Keto Recipes And Meal Ideas

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I love Brussels sprouts anyway they come, but my hubs will barely touch them. I was trying to get them softer so he would try them. I'll be the one that finishes this dish. I love veggies raw, cooked, steamed, anyway they come.
Keto is probably not going to work for him as he is very taste and smell oriented as well set in his ways over his saying "if it tastes good them it must be bad for you". He's very much a child when it comes to eating. I'll most likely have go with a more moderate diet and even then it's iffy. He's a wonderful guy as long as you don't "mess" with his food. And, he desperately needs the change. ( I do, too).
 
I just read an article the other day that said "you know you're an adult when your food choices are more about your health than catering to your cravings".

Brussels sprouts are a very healthy food. I tend to saute them in butter with chopped up bacon, then I drizzle some fresh lemon juice on top and hit them with the salt grinder.

BrusselsSprouts-eathealthylivefit_com.png
 
Roasted Cabbage Steaks
Ingredients:
Cabbage
Garlic
Olive oil
Sea Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder (optional)

Directions:
Slice cabbage into 1-inch thick rounds.
Rub on fresh garlic.
Drizzle with olive oil.
Sprinkle with sea salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
 
I tried a new thing last night to replace potatoes. I bought some rutabaga and turnips. I am more of a mix it all together kind of cook.

So yesterday I decided that I was going to make my quick standby. Normally I use potatoes but I replaced that with a rutabaga, spicy sausage, eggs and cheese. Breakfast skillet if you will.

I did learn that rutabaga takes much longer to fry than a potato. Tasted good though
 
I tried a new thing last night to replace potatoes. I bought some rutabaga and turnips. I am more of a mix it all together kind of cook.

So yesterday I decided that I was going to make my quick standby. Normally I use potatoes but I replaced that with a rutabaga, spicy sausage, eggs and cheese. Breakfast skillet if you will.

I did learn that rutabaga takes much longer to fry than a potato. Tasted good though
My grandmother used to boil rutabaga and turnip, boy was that good with some butter. Both are root veggies, did you check your blood sugar or look up their carbs?
 
Rutabbags are definitely better than potatoes, but they don't make the keto approved foods list. 1 cup of cooked rutabagas run about 12-13 carbs where 1 cup of cooked potatoes will cost you 30-31 carbs. So like I said, they are definitely better than potatoes but depending on what level of low carb / ketogenics you want to be in they may or may not be okay. Alternatively I roast radishes in olive oil and sea salt and use them as a potato replacement. 1 cup of cooked radishes run about 4 carbs. But sometimes you have to do what you have to do keep things low carb-ish. If it works for you, and doesn't kick you out of ketosis, then it works.
 
Just come up with a new to me dish.

2- 1/4 lb burgers
2 slices swiss cheese
2 eggs

Cook the burgers with Johnny's seasoning salt and pepper. Melt the cheese on the burger and then top each one with an over medium fried egg.

Mmmmmm

For those that do not know what Johnny's is, I am sorry your life took such a tragic turn...lol Those that do know will agree.
 
I cook Keto very much the way I did when I was trying to eat Paleo after Roo was born- Meat and Vegetables. I had found a Paleo blog that listed all the types of meat/protein, all the veggies and all the spices/seasonings/herbs. You just pick one from each list and cook. It has not failed me yet. The family may want carbs but NO. Now that Roo has a diagnosis of ADHD we are cutting carbs for her. She has been responding well to diet changes as far as her behavior and symptoms. No meds for her. I did tell K that if I have to put her on a Keto diet the whole family is going Keto. PERIOD. (The baby is already Keto. :D)
 
After falling off the wagon I have to get back on. A1c was very high. Dealing with the move, new job and heart issues I was taking the easy way out.

Not any more. I am going to beat this diabetes like a rented mule. With that said I came up with another dish.

Taco seasoned ground beef
Mashed cauliflower
Cheese

Layer them into a shepherd's pie kind of dish. If you can have carbs, you can add kidney beans in the meat.
 
After falling off the wagon I have to get back on. A1c was very high. Dealing with the move, new job and heart issues I was taking the easy way out.

