, red pepper and tons of other deliciousness), with a side of tatziki (greek yogurt dip with cucumber, garlic and mint) and a side of hummus with olives and olive oil on top. A couple extra slices of pita for dipping, plus a pistachio baklava for dessert - it is an amazing, filling and healthy lunch.

Luckily, Neomonde is so kind as to give some of their recipes away - including their famous creamy hummus. I'm lucky enough to go buy it by the pound when the mood hits me, but for those of you not in driving distance, here is the recipe:

Neomonde Hummus

Ingredients:
1 pound dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 cup tahini
1 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Kalamata olives and extra virgin olive oil, optional garnish

Directions:
Wash and drain the chickpeas twice, discarding any stones or debris. Place chickpeas in a pot and add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Allow to soak for at least 12 hours.

Drain chickpeas, return to pot and add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and cook until a froth forms on top of the liquid. Drain and rinse chickpeas again, wipe foam from pot and return chickpeas to pot.

Add enough water to cover chickpeas by 2 inches. Stir in 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, adding water as necessary to keep chickpeas covered, until tender. Depending on the dryness of the chickpeas, this can take anywhere from 45 minutes to more than an hour. Allow chickpeas to cool to room temperature in the cooking liquid.

With a food processor running, drop garlic cloves through the feed chute and process until finely chopped. Stop the machine and add chickpeas and just enough cooking liquid to cover them (you may have to work in batches). Process until smooth.

Add tahini, lemon juice and olive oil and process until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Adjust seasoning with more salt if needed. Serve with warm pita wedges for dipping. If desired, garnish the hummus with Kalamata olives and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Savory Soups

Like most of you, I'm sure, I've been on a huge soup kick these past several weeks. Even though it's not that cold outside, there is something about the moment the calendar flips to October - it's time to start with the soups.

I've made stews, chilies, broth-based, cream-based - you name it, I've made it.

A couple of note, lately.

Last night I made Serious Eat's Agreeably Simple Potato and Leek soup.

{via Serious Eats}

Because you know... leeks are in it.

And if leek is in the name, it will at some point find its way onto my kitchen table.

I thought it was a lovely soup. I added about a quarter cup of half & half to the pot - just to give it some extra richness, and put some cracked pepper and coarse ground garlic salt on the top of each bowl... along with a dash of sour cream. It would have been awesome with some chives on top... but I was sans chives last night so I had to make due without. Chad commented it was one of the best soups he's had. Bonus, it took me about 20 minutes to assemble before having to simmer for awhile... perfect amount of time to let me get a little workout in!

And last week, I made a delicious white bean soup recipe courtesy of my mama. It's simple and delicious!

Umberto's Bean Soup
- 2 cans white beans
- 1 can collards (or half a bunch of fresh... preferable)
- 1 large can diced tomatoes
- Bunch of fresh Italian parsley, mined
- 1 medium onion, diced
- a few cloves of garlic, minced
- chicken stock or ham stock (I did the best of both worlds and used chicken stock plus a ham hock)
- s&p to taste

Let simmer for about an hour. Serve with tabasco and grated Locatelli cheese on top. It's a perfect - and healthy - fall soup!

What about you? Do you have a favorite fall soup recipe to share? Comment or post on your blog and send me a link!

It's not officially fall until...

1) I make the change from the in nail polish hues - like last year.
2) I see pumpkins at the farmer's market.
3) I make my first pot of chili.

With a forecast that this past Sunday was going to be rainy and cool (at least cool compared to the 90+ days in a row of 90+ degree heat), I knew chili was in my future.

I broke out my favorite chili recipe - graciously given by my FAVORITE Raleigh restaurant for chili - Mitch's Tavern... which is a NC State staple. Their black bean and sausage chili is to-die-for. I make a few tweaks in my version, but it's pretty close. Make sure you top it with a dollop of sour cream, fresh cilantro and some chopped green onions.

