Spicy Shrimp with Cauliflower Fried Rice and Steamed Broccoli

Yesterday was a very long day for me. I put in a full day at work, running around like crazy trying to get ready for summer, and then jetted off to CrossFit as soon as I could. I hadn't worked out since the Friday before because my husband and I took a trip to Atlanta to visit my father-in-law for his birthday. It was also our nephews birthday and his cousin's graduation celebration. Needless to say, we did our fair share of celebrating in the form of eating! I'm pretty sure a gained a couple of pounds this weekend and unfortunately, not from overindulging on paleo-friendly foods. Anyway, back to yesterday...my husband ended up needing me to cover his classes at the gym, so my usual 3 hour CrossFit training day turned into a 5 hour training day. I didn't get home until 8:45 pm last night. I gave my husband the task of making dinner and e-mailed him this recipe I wrote up yesterday. He made me laugh when he said, "Well, it's good to know your recipes are pretty easy to follow. If I can do it, then surely anyone else can, too!" Ha! So enjoy this guys. It's a nice light meal with a lot of flavor, exactly what I needed coming off such a glutenous weekend!

Spicy Shrimp with Cauliflower Fried Rice and Steamed Broccoli

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Serves: 3-4

Special Tools:

Food processor

Large bowl

Small bowl

2 large saute pans, one with a lid

Ingredients:

1 pound of uncooked shrimp (I used Trader Joe’s frozen Argentinean Red Shrimp)

1 large head of cauliflower

1 medium shallow

2 cloves of garlic

1 tbsp of fresh ginger, grated

1 egg

1 tbsp + 1 tsp of coconut oil, divided

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 tbsp of sesame oil

2 tbsp of ghee, divided

1 tbsp of coconut aminos

1 tsp of rice vinegar

1/2 tsp of fish sauce

1/2 tsp of toasted sesame oil

1/2 tsp of garlic powder

1/2 tsp of onion powder

1/2 tsp of paprika

1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp of salt

1/4 tsp of ground black pepper

pinch of red pepper flakes.

2-3 cups of broccoli

Instructions:

1. Take the shrimp out of the fridge and let them hang on the counter or in the sink until you’re ready for them.  

2. Chop the cauliflower, removing most of the stems. Use the food processor (use the regular blade) to pulse until they’re in rice-like pieces. You’ll need to do this in stages so the rice pieces don’t turn to mush. It usually takes me 3-4 times. Each time I take the “rice” out and put it into a bowl and then add a little more to the processor. It can get a little messy. 

3. Chop up the shallot, 2 cloves of garlic, and grate about 1 tbsp of fresh ginger. Set aside.

4. In the sauté pan with the lid, put about 1 tsp coconut oil into the pan on medium-high heat. Whisk the egg with a little salt and pepper. When the pan is hot, scramble the egg and then set it aside on a plate. 

 5. Add 1 tbsp of sesame oil  and 1 tbsp of ghee to the sauté pan again. Allow it to heat up and melt. Add the shallots, garlic, and ginger to the pan and cook for a few minutes until the shallot softens a little. Add the cauliflower rice to the pan and stir to combine. Cover and let it begin to cook down for about 10 minutes, stirring once or twice to prevent sticking. 

6. In a small bowl, whisk 1 tbsp of coconut aminos, 1 tsp of rice vinegar, 1/2 tsp of fish sauce, 1/2 tsp of toasted sesame oil. 

7. After 10 minutes, remove the lid, add the liquids and mix well again. Leave the lid off and allow the rice to cook until the liquids have more or less evaporated, stirring only to prevent sticking. Don’t over stir or it’ll become too mushy. It’s done when the rice bits are slightly browned and cooked through. Adjust the flavor with a little salt and fresh ground pepper as needed. Mix in the scrambled egg. 

8. While the rice is finishing up, take the new large sauté pan and put 1 tbsp of ghee and 1 tbsp of coconut oil to the pan. Allow that to heat up on medium-high heat. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 tsp of garlic powder, 1/2 tsp of onion powder, 1/2 tsp of paprika, 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper, 1/4 tsp of salt, 1/4 tsp of ground black pepper, and just a pinch of red pepper flakes. Mix that up and then put directly into the pan and swirl around for about 20-30 seconds. Add the shrimp and cook on both sides until the shrimp is cooked through. Should be about 4-5 minutes on both sides. If the shrimp is too spicy for you, you can always splash in a little coconut aminos. 

9. While the shrimp is cooking, chop the broccoli. Add it to the big black steamer with just enough water to cover the bottom, a little salt, garlic powder, and fresh ground pepper and steam for 4-6 minutes, stirring half way. 

10. You can add the shrimp right to the rice and mix it up, or put it on top. Whatever you’d prefer.