Apron Strings goes creole this week – literally. Anne and I will be in New Orleans this week in celebration of my impending 60th birthday. What better place to say Let the Good Times Roll! than in NOLA. I ask you?

There comes a time in every girl’s life when the inevitability of the finite-ness of life becomes real. And the 60th anniversary of my birth has done this for me.  And that’s a good thing. Life is short! Seize the day! Eat good food!

This spin on the classic Creole dish is so packed with flavor that you won’t miss the rice. Quinoa is perfect here – and adds a texture that rice can’t. And quinoa is packed with nutrients, so that’s a bonus. This dish comes together in about 20 minutes – so it is doable even for a weeknight, even if you have to cook the quinoa!

I love creole style dishes – and even once made a Vegetarian Shrimp-less Creole for a Meatless Monday Mardi Gras dish.

— posted by Donna

LOW CARB SHRIMP CREOLE

4 tablespoons butter
2 stalks celery, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 teaspoon Creole seasoning
3 tablespoons rice flour
1 can (15 ounces) crushed tomatoes in puree
1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
8 ounces clam juice
2 tablespoons cayenne pepper sauce
8 ounces cooked peeled shrimp
2 cups cooked quinoa

Melt the butter over medium high heat and add in the celery, bell pepper and onion and cook until softened, about 3 to 5 minutes.Sprinkle flour over vegetables and cook another minute or two. Add in tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, clam juice, cayenne pepper sauce, and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add in shrimp at end and serve in bowls with a scoop of the quinoa.

Other fun spins on shrimp creole:

Shrimp Creole, Closet Cooking
King Creole, Acadiana Table
Shrimp Creole Arepas, My Columbian Recipes
Shrimp Creole Pizza, Always Order Dessert