Tasty Tuesday … South of the Border Grits and Greens

by incahootswithmuddyboots
April 25, 2017
13 comments
Cooking, Photography, Tasty Tuesday ..., Uncategorized, Vegan Dishes, Vegetarian Cooking

A couple of weeks ago, I met my friend Marlene at the mall for a cup of coffee. After coffee and conversation, we walked a few laps around the mall and then headed straight to the bookstore. We both love books, and it’s always fun to browse with a friend, who introduces me to new -to-me authors and subjects. I also love to look at cookbooks. Especially the ones in the clearance section.

Fast forward to tonights Tasty Tuesday … “Whole Bowls” by Allison Day, was a great find. It features an incredible variety of healthy vegan and vegetarian one bowl dishes. That, and the gorgeous photos convinced me to add it to my cookbook shelf. Most of the reipes are quick, easy and inexpensive to make. I’ve tried several of them so far, and haven’t been disappointed.

That same evening, I made my own version of Southern Cheddar Grits. I had never cared for grits all that much and therefore just never bothered to make them. That evening I discovered that my husband loves grits!! How could I have missed this in spending the last 38 years with him. So now I’m making up for it by making these grits again. I’ll make it Spanish by using spinach and roasted peppers with a little smoked paprika. Yum!

Here’s the recipe:

  • 3 cups of water or vegetable broth
  • 1/2 cup of regular, non-instant grits or cornmeal
  • salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1/2 cup of grated parmesan or nutritional yeast
  • 4 cups chopped kale or other greens
  • 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
  • a little chipotle hot sauce or cayenne pepper
  • sliced avocado

For the grits, bring the water or broth to a boil.
Slowly whisk in the grits and turn down the flame.
Simmer partially covered for about 15 to 20 minutes.
Stir occasionally to avoid burning them.
Next, add the parmesan or nutritional yeast and a little pepper.
Add all the greens on top, cover the pot and cook a few more minutes until the greens are wilted.
Mix the greens into the polenta and taste for seasoning.

For the beans, combine the black beans, cherry tomatoes, vinegar and a little hot  sauce in a pot.
Heat gently for a few minutes.

We shared a store-bought vegetable tamale which I served alongside the grits, beans and avocado.

Enjoy!

Posted by

My passions in life are vegetarian cooking, gardening, photography, writing, good books, traveling and nature. Thanks for stopping by, Sabine

13 thoughts on “Tasty Tuesday … South of the Border Grits and Greens”

  2. insearchofitall says:

    We will have to do the walk and coffee again soon. It was fun. We have to stay out of bookstores though. 🙂 Dangerous places for us. What a surprise to find out hubby likes grits after all these years. Never been a favorite of mine. They served them with everything in the south. The meal looks pretty though. Been up listening to the rain since 4. ;( Stay warm and dry. Sister thinks she is coming today. ??

    Liked by 1 person

    • incahootswithmuddyboots says:

      Yes, we should! I always enjoy your company! I am actually surprised how much I like grits. They are quite tasty if prepared right.
      I woke up several times last night from the rain. But I’ll take it after seeing a picture of my sister’s yard. Several inches of snow!!! 😬
      Have a great day and say hello to your sister! 😊

      Liked by 1 person

  3. Anne Strasser says:

    Hooray for Tasty Tuesday!!! This looks delicious and now I have a dinner idea for tonight. Thank you! I also want to take a look at the cookbook you mentioned. It sounds like my kind of cooking. Have you ever cooked any Jamaican/Caribbean grits? Last year I discovered that they have a lot of cornmeal recipes in that region and they use coconut milk while cooking them. So happy to see Tasty Tuesday and thank you for the inspiration. 😀

    Liked by 1 person

    • incahootswithmuddyboots says:

      Thanks for your kind comment Anne! I’ve been thinking about you and am working on getting back on track here! I’ve cooked Jamaican/Caribbean food many times, but not grits. A while back I ordered some Jamaican curry powder on Amazon for a coconut based stew. I have a couple of cookbooks from that region. Last night I ended up using mustard greens and loved the spiciness they added. Let me know how your dinner turns out!
      Happy cooking and have a good week! 🙋

      Like

  5. Missy says:

    Yum, Sabine! Your “grits” could almost pose as a tamale! I fix a lot of polenta (aka grits – doesn’t it sound more appetizing?) It’s so easy to change something so basic with a few different ingredients. Thanks for the flavorful twist! Have a great week!

    Liked by 1 person

    • incahootswithmuddyboots says:

      You’re right Missy! Polenta does sound so much nicer! But then again, everything probably does in Italian! I was thinking about making it sometime with porcini mushrooms. If you have any tasty ways of preparing it, do a post sometime, please. You always have great recipes, even the meat ones give me ideas for veggie dishes. 😋

      Liked by 1 person

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