Shrimp and kielbasa with vegetables and grits is an easy dinner that we all loved. As long as you have defrosted your shrimp in advance, it takes about 20 minutes to prepare, which is how long I had between work meetings the other day, with my brain half fried at that point. So, an easy and simple dinner was all I could handle.
I have a few other recipes on the blog using shrimp and/ or kielbasa. They are all quick and easy meals and everybody likes them.
Shrimp with peppers in cream caper sauce
Collard greens with onions and kielbasa
Ingredients:
- Peeled shrimp, 1 lb (defrost overnight in the fridge, or for 30 min in a bowl of cold water)
- Kielbasa cut into 1/2 inch pieces, 1 package (about 1 lb, but you can use as little or as much as you like)
- Green bell peppers, 2
- Celery stalks, 3
- Green onion, 3
- Chopped garlic, 2 cloves
- Quick cooking grits, 1 cup
- Chicken broth, 2 3/4 cup (can use water instead)
- Grated cheddar, 1/2 cup (or other cheese)
- Cooking oil or spray
- Salt, 1/4 – 1/2 tsp (to taste)
Instructions:
- Start with the grits. Bring the chicken broth or water to the boil ( Better Than Bullion concentrate works just fine) and add the grits, cook per cooking instructions on the container. I like using a little less liquid than the instructions call for, otherwise the grits turn out too watery for my taste. It takes about 5 minutes of simmering time, plus 5 minutes off the heat, covered. Add the cheese at this point and stir well.
- While the grits are coming along, get a large skillet going on medium-high heat, add oil or spray with a cooking spray. Chop your veggies in bite-sized chunks and add to the skillet starting with bell pepper, followed by the celery in a couple of minutes, and the green onion and garlic, after a couple more minutes. Add a pinch of salt (I like to salt each “layer” of ingredients, not waiting to add salt to the finished dish. I think it’s easier to control how much salt is needed this way).
- Push the veggies to the side and add the chopped kielbasa to the center of the skillet. Cook for a few minutes until it is heated through and browned to your liking.
- As a final step, add the shrimp, stir everything together, and cook for 3-4 minutes. Once the shrimp turn opaque, you are done. You can add some Cajun seasoning (be conservative with adding salt in this case), but I left it out because Phoebe wouldn’t eat spicy food.
That’s it! This recipe is really flexible – you can leave out shrimp or kielbasa, and use different veggies. I think this combination works perfectly, though.
Let me know if you give it a try!
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