{Not Mitch's, but pic @via}

And if you're eating chili, you need to have some cornbread. I've had some nasty cornbread before - not necessarily bad tasting, but just really dry... to the point you can't eat it without it crumbling to pieces.

Luckily, Serious Eats posted an amazing recipe earlier this month for Malcolm's Sweet Award-Winning Cornbread. How could I argue with an award-winning cornbread.

{pic @via}

As it turned out, I couldn't. It was perhaps the best cornbread I've ever had.

It was the perfect meal to have simmering on the stove all day while watching some NFL football. And really, isn't that what a Sunday in autumn is all about?

Dinner in review

So last night's dinner was absolutely delicious. I even decided to get fancy and crisp up my corn tortillas, instead of just warming them in the microwave.


Even better, the meal lended itself to the perfect next-day lunch. I used the leftover marinated chicken and black beans, and put them on top of a fresh arugula salad with some cherry tomatoes. I also fried some corn tortilla strips for a crunchy topping. And since I've gotten into making my own salad dressings, I fixed a special dressing for my "southwestern salad." Making your own salad dressings are easy - the two things required are oil and some type of acid (either a vinegar or a citrus juice.) Here was my concoction:

MPLT's Soutwestern Dressing
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Fresh squeezed lemon juice
- A few shakes of cholula (I figured why not - it has vinegar in there... so it helps with the acid)
- A tiny bit of dijon mustard
- A clove of garlic (not minced - just cut and sitting in there)
- Kosher salt
- Cracked pepper

Here was what I packed up for lunch today:

Sure beats a nasty Lean Cuisine!

Quick fix dinner

I've been (once again) getting bored with my g0-to recipes. It's just really hard to find quick, healthy and delicious dinners that I can throw together at the last minute on a week night.

So yesterday, I was sitting with my big brother (at our fantasy football draft --- more later) and asked him for some ideas. He gave me a good one I'm trying out tonight.

He told me to marinate skinless, boneless chicken breasts in olive oil, lemon juice, lime juice and cholula hot sauce (one of our favorites.) I assembled the marinade last night (along with a jalapeno sliced in half) and let it sit. Then this morning, I threw the chicken breasts in before work.

When I get home tonight, I'll pan-sear it (if we had a gas grill instead of a charcoal grill, I would grill it) on the stove. I'll slice it up, and we'll serve it on warmed corn tortillas (two of my brothers were lamenting how they HATE flour tortillas and how corn tortillas are so superior) along with some fresh chopped tomatoes and avocado and an extra squeeze of lime... and, of course, a side of black beans. I forgot to get cilantro (dangit) - so I'll have to do without. I'm sure Chad will add cheese and sour cream to his.

Sounds like a plan to me! I'll let you know how it turns out.

I think Pioneer Woman reads my blog

... I just blogged about pancetta the other week... and I blogged about being a leek freak (my term first) not too long ago. Then low and behold, today PW put up the recipe Pasta with Pancetta and Leeks.

She wants to be me. Or I want to be her. Whatever.

In either case, it will be made in Casa de Barnhill next week.

I actually made her recipe for Grilled Chicken with Lemon Basil Pasta on Monday night. Since Chad wasn't home to do the grilling in time - mine was more of a pan-seared chicken. But regardless, it was delicious!

Oh yes, and I forgot to tell you kids that we rearranged our living room the other week - much more open than before. The room is still begging for drapes... but I'm waiting until our bank account has recovered from the irrigation system before trying to find an interior designer (Lord knows I don't trust myself to pick my own fabrics), buy fabric and pay someone to make the window treatments. So all in due time. For now, we're just enjoying the bright sunlight!

Ignore the fact that my couch is not on the area rug - details, details. I'm planning on moving the couch up more to make room for a huge antique cupboard --- the ones you see at a flea market so big you wonder how the heck you move 'em... nevertheless get through a door.


