What Happens in the South, Stays in the South

Im going to have to be completely honest here. While I absolutely love my hometown of Asheville, NC, one of the main things that is missing is the ability to get is perfectly fresh fish.  Because I am spending my week here in Charleston, SC, I am taking full advantage of this opportunity and am buying all of the fresh fish that I can in addition to visiting the local farmers markets.  Here in Charleston they are known for their fresh shrimp, a reason why Shrimp and Grits are a main staple around these parts, and it is not hard to find a local fish market that sells them fresh off of the boat.  My family and I are not foreign around these parts, so we knew of some of the best places to stop to get fresh fish before checking into our home that we rented for the week.  While I am not the biggest fan of shrimp (its a textural thing), my mom wanted to buy a few pounds because she wanted to make some of her homemade Shrimp and Grits.  However, I made sure we had little extra so I could make a super light meal for when we are hanging around the beach.

Charleston is a wonderful place to find fresh produce especially in local farmer’s markets because there is such fertile land around these parts.  The Lowcountry is of course known for produce such as okra, tomatoes, scuppernongs, all sorts of Greens, beans, carrots, fresh fish, the list goes on and on.  However, what is particularly nice is that there is a strong Southern influence within these ingredients and are sold in simplistic ways to highlight the beauty of them.  It is easy things from homemade pickles to homemade jams.

I’m sure that most people, specifically women, will agree that they do not like to feel weighed down and bloated when having to wear a bathing suit.  Yet, it is still important to make sure that you get enough nutrients and protein to keep you going throughout the day.  That is why shrimp was an ingredient of choice because it is easy to cook and is perfect to just throw on top of a salad.  Its no surprise that I made sure that I had avocados as well, in addition to some fresh heirloom tomatoes and arugula.  While these simple and fresh ingredients, I was able to make a quick and easy salad that makes me feel like it is still summer time! Most importantly, this is a no frills dish that really highlights the local produce that South Carolina has to offer. Check out this simple recipe below!

Fresh Arugula Salad with Fresh Avocado, Heirloom Tomato, Hearts of Palm,  Grilled Shrimp and Homemade Cilantro Dressing

2 cups of arugula

1 medium sized heirloom tomato, sliced

1 avocado, sliced

3 stalks of hearts of palm, sliced

1 pound fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 garlic cloves, minced

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

In two separate dinner bowls, add one cup of arugula to each.  Divide the avocado, hearts of palm, and heirloom tomatoes evenly between the two bowls.  Season the raw shrimp with the olive oil, salt and pepper and garlic before sautéing.  I happened to pick up some homemade seafood seasoning in the fish market so I substituted that for the salt and pepper.  In a medium skillet, cook your shrimp over medium-high heat until just translucent. Once cooked, let cool a little and top the salad.

Creamy- Cilantro Avocado Dressing

1/2 ripe avocado
3/4 cup packed fresh cilantro
1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt
2 scallions, chopped
1 clove garlic, quartered
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Place avocado, cilantro, yogurt, scallions, garlic, lime juice, sugar and salt in a blender; blend until smooth.

Add your salad dressing to your salad and enjoy!! I served mine with a little extra lime wedges just in case.

xoxo Sarah

September 23, 2015September 23, 2015 by Sarah Hoski Categories: Arugula, Avocado, Meat, salad, Shrimp, Simple, Southern, Tomatoes, Uncategorized Leave a comment

Staying True to My Roots

Even though I am born and raised in North Carolina, I must admit, I really do not cooK Southern food very often. On the other hand, I really do enjoy the traditional Southern dishes like fried green tomatoes, pulled pork, and collard greens. On very rare occasions, my mother will make her homemade fried chicken, which is completely to die for, but other than that my family does not keep many Southern food staples within the house. However, one can always find a bag of stone ground grits in our pantry. 

Now dinner in the Hoski household must always have meat for the boys, generally some sort of red meat, and while I do love a nice steak, I’m quite bored with the usual protein. Thus, I bought some shrimp and thought I would  make some shrimp and grits. However, this isn’t just any typical Southern shrimp and grits. Instead I put an Italian twist on it by using prosciutto, tomatoes and parsley. Below is my recipe that somewhat stays true to my roots, but also brings two very different cultures together. 

Shrimp and Procuitto on Grits 

1 cup stone ground grits

4 ounces prosciutto, chopped   

4 ounces applewood smoked bacon, chopped 

2 garlic gloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes 

3 tablespoons extra Virginia olive oil, divided 

21 ounces of can diced tomatoes in juice 

1 pound cleaned large shrimp 

1 tablespoon chopped flat leaf parsley 

1/2 cup shaved Parmesan cheese

Cook grits according to package instructions in a heavy medium saucepan until thickened and creamy, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and season with salt, then cover. 

Cook prosciutto, bacon, garlic and red pepper flakes in 2 tablespoons of oil in a 12 inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring until garlic is pale golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add tomatoes with their juice and simmer until liquid is reduced to about 1/2 a cup, 6 to 8 minutes. In a separate skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil and cook shrimp, until shrimp are just cooked through. Season with salt and add to the tomato mixture. 

Spoon grits into shallow bowl and top with the shrimp mixture. Sprinkle with cheese and parsley. Enjoy! 

Because bacon and prosciutto are naturally very salty, be careful when adding additional salt to the dish because it probably won’t need it! Other than that enjoy this dish just as much as I did! 

Xoxo Sarah 

July 15, 2015July 15, 2015 by Sarah Hoski Categories: Breakfast, Brunch, Corn, Dinner, Garden, Gluten Free, Grits, Herbs, Italian, Meat, Shrimp, Southern, Summer, TomatoesTags: Cheese, Gluten Free, grits, Italian, shrimp, southern, tomatoes Leave a comment