OMGawd. Don’t these look amazing?! It’s Friday and obviously I haven’t been here as much as I should be lately. I just keep getting sucked into rerun marathons of Big Bang Theory and eating cans and cans of Pringles.
So I called on my girl Ann, from Cooking Healthy For Me, to come fill in for the day. Ann is like this total fireball of energy and I freakin love it. She (and her blog) are all about being ass friendly, all.the.time. I wish I was as committed as she is!
I recently got to meet Ann in person and found out that she lives right down the road from me! Which reminds me, Umm Ann? Why the heck didn’t you bring me some of these amazing cheesy grit caramelized onion babies??!
Anywho, read on to learn more about Ann and how to make these 100 calorie Seared Cheese Grits with Caramelized Onion. I’ll be back next week with something seriously sugar laden…unless my couch swallows me whole.
xoxo, Jess
On Jessica’s “about me” page, she mentions that she believes that sugar, not oxygen fills her blood. I think she’s right. She is one of the sweetest people I know! She’s also has the right mix of crazy & cute that keeps me coming back to her blog again and again!
My name is Ann and I am the Food Nerd over at Cooking Healthy For Me. I like pink sneakers, diet sodas, grocery shopping, my honey bunny …and food!
What I don’t like is “health food”. When my doctor mandated that I HAD to change my ways or suffer immediate and life-threatening consequences, I asked her, “but what about my cooking?”
I decided then and there that I was going to pick up the challenge and make TASTY food that is also good for you! After all, I’m a real girl, with real curves, who likes REAL food! I am not interested in eating cardboard no matter how good it is for you!
I’ve also been in an appetizer mood, so I’ve been making them! Dinner? Appetizers and a salad! Lunch? I just happen to have some appetizers right here! Guest post? Awesome! I’ve got an appetizer on my mind for that one, too!
Thank you Jessica for asking me to guest post for you – I had a BLAST making these! Rock ON, girlfriend!
Seared Cheese Grits with Caramelized Onion
Yield: 18 servings
Ingredients:
2 cups chicken stock
2/3 cup instant grits
1/2 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 ½ Tablespoons olive oil
Cooking spray
2-3 sweet onions, quartered and sliced (enough for about 4-5 cups)
pinch of salt
pinch of sugar
roasted red pepper cut into small strips, for garnish
parsley for garnishDirections:
Bring chicken stock to a boil (if you’re not using homemade stock add a flavor enhancer to the canned stock). Once the chicken stock is boiling, add the grits, stirring constantly. Bring it back up to a boil.
Bring the heat down to low and cover, stirring occasionally for five minutes. Add the cheeses and salt, stir till smooth. Pour grits into a 8x11 pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours or until set.
Heat a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the olive oil and spray the pan for about 3 seconds with non-stick spray. Add the onions and spray the top of the onions with non-stick spray for about 3 seconds as well. Turn the heat down to medium and continue to sauté the onions until they start to caramelize. Once the onions just start to color, add a pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar. Continue to sauté until well caramelized, stirring frequently – around 10-15 minutes. If the onions start to get dry – rather than add any more oil or spray – add a tablespoon of water as needed and continue to cook.
Meanwhile, heat another non-stick pan over medium high heat. Remove the grits from the refrigerator and cut into 18 pieces. When the pan is hot, spray the GRITS on one side and put spray side down on the pan – sauté until golden brown, spray the top side and flip. Continue to sauté the other side until golden brown.
Plate the seared grits square and top with a couple of tablespoons of caramelized onions. Add a small strip of roasted red pepper and a sprig of parsley. Serve immediately.
1 piece: Calories 100, Fat 2.2g, S.Fat, .9g, Cholesterol 3.8mg, Carbs 17g, Fiber 1g
Nutritional information was calculated using SparkRecipes.comCHFM Original
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