Tag: keto

Instant Pot Lamb with Gremolata

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I’ve been craving lamb a lot lately – not sure what’s behind that … maybe oncoming Spring? Is it possible to have Spring when one’s Winter doesn’t dip below 50 F?

Whatever it its, I’ve been wanting some slow cooked carnitas-style lamb in my life and recently found an electric pressure cooker — unfortunately not an Instant Pot since those don’t exist in this country yet, but it does the same thing.

gluten-free, keto, paleo

Instant Pot Lamb with Gremolata

3-5 lb. lamb roast
2 Tbsp. fat of choice
1/2 cup mixed shallots and garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 Tbsp. dried rosemary
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. onion powder
2 tsp. cumin
2 Tbsp. worcestershire sauce
1 cup beef broth
1/2 cup wine (red would be best; I had zinfandel – optional)
Salt & pepper

Gremolata

Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 c. olive oil
1/4 c. parsley
4 cloves garlic
Salt & pepper

Add 2 Tbsp. fat of choice to a large pan over medium-high heat. Salt and pepper the lamb liberally on all sides. Add the lamb and brown on 3 out of 4 sides. While cooking, mince the shallots and garlic and add when you’re mostly done with the lamb. Sautee until the lamb is browned and the aromatics are soft. Hit with a little salt and pepper.

Add to your pressure cooker with the rest of the ingredients and set the timer for 50 minutes.

When your lamb is done cooking, release the pressure, pull the lamb, and shred with forks. You will have a lot of liquid left over – make a pan sauce by reducing in a saucepan by half or so if desired. I was too lazy and was really craving gremolata.

Chuck the shredded lamb under the broiler with 1-2 additional Tablespoons fat for 5 – 7 minutes or until browned and crisped up a bit like carnitas.

On to the gremolata. Blend all the ingredients together. Pour over the lamb.

This is fantastic served with leftover spaghetti squash reheated and fried a bit in a little butter, salt & pepper. Spaghetti squash can also be cooked in the pressure cooker – and quickly. I think it took 15 minutes? Nom Nom Paleo has an easy recipe.

Keto Ramen

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If you hadn’t noticed, I’ve been on a Japanese kick again lately, and I’m determined to lick this delicate-yet-complex flavor profile and bend it to my low carb ways (muahaha).

Gluten-free, keto

Keto Ramen

2 c. water
1 pkg. shiritaki noodles
2 Tbsp. dashi broth starter
1 tsp. white miso
2 Tbsp. wakame
6 ounces white fish
2 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 c. bok choy
1 Tbsp. soy sauce, ponzu, tamari or coconut aminos
1 tsp. rice vinegar
Sriracha
Furikake (I love the varieties with bonito)
Salt
White pepper

Season the fish with salt & white pepper and sautee in 1 Tbsp. sesame oil until cooked through. Flake into a large bowl. Add 1 Tbsp. sesame oil to the bottom of the bowl, along with a squirt of sriracha.

In a saucepan, stir the dashi stock into the water and being to a boil. Add the miso and stir. Add the wakame and bok choy.

Drain and rinse the shiritaki noodles. Add to the pan.

Boil 3 – 5 minutes to cook the noodles and veggies. Add the soy and vinegar.

Pour the soup into the bowl and top with furikake to serve.

Makes 1 big serving

Keto Eggrolls

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Mmmmm….. eggrolls. Sushi. These are two things I kinda miss on Keto. Sure, sashimi is great – buuuuuuut I can eat my bodyweight in fresh fish, and that ish gets expensive.

I’ve got my favorite egg roll in a bowl recipes, but I wanted something a little different.

Gluten-free, paleo, Keto

Keto Eggrolls

About 4 ounces shrimp
1/2 an avocado
1/2 inch ginger
1 clove garlic
1 tsp. soy, tamari, coconut aminos or ponzu
2-3 sheets nori
A few Tablespoons frying oil

Dipping Sauce

2 tsp. rice vinegar
1 tsp. soy, tamari, coconut aminos or ponzu
1 tsp. grated ginger
1 clove garlic, grated
1 tsp. Sambal olek

Grate your ginger and garlic. Chop the shrimp. Peel and slice the avocado. In a medium pan over medium-high heat, warm a quarter of the frying oil.

