Good day!

How is everyone?

Right.  Um.  I’m off to a late start, aren’t I?

I have an excuse!  Two, actually.

One: New recipe!  Yay!

Two: BSOD are the devil’s work.

You need coarse-ground corn meal for this recipe.

But yes, I have something new for you guys, and I think you’re gonna love it.

You see, as I have mentioned before, I am a Southern gal.  I was born in Tennessee, spent some time in Alabama before moving to Arkansas, where I spent most of my growing-up years.

You want to know the first thing people ask me, upon meeting me and learning that I’m from the South?

Any recipe that starts with "Layer your bowl with blueberries drizzled with honey and cinnamon" is bound to be a good one.

“If you’re from the South, where’s your accent?”

No idea.

As far as I know, I never got one, and I have no idea how that happened.

Another thing I never got?  The South’s fixation on all things corn.

Corn bread, corn pudding, creamed corn…and of course, grits.

This is my new favorite breakfast.

I have another confession for ya’ll, and it’s up there with the fact that I’ve never used “ya’ll” in context.

I’ve never made grits before in my entire life.

And I maybe have had them twice?

My first memorable experience, though, was last summer, when my uncle offered to make me grits and eggs for dinner.  For some reason, he was simply thrilled to be the one to introduce me to this culinary delight.

Blueberries, walnuts, and real maple syrup.

You see, to a Southerner, grits and eggs go together, hand-in-hand, like peanut butter and jelly.

Mmm, peanut butter and jelly…

No!  Don’t distract me.  This is important!  Yes.

So, grits and eggs, the true Southern breakfast staple…and I’ve only had it once, and I’ve never actually, truly made them before.

This breakfast may wedge quinoa porridge down from the #1 spot.

Today, that needed to change.

The first thing to know about making grits is to make sure you have the proper kind of cornmeal.  You want the coarse-ground stuff, commonly packaged in a pretentious and overpriced box that says “Polenta”.

Dude, it’s hominy grits.  Don’t pay twice the price for fancy nomenclature.

If you use cornmeal for baking, you’ll get a breakfast known as “cornmeal mush,” which is, in fact, a real breakfast.  However, we want grits.

Any excuse to pour kefir onto my breakfast is a good one.

The other thing to keep in mind are your ratios.  You want a 1:4 ratio, of grits to water.

I used 1/4 cup grits and 1 cup of water.

Now, this is real simple.  Plus, it’s also super-quick.  By the time my tea was done percolating, my grits were cooked and in my bowl.

How’s that for awesome?

I'm in love.

In your small sauce pan, combine 1/4 cup grits and 1 cup water.  Bring to a simmer over low heat, and stir until thick and water is absorbed (roughly five minutes).

Don’t let it come to a boil, though.  It’ll totally throw your texture off and make it slimy.  Gack!

Once thickened, add in 1/4 tsp vanilla and 1 tsp blackstrap molasses.  Keep stirring.

In a separate bowl, whisk together one whole egg, and 2 tbs almond milk.

Please make this soon!

Use a whole egg, by the way, and not just egg whites.  Grits tend to lend toward a more savory disposition, and the yolk adds a level of richness that makes them exceptionally creamy and delicious.

Slowly stir in your egg, taking care to ensure that it doesn’t cook.  Because it will try, I promise.  Mine did, a bit, but I didn’t let that faze me.  Southern gals don’t fret over petty details, you know.

Once thickened, remove from heat, and add up to 1/4 cup more of almond milk, or until creamy.  You don’t want this to be like custard, but rather, more like a very thick and creamy porridge.

In your serving bowl, add 1/2 cup of blueberries, a teaspoon of honey, and a dash of cinnamon.  When you add your grits, the blueberries, honey, and cinnamon will infuse an amazing flavor throughout your porridge.

Pour your grits into your bowl, then top with the other half of your blueberries and a generous drizzle of maple syrup.  Or, use more honey, but the maple syrup is amazing.  Add walnuts, or other nut of choice, and add a dollop of vegan kefir or yogurt, to taste.

Guys, this breakfast was pure bliss.  To say it may bump back my quinoa porridge as a favorite is a serious statement that doesn’t just get thrown around lightly.

Recap?  Sure!

Creamy Breakfast (Polenta) Grits:

1/4 cup coarse-ground cornmeal

1 cup water

1 tsp blackstrap molasses

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 whole egg

1/4 cup + 2 tbs almond milk

1 cup blueberries, to taste

Cinnamon, honey, maple syrup to taste

Cook grits and water over medium heat, until thickened and water is absorbed (about five minutes).  Whisk egg and 2 tbs almond milk into the grits.  Stir until thick and creamy.  Remove from heat, and add up to 1/4 cup almond milk for texture.  Top with blueberries and cinnamon and honey, and enjoy!

Thanks for reading!

❤ Kaz