Recipe Review One Pot Shrimp and Grits(Orzo:-) from Southern Living Magazine Dec 2013

Around Christmas time I decided to be adventurous and try a new recipe.  I selected One Pot Shrimp and Grits from Southern Living Magazine.  It would be a learning experience because I had never cooked shrimp or andouille sausage or grits for that matter…Here goes

I stopped off at a local market in hopes of finding the deveined shrimp and the sausage.  Good found the sausage.  Found the shrimp but not deveined.  Oh no! Time for a google search on how to devein shrimp….

I did it……It really was not hard just a bit messy...

 Andouille Sausage, spicy but good….

 I paired the meal with a German wine. Schmitt Sohne Riesling.  I like the little man holding the sign
"Pick Me, Pick Me"

 Here is the recipe.  You will see my changes in red….

• 8 ounces andouille sausage, diced
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/4 pounds peeled, large raw shrimp, deveined (I don't think I used as much as they called for but next time I will add more shrimp)
• 1 medium-size sweet onion, chopped
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced (I used a small amt of garlic powder)
• 1 cup dry white wine (I used the one in the photo)
• 6 cups organic vegetable broth
• 1 (14 1/2-oz.) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, drained 

• 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning (I did not use this)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked regular grits (Sadly I forget to buy grits so I used Orzo)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
• Garnish: fresh oregano sprigs
• Instructions
• 1. Cook sausage in a large Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring often, 5 to 7 minutes or until browned. Remove sausage using a slotted spoon; reserve drippings in Dutch oven. Drain sausage on paper towels.
  2. Stir oil into drippings. Cook shrimp, in batches, in hot drippings over medium-high heat 1 to 2 minutes on each side or until opaque; remove with slotted spoon. Reduce heat to medium.
  3. Sauté onion and celery in Dutch oven over medium heat 3 to 5 minutes or until tender. Add garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Stir in wine, and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until reduced by half. Stir in broth and next 7 ingredients, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Whisk in grits; return mixture to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, stirring occasionally, 20 to 25 minutes or until thickened. Stir in oregano, reserved sausage, and shrimp. Cook, stirring occasionally, 5 more minutes.
• 

It was actually very good even with the orzo.  If I made it again I would use the orzo.  I did follow the cooking time for the orzo which was probably a bit different then the time would be for grits.  So what would I give this on my cooking scale?  9/10. And by the way shrimp is very easy to cook!
Try a new recipe.  I would suggest One Pot Shrimp and Grits (Orzo:-)
Enjoy your world:-)