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Andouille Sausage, Shrimp, Tasso Ham & Grits
Posted on January 29, 2012 at 4:55 PM | Leave a Comment

We showcase Wagshal’s February Market Specials in this Mardi Gras recipe!!! If you’re all prepped up… the sausage and shrimp will take just minutes to cook. About a half hour before serving… cook your Bob’s Red Mill grits and set them aside in warm place. Make the rest of your dish and don’t forget to garnish with the Tasso ham. It’s spicy so a little goes a long way. For balance… try pairing one of these select wines by Peter Ward of Corkshrewd.

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Andouille Sausage, Gulf Shrimp and Shaved Tasso
To Prep:
Extra virgin olive oil
2 Wagshal’s Fresh Andouille Sausages, casings removed and broken apart
1 Wagshal’s Smoked Andouille Sausage, sliced thinly
2 cloves of fresh garlic, sliced thinly
1 fresh sage sprig, stem removed and leaves chopped coarsely
18 Wagshal’s extra large fresh, wild Gulf shrimp, peeled, deveined, rinsed and dried.
3 ounces of your favorite beer… you can drink the rest!!!
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 ounces Tasso ham, shaved thinly
Fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped finely

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To Cook…
Heat a large sauté pan over medium high heat.
Add just enough extra virgin olive oil to barely coat the bottom.
Add the fresh Andouille sausage and cook until deeply browned.
Then remove it with a slotted spoon to a platter and keep warm.
Add the garlic and chopped sage to the same sauté pan. Stir.
Add the shrimp and sear it on all sides tossing the mixture with tongs for about 5 minutes or until opaque in color.
Splash with the beer. Cook another minute or so.
Add the sliced smoked Andouille and return the browned fresh Andouille to the sauté pan. Stir and cook until heated through.

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Grits
To Prep…
1½ cups Bob’s Red Mill Corn Grits Polenta
Extra virgin olive oil
2 large cloves of fresh garlic, minced finely
3 cups half and half
1½ cups of water
1 large bay leaf
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 cup sharp domestic cheddar cheese, grated
More grated cheddar for garnish

To Cook…
Heat a large saucepan over medium heat.
Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom.
Add garlic and stir.
Add milk, water and bay leaf.
Turn up the heat just enough to bring to a simmer.
Cook for 5 minutes or so.
Remove the bay leaf.

Then…
Bring the milk mixture to a medium boil.
While whisking, pour the corn grits into the boiling liquid in a thin, steady stream.
Cook… stirring constantly, reducing the heat as grits begin to thicken.
Continue to cook until the grits start to pull away from the sides of the pan… about 20 minutes or so. Remove from heat.
Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
Add grated cheddar and stir until melted through.
Cover surface of grits with plastic wrap and set aside to keep warm.

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To Serve…
Spoon grits into a large, warm serving bowl.
Top with the Andouille Sausage and Gulf Shrimp.
Garnish with Tasso, grated cheddar and flat leaf parsley.
Serves 6.

Just Cooking… Simply Kickoff!!!
Posted on January 26, 2012 at 8:33 AM | Leave a Comment

We are happy to announce that the first iteration of our Just Cooking… Simply low-cost basics classes for young professionals was a smashing success! Nine students, all of them newcomers to Just Simply… Cuisine, trickled into the kitchen around noon on Sunday, poured themselves water and wine, and sat for a brief introduction to the philosophy behind our classes—eat fresh, eat local, eat seasonal, eat REAL. Intern instructors Kate and Megan soon took over and began teaching on our delicious winter menu:

• Jalapeño Corn Pudding
• Cheddar, Beer, and Spinach Risotto with Slow Roasted Tomatoes
• Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta and Dates
• Crilley’s Almond Cake

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The class also featured a number of JSC building blocks… minced garlic, chopped parsley, “happy” eggs, vanilla sugar and slow roasted tomatoes! And… encouraged discussions of simple food storage tips and kitchen staples… flour sack towels, meat t-shirts, Silpats and Lodge cookware.

Each student was sent home with their menu, a full shopping list with the costs of ingredients, and a bag of Bob’s Red Mill almonds or pecans. We can’t WAIT for our next Just Cooking…Simply event scheduled for April 15th!!!

Snapshot…
Posted on January 23, 2012 at 3:43 PM | 1 Comment

Date: January 22, 2012 Time: 10:14:20 am EST Place: Just Simply… Cuisine’s Teaching Kitchen Washington, DC USA Snapshot: One of Our Winter Favorites… Slow Roasted Grape Tomatoes Add slow-roasted grape tomatoes to your favorite sandwich, mix them into risottos,… Continue reading Snapshot… »