Oh-CAJUNally, I crave some shrimp and grits. This paleo(ish) version involves shrimp skewers over cheesy cauliflower grits with a side of grilled corn salsa (grilled corn, avocado, tomato, cucumber, red onion, cilantro, drizzle of oil, garlic powder, chili salt, pepper, chili powder and lime juice salad). It serves you all the flavor and savor without all the heaviness. Plus, the Cajun and southwest flares go delightfully well together!
Start by plopping a steamer basket into a large pot, filling to the basket with water, putting on the lid, and bringing to a boil. While it heats up, take your whole head of cauliflower (still in the plastic wrapper) and SMASH it face down on the counter a few times. Chop off the plastic and cut around/remove the stem, then dump it all directly into the steamer basket. Steam for about 10-12 minutes or until tender.
While it’s steaming, rinse your shrimp and and pat it dry. Sprinkle generously with Cajun seasoning (I use flavorgod Cajun lovers). Coat evenly, then drizzle in oil, working it through until all shrimp are coated with oil and seasoning. Skewer the shrimp and put on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Broil on high for 5 minutes on one side, flip, then broil about 2-4 minutes on the other side. Make sure you don’t overcook! (I would prefer to grill but DANG it’s hot outside 🥵)
Chop up the ing veggies as you go and put into a bowl: 2 ears grilled corn (use a knife to separate from the cob), 2/3 of a peeled English cucumber, sliced and quartered, 2 vine ripe tomatoes, 1/4 sliced small red onion, 2 medium avocados. Stir in 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, 1 tbsp white vinegar, juice of a small lime, a drizzle of oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
After your cauliflower is steamed, transfer to a food processor. Add about 1/4 cup chicken stock, 2 tbsp grass fed butter or ghee, garlic, white pepper, and cheddar to taste. Pulse and stir continuously until the texture resembles actual grits (be careful not to overprocess or you’ll have a mash rather than grits). Use ghee and leave out the cheese for whole30/paleo. I also didn’t add any extra salt since the shrimp seasoning had plenty, but you do you boo. 🍤