Oh well, that's a job for Chad to figure out. A couple of these from Restoration Hardware wouldn't be bad either... but I think the $4k price tag might scare Chad off.

Oh, and one last thing... "hi gorgeous snapdragons!"

Breaking bread

I believe if someone told me that I could only eat one thing for the rest of my life, I would request that it would be homemade bread.

Of any sort.

There is nothing - I repeat nothing - as good as yummy homemade bread... of any variety.

Yeast dinner rolls warm from the oven.
Sunflower bread with a little butter and a drizzle of honey straight from the farmer's market.
Crusty baguette topped with a slice of cheese.
Fresh, chewy rye.

I could go on all day. I just loooooove bread.

I remember being younger (when my mom was a stay-at-home mom), she would make those mini loafs of fresh bread. There was nothing better in the world. To this day, I think if a stranger walked up to me and handed me a fresh mini loaf of bread, I'd kiss them and propose marriage.

But baking bread myself? Well that something I have not tried yet. That seems a little advanced for me. I still feel like a cooking novice. Moms are the only ones who know how to bake bread. I've only ever baked bread with my mom. I can't do it solo! Or can I?

So I decided to push my bread-baking fears aside after reading Hungry Mouse's blog post about Fougasse (Provencal Bread with Olives & Herbs.)

{pic via}

And if I didn't try to make it this weekend... well... I don't think I'd be able to live with myself. So I'm doing it. I'm running with my arms wide open into the world of yeast, rising and kneading.

I'll report back to you with my success... or lack there of.

Kneading love,
MPLT

World's best tomatoes

I love Ina Garten (also known as Barefoot Contessa.)

I've made several of her recipes- but there is one that stands out above the rest. A recipe so good, it will make you want to cry tears of joy. I've made it several times - for various events, cookouts, parties and more. It always gets rave reviews.

So without further adieu...

Ina Garten's Roasted Tomatoes
Ingredients:
- 12 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise, seeds, not cores, removed
- 4 tablespoons good olive oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- fresh basil

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Arrange tomatoes on a sheet pan, cut sides up, in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle the garlic, sugar, salt and pepper over the tomatoes. Roast for 25-30 minutes until the tomatoes are concentrated and beginning to caramelize. Top with julienned fresh basil. Serve warm or at room temperature.
3. Cry because they are the most delicious tomatoes you've ever had.

I watched Ina make these tomatoes on her show, and she mentioned that she loves them so much because you can make them year around. Even in the off-months where tomatoes don't taste as bright and fresh, this method of baking them really concentrates the flavors.

When I make these, I layer them between nice slices of fresh mozzarella with lots of fresh basil on top. It makes the most gorgeous caprese salad - and people will go on and on about what an amazing cook you are. So if you're invited to a July 4th cookout - bring these tomatoes along. I promise they'll be a hit.

Recipe Review: Braised Chicken with Leeks and Cream

So Monday night I tried out Serious Eats Braised Chicken with Leeks and Cream.

Why? I'm a leek freak. Love 'em. I already told you.

So here was my step-by-step photo tutorial (apologize for the quality - I'm still waiting for Chad to get me a Canon Digital SLR):

Browning the chicken:

Sauteing leeks and garlic:
Adding the wine:
Neslting the chicken back in:
Reducing the sauce after taking it out of the oven and removing the chicken:
Final product (served with sauteed squash, yeast rolls and a side of the braising liquid I had reduced -- perfect for dipping the rolls into):
My thoughts? It was pretty delicious. The chicken was nice and juicy - and the sauce was yummy.

Next time I'll make it, I'll incorporate a few changes:

1) I'll use more than one large leek. It wasn't leek-y enough for me. The leeks had more of a subtle flavor and I wanted them to be more of a focal point of the dish.

