SHRIMP AND CAULIFLOWER CHEESE GRITS

Cauliflower is one of my keto diet staples. Due to sheltering at home, I’ve started buying frozen versions of everything I would normally buy fresh. It keeps me safe at home longer and prevents food waste. Preventing food waste is a big focus for me as a single woman. Usually I am on the road for work and I only buy groceries in small quantities. I also am not afraid to pick up ingredients I need the same day. But frozen veggies have saved my life and I swear by them.

I am the self proclaimed brunch queen so of course I wanted to make shrimp and grits. Its a great comfort food with all the goodies. It’s cheesy, warm and filling. And using frozen riced cauliflower it takes almost no time to make. Shrimp also takes no time to make. But when you make this you will feel like you were in the kitchen for hours.

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INGREDIENTS

• 8 large shrimp (fresh or frozen)
• 2 cups riced cauliflower (fresh or frozen)
• 1/2 cheddar cheese (bagged is fine but you can use shredded from a block)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (not the powdered kind)
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Peel and devein shrimp. Season with salt pepper to taste. Add lemon juice and cilantro (optional) and stir. Set aside.
2. Add 1 tbsp butter to pan on medium/medium low heat. If using frozen riced cauliflower, microwave on lowest recommended time before adding to melted butter in the pan.
3. Add half of the cheddar, all of the Parmesan, and heavy cream to the aldente cauliflower. You don’t want to overcook the riced cauliflower because it will become mushy.
4. Stir until cheese has melted. Season with pepper (I like a lot of cracked black pepper) and a pinch of salt–if needed. The cheese is very salty so taste before adding.
5. Add the rest of the cheddar and mix until it melts and the cauliflower rice is cheesy and thick.
6. Remove the cheese grits from heat.
7. Add 1 tbsp butter to another preheated pan. When melted, add shrimp to pan on medium high heat. This will get the blackened edges you see in the photo.
8. Shrimp cooks quickly. It should go from gray to translucent.white with orange before you flip. I like to deglaze the pan with the leftover lemon juice before flipping to get more color and flavor. Let the shrimp cook for 45 seconds on the second side. Remove from pan as each one is done.
9. Plate half of the cheese grits on half of the shrimp. Garnish with parsley. Save the rest for another meal–or seconds.