Add the shrimp, garlic & ginger and stir-fry until cooked through. Set aside and wipe the pan.

Assemble the eggrolls by placing about 2 Tablespoons shrimp and a slice or two of avocado in the center of the nori sheet.

Gently roll the nori sheet, taking care to tuck the ends in like a burrito so you have an enclosed packet. If the nori rips a little, that’s ok – the frying will keep your eggroll mostly together.

Add the rest of the frying oil to the pan over medium-high heat.

When the oil comes up to temperature, place the eggrolls seam side down and fry 1-2 minutes or until crisp. Flip and fry. Be careful here not to burn your eggrolls to cinders – it’s easy. A little burned is fine; just no carbon.

To make your dipping sauce, combine all dipping sauce ingredients in a small dish.

Serves 1

Japanese Style Chicken & Cabbage Noodles

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This is a simple weeknight meal that can be expanded to feed a crowd easily – or can feed just two.

Gluten-free, paleo, keto

Japanese Style Chicken & Cabbage Noodles

1/2 lb. ground chicken
1/2 inch fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic
3 tsp. sesame seeds
4 Tbsp. neutral oil
1 Tbsp. + 2 tsp. sesame oil
1/4 head green cabbage
4 tsp. coconut aminos or soy sauce
2 tsp. rice vinegar
2 stalks celery
2 eggs
Salt
White pepper

Heat 2 Tbsp. Neutral oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken.

Press or grate the fresh ginger and garlic and add. Hit with salt and white pepper.

While your chicken is cooking, core and shred the cabbage into long ribbons.

When the chicken is cooked 3/4 of the way through, add 2 tsp. sesame oil & 2 tsp. sesame seeds.

Set aside when cooked through.

In the same pan still over medium-high heat, add 2 more Tbsp. oil. When the oil is up to temperature, add the cabbage noodles.

Stir-fry until soft and beginning to brown.

While the cabbage is working, cut your celery on the bias into 1/4 to 1/2 inch wide pieces. Break your eggs into a small bowl.

When the cabbage is just about done, season with salt & white pepper. Add 2 tsp. soy sauce and 2 tsp. rice vinegar at the end of cooking.

Set aside.

Put the pan back on the heat and add 1 Tbsp. sesame oil. When the oil is up to temperature, add the celery. Stir fry until tender and beginning to brown, adding a couple Tablespoons water if necessary.

When the celery is done, add the eggs. Let sit a few seconds, then gently start to scramble. Season with 2 tsp. soy sauce and 1 tsp. Sesame seeds.

Add the noodles and the chicken back into the pan and give a good toss. Hit with a sprinkle white pepper and some more salt if needed.

Serves 2 for dinner

Keto Macadamia Goat Cheese Pizza

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I stumbled across a version of this keto macros pizza on YouTube – I forget which keto channel I was watching, but I was super curious and started off making a version of my own. It’s a calorie and fat bomb, and man it’s delicious.

High fat low carb F-T-W.

Gluten-free, primal, keto

Keto Macadamia Goat Cheese Pizza 

1/2 head cauliflower (about 1.5 cups riced)
2 eggs
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. onion powder
3 Tbsp. coconut flour
1 Tbsp. almond flour
Pink salt & pepper
Lactose free cheddar (either lacto free cow or almond milk cheese)
Goat cheese
Pesto (watch your labels!)
Macadamia nuts
Salami or pepperoni slices

Preheat your oven to 200C. Yes, I said C – I live in metric land now. 

First, make your crust by processing the cauliflower into rice and microwaving in a covered bowl with a Tablespoon or two of water 8 minutes. Drain, pile onto a clean tea towel or cheesecloth and squeeze the water out.

Add the now dry cauliflower rice to a large bowl. Add the eggs (beaten), basil, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, coconut flour, almond flour, salt & pepper. Mix. Add more coconut flour if the mixture is too wet.

Split in half and form into two thin pizza shapes on a baking sheet that has been covered by parchment paper.

Bake 15 – 25 minutes or until browned.

