Spicy Shrimp and Cauliflower Grits

This post is inspired by the Occupational dimension of wellness.

Occupational wellness is about working.  It inspires us to prepare for the work in which we will gain personal satisfaction and enrich our lives. The best scenario for optimal wellness is to seek a career that is interesting, enjoyable, meaningful and contributes to the larger society. Further, occupational wellness is achieving a balance between work and leisure in a way that promotes health and is financially rewarding.

“To be gritty is to keep putting one foot in front of the other. To be gritty is to hold fast an interesting and purposeful goal. To be gritty is to invest, day after week after year, in challenging practice. To be gritty is to fall down seven times, and rise eight.” - Angela Duckworth  

I remember my first day as a Realtor vividly; I was clueless and inexperienced in the industry, and the coursework for licensing taught me nothing practical. I was working for an independent broker who was getting ready to retire and there was zero training. I was freaking out as I knew nothing about the business.

“Your dreams are on the other side of your grit…”, I thought.

So, on my first day, I was sitting doing what the industry calls “floor time,” which is where you are typically alone handling potential calls or walk-in’s from buyers and sellers. Of course a buyer walks in on my first day, wants to see a home, and has a litany of questions. Inside I panicked but pretended I knew what I was doing. I showed them the home (or should I say they showed it to me 😊) and they decided to make an offer. OMG! You can imagine the excitement and panic all at the same time. I didn’t know what to do…

The following morning, before the buyers came into the office to write the offer, I remember scouring the filing cabinet to find a sold contract that I could study to understand how to fill in the blanks. I got a bit of help from some other agents in the office and wrote a successful offer that was accepted and closed six weeks later. I was now on my way to having successful career but had no idea what I was in for considering the hours and time that needed to be put into my career to make a living.

So, you may be wondering why I am sharing all of this with you. Well, although being a Realtor can be very gratifying, it doesn’t come without sacrifices, especially when it comes to your family. One of the benefits of being a Realtor is that I was able to sit at every one of my son's baseball games and be regularly available to drive him where he needed to be. But, if you heard my son's version on my career in real estate, he would say that I was at all of his sporting events but always on the phone. In essence, I really wasn’t present for him. I would rationalize my emotional absence by explaining I needed to make money and needed to be a mom at the same time, so I felt my career was perfect.

As I look back on my career and family life, despite having thought it was working for me,  I missed out on a lot. Not only in regards to a relationship with my son but also my friends because real estate always came first. So, my advice in regards to balancing a healthy work, home, and life environment is this: although making a lot of money has its advantages, you never want money to come before your relationships. To live a well-balanced lifestyle, it’s crucial to take several moments throughout your career to do a mental health check and make sure your priorities are in the right place. Your family and friends will thank you!

Recipe of the Day: Spicy Shrimp and Cauliflower Grits

INGREDIENTS For the Cauliflower Grits:

• 1 head cauliflower, about 1 pound, yield 4 cups grated

• 1 cup unsweetened cashew milk, or coconut milk or whole dairy milk

• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter, or ghee

• ¼ cup unsalted chicken stock, or vegetable stock

• ¼ tsp kosher salt

• ¼ cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

For the Spicy Shrimp:

• 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined, 16/20 count

• ¼ tsp kosher salt, divided

• ⅛ tsp black pepper

• ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper

• ⅛ tsp paprika

• 4 slices bacon, thick-cut, chopped into ½-inch pieces

• 1 Tbsp minced garlic, about 4 cloves

• ¼ cup yellow onion, diced into ¼-inch cubes

• ¼ cup red bell pepper, diced into ¼-inch cubes

• 2 Tbsp Olive oil , to substitute bacon grease if desired

• 4 tsp lemon juice

• ¼ cup green onions, thinly sliced

INSTRUCTIONS For the Cauliflower Grits:

1. Grate or add cauliflower florets to a food processor. You want the cauliflower to be about the size of rice grains.

2. Add cauliflower to a medium-sized saute pan and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, constantly stirring to release some moisture from the vegetable.

3. Add one tablespoon of butter, ¼ cup of cashew milk, ¼ cup of chicken stock, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Stir and cook until moisture gets absorbed and cauliflower cooks through, about 5 minutes.

4. Using an immersion hand blender or blender, pulse cauliflower mixture until it resembles the texture of grits (smooth yet still grainy). You don’t want the mixture to be completely smooth.

5. Transfer back to the pan. Turn heat to medium and add in ¼ cup grated cheese, stir until melted. Slowly add about ½ to ¾ cup more cashew milk until the grits are smooth and creamy. Taste and season with more salt and pepper as desired. Keep warm over very low heat while making the shrimp.

For the Spicy Shrimp:

1. In a medium-sized bowl combine shrimp, ¼ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon pepper, ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper, and ⅛ teaspoon paprika. Set aside. You can add more cayenne pepper if you like it really spicy.

2. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add diced bacon and cook until crispy, frequently stirring, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel and drain. Keep 2 tablespoons of bacon grease in the pan, or you can remove and use 2 tablespoons of olive oil instead.

3. Heat pan to medium and add garlic and onion, stir and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add in the bell peppers and cook 1 minute.

4. Turn heat to medium-high and add shrimp. Cook for 2 minutes on one side, and 1 minute on the other until pink. Add in 4 teaspoons of lemon juice, 2 tablespoons green onions and cooked bacon. Stir to combine, cook about 1 minute. Transfer shrimp to a warm bowl.