2) I'd reduce the amount of chicken stock it calls for and replace it with more wine. The sauce was very heavy on the chicken flavor... and I think I would like it toned down. So maybe instead of 1.5 cups chicken stock and 1/4 cup of white wine, I'd do 1 cup chicken stock and 3/4 cup white wine. Chad disagrees, and thinks the ratio was fine as is... so it's up to you. I just think chicken with chicken sauce is a little too much... well... chicken. I'd prefer chicken with a sauce that has more wine and leeks.

My only complaint - despite browning the chicken before putting it in the oven - the chicken skin did not stay crispy. Which I think might be impossible to keep the skin crispy while braising it (too much liquid.) But I may try next time to brown the skin even more to see if that helps.

Prep and cook time: 1 hour and 15 minutes. Not too bad for a week night, but not the quickest recipe either.

But give it a try. I think the recipe is definitely a keeper - and will be fabulous in the winter and fall.

Sunday Supper

Sunday is usually my most productive day in the kitchen. I can usually fix a pretty yummy meal (since I have all afternoon to do it), as well as do some of my prep work for the week.

Yesterday for dinner, we had the best crock pot bbq ribs. I have made them once before - and they are by far the best ribs I've ever had. In years past, Chad and I always fixed ribs on the grill... and while I enjoy the charred flavor, the ribs never get tender and always seem dried out.

Crock pot ribs? Those babies fall off the bone.
Look at all that yummy sauce.
Here's the recipe I use...

Crock Pot BBQ Ribs:

Ingredients:
3 pounds short ribs
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 cup water
2 teaspoons beef flavored bouillon granules
1 cup hickory barbecue sauce
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in small amount of water

Directions:
1. In large skillet over medium high heat, brown short ribs on all sides.

2. Place ribs in a slow cooker. Top with onions. In bowl, combine water, beef granules, barbecue sauce, brown sugar and mustard. Pour sauce over ribs.

3. Cover and cook on LOW 6-7 hours or until tender. Add cornstarch mixture and continue to cook 20 minutes or until sauce thickens.

4. Enjoy!

And yesterday I did something I rarely do - baked a dessert! I like doing desserts... I just don't make them often. I guess I'm more of a cook than a baker.

But these - Hungry Mouse's Black and White Cookies - are so easy and delicious. The secret ingredient in them (which you'll see when you read the recipe) somehow make the cookies very crisp and airy (almost meringue-like.)

Oh man.
Tell me why I decided against bringing a cookie to lunch today?

The problem with making cookies (especially when you only have 2 of you living at home), is that they are best right out of the oven. But you end up making a whole batch (and really, who can to eat 24 cookies within a few days) - and then end up throwing half away a few days later. I combatted this problem by only making a few cookies, and freezing the rest of the dough.

Here's how I did it: I took a cookie sheet, lined it with wax paper, and dropped spoonfuls of the cookie dough on the sheet like I would if I were baking them (except I squeezed a lot more on each cookie sheet... since I didn't need to leave room for them to expand.) Then I loosely cover the cookie sheet with cling wrap, and pop the unbaked dough in the freezer. I left it in there for about 3 hours until the dough froze. Then I took the cookie sheet out of the oven, and took all my frozen cookie dough balls and put them in a freezer bag (to save space.) Now, I can just make a few fresh cookies at a time by taking out a few of the frozen dough balls and letting them defrost in the fridge for a couple hours before baking.

Frozen cookie dough will stay good for 4 to 6 weeks.

Consider this a MPLT Public Service Announcement.

Annnndddddddddddddd you're welcome.

Continuing my love affair with homemade pizza

So I'm still all over doing homemade pizzas.

1) They are usually pretty quick to prepare - especially when I do my prep work ahead of time (i.e.: slicing veggies, shredding cheese, preparing the sauce, etc.) - so I can throw it together quickly on a week night... a necessity for me.

2) The variety is endless... and it gives me a platform to make delicious meat-less pizzas. I still think Chad hasn't picked up on it yet... I haven't once put meat on a pizza. Score! Except now he'll read the blog and realize it. And I get to use a variety of crusts, veggies and cheese (do you remember my holy trinity of food post?).

