You Don’t Know Grit! – Vegan MoFo Day 9

Oh, grits!  If you don’t live in the southern part of the U.S., grits may not be a common part of your diet, and I’m here to tell you that you do not know what you are missing out on.  Grits, made from coarsely ground corn, have a long history in the U.S., dating back to indigenous populations.  While grits don’t have crazy amounts of vitamins, they do have a healthy dose of folic acid, thiamine, riboflavin, and iron.  They are also a good source of carbohydrates.

Now, I could give you a “recipe” for grits, but that seems quite unnecessary, as the cooking involves… boiling.  But, let me make a couple of suggestions for what to do with them after they are done.  For a nutritious and interesting change of pace for breakfast, you can have grits in a savory or sweet fashion.  Savory grits are good with a bit of vegan margarine, salt, and pepper.  Sweet grits benefit from some agave and a splash of soy or rice milk.  If you want to live on the edge, cook the grits the night before and then put them into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper and place in the fridge.  In the morning, you can tip the “loaf” out of the pan, slice it up, and fry it in some olive oil or vegan margarine.  Mmmm!  My grandmother was even a fan of the “grit sandwich” made with these fried slices and some cheese and sausage (or in this case vegan cheese and sausage) on toast.  That’s a little heavy for me at breakfast time, but I could be talked into it for lunch!  Fried grits are also great with a slice of fresh tomato on top, and a little fresh peppercorn and sea salt.

Grits – give them a try!