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Jun 2009  |  By Alonzo Turner  |  Comments (0)

Recipe: Bacon & Shrimp Over Quick Creamy Polenta

Polenta cooks as fast as couscous and it's a whole grain. The shrimp is also great over rice, but over polenta, it's divine.

Shrimp

• Juice from ½ a lemon (about 1 ½ tablespoons)
• ½ teaspoon hot sauce (Tabasco, Frank's, whatever you have is fine)
• 1 lb peeled and deveined large shrimp
• 3 bacon slices1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped½ cup chicken broth (save the rest for the polenta)
• 2 scallions, chopped1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Combine shrimp, lemon juice and hot sauce and set aside while you start the polenta, see below.

Once you've started heating the water/broth for the polenta, cook the bacon over medium heat. When crisp, take the bacon out of the pan and set it aside. You'll crumble the bacon once it's cooled. Add the onion and garlic to the bacon drippings and sauté.

Once the onions are soft, add the shrimp, broth, and the white parts of scallions. The shrimp will only take 5 minutes to turn opaque, so make sure the polenta is done and the table is set.

Serve the shrimp on top of the polenta and sprinkle with the crumbled bacon, green scallions, and cheese.

Serves four. Takes less than 30 minutes to make.

Quick Creamy Polenta

• 3 cups water or broth (you can use the extra broth from above and add water to make 3 cups)
• ½ teaspoon salt, if using water
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup quick cooking polenta

Bring the water/broth to a boil. Add salt and butter, then while stirring, slowly pour in the polenta. Stir until there are no lumps, then turn the heat down to a bare simmer. After 5 minutes, turn off the heat and cover until the shrimp are ready.