Crispy Cajun Shrimp and Cauliflower grits. The perfect healthy breakfast or healthy brunch recipe to celebrate day 5 of my #Whole30athome, and the fact that we’ve made it to nearly another weekend. This shrimp and grits recipe has creamy riced cauliflower, a tangy, veggie-filled creole sauce and cajun-marinated shrimp crisped up in a cast iron skillet.
I need to tell you about this recipe now because I’m getting briefed on a new business pitch at work in a second. This means life as I know it is about to change forever for the next 4-6 weeks. But at least my last free morning was good. I started my day on a high note with a morning of sleeping in, a cup of coffee and reading in bed, followed by this incredibly creamy and flavorful Whole30 shrimp and grits dish. It was basically my last supper, in healthy brunch form.
I absolutely adore shrimp and grits. Let me tell you, it is the stuff of brunch dreams. They are a weekend wrapped up in a warm, comforting hug. A late morning stuffed into a pair of PJs. You get the idea. They are everything good about life. And with all the cold, rainy days falling upon us this week in Atlanta, I’ll take all the cozy I can get.
When I told my fiance about my idea for this recipe, he said “The shrimp part sounds cool but how are you gonna make grits Whole30?” I knew it would be tricky to get the consistency just right, but after a few hours of experimenting in the kitchen, I had it all figured out. Also, how funny of him to doubt me. As if I’m not always trying to whip up a healthy brunch recipe or really any meal. The secret?
CAULIFLOWER. A MODERN DAY MIRACLE IN VEGETABLE FORM.
The cauliflower grits really nail it in terms of making this dish a healthy one. Once you’ve got that part down, it’s as simple as letting some fresh veggies simmer in a tomato-ey worcestershire sauce and crisping up some shrimp in a cast iron (or the best skillet you have). So let’s take it from the top, starting with the cherry, I mean, shrimp on top.
HOW TO MAKE THE CRISPY CAJUN SHRIMP
This part is incredibly eassssyyyy. Purposefuly so. I’m asking you to do three things here. So I have to make at least one of them easy (if not all 3 as I try to do). On this step all you need to do is thaw out some shrimp, peel and de-vein (if not done already) and marinade them in the spices. Cajun seasoning and smoked paprika do an amazing job at adding a smoky flavor. Simply toss together those two spices along with the other remaining spices, cover and refrigerate while you work on the other components.
Now for the grits…
MAKING THE WHOLE30 CAULIFLOWER GRITS
One thing you need to know is that the type of grits used for shrimp and grits are different than your typical breakfast grit. They are generally much richer and creamier thanks to butter and heavy cream. So I knew that heating up some cauliflower rice alone wouldn’t do the trick for you guys. I am from the south after all, so I had to get a little soul in there.
The key to making these grits creamy and rich is to blend half of the cauliflower rice after its sauteed on a stove top. I use a Vitamix to blend the cauliflower, along with the vegan butter, cashew butter and nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast adds a cheesy flavor without added fat or many calories. The cashew butter adds such a wonderful richness yet is undetectable in the final product. And the vegan butter is just good.
Blending some of the cauliflower with the additional ingredients adds the creaminess needed to achieve the richness of “shrimp and grits” style grits. If you want them even creamier, you can add more of the riced cauliflower to the blender and continue the process until you’ve got just the creaminess level you like.
Last part… also easy. Hopefully you’re sensing a theme here.
QUICK AND EASY CREOLE SAUCE
I guess I could say this part is optional because you could eat shrimp and grits alone. The shrimp is super flavorful and I guess could carry the dish BUT if you’ve got a few veggies on hand, its really worth you while to make this quick and easy creole sauce. I’ve pared down the creole sauce that I usually layer on top of grilled snapper that we serve at Christmas. I thought to myself “how can I make this dish as delicious as possible with as minimal effort as possible,” as I often do with… everything. (Blame the Taurus in me) and you know what, it tasted just as good as the version that takes me 30 minutes to an hour.