3) And perhaps best of all, I get to absolutely destroy my kitchen. Flour from floor to ceiling it feels like. And since Chad is OCD kitchen-cleanliness guy, the rebel in me gets a sort of satisfaction whenever my kitchen is an absolute disaster. The kind of disaster that Chad walks in, takes one look, and walks right on out.

Well some of my fave food blogs have obviously heard that MPLT is on a pizza kick... and have been so kind as to post some new pizza recipes for me to try.

Like Smitten Kitchen's shaved asparagus pizza.


Y'all know I'm in a horribly obsessed with asparagus, right? And now asparagus on pizza?! Amen? Amen.

And here we have Serious Eat's Grilled Pizza Napoletana Pizza.


A pizza that I can get Chad to make for me (grill = boy job)?!?! Life IS good t-shirt company. You are correct!

And reminder: Don't forget to enter yourself, or hubby, or best bud, or daddy into my Southern Tide polo giveaway. You have until Friday at midnight to win this beauty!

A Southern Staple

I am a huge- HUGE- fan of grits. I could (and sometimes do) eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

First thing to know about cooking grits: Please only buy Old Fashioned Grits... not instant grits or quick grits. They aren't nearly as creamy and good. Making Old Fashioned Grits only takes about 15 minutes, so it's not like the instant kind is saving you that much time.

My old-standard variation of grits (perfect for breakfast):
Grits
Butter
Sharp Cheddar (white or reg)
A couple slices of Kraft Singles (don't hate... the processed cheese helps it get much creamier)
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Salt

Follow the directions on the box of grits. When it's close to being done, add the butter and cheeses. Then season to taste. The worst thing you can do to grits is leave them undersalted.

I think what I like most about grits is the ability to customize them. Sometimes, when I'm feeling so inclined, I replace a bit of the water with milk, cream or half and half - or some combination of the above - to make even creamier grits. Or, if you're serving grits for dinner (as like a side accompaniment to meat), I substitute water with chicken stock. Just makes it a bit richer.

And while I love grits as a side dish, they can also steal the show. Shrimp in grits is one of my favorite meals to eat. Such a favorite, in fact, that they were even served at our wedding. I've gone to many a wedding with so-so shrimp and grits, so I made sure to test them at the country club before they were put on the menu. And they were fabulous.

But the great thing about shrimp & grits is every version is different. Here are two of my favorite versions.

The Point (restaurant in Raleigh) Shrimp & Grits <--- served with a Tabasco butter sauce. This recipe looks similar (except please don't use quick grits).


Crook's Corner (legendary restaurant in Chapel Hill) <--- Chad's favorite version. It's lemony, which is different from any other version I've had and amazingly delish. Recipe here.

Lucky for me, I'm heading to the holy grail of shrimp and grits this weekend - Charleston, South Carolina...one of my favorite places on earth. We're going for a dear friends wedding on Sunday, but make no mistake - shrimp and grits will be consumed more than once!Saturday night we're having dinner at one of Chad's favorite places - Fleet Landing - which boasts itself as the only restaurant downtown with a waterfront view. Last time we spent 5 days in Charleston, I'm pretty sure Chad ordered She Crab soup at ever place we visited - lunch and dinner. Fleet Landing's blew the rest of the competition away. However, he has yet to try it at 82 Queen or Poogan's Porch - so I'm hoping to drag him to one of those places for lunch on Sunday... except it will be hard to pull him away from Jestine's!

Pizza pie

Sorry I've been slow to blog this week. I've been super busy at work - and it's not slowing down anytime soon!

We had a great weekend. My dear friend Amy - of LFBP - got married on Saturday. She was an absolutely gorgeous bride. The fact that we could see her smiling with her back toward us from the alter should give you an idea of the happiness that was her and Ray's wedding day. They both looked so happy, in love and relaxed - which is exactly what your wedding day should be. I'm glad we got to be there for it!

