This hearty meal features Cajun-style shrimp seared in bacon fat, served on top of cauliflower rice that’s been cooked to resemble grits. We use bacon fat throughout the whole recipe, tying the whole dish together with a smoky flavor. Then we finish things off with crumbled bacon on top.

Cajun seasoning can be spicy. If you can’t tolerate the spiciness, then feel free to omit the cayenne pepper and chili flakes.

Yields 4 servings of Cajun Shrimp and Cauliflower Rice

The Preparation

Toppings:

4 slices bacon, * See Notes
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
hot sauce, to taste

Grits:

1/2 small onion, finely diced
3 cups cauliflower rice
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 1/4 cups almond flour
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper, to taste

Shrimp & Seasoning:

16 ounces shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 small onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice

The Execution

1. Cook the bacon strips until crispy, then set aside to cool. Reserve all of the bacon grease for the rest of this recipe.

2. Preheat a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the bacon fat reserved for the grits into the pan. Sauté the onion for a few minutes, or until it starts to soften and turn translucent.

3. Add the rice cauliflower then stir for a few minutes and cook until it starts to soften.

4. Pour in the chicken broth and turn up the heat to bring it to a boil.

5. Turn the heat back down then add the almond flour, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir it occasionally. If you need to thicken the grits then add more almond flour, but if they are too thick then thin it out with a bit more broth.

6. Rinse the shrimp with water, then pat them all dry. Mix together the salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne, dried oregano, dried thyme, and red pepper flakes. Toss the shrimp with this seasoning mix, making sure that the shrimp is evenly coated.

7. Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon fat reserved for the shrimp, then allow it to head up and coat the inside of the pan. Add the shrimp, onion, and garlic. Sauté the shrimp for a few minutes until it’s all cooked through, then remove from the heat and drizzle the lemon juice over the top.

8. Scoop the grits into a bowl, then add a serving of the cooked shrimp on top. Chop up the cooled bacon then use to garnish along with some chopped parsley. Add a dash of hot sauce if you’d like.

This makes a total of 4 servings of Cajun Shrimp and Cauliflower Rice. Each serving comes out to be 392 calories, 23.8g fats, 8.5g net carbs, and 34.5g protein.

NUTRITION	CALORIES	FAT	CARBS	FIBER	NET CARBS	PROTEIN
4 slice bacon	597	52.3	0	0	0	29.9
1/4 cup fresh parsley	5	0.1	1	0.5	0.5	0.5
— hot sauce	0	0	0	0	0	0
1/2 small onion	12	0	2.8	0.5	2.3	0.4
3 cup cauliflower rice	75	0.9	15	6	9	5.7
2 1/2 cup chicken broth	37	1.3	2.7	0	2.7	4
1 1/4 cup almond flour	811	70	30.8	18.2	12.6	29.4
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder	3	0	0.6	0.1	0.5	0.1
— salt and pepper	0	0	0	0	0	0
16 ounce shrimp	386	2.3	0	0	0	91.2
1/2 teaspoon salt	0	0	0	0	0	0
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder	5	0	1.2	0.1	1	0.3
1/4 teaspoon onion powder	2	0	0.5	0.1	0.4	0.1
1 teaspoon paprika	6	0.3	1.2	0.8	0.4	0.3
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper	1	0.1	0.3	0.1	0.1	0.1
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano	2	0	0.5	0.3	0.2	0.1
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme	2	0	0.4	0.2	0.2	0.1
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes	1	0	0.1	0.1	0.1	0
1/4 small onion	6	0	1.4	0.3	1.2	0.2
2 teaspoon fresh garlic	8	0	1.9	0.1	1.8	0.4
1 tablespoon lemon juice	3	0	0.9	0.1	0.8	0.1
Totals	1962	127.5	61.1	27.5	33.6	162.6
Per Serving (/4)	490	31.9	15.3	6.9	8.4	40.6