Cajun Shrimp & Cauliflower ‘Grits’

I’m in the midst of another round of Whole30, and I have been massively craving shrimp and grits. That spicy, Cajun flavor is something that takes me back to the few years I lived in South Louisiana, where I learned to cook a bit of food from the locals. While this dish isn’t fully authentic, it is quite flavorful and checks every single box to being Whole30 compliant. The base of that flavor is my make-ahead Cajun Spice Blend, which I try to have on hand at all times. It saves time (and money) in the kitchen, since I don’t have to individually measure each component of a Cajun-based recipe.

Author: Pesto & Potatoes

Meal Type: Milk Free

Cuisine: American

Difficulty: MEDIUM

Prep. Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Servings: 3 servings

Calories: 543 kcal per serving

Ingredients

4 cups - riced cauliflower
1 cup - canned coconut milk
½ tsp - dried thyme
5 tablespoons - olive oil
¾ lb - shrimp
2 tablespoons - Cajun Spice Blend
½ - yellow onion
1 - red bell pepper
2 cloves - garlic
2 cups - zucchini
⅓ cup - fresh parsley
1 - lemon
Kosher salt
black pepper

Instructions

Divide riced cauliflower, placing half in a food processor and pulsing until broken into smaller pieces. Add all 4 cups of cauliflower rice to a medium saucepan with 1 cup canned coconut milk.
Bring to a boil and season with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper. Reduce to a simmer and continue stirring and cooking until a creamy texture is reached, about 10 minutes. Most of the liquid will have cooked off.
Remove cauliflower rice “grits” from heat, stir in ½ teaspoon dried thyme and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. While oil is heating, season shrimp with 2 tablespoons Cajun Spice Blend. Toss to coat evenly.
Add shrimp in a single layer to the skillet, cooking for 2 minutes. Flip and cook for 2 minutes, until cooked through. Remove shrimp from pan and set aside.
Add 2 more tablespoons olive oil to the skillet, along with diced onion, bell pepper and minced garlic. Cook, stirring, for about 7 minutes, until onions are translucent.
Squeeze juice of half a lemon into the skillet to deglaze the pan. Stir in diced zucchini, season with extra salt and pepper (as needed), and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes.
Add cooked shrimp back to the pan, stirring to combine and reheat.
Make a bed of cauliflower “grits” in two shallow bowls. Spoon on Cajun Shrimp and veggies, and serve garnished with chopped parsley and lemon wedges.

Nutrition