Lying Cheating Shrimp and Grits

Lying?  Well…at least stretching the truth.  I LOVE grits, and I make some mean ones, but the fact of the matter is they're a pain to clean up after, especially after you've added the cheese to them required for this dish.  And if you haven't made grits before, they can be a little intimidating, so let's keep it simple, shall we?  Enter Polenta.  Polenta is just Italian grits, really.  And they come conveniently packaged like this:

When I realized this could be a nice gluten-free carb to build a meal around, I started to get creative.  This is not the last polenta recipe you will see here, I assure you.  But let's get down to business.

Here's what you'll need: medium cooked shrimp (I use frozen, thawed), canned diced tomatoes, polenta, sharp white cheddar cheese, cajun seasoning, garlic salt, and green onions.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Slice the polenta into 8 equal slices and arrange on a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray.  Top with slices of sharp cheddar cheese.  Pop these puppies in the oven.

Heat a little olive oil in a skillet.  Add shrimp to hot oil and sprinkle with Cajun seasoning and garlic salt.  Add green onions and sauté for a few seconds.  Then add drained canned tomatoes.  Reduce to a simmer.

When the cheese on the polenta looks melty, remove them from the oven.  Plate two slices on a plate, top with shrimp, and garnish with fresh green onion.

Here are the stats:

Cals      = 588

Fat        = 14g

Carb     = 26g

Fiber     = 3g

Protein  = 35g

Enjoy...with a sauvignon blanc.