The Rules

Good morning, everyone!

Yes, I’m going to pretend that it’s still morning.  I love to pretend.  Want to play along?

Rock on.

Last night, when Amor and I were at the grocery store, we were walking through the dairy aisle when he turned to me and asked, ever-so innocently, “Have you ever heard of Greek yogurt?”

No Greek yogurt for me, alas, but this more than made up for it.

Um…have I ever heard of Greek yogurt?  Was he kidding?

For the next five minutes, I extolled the virtues of all things Greek yogurt, and how if you flip your spoon over, it’ll stick, and how it’s thick and creamy just like sour cream.

My eyes got that glazed, starry look to them as I spoke.  I had only ever had Greek yogurt once, and loved it.

However, dairy makes me extremely sick, and as a parting gift, breaks my face out like ugh.

Raspberry and lime curd are perhaps the best flavor combination EVER.

“Oh,” replied Amor. “I think I’ll try it.”

What?

No.  Oh no he di’nt.

Yes, guys.  Last night, Amor brought Greek yogurt into the house, and I can’t have any.

There are rules to a happy relationship, and bringing in a foodie’s dream and eating it in front of her definitely violates those rules.

If you like tart, sour things, then this is for you.

Of course, I jest.

Amor knows that I can’t eat dairy, and he didn’t mock, taunt, or tease me while eating it.

Of course, he loved it.  He must, because he bought three tubs of it.

Three tubs of Greek yogurt…in my house.  And I can’t have any.

For the record, yes, I did sniff the tub of yogurt, and I did drool.

Copiously.

And no, he doesn’t judge me for my weird quirks.  He’s just wonderful like that. ❤

Osito! That's lime curd! What are you doing, silly cat?

Remember the other day, when I wondered what Oso had gotten into on the counter?

And I postulated that it must have been the avocado, and jokingly called him a sourpuss?

Nope.  I was wrong.

I relaxed for one second, and before I knew it, he was up on my chair, trying to lap as much lime curd as he could before I shooed him away.

This was my basic grits recipe, by the way.  I bought whole-grain corn meal last night, and while the taste is slightly different, it was still very yummy.

And the corn/lime/raspberry combination?

Oh dear.  You must try this.  You will not regret it.

Quick, Easy Lime Curd:

1 whole egg

2/3 cup non-dairy milk

1 tbs cornstarch

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbs honey

2 tbs lime juice (or the juice of one lime)

1 tbs coconut butter (optional, but awesome)

Whisk all ingredients except lime juice and coconut butter in a bowl.  Add to a small sauce pan, and stir constantly over low heat until thickened.  Add lime juice and coconut butter, and stir until smooth.

Enjoy!

Thanks for reading!

❤ Kaz

The Girl’s Got Grits

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