It’s as simple as making a roux my sautéing up some celery, onion and green bell pepper (if you have it, I did not and it tasted fine). Next, you’ll add some fresh or canned tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce (I am so fascinated by that word), bay leaf and seasonings. Let it simmer, covered for a few minutes until it reaches your desired thickness level and you’re done.
COOKING YOUR SHRIMP
Once you’ve got your cauliflower grits prepped and your creole sauce simmered with your veggies cooked, it’s time to crisp up your shrimp. Simply add a tbsp of olive oil to your cast iron on medium high and add your shrimp. After a minute or two, you’ll flip your shrimp over. You should see a char on your shrimp. If not, turn the heat up a bit higher (unless you dont want them crispy).
ASSEMBLING YOUR SHRIMP AND CAULIFLOWER GRITS
First, take a big spoon of cauliflower grits and spread it across a bowl or plate. Spoon on half of your creole sauce and finally, top with the crispy shrimp. You can layer on some sliced green onions for additional crunch and garnish. If I weren’t on Whole30 I would serve this with my strawberry ginger whiskey smash. But that’s a story for another post. Say, my birthday next month maybe.
If you make this dish I would love you see you share it on Instagram. Please tag me at @girlaboutgreens so I can see it and share it. I’d also love to hear how your Whole30 at home is going. Maybe I’ll get into TikTok and share more Whole30 recipes there. Ahh. I hope I’m ready. Alright… the time has come for work to take over my life. See you on the other side (aka next week because I already ordered some edible flowers for my next recipe and they are way too pretty for me to let them expire).
Have a beautiful weekend and stay safe everyone!
Whole30 Cajun Shrimp and Cauliflower Grits
Creamy cauliflower grits topped with a tangy, tomato-based creole sauce, topped with crispy blackened cajun shrimp. So many flavors, pulled together with ease. Perfect for a quick brunch or dinner.
Ingredients
Cajun Shrimp
- 10 oz shrimp
- 1 tbsp creole seasoning
- 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp white pepper (ok to substitute black pepper)
- pinch salt
Creole Sauce
- 1 tbsp vegan butter
- 1/4 yellow onion
- 1 stalk celery
- 1/2 cup diced tomatoes (fresh or canned)
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 bay leaf
- pinch black pepper
- 1 tsp thyme, dried
- 1 tbsp parsley, dried
- pinch salt
Cauliflower Grits
- 12 oz riced cauliflower fresh or frozen
- 1 tbsp vegan butter or ghee
- 1 tsp garlic minced
- 4 tbsp almond milk
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp cashew butter
- pinch black pepper
- pinch salt
Instructions
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Peel and thaw shrimp (if not already done).Place shrimp in bowl with remaining Cajun Shrimp ingredients. Toss, cover and refrigerate while preparing remaining ingredients.
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Prepare the Creole Sauce: finely dice celery and onion (or pulse in food processor). In a skillet on medium-low, sautee celery and onion with vegan butter until onion is translucent. About two minutes.
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Add remaining creole sauce ingredients to skillet, stir, cover and bring to a low boil for a quick second. Then, turn to a simmer until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes.
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While the creole sauce is simmering, prepare your cauliflower grits. In a skillet turned to medium, add olive oil and garlic until your garlic is fragrant. About 1-2 minutes.
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Add your riced cauliflower, salt and pepper to the skillet, stirring occasionally until it is fully cooked. If using fresh (not frozen) cauliflower, you might add a tbsp of water to help it cook.
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Once riced cauliflower is fully cooked and tender, remove half the cauliflower from the skillet and add to a blender. Add the remaining cauliflower grits ingredients to the blender and blend until creamy, about the consistency of mashed potatoes. Remove from blender and mix with the remaining cauliflower. Add more water for a creamier consistency.
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Add 1 tbsp of olive oil to a skillet on medium-high. When fully heated, add your shrimp and cook until crispy and blackened, about 2-3 minutes per side.
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When shrimp is fully cooked, it's time to assemble. Divide your cauliflower rice and add to a bowl. Top with creole sauce and finish with your crispy cajun shrimp. Add optional green onion as a garnish and enjoy!