Last Saturday night we and another couple had a dinner party - it was for friends who are expecting a baby. We're all six friends and the guys practically grew up together - they've been friends for more than 20 years.
This party was kind of a big deal - an excuse to get together with friends, a chance to try out some over the top recipes, and also...a baby to celebrate!
We had filet mignon topped with pimento cheese (seriously), Asiago cheese grits with caramlized onion, salad with feta, walnuts, and dried cranberries, green beans tossed with butter and slivered almonds, and chocolate cobbler with vanilla ice cream.
It was a light dinner, obviously.
We must have spent two hours around the dining room table, talking, laughing, and, you know, eating. Good times.
Asiago Cheese Grits
• 4 cups water
• 4 cups milk
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon white pepper
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/4 cups stoneground grits
• 1/2 pound asiago (or fontina) cheese, grated
In a large pot, over medium heat, combine the water, milk, salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons of the butter. Bring the liquid to a gentle boil.
In the meantime, chop up a yellow onion. Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil and a tablespoon of butter in a medium skillet over medium heat.
Add the onions and let cook until they get a bit soft. At that point salt and pepper the onions, turn the heat to low, cover, and let them cook, stirring occasionally. Smells so good.
Stir in the grits to the big pot with the water and the milk.
Cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes, stirring often. (note: do not scrape the bottom of the pan.)
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and cheese.
Stir in the caramlized onions and serve.
We had leftovers and while I didn't try it, I bet you could spread the grits into a small baking sheet, chill thoroughly, cut out pieces and pan fry them for a side dish the next day.
Pimento-Cheese-Topped Steak
I wish I could take the credit for this recipe. It's genuis. I'd love to know who thought of this. We first had it at a restaurant in Charleston last year and it was out of this world.
Mix up pimento cheese the night before or several nights before.
Prepare filets, as in get the butcher to cut some beauties for you, let them come to room temperature, rub them with worcestershire sauce, and sprinkle with Montreal steak seasoning.
Grill! You know, light it, let it burn, get hot, all that.
About three, four minutes before the steaks come off the grill, top with a bit of pimento cheese.
For the green beans, we steamed them in the rice cooker and then put a bit of butter on them while they were good and hot and topped them with some toasted slivered almonds just before serving.
Enjoy!
5 comments:
This all sounds soooo good...and the table is soooo pretty and I'am gonna try those grits and maybe something veggie with the menta cheese, and tell me about the rice cooker, my sister swears by it.
I recently told a friend who clings to his Texan roots despite being also a New Yorker that I make badass grits. Truth is- they're always instant grits, and while they're delicious, it's not the same.
Keetha, I'm trusting your grits to make me not look like a fool in front of this kid. So thanks, in advance, for the recipe. :)
I forgot to mention that they must be stoneground grits. Accept no substitute.
You had me at asiago. :) Or pimento cheese. Possibly pimento cheese. But definitely asiago.
I misspelled caramelized in the title. Awesome.
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