Add the pizza toppings – about 2 Tbsp. lacto cheddar (grated) per pie, 1.5 – 2 ounces goat cheese, 4 macadamias (halved), 2 Tbsp. pesto and 7 or 8 pork chips.

Bake at 200C for 10 – 15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly.

Serves 2

Rough macros per serving: 595 calories, 51.6 grams fat, 6.1 net carbs, 27.4 grams protein

Zaatar Chicken Zoodles with Garlic Cream

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Inspired by the flavors in my new home (and my dual new obsessions – nutty and rich zaatar and kicky and bright toum/garlic sauce), this dish is simple and quick to prepare – and bonus: low carb and utterly delicious. #winning

Gluten-free, paleo, keto

Zaatar Chicken Zoodles with Garlic Cream

1 lb. chicken thighs

1 zucchini

1 green onion

Cumin

Zaatar

1 hand full pistachios

2 Tbsp. fresh mint

Fat of choice

Salt & pepper

5 cloves garlic

Juice of 1 lemon

1 c. neutral oil (like sunflower)

1 egg white

White pepper

Icy water

First, make the toum (garlic sauce). Add the garlic, a sprinkle salt and half the lemon juice to a blender. Process until finely chopped, scraping the sides down as necessary.

Add the egg white. Blend.

Stream in half the neutral oil while blending – you should now have an emulsion.

Add the rest of the lemon juice & oil. Blend.

Add 1-2 Tbsp. of the ice water to make a nice and fluffy mixture. Sprinkle in some white pepper. Blend and add more salt if needed.

Now make the chicken. Cut your thighs into bite-sized pieces. Add to a large pan over medium-high heat with 2 Tbsp. fat of choice. Sprinkle with salt & black pepper. Add a lightish sprinkle of cumin. Add a liberal sprinkle of zaatar. Toss and cook until

Cooked through and crispy in bits.

While your chicken is going, zoodle the zucchini; chop the scallions, mint and pistachios and set all of that aside.

When the chicken is done, remove from the pan and set aside.

Put the pan back over medium-high, add a Tablespoon of fat, and bring up to temperature. Add the pistachios, stir, and add the zoodles. Sprinkle with salt & pepper. Toss to combine. Add the scallions, stir, and cook – stirring occasionally – until the zoodles are cooked to your liking. Add the mint at the last moment. Toss.

To serve, plate a big pile of zoodles, top with as much chicken as you want, and add a big blob of the garlic cream.

Serves 1 for dinner with lots of leftover chicken and garlic cream

Low Carb Strawberry Parfaits

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This dessert is delicious, low carb and light – aaaand it also tastes fancy because of the fresh fruit and different textures.

It’s also, as it turns out, dead simple to make and quick to set up.

Gluten-free, primal, keto

Low Carb Strawberry Parfaits

1 package sugar free strawberry jello
1 cup boiling water
8 ounces softened cream cheese
Juice of half a lemon
1/4 cup almond flour, almond meal or ground almonds
2 Tbsp. melted butter
1/4 cup almond slivers or shaved almonds
12 fresh strawberries

First, make your jello by whisking the jello powder into the hot water until fully dissolved. Let sit 2 minutes. Full disclosure: I screwed this part up and had lumpy jello, so I slapped the whole mixing cup I was using back into the microwave for another minute or so, whisked the crap out of the mixture and crushed all the lumps I could with the back of a spoon. The result was mostly not-lumpy jello. 

When your jello has rested, add to the cream cheese and beat with electric beaters – or do things the hard way. I was already looking at grating my own cheese and wasn’t trying to exhaust myself by 8:30 am on Thanksgiving morning. #delicateflowerproblems

Spread into a metal or glass pan kinda evenly and let chill for an hour or two.

While the fluff is chilling, toast your almond slivers and make a simple buttery almond crumble by combining the butter and almond flour and baking (I think I baked at roughly 220C which is what I seem to bake everything at because I think it’s like 375F) for 5 – 10 minutes or until the mixture is golden and kinda looks like a cookie.

To serve, put a little crumble into the bottom of a teacup or glass, top with a sliced strawberry, a scoop of fluff, almonds, more fluff and more almonds – garnish with a second strawberry.

