Cajun Shrimp & Kielbasa Dirty “Rice”
My favorite thing to do when I visit a city is to try all of their local specialties. When said city is New Orleans, that desire is of course quickly magnified. NOLA is a wonderful city for many, many reasons, and their culinary scene is definitely one of them. Last time I was down there catching beads and eating my way through the city, I happened to pick up a container of “Slap Ya Mama” cajun seasoning.
Since I picked it up on a whim in the airport gift shop, along with my standard impulse purchases (a bottle of water, Star magazine and a pack of Orbit gum), I’m quite certain it isn’t the most authentic NOLA seasoning on the market. But it does give my food a nice kick, and always reminds me of good times in Louisiana.
Most of what you’ll nosh on in N’awlins isn’t going to be what most of us would classify as healthy. Shrimp Po’Boys. Meaty muffalettas. Fried chicken everything. But with a little bit of the right spice, you can give even the healthiest dish that spicy cajun flare. This dirty rice is actually made with cauliflower, making it both low-carb and low-cal.
Cajun Shrimp & Kielbasa Dirty “Rice”
Adapted From I Breath… I’m Hungry
Ingredients:
- 1 12 oz package Trader Joe’s Turkey Kielbasa
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1 Tbsp Cajun seasoning (or more, to taste)
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 Tbsp salsa (or more, to taste)
- 1/2 lb medium shrimp (pre-cooked or raw will work)
- 1 large head cauliflower, riced
- 1 Tbsp lime juice
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 green pepper, diced
- 1 red pepper, diced
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- “Rice” your cauliflower – this can be done in a food processor or by hand with a grater. I highly recommend the former, but you gotta work with what you’ve got.
- In a medium sauce pan, heat olive oil over medium head. Add onion and peppers and cook until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add shrimp and kielbasa (you will want to add shrimp first if it’s not pre-cooked) as well as Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, and salsa and cook cook for a couple minutes longer.
- Meanwhile, melt butter in a wok or large sauce pan. Cook cauliflower on high, stirring frequently and spreading out so that it will brown easily. This will take about 5 minutes.
- Stir shrimp and kielbasa mixture into the cauliflower. Remove from heat and add lime juice and salt and pepper to taste, plus additional Cajun seasoning and salsa if desired.
Serves 4
Nutrition: 365 Calories, 19 carbs, 17g fat, 37g protein
