Good Enough Shrimp and Grits with Candied Bacon
Award winning recipe from Suzy and Clark Neal for the 10th Annual Jekyll Island Shrimp & Grits Festival featuring Unicoi Preserves Apple Cider Pepper Spread
Servings 12
Ingredients
Grits
2 1/2 cups Nora Mill Stone Ground Grits
7 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon Kosher Salt
1 1/2 cup Mountain Fresh Creamery Cream
1 stick Unsalted Butter
2 1/2 cups Cabot Extra Sharp Cheddar, grated
Candied Bacon
1 1/2 lbs. Wright’s Thick Cut bacon Diced into approx. 1/2 inch pieces
9 oz. Unicoi Preserves Apple Cider Pepper Spread
Shrimp
3 lbs. Georgia Wild Caught Shrimp
Kosher Salt & Black Pepper to taste
2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
2 tablespoons Oliver Farm Peanut Oil
Pan sauce
1 1/2 cups Habersham Vineyard Signet Wine
1/2 lb. Mountain Fresh Creamery Butter
Garnish
Fresh chopped chives
Instructions:
Grits
Combine water, salt, cream and butter in stockpot, stirring in grits over high heat. Stir constantly until boiling to prevent grits from clumping. Lower heat to simmer, cover with lid, stirring occasionally for approximately 30 minutes, adding water if the grits get too thick. Stir in cheese, taste for salt and adjust if necessary. Cover and keep grits warm over low heat.
Candied Bacon
Cook bacon over medium heat until browned, drain off bacon grease, return bacon to pan. Add 9 oz. jar Unicoi Preserves Apple Cider Pepper Spread to bacon. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. Reduce the liquid until almost evaporated. Remove candied bacon from pan to a Silpat or parchment paper. Spread out to cool.
Shrimp
Peel and de-vein shrimp. Rinse shrimp and pat dry, then season lightly with kosher salt and black pepper. Heat 2 T. unsalted butter and 2 T. Oliver Farm Peanut Oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add shrimp to hot pan in batches, don’t crowd the pan! Sear one minute per side and remove shrimp from pan.
Pan Sauce
Add 1 ½ cups Habersham Vineyard Signet Wine, turn up heat to hard simmer, add ½ lb. Mountain Fresh Creamery Butter and cook for 5-7 minutes, reducing sauce slightly. Taste for salt and adjust if necessary. Return shrimp and juices to pan, toss to coat the shrimp and cook over medium heat, approximately 2 minutes.
To Serve
Ladle grits into bowl, top with shrimp, pan sauce, candied bacon and chopped chives.
Photo by Kristen Loken
Asian Slaw with Ginger-Peanut Dressing
Ingredients
For the Dressing
· 1/4 cup honey
· 1/4 cup green peanut oil
· 1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
· 1 tablespoon soy sauce
· 1 teaspoon roasted peanuts pureed in green peanut oil
· 1 tablespoon peanut butter
· 1/2 teaspoon salt
· 1/2 teaspoon Sriracha sauce
· 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
· 1 large garlic clove, minced
For the Slaw
· 4 cups prepared shredded coleslaw
· 2 cups prepared shredded carrots
· 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced into bite-sized pieces
· 1 cup cooked and shelled fava beans
· 2 medium scallions, finely sliced
· 1/2 cup chopped salted peanuts
· 1/2 cup loosely packed chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
1. Make the dressing by combining all of the ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir until the peanut butter is dissolved. Set aside.
2. Combine all of the slaw ingredients in a large bowl. Add the dressing and toss well. Let sit at least ten minutes so vegetables have a chance to soak up the dressing. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve cold.
Courtesy of The Culinary Institute of America - St. Helena, California
Peanut & Basil Pesto
Created by Caroline Young Bearden, MS, RD, LD
There’s nothing like freshly homemade pesto. Though its traditionally made with pine nuts and olive oil, I put a fresh and even more delicious spin on the Italian classic with peanuts and green peanut oil.. Serve it on top of bread, pizza and pasta.