Not any more. I am going to beat this diabetes like a rented mule. With that said I came up with another dish.

Taco seasoned ground beef
Mashed cauliflower
Cheese

Layer them into a shepherd's pie kind of dish. If you can have carbs, you can add kidney beans in the meat.

I make something similar with chicken called Chicken Enchilada Cauliflower Casserole.

https://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/green-chicken-enchilada-cauliflower-casserole-low-carb/


With ground beef I usually make a chopped taco salad using butter & romaine lettuce. But making a Taco Sherpard's Pie does sound good. I will have to try it.
 
I have been trying to eat low carb for a couple of months now. It is challenging, but not impossible. Hubs and I have had some success, but it is slow going now. I had a cheat day on Saturday, but it was pre-planned and I thouroughly enjoyed it!:D

The most challenging part is to find keto recipes that we both like. There are a few recipes I will share that have been staples for us. This keto pudding is DELISH! I eat a half serving every day. I have always craved a sweet cheat after dinner and even with low carb/keto, I can still have it without the guilt.

Here is a 6 ingredient chocolate pudding that is easy to make and tastes so amazing! I eat this every day and make a double batch when I make it.
https://www.wholesomeyum.com/low-carb-keto-sugar-free-chocolate-pudding-recipe/
Ingredients:
* cocoa powder
* unflavored gelatin powder
* sea salt
* heavy whipping cream
* swerve
* vanilla
Just a few comments with the above recipe. That first step in combining the gelatin powder with heavy cream doesn't look like what the picture shows in the above link. Mine looks like a runny white mush, and that's OK. It all gets mixed together in the end and works out just fine. I also don't bother with the plastic wrap right on the top of the pudding to prevent the film on top like the recipe mentions. There's not much of a film to speak of anyways and I don't want to waste the pudding with it clinging onto the platic wrap. Just skip that step....it's just not necessary. I also put just a touch of water in the heavy cream containers to get the last of the cream out of the container and add it to the chocolate mixture. I think just that touch of water makes the pudding a little fluffier when it's done. It also adds to the amount of pudding you end up with and it doens't take away from the taste at all. Instead of ending up with 4 half cup servings, I end up with 5 half cup servings. I usually only have half of a serving per day since it is loaded with calories and fat (included in above link), but even at a half serving, it is satisfying.

When we try out fancier recipes or faux recipes (like low carb pizza) it is always on the weekends when we have more time.

Here's a quick pizza recipe that I love! The crust is so simple and tastes amazing! In fact, if I were to abandon low carb, I'd still make this pizza. I'm so glad I found it.
https://www.dietdoctor.com/recipes/keto-pizza
Who would've thought that 4 eggs mixed with 6 oz. of shredded cheese would make a great pizza crust? Seriously, THATS IT! Mix those two ingredients together and pop it in the oven and 15 minutes later you have crust that you top with whatever you want. I like ham, pepperoni and mushroom, but you can have whatever keto toppings you want. I love pizza and I do not feel the need to go elsewhere for pizza b/c this is so good, simple, and cheap too.

Now, if I can only find a good recipe for keto friendly McDonalds french fries........
 
Care to share the BBQ sauce recipe???

Keto BBQ Sauce (small batch)

½ cup crushed or diced tomatoes (I like to use the fire roasted crushed tomatoes with garlic)
⅓ cup no sugar added ketchup or no sugar added tomato sauce (if using the latter you may need a little more sweetener)
Liquid sucralose or stevia or swerve or brown sugar twin to taste (you basically need some sweet without the sugar)
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon paprika or smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon high quality chili powder (the better the chili powder the better the BBQ sauce)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Salt to taste

I will sometimes add 1 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce as well, especially when using for beef. If I am going for more of a TexMex vibe, I will also add 1/2 tsp of cumin and a touch of cayenne pepper. When using this for certain cuts of pork I will sometimes add a touch of cinnamon.


Place a saucepan on medium-high heat. Add all of the ingredients to the pan and stir well. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pan. Simmer for 6-9 minutes. Remove the cover and stir the sauce. If the sauce is too thick add water until the sauce reaches your desired texture. If it is too thin cook stiring often to cook out some of the water.
 
