1 1/2 smoked sausage links, sliced
2-3 cups veggies - we used celery, onions, yellow squash, zucchini and red pepper
2 tbsp garlic powder or 3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tbsp poultry seasoning
black pepper to taste
2 cans beef gravy
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 - 1 bag shrimp
Heat pan to medium. Add smoke sausage and cook until browned. Stir in veggies and seasonings and cook for 5 - 8 minutes or until softened. Mix the tomato paste with the sausage mix and then add the gravy. Let cook for another 10-15 minutes and then stir in cooked shrimp. Cook until heated through. We served the stew with B1G1 field peas and snaps (surprisingly good out of the can) and fresh green beans cooked Italian style (briefly steamed, then sauteed in olive oil with garlic, salt and pepper to taste).
G, What About the Grits?
Living dangerously between two cultures, I'm used to having my grits for breakfast either with eggs and sausage or like a hot cereal - topped with milk and sprinkled with sugar (the latter is considered blasphemy in the South). So if you want to make your own grits, be ready to cook them for about 30 minutes, no matter what the instant grits package says. If the grits are chewy, they are undercooked. Good grits are should be cared for like a creamy risotto Add water, milk or cream whenever the liquid evaporates. Season them with about 1-2 tbsp of sugar, salt and pepper just before serving.