Southern Grits and Greens

I am not a Southern girl by any means, but I do love me some southern food.

Biscuits and gravy, warm cornbread, or grits and greens, Oh MY!

Throw in some sweet tea and we’re having a party (and making my kiddos & hubby, incredibly happy).

Southern cooking really is good ‘ol comfort food, and grits may just win as my favorite since they are little healthier (depending on how you make them) and easier to make vegan & allergy-friendly .

Now, depending on where you come from, there are different ways to prepare and eat your grits. Creamy grits are made with milk, sweet grits get sprinkled with sugar like my aunt use to make, or savory grits with or without shrimp mixed in. There really isn’t a wrong way to eat your grits, BUT  I like mine buttery, cheesy and spicy.

I also like them with seasoned greens.  And if greens really isn’t your thing, that’s ok, you can totally leave them out, but I would recommend trying it at least once. I think you’ll be pretty smitten with the combination.

Or how about garnishing your grits with a beautiful chiffonade of green spinach leaves? It makes quite the presentation when added on these adorable, bite-size servings. Perfect for an appetizer during a Southern Style Christmas party!

As for making the grits, don’t rely on the instructions from the back of the package. There’s a much tastier way to make them.

Like using a combination of veggie stock and non-dairy milk (I used coconut milk) as the main liquid of choice. That alone brings some amazing flavor to an otherwise bland tasting grain.

At the end, mix in your cheese of choice (Daiya), butter (Earth Balance) and hot sauce for a little heat. Garnish right before serving.

The only thing left is deciding if your going to eat the whole thing yourself, or share with your family and friends.

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Southern Grits and Greens

Yield: 2 Cups

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Southern style grits with seasoned greens makes for an amazing breakfast OR the perfect bite-size appetizer. Vegan & GF.

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Ingredients

• 1 C. vegetable broth
• 1/3 C. non-dairy milk (coconut milk)
• 1 C. filtered water
• pinch Himalayan sea salt
• 1/2 C. uncooked Gluten-Free regular grits (not quick cooking)
• 1/2 C. shredded cheddar cheese (Daiya makes an awesome vegan & nut free cheese)
• 1 TB. vegan butter (Earth Balance has a vegan & soy-free option)
• 1/2 tsp. hot sauce (you can always add but trust me, this is still hot)
• 2 C. greens (collard, spinach, arugula)
• 1 TB. olive oil
• 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. cane sugar

Instructions

1. Bring broth, milk, water and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan.
2. Gradually whisk in grits.
3. Cover and reduce to low. Simmer but stir occasionally until thickened (10-15 minutes).
4. Whisk or stir in cheese, butter and hot sauce until cheese melts.
5. Remove from heat but keep warm with lid on.
6. ----------------------------------------
7. Seasoned Greens
8. Rinse greens. Trim and discard thick stems.
9. If using large leaves, stack greens on a cutting board and tightly roll up. Thinly slice into 1/4" strips.
10. In a saute´ pan, heat olive oil then add greens, vinegar and sugar. Cook stirring often for 2 minutes or until greens are bright and tender.
11. ________________________
12. Place grits in serving bowls and top with greens OR add 1 Tablespoon of cooked grits to individual serving spoons and top with greens.
13. Serve immediately.

Notes

Not all store-bought grits are gluten free. Make sure it holds the Certified GF label.