I commend everyone that eats Keto.
Tried a recipe that cousin raves about.
Not overly impressed. Maybe it's an acquired taste.
And I haven't acquired it yet.
Or maybe I made it wrong too.
Roasted Radishes greens and all instead of potatoes.
 
I have been eating keto for a number of years now. There are many tips and tricks to being successful at it. One of the foremost is that you need a period of adaptation to adjust your taste. I know that sounds weird, but it is very true. There are many things that I now consider to be flavorful and delicious that when I was not keto would have tasted like garbage. One example of this is Kool-Aid. We wanted to cut out sugary drinks so we started making Kool-Aid with a liquid mixture of sucralose and stevia. At first it took 30 drops into a gallon of water to be as sweet as sugar. As time went one it became 25, then 20, then 15, then 10. Now with 8 drops it seems every bit as sweet to me as a full cup of sugar. When we started making mashed cauliflower to replace mashed potatoes, we were not overly impressed. So we made an 80/20 mixture of mashed potatoes to mashed cauliflower. Then 60/40, then 40/60 and so on until it was nothing but pure mashed cauliflower (with butter and sour cream mixed). For a long time my kids never even realized they weren't eating mashed potatoes.

Of course as you work that process you also feel so much better, have so much more energy, sleep better, etc., etc, that is encourages you to continue. Especially when something pulls you off track and you feel 'hung over' and sickly for 2 days.
 
Sentry18,
Thanks for the encouragement.
Most things I adapt pretty good on, this one no so much.
I don't use much sugar in anything including kool aide.
Like the pumpkin bread grand daughter and I made yesterday.
Recipe called for 2-4 cups of sugar.
I used 1.5 cups of Stevia.
 
Zucchini Tots
https://dot2trot.com/low-carb-tater-tots-same-taste-same-fun/


Ingredients:
2 C Shredded zucchini
1 tsp. Sea salt
2 Large eggs, whisked
1 tbsp. Golden flax seed meal
½ C Onion, diced
½ C Cheddar cheese, shredded
½ C Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 tsp. Korean style red pepper (or seasoning of choice)
1 tsp. Liquid Smoke

I halved this recipe and it still made about 16 tots using the mini muffin pan, which was plenty for just 2 of us. They were much better than I thought they'd be. The most challenging part was getting the zucchini dried enough. I did it by using a lot of paper towels and just leaving it out to dry for a bit. I did not use the colander technique she did, but next time I may consider a strainer. I didn't use the red pepper.....instead I used garlic salt. It was a really good side dish and I will definitely use it again.

Watching Dot make these on the video beats any cook book. So far all the recipes I have tried of hers, I have liked. That lemon cheesecake bite recipe she has on her site is fabulous! I made it once with some small tweeks but haven't made it again, b/c I would just eat it all. It's hard to only eat one. The next time I make it, I'll put some of it away in the freezer to try and keep my mitts off of it.

ETA: The recipe itself with nutrition information is in the link posted above the YouTube video on how to make the recipe.
 
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Keto friendly Green Bean Casserole (from scratch)

'French fried onions':

2 medium onions sliced thin
1/4 cup almond flour
2 tbsp grated Parmesan
1-2 tbsp Panko bread crumbs (leave out if strict keto, can also use crushed plain pork rinds)
1 tsp Salt
Pan covered in parchment paper

Mushroom soup and beans:

2 Tbsp salt
1 lb fresh green beans-rinsed, trimmed and cut
2 tbsp salted butter
12-14 oz mushrooms-sliced or chopped (however you like 'em)
1 small onion minced
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 clove garlic-minced
1/4 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
1 cup chicken broth
1 1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Combine onions, almond flour, Parmesan cheese, panko crumbs, and salt in a large mixing bowl and toss to coat. Spread out onions evenly on prepared cookie sheet and bake on middle rack til golden brown, about 25-30 minutes. Carefully toss onions part way through baking. Set aside. Turn oven down to 400 degrees.

