Comfort Food

Before Nate visits I spend a good portion of my time wishing he wouldn't, because I don't want to say goodbye to him again.

I know that sounds backwards, and perhaps it's an indication of my irrational anxiety; in any case, it's probably one of the hardest things about being in a long distance relationship for me. Even before we get to spend time together I'm dreading the moment when we don't. It feels like a never ending cycle of anticipation and then let-down... when he's here I feel like my real life can finally begin, and then we say goodbye and I start waiting for him to come again.

I always find it hard to function the day he leaves, so for dinner on Monday I made something that I felt like I'd been craving (even though I never had it before). There are lots of recipes for shrimp and grits online but they all sounded kind of intense and super high in fat, so I created my own, simplified version:

Shrimp & Grits (serves 1)

18 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 tsp. creole seasoning (I made my own by combining 1/4 tsp. each of salt and paprika, then a pinch each of onion powder, black pepper, oregano, basil, and thyme- yield: about 1 tsp.)
juice from one lemon wedge
1 tbsp. butter 
1/3 cup white grits
salt to taste
extra sharp cheddar cheese to taste, cut into cubes (I cut about 1 inch off a standard block of cheddar)

Method:

Prepare grits according to package instructions- I just use salt and water, but you can use milk and butter too. Instant grits can be made in the microwave but they aren't quite as good as the stove top version... although making grits on the stove is time consuming because you have to stir them pretty frequently. Okay, clearly I'm undecided on this issue.

Rinse shrimp and put them in a small bowl. Squeeze lemon over them, and stir in seasoning. Set aside until the grits are ready.

Transfer the prepared grits to a bowl and add cheddar cheese. Stir and set aside.

Melt butter in a small fry pan and add the shrimp once it bubbles. Saute shrimp for several minutes until pink. Drain off the butter (trust me) and then add the shrimp to the bowl of grits. The cheese should be melted and gooey but not completely mixed into the grits, and the shrimp should be flavorful but not greasy. The combination is incredible; it almost made me forget that I'm going to have to say goodbye to Nate again in a couple weeks :-)