Paleocupboard.com has done it again. She's done the paleo community a service with her Paleo Cajunm Shrimp and Grits recipe.
Ingredients:
TOPPINGS:
- 4 strips bacon, cooked and chopped (save the bacon fat!)
- Chopped parsley (optional) (*I didn't have any on hand so I omitted)
- Hot sauce (optional....sort of) (*shoot, I had this but forgot to add it! Silliness!)
GRITS:
- 1 Tbsp. lard/bacon fat or tallow
- 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
- 3 cups riced cauliflower
- 1 1/4 cup almond flour
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
- Sea salt to taste
- Ground pepper to taste
SHRIMP:
- 2 Tbsp. lard/bacon fat or tallow
- 1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined (*I used wild frozen shrimp. Dethawed them yesterday morning and then cleaned them well. )
- 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
SHRIMP SEASONING: (*I prepped the seasoning ahead of time and let it "marinade"...in a dry rub, yes...so I wouldn't have so much to do after yoga.)
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne (or more if you like it spicey!)
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
- Dash red pepper flakes (optional)
Directions:
TO MAKE THE GRITS:
1. Prepare the onions and cauliflower. You can rice the cauliflower by grating it or by placing batches of it in a food processor and pulsing until rice sized chunks are formed. (*The absolute best tip I can offer here is one I wish I had realized before last night...the way I clean cauliflower is I break it down by removing the bog steam and then break it down into sizable pieces leaving a bulk of the work to my handy dandy food processor. The constant problem I found with this method was more often then not I over processed my cauliflower trying to get it all the same size. Take the time to break down the cauliflower by hand into small pieces BEFORE you let the food processor at it. I was able to give it a couple pulses and it was ready to go.)
2. In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, add 1 Tbsp lard/bacon fat or tallow and saute the onion for about 3 minutes. Add the riced cauliflower and stir to combine. (*I chopped up 2 slices of bacon to yield fresh bacon fat and then sauteed the onion and added the riced cauliflower. Make sure you use your largest pan with higher sides than a standard frying pan. This will allow you to mix without making too much of a mess.)
3. Next add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the almond flour and seasonings and stir to combine. (*This is when you really start to see it come together! I didn't have to add more almond flour 1 1/4 cup was perfect.)
4. Cover and allow to simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Check the consistency at about 15 minutes into the cooking process. If grits are too thin for your liking add more almond flour, if too thick add more broth. (*I was really worried about seasoning, if you've ever had bad grits it's either due to consistency or lack of seasoning. I could tell the consistency was right on point...I was liberal with my salt and pepper. I did not have to add any more of the other seasoning.
5. After 20 minutes remove the grits from the heat and set aside. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
TO MAKE THE SHRIMP:
1. Rinse shrimp and pat dry. Mix seasoning ingredients in small bowl. Sprinkle the mixture over the shrimp to coat well and set aside.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and warm 2 Tbsp. lard/bacon fat or tallow Add shrimp, onion and garlic to pan and cook until they turn pink.
3. Add lemon juice and saute for 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
This recipe was amazing! If you are not a fan of grits normally make sure you try this adaptation...I have never liked grits all that much but this dish absolutely changed my mind, at least for cauliflower grits ;)
