Cheesy Grits with Pork and Asparagus

Nate likes grits a lot but I haven't been super keen on them. This is mostly because I have only known them as a breakfast item which are little on the thinner side. Since moving to FL I have had a few meals for dinner involving grits that I have loved. The grits in these meals have had a thicker consistency and are usually cheesier. Since I seemed to have found the way I like grits (and since they are such a great option if you can't eat wheat) I decided to give a few recipes a try. This one is a basic recipe that I adapted from About.com.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup quick cooking grits 
• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced pork
• salt and pepper
• 2 eggs, separated
• Tabasco sauce
• small pad of butter
• bunch of asparagus
• lemon juice

Lightly grease a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a medium pot, bring the water and salt to a boil, then stir in grits. Cook for about five minutes, stirring often, or until the grits have thickened. In a small saucepan, slightly brown the pork and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the pork, cheese, egg yolks and a few dashes of Tabasco sauce to the grits and mix. In a small bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold into the grits mixture and pour the mixture into the casserole dish. Bake for 30 minutes, or until puffed up and golden brown. Serve hot

Wash the asparagus and trim the hard ends off. Microwave for about 2 minutes or until the asparagus is slightly softened. In a medium sauce pan heat up the butter. Add the asparagus and a dash of salt and pepper to to the saucepan and, while keeping the asparagus moving, slightly brown the asparagus. Drizzle with lemon juice and cook for a minute more.  Top the grits with the asparagus and Enjoy!