I grew up in a family that loves fresh seafood, goat curries on Sundays, and chicken any day of the week. We would have a couple of vegetarian days a week but it was a thing. My sister and I would have to be coaxed into eating a meal without meat or fish or eggs; we ate a lot of vegetables but everything was always better with a chicken leg on the side. As I get older and as our planet hurtles towards environmental disaster, I’ve been coaching myself out of some of that dependency and cooking vegetarian or vegan meals a few times a week. They key for me has been to make these meals special and exciting, so they don’t feel like I’m somehow giving something up.

I learned about grits from watching Emril Lagasse’s cooking shows. Corn plus cheese - brilliant! Pay attention to a few techniques and you can achieve Grits Greatness. Traditionally, grits has a lot of butter, milk, cream, and cheese; I can’t eat all of that on a weeknight and feel good the next morning. I’ve lightened it up so that it feels rich without being a fat and dairy bomb. Top it with a pile of vegetables and as Emeril would say, BAM!

Serves 2

Ingredients

For the grits:

• 1/2 cup grits

• 1 cup milk (I used oat milk)

• 1/2 cup water

• 1 tbsp butter or olive oil

• 1/4 cup cheddar (mine was vegan)

• salt and pepper to taste

For the vegetables:

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 3 cloves garlic, sliced

• 1 shallot, sliced

• 12 oz mixed mushrooms

• 1 bunch spinach, chopped

• 1/4 tsp chili flakes

• salt and pepper to taste

• lemon juice to garnish

Method

Prepare the grits. Add the milk, water, and olive oil or butter to a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Lower the hit a bit and while stirring the liquid, stream in the grits. Keep stirring the grits continuously - this will make sure your grits don’t clump together. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover with a lid, and let cook for 15-20 mins. Check every 10 mins or so and add more liquid if needed to reach your desired consistency. At the end of the 15-20 mins, add the cheese and stir vigorously to melt it. Season with salt and pepper.

Prepare the vegetables. In a large skillet or wok, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and garlic and lightly brown for 30 seconds. Now, add the mushrooms and toss through. Let the mushrooms cook undisturbed for 5-6 mins. Add in the spinach, chili flakes, salt, and pepper. Cook for 2 mins or until the spinach has wilted. Turn off the heat, squeeze in a little lemon juice, and toss through.

Plate with the grits first, then top with the vegetables!