Keto/Lowcarb Arroz con Camarón

I was sitting at home and had no idea what I wanted for dinner. I recently came back from a trip to Cartagena Colombia earlier this week. So I think the desire for something Spanish still resided inside of me. However, I wanted to keep the dish low carb. I started to think about what I have on hand and what I could make. 

One of the evenings on the trip, I went out to dinner and I really wanted some fish. I ordered the whole fish and it was delish! However, on the menu was Arroz con Pollo (rice with chicken). The dish stayed somewhere in the back of my mind. There is a restaurant where I live called Azteca and I always get the Arroz con Mariscos (rice with seafood). In all actuality it actually only has camarónes (shrimp). 

If you want to know what mines was missing, it was missing the bell peppers, cilantro, and jalapenos.

I wanted to make this dish but there were a few ingredients that I just did not have. So I made it with the ingredients that I do have. Below you will see the full ingredient list so that you can make it the way it's intended minus the peas because those are not keto friendly. 

If you are reading this and you are not keto friendly, and you could care less about eating low carb, then replace the cauliflower with one cup of rice. If you do not have adobo seasoning at home or you just want to make your own, I have provided the recipe at the bottom. You can also replace the tomato sauce with ketchup. But remember ketchup has sugar. Use zero sugar ketchup if you're keto or low carb.

If you haven't figured it out yet, Arroz con  Camarón is Spanish for Rice and Shrimp. Depending on what country you are eating it in, it can be made a little bit different.

Ingredients
For the shrimp:
2 tablespoon olive oil
Adobe Seasoning (see bottom to make from scratch)
1 cup cleaned shrimp

For the sofrito & cauli rice:
3 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup finely diced green bell pepper
¼ cup finely diced white onion
¼ cup finely diced cilantro
Optional: 1 jalapeno, diced

Sazon Spices
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon oregano
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

1 14oz can diced tomatoes
1 6oz can tomato sauce
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups riced cauliflower
Optional: 1/4 cup green onions for garnish

Directions

Marinate your shrimp. 

Toss your shrimp in a bowl with olive oil and the adobo seasoning. Cover and let the shrimp marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Make the sofrito in a skillet. Heat skillet on medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a hot skillet. Add the jalapeño, green bellpepper, and onion. Sauté until onion is tender. 

Add the garlic and cilantro and sauté for 2-3 minutes. 

Stir in the sazon spices and cook for 30 seconds. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and chicken broth.

Add the cauli rice (see directions for regular rice below). Bring the mixture to a simmer. 

Add your shrimp on top.

Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the skillet, and let everything cook for about 10-15 minutes. 

Uncover and increase heat to medium-high to remove as much excess water as possible. Stir frequently for 10 minutes. 

Garnish with green onion and lime.

If using rice:

Add rice, stir, and cover. Cook on low for 15 minutes. Add shrimp and recover. Cook another 10 minutes or until rice and shrimp are both cooked. Once cooked, uncover and garnish. 

For the adobo seasoning:

1 teaspoon cumin

¾ teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon chili powder

½ teaspoon red cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon coriander

½ teaspoon salt

black pepper

Makes 4 servings

And...It Is What It Is!