Our palates have a way to communicate with us. You see, when the days get shorter and the nights become rather long, our stomachs and palates tend to crave the comforting side of things. And for me, this is the perfect time to forego the sugary cereal and rein in what’s piping hot and savory.
So, on the late morn (quite closer to the noon time), I reached for my canister of old-fashioned grits by Quaker. Oh, I love grits; both savory and sweet. I like how it keeps me satiated for a long time. Moreover, it’s loaded with essential fibers, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that are great for the body. Thank God I still had more than enough to make yours truly a creamy and cheesy dish.
Ingredients:
- Grits (1 cup)
- Coconut milk/cream (1cup)
- Water (1 cup)
- Chicken broth (1cup)
- Cheese (3 tbsps)
- Butter (1tsp)
- Diced onion (2 tsps)
- Salt/pepper (pinch)
- Nutmeg (1/4 tsp)
- Olive oil (drizzle)
- Eggs
- Bacon (crumbled)
Method:
I get it, some enjoy their grits with plain water and whole milk; and that’s okay. However, I had to infuse a little touch of Caribbean flavors. And I did so with a cup of coconut cream/milk I had in the freezer. After I sauteed a couple teaspoons of diced onion in a drizzle of olive oil, I defrosted and unleashed the goodness and allowed it to simmer for approximately five minutes. Oh, by the way, I call coconut milk, nature’s milk.
Because I was making a cup of grits, I added and additional two cups of liquid in the form of water and chicken broth. I made sure to season with salt and pepper to my taste. Grits was then slowly added to liquid and then whisked so as to prevent lumps. This continued to cook for approximately 20 to 25 minutes on low heat with lid on so as to prevent splattering.
After grits became smooth to my likening, I removed from heat and added a pat of butter along with shredded six cheese Italian mix. By the way, my secret ingredient was ‘a pinch of nutmeg’. Well, it’s no longer a secret.
I served my creamy/cheesy grits with a couple of fried eggs. I made sure to make my yolks a wee bit soft but not runny. I’m telling you guys, they reminded me of sunshine. Of course, because I had a little left-over crumbled bacon from a last meal, I decided to top my grits with same. Hmmm, such salty goodness. I LOVE GRITS!!