On Sunday, for Mother's Day, my siblings and I decided to do homemade pizzas for dinner. I bought all the dough from Trader Joe's (it really is the best), and we all brought different toppings.

Brad's pie was with tomato, ricotta, mozzarella, basil and prosciutto on an garlic olive oil base.

Mike's pie was sauteed prosciutto, buffalo mozzarella, sundried tomato, artichokes and arugula.

My pie was also a garlic olive oil base with zucchini, kalamata olives, tomatoes, roasted garlic, spinach, feta, sharp white cheddar and parmasean.

All three were yummy, yummy, yummy. Homemade pizza is so easy to make - and can be really cheap depending on your toppings. We bought all the veggies for my pie at the local Farmer's market.

So I'm continuing my pizza making and trying Serious Eat's White Pizza on Thursday night. I looooove white pizza - it is normally what I order when out at a pizza-by-the-slice place. I never realized white pizza had a sauce - I just figured it was an olive oil base. But this recipe calls for a sauce of oil, cream, garlic, onion and thyme. I'm super excited to give it a try. Will post pics and reviews later.

{{pic via @seriouseats}}

Holy Guacamole!

In celebration of Cinco de Mayo, it's only fair that I share with the masses my guacamole recipe. I know some of you are fussy about wanting measurements, so I'll try to oblige. But seriously, just eyeball it. Like I always say, cooking isn't brain surgery people. And in this case - it's not really cooking either. It's just preparing.

So without further adieu...

MPLT's Pretty Little Guacamole


Ingredients:

- 3 Hass avocadoes, sliced and cut into medium sized chunks
- 1/4 cup finely diced red onion
- 1/2 cup small diced roma tomatoes
- Juice of 1 juicy lime. There is nothing worse that squeezing a lime and getting like 2 drops of juice. Just me?
- Zest of 1/2 the lime
- 1 jalepeno, seeded and diced. I usually leave a few seeds in. I'm wild.
- If I have it, sometimes I'll pour just a teeny tiny bit of salsa verde in there. Like 1/4 cup maybe. I love tomatillos!
- Small drizzle of olive oil
- Big handful (like half the bunch) of chopped cilantro - there is no such thing as good cilantro-less guacamole.
*Sidenote: I learned recently that there is a genetic aversion some people have to cilantro. To them cilantro tastes like soap. I thought this was crazy until I mentioned it to a girlfriend on Friday (who said she doesn't like cilantro) - and she said "Oh my gosh! Exactly right. It does taste like soap." Us normal cilantro lovers can't even imagine how it could possibly taste like soap - but its a genetics thing. Crazy right? I thank God He blessed me with the "I heart cilantro" gene. I put it in everything.

Directions:

1. Smoosh (yes that's a technical term) all ingredients together and then do a happy dance.

Important things of note:

1. Fresh guacamole does not taste anything like what you get at cheapy Mexican restaurants. It's a billion times better and more flavorful.

2. Right when you cut your avocado up, squeeze fresh lime juice over it. The acid will keep it from turning your avocado brown - which is not so yummy.

3. I learned this neat trick the other day and it actually works! Do you know how when you buy cilantro from the g-store, and stick in the fridge in your little plastic bag, how it gets all slimy and gross within a day? Well next time you buy it, trim the stem by like 1/2 inch, and put it in a cup that has about an inch of water in it. Then cover it loosely with plastic wrap - 1 put a ziploc bag over mine. No joke - my cilantro lasted for more than a week. That little tip right there is reason enough to tell 5 of your nearest and dearest to check out my blog. You're welcome.

4. Never, repeat, NEVER buy "guacamole" from the grocery store. Ew. Gross.

5. And if you're going crazy and making delish homemade guac, feel free to make your own tortilla chips! Cut up some corn tortillas into wedges and fry them on the stovetop in a pan of veggie oil. Lay on papertowels to drain.

Ole!