Shrimp with Lemon "Rice" and Crispy Basil

This was a tasty dinner. Lots of flavors going on here. It takes a little time to prepare, but I prepared the Cauliflower Rice the night before along with pre-frying the basil. I also had the marinated shrimp ready to go when I got home from work, so all I had to do was do a quick fry of the "rice" and a quick fry of the shrimp...all done!



SHRIMP:
16 jumbo shrimp (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled and de-veined
1 TBS ancho chile powder
1 1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp pepper
1-2 TBS coconut oil or ghee
LEMON RICE:
1 1/2 TBS coconut oil or butter/ghee
1/2 cup finely diced onions
1 clove garlic, minced
4 cups Cauliflower converted into rice
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt plus more to taste
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper plus more to taste
1 large zucchini, trimmed, seeded, and diced, optional
FRIED BASIL:
1 cup coconut oil or ghee
1 large bunch fresh basil, leaves only, well washed and dried

Shrimp: Rinse the shrimp under cold running water. Place the chile powder, garlic salt, coriander, oregano, cumin, and pepper in a mixing bowl and whisk to mix. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Let the shrimp marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Add coconut oil and preheat pan to medium-high heat. When the pan is hot a drop of water will skitter in the pan. When ready to cook, place the marinated shrimp in the hot pan. They will be done after cooking 1 to 3 minutes per side. When done the shrimp will turn pinkish white and will feel firm to the touch.

Lemon Rice: Place cauliflower flowerettes in a food processor. Pulse until small pieces of "rice." Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and allow them to sweat their liquid for 4 minutes. Add the garlic and sweat for an additional 3 minutes. Stir in the "rice" and zucchini and sauté it for 3 minutes. Add the stock, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until the "rice" has absorbed most of the liquid.

Fried Basil: Heat the oil to 350 degrees on a candy thermometer in a large saucepan over high heat. Standing as far back from the pot as possible and wearing an oven mitt, drop the basil leaves into the hot oil. The oil may bubble and splatter. Fry for about 1 minute, or until the leaves are crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the leaves to a double layer of paper towels to drain. Adapted from Epicurious.com

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON:
White Rice = 242 calories, 53 carbs, 0 fiber
Brown Rice = 218 calories, 46 carbs, 4 fiber
Quinoa = 222 calories, 39 carbs, 5 fiber
Wild Rice = 166 calories, 35 carbs, 3 fiber
Cauliflower Rice = 28 calories, 3 carbs, 1 fiber

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