I’ve working on the idea of freeze drying different “salad topper” options to get that crunchy texture without being high calorie/high carb. Here are some thoughts…
Freeze dried:
1) Blueberries
2) Strawberries
3) Sweet Peppers
4) Red onions – start with a slightly larger slice so when it’s done, it won’t be an “onion straw”… 🙂
(We have a Harvest Right freeze drier which I’ll be using for all sorts of Low Carb / Keto craziness!!).
Here’s an idea I had… kinda’ like Ramen (without the Ramen). I’ve been working out more low-carb, nutrient dense options with a much lower caloric index… while still being somewhat interesting. Easy right?!?
This was excellent!!
Here was my whole meal (Sunday lunch):
Keto bread turkey and cheese sandwich and a bowl of this soup?
234 Calories and 7.3 net gr. carbs
Here’s a salad with Spring Mix, Portabellas, Red onion, Green onion, some Pepper and a Greek yogurt based Ranch (only 13 calories per 2 T – GAME CHANGER!!). Very filling.
2 eggs scrambled in the microwave w/Frank’s then covered in fresh salsa…
a cup of coffee and a leftover smoked all beef hot dog… Whoa…
Quick – delicious – efficient!!
I don’t deserve it… but whatever. I left a bunch of calories on the table yesterday. Carbs were way in check and I’ve been pretty tight over the past few days. I worked out hard yesterday – probably where that came from??
I still couldn’t believe my eyes… I’m like “awe… that’s B.S… ” Hahahaha!!
This “recipe” is one of my go-to breakfasts:
Low Carb “Cereal”
1/8th C unsalted Pecans
1/4 C Cottage Cheese
1/4 C Blueberries
1tsp Splenda
Mix it up and GO!!
Breakfast:
Low carb “cereal” – 3 cups of coffee
Lunch:
Smoked Ribs (4 oz.), Low carb coleslaw (1/4 c), cottage cheese (1/4 c)
Dinner:
Taco salad – I’ll drop pics later today.
860 cal. (total)
22 gr. Carbs (net)
Going to a pot luck and want to stay Keto?? Here’s a great idea!
Recipe:
2 stalks of Broccoli Flower Canopies cut into florets
1/2 head of Cauliflower cut small (as shown)
3/4 C Mayo
3/4 C Sour Cream
1/4 C Truvia (a bit more maybe? – or equal
Low Carb / Keto Sweetener of your choice)
1/2 t Kosher Salt
8 oz Bacon – Cooked, chopped… BTW – anything worth adding 4 slices of bacon – is worth 5 slices!!
1 C Shredded Cheddar
Mix well – let come together overnight. Creamy, DELISH!! This goes great with BBQ!!
2 Suggestions have made a difference for me.1. I Google menus and plan ahead (when I can) before I go out to eat. This way, I’m not surprised or sad when I log my meals.
I learned the hard way. Someone treated me to a meal at the Cheesecake Factory for my birthday. It was an eye-opener as I was searching MFP (MyFitnessPal) for something decent to order while the waiter stood there. I chose so badly. It threw me out of ketosis. I learned a lesson.
2. For my own benefit, I took Dr. Eric Westman’s list (page 4) and wrote what the carb count is for every vegetable on it, based on serving size.
Page 4 is very similar to the “What Can I Eat?” list I’ve seen posted. Dr. Westman runs the Lifestyle Clinic at Duke University. I first learned about the Ketogenic WOE while watching his videos on YouTube and then attending a couple of his support group meetings in Durham, NC. Let me say there are many ways to do a Keto Diet. Some doctors have their own protocols.
Knowing the vegetable carb counts (and the suggested serving sizes) helped me decide which vegetables I will “spend” my carb grams on and which ones aren’t worth it. (It will be different for each of us!)
Knowing this can help you plan meals (which I began planning by the MONTH… sounds daunting, but it can be done), buy groceries, and eat out with more confidence.
Make Keto simple and it will always be your friend and never let you down. I hope someone finds this helpful. – Sandra H. Rosser
Mom’s Low Carb Taco SoupSo – before my Mom and Dad decided a Low Carb lifestyle would be healthier for them, my mother’s kitchen was a fairly safe place for me. Everything in there was “off-limits” for me – so my defenses were pretty well evolved. Now, however, this can be a DANGEROUS PLACE.
This soup is a perfect example. Imagine being able to walk through you mom’s kitchen and grab a bite of something delicious on the stove that is actually Low Carb (or Keto)… Uh oh – this is bad. Very bad for me!! The soup is sooooo good!!
Mom’s Low Carb Taco Soup recipe:
2lb. Pork Sausage browned (save the drippings)
4 C Chicken broth
2 T of Taco Seasoning (you could easily sub in Garlic, Onion, Cumin, etc for lower count)
2 8oz pkgs of Cream Cheese
2 10 oz cans of Rotel Tomatoes (your heat level preference)
Mix, heat and serve with garnish of sharp cheddar shredded.
Enjoy!!
I’ve had the same experience as many others. I have never gotten any of those “internet shake – shake – shake” recipes to work. I’ve never gotten it to turn into anything I would call “ice cream”. I’ve tried everything – even an INDUSTRIAL SHAKER!!