Steam or Parboil the green beans in salted water until desired tenderness is achieved (roughly 8 minutes). You want them to be a little firm. Drain and rinse with cool water. Melt butter in a large oven proof skillet over med heat. Add onions, mushrooms, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms give up some of their liquid. Add the garlic and nutmeg and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Now add the chicken broth and simmer for 1 minute. Decrease the heat to med/low and add the heavy cream. Cook until it thickens, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in 1/4 of the oven fried onions and all of the cooked green beans. Top with the remaining oven fried onions and bake uncovered in the oven til bubbly, about 12-15 minutes. Remove and serve right away.
 
Roasted Poblano & Chicken soup


Ingredients:


3 poblano peppers
1 Jalapeno pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup diced onions
3 cloves minced garlic
2½ cups chicken stock
8 ounces softened cream cheese
(alternatively you can use heavy cream)
Salt and pepper
2 cups shredded chicken
1½ cups freshly grated Colby jack cheese
(if using heavy cream add cheddar cheese as well)

Optional items:

Cilantro
Black beans


Instructions

To roast the poblanos (and jalapeno), turn the flame on your gas cooktop, grill, or roaster on high and place the poblano peppers on the grates. Using tongs, flip the peppers every so often until the outside has charred on all sides. Afterward, place in a bowl, seal it well with plastic wrap, and let the steam do its job. After about 30 minutes, you’ll be able to peel the skin off the outside and reveal a beautifully roasted poblano pepper that you can de-seed, cut up, and use.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter on medium heat. Once melted, add onion and garlic and cook for 3–5 minutes or until translucent. Next, add the chopped up poblano & jalapeno peppers and cook for 3–5 minutes. Add broth, cream cheese, salt and pepper and stir until combined and cream cheese has almost completely melted.

Next, using an immersion blender blend liquid until smooth. Add chicken. Bring close to a boil then simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, add cheese, and stir until melted. Top with fresh chopped cilantro.
 
Another experiment. Nothing measured.

3 lbs burger
1 lb pork sausage
Fresh grated turmeric
Garlic powder
Crushed red pepper
Ground sage
Black pepper
Ground cumin
Paprika
Mrs. Dash southwest chipotle

Cooked it like a burger then topped it with cheese and a egg. Just a tad too much garlic but flavorful with a kick.
 
Another experiment. Nothing measured.

3 lbs burger
1 lb pork sausage
Fresh grated turmeric
Garlic powder
Crushed red pepper
Ground sage
Black pepper
Ground cumin
Paprika
Mrs. Dash southwest chipotle

Cooked it like a burger then topped it with cheese and a egg. Just a tad too much garlic but flavorful with a kick.
I fixed the over application of garlic powder, I added lemon juice
 
Last night we made up a keto baked ziti. We took a half dozen grilled 4-cheese Italian sausages and sliced them up. Then we sauteed whole mushrooms, sliced zucchini, onion, and garlic in olive oil (with salt, pepper, and oregano) adding the sausage toward the end. At the same time we made up a chunky marinara using no sugar added tomato sauce, diced tomatoes with garlic, and Italian seasoning mix. We put the mixture in a glass baking dish, sprinkled it with mozzarella, provolone, parmesan, and romano cheese and covered it with the chunky marinara. Then we added a little more cheese to the top and baked it. Turned out pretty good.
 
Been making chaffles

1 egg
1/2 cup shredded cheese

Cook in waffle iron.

Because these were so good I decided that I needed to figure out a way to make home made keto friendly syrup. I did it with the exception of the thickness. Need to add some more gelatin tomorrow but the flavor is spot on.

This one I did measure. Once I get the final product I will post it here. By the way, no special ingredients needed. That is why it is a little off. They say to use xanthan gum but I have to use gelatin instead.
 
The Mrs and I used to make all kinds of keto substitutes and alternatives. And she still does from time to time. But after a while I told her it was like a Vegan eating a sausage shaped piece of tofu; just embrace the life and eat a salad. So now I just eat meat and roasted or low carb veggies. Far less work and far less margin for error. Often times those substitutes and alternative create havoc in one's system and reduces the effectiveness of keto. However in the early days those fake breaks and faux recipes helped me get from that way of eating to this way of eating, so it definitely has its place.
 
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