Bacon Wrapped Shrimp & Grits, Tortilla Española, Cuppa Quiche

Bacon Wrapped Shrimp & Grits

We had brunch, instead of lunch with Mum, yesterday; Sally had a baby shower to attend in the early afternoon. So instead of our usual luncheon fare, I decided to make Bacon Wrapped Shrimp and Grits. This recipe makes a hearty brunch for four.

1 lb 16-20 count Gulf White Shrimp

1 package Bacon (to make at least 20 'half slice' pieces

1-1/3 cups dry Grits

2-1/2 cups Half & Half

3 cups Water

4 oz shredded Mozzarella and/or Parmesan Cheese

White Pepper to taste

Clean and shell the shrimp. Impale them on short skewers so they're nominally straight.

Wrap each shrimp with a half slice of bacon and arrange on a baking sheet.  Broil about 6 minutes per side until bacon is cooked but not crispy.

Combine the grits, water and milk in a large pot. Bring to a boil on high heat and, stirring continuously, reduce heat to low over the next 20 minutes. Add white pepper to taste, so the grits have just a little zing. When the grits are nice and creamy, add the cheese and stir to combine. Some people serve this on a plate, I like my grits in bowl. I made a batch of slightly sweet, milk and sugar-topped three ingredient Soda Biscuits to accompany the grits. Get 'em while they're hot!

Tortilla Española

Also known as Tortilla de patata. Has nothing to do with those thin skillet-bread things from Mexico. This classic Spanish dish can be breakfast, brunch, dinner, or even a sandwich on nice crusty bread.

My recipe is for an individual tortilla in a skillet 8'-9” in diameter. Double the ingredients (or more) for a larger (12” skillet) tortilla

2 Eggs, beaten

1 Potato (red or gold) sliced 3/8” thick (skin on) to cover the bottom on the skillet

1/4 cup diced Red Onion

Salt & Pepper to taste

Beat the eggs and add to them the diced onion.

Lay the potato slices on a plate and pre-cook them for 3 minutes or so in the microwave util they're getting just a bit soft. Heat an Oven Proof skillet to medium-high and add a splash of EVOO. Fry the potatoes on one side until nicely browned. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Turn your broiler on High. Turn the potato slices over.  Pour the egg mixture over the potatoes and let it cook, undisturbed, for a minute or two while the broiler heats up. Add additional salt and pepper if desired.

Slide the skillet (top shelf) under your broiler for a minute or three until the surface of the eggs starts to brown and is nice and puffy. Serve hot or cold, with a splash of Salsa Aperitivo (I'm working up my own recipe for this salsa and will report it here soon).

Quiche Inna Cup

Well, quiche in a mug anyway. I saw this on the 'Net and just had to try it as a potential breakfast dish for our guests. Pretty simple really.

2 Eggs, beaten

1 cup fillings (onion, bell pepper, bacon or ham, cheese, tomato, etc.)

1 Mug (mine was 3-3/8” x 4-1/2” and holds 1-1/2 cups of liquid)

Combine the ingredients in a bowl.

Then pour them into a mug.

Microwave in 1 minute intervals (or less) for 4 minutes. The filling will rise (a lot) and to prevent overflow you'll want to work in shorter and shorter nuke intervals until you reach 4 minutes. Five minutes will make your quiche too dry; three might not be cooked enough.

Actually, for this size mug, 1 cup of filling and two eggs was a bit too much, as you can see from the photo. Or maybe not.

Serve in the mug (the fun way); or run a knife around the edge and serve on a plate (the stodgy way).