A tasty, low-carb meal has got to be on the top of your list for weeknight suppers. The emphasis here is on tasty. Cauliflower rice—finely chopped raw cauliflower that looks like a grain—works as a great backdrop for the other fresh flavors in this recipe. It gets a hefty shot of lemon, both zest and juice, plus a bonus of barely wilted spinach and cherry tomatoes. Topped off with garlicky shrimp, this weeknight dinner has a huge yum factor.
Where to Get Cauliflower Rice
Cauliflower rice has become a popular replacement for grains for people who have allergies, or who just want to lower their starchy grain intake. You can either buy it already riced in the frozen foods section or make it yourself.
Ready-Made: Supermarkets caught up quickly to this trend, and you can often find it in the produce section with prepped produce or packaged in the freezer. It’s one less step, so if you are in a hurry, by all means, make it your default position. Make It Yourself: It’s dead easy to make it yourself with a food processor and some coarsely chopped cauliflower. Freeze It: If you are ambitious, or just have a giant head of cauliflower you can’t use all at once, take it from the food processor to the airtight freezer container of your choice. It will keep well in the freezer for up to a couple of months.
How to Buy Shrimp
Since ‘fresh’ shrimp is pretty much nonexistent because almost all shrimp are frozen immediately after harvest, I almost always pick up frozen shrimp. That shrimp in the seafood case at the supermarket? It is simply frozen shrimp that has been defrosted. Shrimp is quite perishable, and there’s no way to know how long ago it was thawed. For that reason, I like to buy frozen shrimp and defrost it myself when it’s time to cook. Just plunk it in a bowl of cold water for 15 minutes and it will be ready to cook. For this recipe, I prefer jumbo (21/25 per pound) shrimp to small ones, because I like the statement they make on the plate (and there are fewer to peel, too!).
Ways to Adapt Cauliflower Shrimp Bowls
Swap the cauliflower rice: You can swap out any cooked grain you like in this recipe if you’re not in a cauliflower kind of mood, or just want to switch it up.Swap the greens: I used baby spinach here, but kale or Swiss chard would make a nice change.Swap the shrimp: I can imagine topping this with canned tuna, or some leftover sliced meat like steak or pork chops. Pretty soon you’ll have a whole other dish, but that’s the beauty of cooking!Double it? Yes, please do! It would make an easy, simple meal worthy of sharing with friends.
More Great Bowl Recipes
Grilled Shrimp Taco Bowl Salmon Avocado Poke Bowl Black Bean Burrito Bowl Quinoa Bowls with Sweet Potatoes, Black Beans, and Spinach Sous Vide Beef Bulgogi Bowls
Add the cauliflower rice and 1/4 cup water to the skillet. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes, or until the cauliflower loses its raw taste. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, salt, pepper, and lemon zest. Add the shrimp in one layer. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, or until the shrimp is opaque in the center. (Exact cooking time depends on the size of the shrimp.) Remove the pan from the heat and sprinkle with the paprika. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice and the parsley. Turn the shrimp to coat it well in the lemony, garlicky oil.
