truffled polenta with garlic shrimp

One of the best things about the holidays is the ability to carve out an appetite for the heavy meals - between turkey, potato latkes, ham, and all the holiday office party puff pastries, it's sometimes good to mix things up.  I love polenta because it's such a versatile dish and adding truffle oil creates another layer of flavors.  This sudden craving for truffle oil is probably the remnants of Death & Co's truffled mac n' cheese I had last month.  So as per usual I followed my cravings and it led me to this dish.  I picked up a pack of Red Mill Corn Grits (otherwise known as Polenta) and in less than an hour I was serving up a nice hearty meal that filled me up without making me feel overly stuffed.

Here's the recipe...

Serves:  6-8, 45 minutes

Ingredients - 2 cups of Red Mill Corn Grits - 1 Tablespoon of organic unsalted butter - 1 tbsp of salt - 2 tbsp of white truffle oil - 1/3 cup parmesan cheese - frozen shrimp** - 1 tablespoon olive oil - 2 cloves of garlic, minced - 1/4 of a medium-sized red onion, finely chopped - fresh basil, finely chopped (some leaves for garish) - 5 small campari tomatoes, sliced in 6 - 1 teaspoon pepper - 1 teaspoon salt - 1/3 cup white cooking wine - Juice from 1/2 a lemon

**I use frozen shrimp to avoid overcooking - works great!

Instructions: - In a medium pot, bring water and salt to a boil. With a long handled spoon, gradually stir in grits, reduce heat, and let simmer.  Stir frequently to prevent sticking.  Continue stirring until mixture is very thick (about 30 minutes). Stir in butter and truffle oil. Set it aside and let it set for about 10 minutes. - In a large skillet, heat oil at medium. Add salt, pepper, garlic, red onion, tomatoes, frozen shrimp, wine - make sure mixture is combined evenly. Reduce heat and cover skillet and cook for 6 minutes. Add basil , lemon juice, and cook for another 3 minutes or until shrimp are bright pink. - Top polenta with cheese and shrimp, drizzle with truffle oil and a few leaves of fresh basil.