Grits, butter, and cheese have a highly symbiotic relationship. Similar to polenta, grits are simply ground dried corn that is rehydrated and reheated with milk, water, or broth and flavored with cheese, butter, salt, and pepper—and sometimes some other very good things. While I’ve been known to serve grits with black truffles, the traditional additions can pile up the fat and calories fast. Using low-fat cheese and extra-lean turkey bacon and omitting the butter reduced the fat grams from 46.7 to 7.4 and cut the calories by half.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4

　　12 jumbo shrimp (about 12 ounces), peeled and deveined

　　6 slices extra-lean turkey bacon, cut in half

　　Nonstick cooking spray

　　1 cup skim milk

　　1/3 cup frozen peas

　　1 scallion (white and green parts), sliced thin on the diagonal

　　1/4 cup quick-cooking grits

　　3 slices 2% reduced-fat cheddar singles, such as Kraft

　　Salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　

Step 1

Wrap each shrimp with a piece of the turkey bacon, securing the bacon with a toothpick.

　　

Step 2

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. When the skillet is hot, spray it generously with cooking spray. Add the prepared shrimp and cook until the bacon is crisp and the shrimp are cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.

　　

Step 3

Meanwhile, bring the milk, peas, and scallions to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Whisk in the grits and reduce the heat to low. Cook, whisking constantly, until the grits are tender, about 5 minutes. Then whisk in the cheese, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

　　

Step 4

Divide the grits evenly among 4 dinner plates. Remove the toothpicks from the shrimp, place 3 shrimp on top of each plate of warm grits, and serve.

　　

nutrition information

Step 5

Fat: 46.7g (before), 7.4g (after)

　　

Step 6

Calories: 587 (before), 231 (after)

　　

Step 7

Protein: 24g

　　

Step 8

Carbohydrates: 15g

　　

Step 9

Cholesterol: 139mg

　　

Step 10

Fiber: 1g

　　

Step 11

Sodium: 827mg

　　Now Eat This by Rocco DiSpirito. Copyright © 2010 by Rocco DiSpirito. Published by Random House Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Hailed as the "Leading Chef of his Generation" by Gourmet magazine, Rocco DiSpirito received the James Beard Award for his first cookbook, Flavor. He went on to author Rocco's Italian-American (2004), Rocco's Five Minute Flavor (2005), Rocco's Real-Life Recipes (2007), and Rocco Gets Real (2009). DiSpirito also starred in the Food Network series Melting Pot, the NBC hit reality series The Restaurant, and the A&E series Rocco Gets Real.