Shrimp & Creamy "Grits" with Air Fried Okra

I haven’t posted in a while since becoming a mom and getting adjusted to our new life. I was up all night with our baby recently and watched too many episodes of Beat Bobby Flay. I made this on a whim the next evening for dinner and Greg said it was one of his favorite meals ever so I thought I needed to share. I didn’t have access to grits (they’re often hard to find if you don’t live in the south) so I substituted, couscous, which came out surprisingly well.

Ingredients:

For the okrA

1 lb. okra, cut lengthwise
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
2 tablespoons cornstarch

In a bowl, combine cornstarch, seasoning, salt & pepper. Toss in the okra to coat. Drizzle with olive oil and toss again in the dry mixture. Cook at 400 degrees F in your air fryer until crispy (about 15 minutes). Make sure you air fry the okra in a single layer as not to overcrowd, which may take a couple of batches, and flip them over halfway through cooking.

For the “grits”

1 cup dried couscous
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Salt & pepper to taste

Prepare the couscous per package instructions. On medium heat, stir in butter, milk and heavy cream. Once butter is melted, stir in shredded cheese. Stir until cheese is melted and the mixture starts to thicken (about 8 minutes). Season with salt & pepper to taste.

For the shrimp

1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon olive oil
Cajun seasoning
Salt & pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Stir in shrimp and season. Cook on one side until shrimp is pink and then turn over. Once shrimp is completely pink, remove from heat.

Plate your grits first and add shrimp, including any sauce that has rendered. Top with okra and serve. Enjoy!