Ingredients
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup peanuts
2/3 cup green peanut oil
pinch of salt
pepper to taste
1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino cheese
10 minutes
6 - Serving Size: 2.5 Tbsp
Easy
Directions
Combine the basil, garlic and peanuts in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add 1/2 cup of the oil and process until fully incorporated and smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
If using immediately, add all the remaining oil and pulse until smooth. Transfer the pesto to a large serving bowl and mix in the cheese.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories: 290
Calories from Fat: 270
Fat: 29g
Trans fats: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Carbohydrate: 5g
Protein: 5g
Fiber: <1g
Sodium: 520mg
Green Peanuts & Pulses Hummus
Created by Caroline Bearden, MS, RD, LD
Few days go by that I’m not eating hummus in some form or fashion. Whether as part of a snack or a meal, it’s both a nourishing and tasty topping or dip that I feel good about eating. Traditionally, it’s made with chickpeas, but these days, hummus is made with all sorts of ingredients from pumpkin to black beans. Lentils are part of the pulse family and are loaded with nutrients like fiber and protein. So, I chose green lentils as co-stars with green peanut oil. Serve as a dip with pita and veggies, or spread it on your sandwich or wrap at lunch.
60 minutes 24 - Serving Size: 2 Tbsp
Ingredients
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup green lentils (6 oz.)
1 bay leaf
2-3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
juice of 1 lemon
¼ teaspoon cumin
salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ cup green peanut oil, plus 2 teaspoons for drizzling
pinch of paprika, for sprinkling
Directions
Put the broth, lentils and bay leaf in a medium soup pot, and bring to a boil then cover and simmer over low heat until the lentils are tender, about 45 minutes. Drain the lentils, remove the bay leaf, and put them in a food processor or blender. Add the garlic, lemon juice, cumin, salt and cayenne pepper, then begin to blend while adding the peanut oil in a steady stream.
Use a rubber spatula to scrape the hummus into a bowl and fold in the parsley. Garnish the hummus with paprika and drizzle with oil.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories: 50
Calories from Fat: 25
Fat: 2.5g
Trans fats: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Carbohydrate: 5g
Protein: 2g
Fiber: 1g
Ginger Peanut Vinaigrette
Created by Caroline Bearden, MS, RD, LD
My mom loves putting ginger in nearly everything she makes, and that – along with the fact that ginger is delicious and healthful – is why I decided to make this recipe. It turned out to be a light, refreshing dressing with a bit of an Asian flare. And the zesty and warm flavor of ginger blends nicely with the green peanut oil's smooth and somewhat mellow flavor.
10 minutes 4 - Serving Size: 1.5 Tbsp.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons green peanut oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
pinch of salt
turn of fresh ground black pepper
2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
½ teaspoon honey
Directions
Mix all ingredients in a mason jar or blender.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories: 100
Calories from Fat: 90
Fat: 16g
Trans fats: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Carbohydrate: 13g
Protein: 0g
Fiber: 1g
Sodium: 0mg
Photo by Kristen Loken
PEANUT-CRUSTED SCALLOPS WITH WARM GREEN PEANUT OIL CITRUS VINAIGRETTE
Ingredients
Scallops:
· 8 diver scallops, rinsed and dried
· 1 cup raw, unsalted peanuts nuts
· Salt and ground black pepper to taste
· 2 eggs, lightly beaten
· 1 cup all-purpose flour
· 1/4 cup green peanut oil
Vinaigrette:
· 1 shallot, finely chopped
· 1 1/2 cups green peanut oil, plus more for sautéing
· 1/2 cup dry white wine
· 1 orange, juiced
· 1 lime, juiced
· 1/4 cup chopped basil
Method
. To make the scallops, use a rotary cheese grater to grate the peanuts into a bowl, or chop using a knife.
. Season the scallops with salt and black pepper.
. Dredge the scallops in the flour, removing any excess. Coat the scallops in the beaten eggs, covering them completely. Dredge the scallops in the grated nuts.
Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Heat an oven-safe pan over medium heat and add the oil. When very hot, place the scallops in the pan. Brown on one
side until golden, about 3 minutes. Turn onto the other side and place the pan into the oven until done, about 4 minutes. The scallops should be golden brown and firm to the touch.
