When I first started following the Paleo diet I made a vow that I would not get caught up in finding replacements for the foods I was no longer going to eat. To this day (it’s been almost 10 years) I have yet to buy or make a loaf of bread with Paleo “approved” ingredients. I have made the most delicious carrot cake I have ever had (check out Primal Palates website) 3 maybe 4 times and occasionally I indulge in a chocolate lava cake from Living Healthy with Chocolate (great name!). It even took me 4 years to actually use my spiralizer to make zoodles (zucchini cut to look like noodles).
Then there was my beloved rice. Oh how I loved those little pillowy grains of goodness; long grain white that was the perfect accompaniment to a saucy Asian stir fry; the brown variety that had a bit of nuttiness to it and a little more chew; or the fragrant jasmine or basmati rice that made a curry sing. Sadly I realized very early on in this dietary adventure that it did not love me and was actually one of the key players in the mysterious ailment that made me feel bloated and sent my blood sugars sky high every time I ate it.
Enter cauliflower: word on the street was that if you chopped it up small enough it could become a reasonable facsimile for rice. I wasn’t buying it. Until I did figuratively and literally. These days you actually can buy it instead of making it yourself like us early adopters had to.
This is my second recipe using cauliflower *rice* and I’m sure it won’t be my last. I didn’t add a lot of seasoning to the cauliflower because the Cajun prawns are a flavour sensation that more than makes up for it. Once you have removed the prawns from the pan I recommend adding a little more oil and a couple of pinches of the spice blend and then spooning a little onto your *rice*.
You will have enough of the Cajun spice blend to easily double this recipe.
Serves: 2
Author: Cassie Elliott
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Cajun Shrimp with Cauliflower Rice:
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 lb large prawns
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil + 1 tablespoon
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 cups cauliflower rice
- 1/2 small onion finally chopped
- 1/2 red bell pepper chopped
- 2 stalks green onions cut on the bias
- juice of 1/2 a lime
- Remove shell from prawns. You can leave the tails on if you want.
- Place in bowl. Add 1 T. avocado oil and 2 teaspoons of the spice blend to prawns. Set aside.
- Chop onions and bell pepper.
- Add 1 T. avocado oil and 1 t. butter to skillet and heat on medium.
- Add onion and bell peppers and cook for for 4 – 5 minutes.
- Add cauliflower. Cook for 5 – 7 minutes or until tender.
- In a separate skillet heat remaining avocado oil and butter over medium heat.
- Add prawns and marinade to skillet.
- Cook until prawns are pink, approximately 1 1/2 – 2 minutes. DON’T over cook.
- Remove from pan immediately.
- To serve spoon cauliflower rice into dish. Add prawns and spoon any oil left i pan from prawns over top. Garnish with green onion and a squeeze of fresh lime.
Marilyn says
This is our family’s favorite meal, that a particular anticipated meal during Lent. I like it because it’s a simply delicious nutritious meal I’m happy to make for my family. Thanks Cassie, this is a winner!