Makes 6 teacup sized portions

Personal Pistachio Goat Cheese Balls

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Ok, so an apparent theme of this Thanksgiving has arisen and it’s personal-sized appetizers and desserts. I made these balls, the mini apple tarts I shared last week, and the strawberry parfaits I’m sharing next week. Mini is in?

These little mini balls are just the right size to pop into your mouth, and since they’re covered in pistachio they don’t even need crackers. Whoo. Taking one of my favorite appetizers – a cheese ball – and making it less messy FTW!

Gluten-free, vegetarian, primal, keto

Personal Pistachio Goat Cheese Balls

4 – 6 ounces goat cheese
2 – 3 Tbsp. snipped fresh chives
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. granulated onion powder
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/4 – 1/3 cup pistachios

First, make your pistachio dust by processing the nuts in a food processor or blender until tiny.

In a medium bowl, combine all the other ingredients and mix with your hands to combine.

Form into small balls – mine were about 1 ounce each – and roll in the pistachio dust to coat.

Chill a few hours to set up.

Serves 8 as an appetizer in a spread of a few appetizers comfortably

Brown Butter Zoodles with Walnut Crumb

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This low-carb pasta is rich, velvety and delicious – so good, you won’t miss the meat.

gluten-free, vegetarian, primal, keto

Brown Butter Zoodles with Walnut Crumb

1 zucchini
1-1/2 Tbsp. salted butter
Juice 1/2 lemon
1/4 c. walnut halves
2 handfulls rocket (arugula)
6 – 8 sprigs thyme
2 cloves garlic
Salt & pepper
1 ounce spreadable cheese (like Laughing Cow) or goat cheese (optional)

Whiz your walnuts until they’re dust. Zoodle your zucchini. Set both aside.

In a large pan, heat the butter over medium-high. Slice and add the garlic when it’s ready. Add the thyme sprigs and cook until browned.

When the butter is browned, pull the thyme and add the zoodles, lemon juice and walnut dust. Toss well to combine. Add a hit of salt and pepper.

When the zucchini is cooked through and the mixture is less wet, add the arugula. Toss to combine. Cook until the arugula is wilted.

Plate and top with crumbles of cheese if desired.

Serves 1 for dinner

Turkilada Bake

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This is not the keto enchilada I set out to make – this right here is a teachable expat moment.

I swear I saw enchilada sauce – at least a case worth – in my local grocery last week. It was right there in a whole section of (American) Mexican foods.

Well, serves me right for not grabbing it there and then – it’s no longer in stock and there is zero evidence that it ever existed in the first place. Neither is salsa. Or green chilis. Or Choula. Plenty of queso, though.

So … we improvise.

Instead of Philadelphia cream cheese (which they have, but I don’t trust my stomach to not revolt at), I grabbed a spreadable cheese from Turkey (basically the same thing). Instead of the enchilada sauce I was craving, I grabbed something called Biber Domates (also from Turkey) – a pepper/tomato paste that comes in a variety of spice levels. Instead of the green chiles I was hoping for, I used frozen spinach (mostly because I needed a green vegetable to make this a meal and was in a snit because of the tiny size of all bags of frozen broccoli on offer here).

This meal wasn’t Mexican, but it was good and still goes great with my hoard of Choula. Seriously, I shipped myself two magnums of the stuff knowing DH would go through at least a quarter of one before I arrived.

Gluten-free, primal, keto

Turkilada Bake

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 bag frozen spinach
Onion powder (or granulated onion)
Garlic powder
Cumin powder
Salt & pepper
1/2 cup some form of cream cheese
1/4 cup Biber Domates (tomato/pepper paste)

Preheat your oven to roughly 375 F.

In a baking dish, spread a layer of frozen spinach. Top with the chicken thighs. Note: My spinach was frozen and chicken was mostly frozen). Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Sprinkle really liberally with garlic and onion. Sprinkle less liberally with cumin.

In a separate bowl, mix the cream cheese and paste together.

Spread on the dusty chicken. Top with the rest of the spinach.

Bake 40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Serves 4 as a light main – you may want to grab a heartier side if you’re not keto