Romano Grits Recipes

CREAMY CHEESE GRITS

Steps:

• Heat the butter and oil in a pan and add the jalapenos, onions and bell peppers. Cook until softened, 5 minutes or so.
• Pour in the grits, followed by the broth and 3 cups water. Stir, and then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and then cover and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the half-and-half. Stir, and then cook until the grits are tender, another 20 to 30 minutes. At any time, add more broth if the grits look like they need more cooking liquid.
• Remove the grits from the heat and stir in the cheese. Serve immediately.

BRAISED ROMANO BEANS WITH SALMORIGLIO

Steps:

• Beans, part 1: Preheat oven to 400 F. Trim the ends of the tomatoes, then cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise. Toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil and the balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Spread them, cut side up, on a rimmed baking sheet and bake 45 minutes. Remove and let cool.
• While the tomatoes are roasting, spread the slivered almonds in a small, ovenproof sauté pan and slide into the oven, underneath the tomatoes. Toast for 5 minutes, until fragrant and lightly browned. Meanwhile, trim and clean the Romano beans, peel and slice the shallots and garlic, and set them all aside. Heat remaining olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and brown for a few minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add oregano, beans, and stock, and stir gently to combine. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and reduce heat to medium. Set a timer for 20 minutes.
• Salmoriglio: Peel and mince the garlic. Pick the oregano leaves from the stems and chop with the garlic. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Add lemon zest to the herb-garlic mixture, and continue to chop until it's uniformly minced. Put mixture in a medium mixing bowl, and stir in lemon juice. Drizzle in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
• Beans, part 2: After 20 minutes, check the beans for doneness. If they're "mushy" enough for you, remove them from the heat; if not, continue cooking for a few additional minutes. Once the tomatoes have cooled, remove the skins and coarsely chop. Fold the tomatoes and any leftover juices into the beans. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.
• Assembly: Pour beans into a large mixing bowl. Add toasted almonds, and toss to combine. Dress beans with salmoriglio to taste. Season with salt and pepper, if necessary, and serve to your guests.

ROMANO GRITS

Steps:

• Place the water in a medium sauce pan over high heat.
• When the water boils reduce the heat to medium-high and slowly add the grits. Stir continuously while adding the grits.
• Add the salt and stir.
• Reduce the heat to medium and cook the grits for 12 minutes stirring to keep the grits from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
• Add the cheese and stir until well blended.