To make the vinaigrette, warm part of the green peanut oil in a medium saucepan. Sauté the shallots until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the white wine and reduce until almost gone, add orange juice, and lime juice and reduce to a syrup, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes and whisky green peanut oil to finish the dressing, season with salt and black pepper to taste..
Place 2 scallops on each plate. Drizzle with the vinaigrette. Garnish with chopped basil.
Yield
4 servings
Courtesy of The Culinary Institute of America - St. Helena, California
Photo by Kristen Loken
Goat Tinga Sopes
INGREDIENTS:
Goat Tinga: 3 pounds boneless goat leg or shoulder roast 3 bay leaves 3 cups water 1 teaspoon salt 1 onion, quartered 4 garlic cloves 2 tomatoes, quartered 3 chipotle chiles in adobo, plus 4 teaspoons sauce
Sopes: 2 cups masa harina (corn flour) ¼ teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon shortening 1¼ cups warm water
Fillings: Cabbage, shredded Radishes, thinly sliced Queso fresco, crumbled
Cilantro and lime infused green peanut oil
Chopped roasted peanuts
DIRECTIONS:
Goat Tinga: In a slow cooker, add the goat, bay leaves, water, salt, onion, garlic and cook for four to six hours.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the goat to a plate; let cool slightly, and then tear it into smaller pieces. Discard bay leaves and reserve broth.
In a blender, put the boiled onion and garlic cloves, tomato, chipotle peppers including adobo sauce and goat broth. Puree until smooth.
In a large saucepan add the shredded goat and the chipotle sauce from the blender. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Add salt to taste.
Sopes: In a mixing bowl combine the masa harina and salt. Add the shortening and rub in with your fingers so that it is evenly distributed. Add warm water and knead until mixture is smooth and slightly sticky. If the dough is dry add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Dough should be soft and moist like play-dough and not dry. Divide dough into 10 portions. Cover with a damp cloth to keep the dough soft and moist.
Line a tortilla press with plastic wrap. Place a ball of dough on the press and cover with another piece of plastic wrap and press down to form a little 1/4-inch-thick patty. Peel off the plastic wrap. (If you don’t have a tortilla press you can use a heavy skillet or pot to make the dough patties or use your hands to form a patty.) Repeat with remaining balls of dough.
Preheat an ungreased comal (griddle) on medium-high heat. Cook a patty on the comal for about 1 to 2 minutes on each side until dry. While the cooked patty is still warm and as soon as you are able to handle it, pull the dough of the patty up and outward towards the edge, creating a little ridge of dough all the way around the circle to create a little “boat” or sope. Repeat with the remaining patties.
Once sopes are formed place back on the hot comal to cook for approximately 2 minutes on each side, or until browned.
Filling the Sopes: Fill each sope with shredded goat tinga and sprinkle with cabbage, slices of radishes, and queso fresco, topped with Chopped roasted peanuts and a drizzled of the Cilantro and lime infused green peanut oil (simmered cilantro in green peanut oil, than purred and strained, seasoned with lime
Courtesy of The Culinary Institute of America - St. Helena, California
Photo by Kristen Loken
Cedar Plank Roasted Miso Peanut Butter Fish
Ingredients
· 4 7-8 oz fish fillets, skin on (helps fillet to stay together)
· Green onions, for garnish (optional)
For Peanut Butter & Miso Glaze:
· 3 tbsp hot water
· 2 tbsp peanut butter, unsalted · 1 tbsp white miso paste
· 1 tbsp rice vinegar
· 1 tbsp soy sauce
· 1 tbsp ginger, grated
· 1 garlic clove, crushed
Directions
1. Get fillets fabricated and ready.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together glaze ingredients and pour over the fish. Release as much air as possible and seal the bag. Marinate refrigerated for at least 30 minutes or maximum overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
4. Place fish fillets on cedar planks, leaving 1.5" - 2" space in between them.
5. Spoon remaining marinade on top of the fillets. Cook for 12-15 minutes and then broil on Low until brown crust forms on top.
6. Serve immediately garnished with chopped green onions, shaved roasted peanuts and a drizzled of green peanut oil.
Courtesy of The Culinary Institute of America - St. Helena, California