However, I did recently make REAL, VERY LOW CARB Vanilla ice cream using a small Krups ice cream maker. It is LEGIT!!
The way this method works – generally… The cylinder is very cold and stored in a freezer.
The mixture is made (by whatever process for the particular ice cream recipe)… cooled and put in the very cold cylinder to be stirred until it changes consistency.
Ice Cream Recipe:
2 eggs
1 C Light Cream (I used Food Lion Light Cream – Listed at 9 gr carb per cup)
2 C Heavy Whipping Cream (I used Market Pantry – listed as “0” carb)
1/2 C Swerve
2 t Vanilla
I warmed the light cream on the stove top (NOT TO A BOIL). While this was getting started I beat the eggs and Swerve together WELL (hand mixer). Once beaten I added to the Light Cream and let heat a little longer. Do not allow to boil. Once these ingredients are mixed and slightly creamier… remove from heat, add Heavy Whipping Cream and Vanilla. Chill in fridge until very cold (several hours). Do not freeze this mixture. Do not use if it has turned to a semi-solid.
I removed the cooling cylinder from the deep freeze, assembled the ice cream maker, plugged it in and turned it on immediately. Once on and running I poured the ice cream mixture in through the pour opening (very easy).
Within several minutes I noticed changes – in 8-10 minutes, it starts developing some lumps. In about 20 minutes it was a pretty firm “home-made” ice cream consistency. It was VERY GOOD.
One could freeze this mixture for an additional several hours to tighten it up some more. I believe I could let it go another 8-10 minutes and gotten a different result – though it was super good and what I remember from my Grandma’s house over July 4th as a child.
You will LOVE THIS!!
Enjoy!!
(P.S. my next version will be Mint Chocolate Chip)
3 1/2 T Creamy Sunflower Butter
3 T Shredded Coconut (unsweetened)
1 1/2 T Truvia
1 T Cocoa (unsweetened)
3 T Salted butter (we use Kerry Gold)
3 T Coconut oil
3 T Salt & Vinegar Almonds
I put the shredded Coconut and the Salt & Vinegar Almonds in a food processor for a few seconds. I like them to have texture but not be so big.
I heat the butter and Sunflower butter just a little so it all mixes well. I then mix everything together well.
I originally started using those little plastic disposable shot glasses. However, lately I’ve been using mini-muffin liners I put about 1 Tsp. in the bottom of each cup. Obviously, they are a little on the small side – but there is more in the batch and you don’t have to feel terrible if you eat more than 1!!
I put them in the freezer for a couple of hours and BOOM – there it is.
Once they come out of the freezer – they push right out of the liner, then you can store them in the fridge. They are just a little bigger than a mint patty and THEY ARE PACKED WITH FLAVOR.
These are really good. A perfect craving fix. They have a pretty low carb count (if you follow this recipe) and can keep you well on plan.
I don’t keep them around because I need more fat. I make them because they are delicious!!
Enjoy!!
1) Find Hidden Carbohydrates – Carbs can go unnoticed in vegetables, nuts, and certain meat products and dairy. Read Labels – do research.
2) Verify Your Calorie Intake – Making sure you’re in a calorie deficit can be important. This allows you to lose weight. You can use a keto calculator to help you figure out your macros (this means – your “numbers”).
3) Do you have a Food Sensitivity – Some people find themselves following their daily macros perfectly, but still seem to hit a stall. This might mean they have sensitivity to certain types of food. For instance, my wife doesn’t do well with any kind of processed meat.
4) Stay Consistent – It can take a period of time for your body to become keto-adapted, a cheat day can take a long time to recover from. By the time you are back in ketosis, a week may have passed – a week of no fat burning.
5) Limit Protein Intake – Excess protein is not a good idea when you’re in ketosis. The body prefers to use glucose as it’s primary form of fuel, and that’s exactly what we don’t want it to do. In some cases, the liver can actually extract glucose from protein (or even muscle, in extreme cases) as well. If there is a protein excess, this can happen. Don’t let this be an option. Force it to burn fat.
6) Don’t Eat Too Little or Exercise Too Much – The body will slow itself down in response to a lack of food or excessive amounts of exercise to conserve itself. Studies show that if you do aerobic exercise for more than 1 hour a day, your metabolic rate can drop by as much as 15%.
In addition, eating too little can have the same effect.
P.S. If you aren’t exercising at all – get up and move around a little. Try to get in 30-35 min. a day, even if it’s just a walk around the house – or outside.
7) Are You Eating Too Often – Snacking when you’re hungry is great, but it can cause a setback. My personal advice? I love snack foods. I don’t condemn it like some. However, replace a meal setting with a snack plan. Keep a few small, GOOD choices around in case you have a “moment” during the day. For instance – if some kind of “bad food” snack opportunity presents itself… replace it with a good Keto (or Low Carb) choice, hopefully one you have close at hand. Plan ahead and be prepared.
8) Try Fat Fasting – Quick version? If you are stalled, UP THE FAT INTAKE. For 3-4 days cut your calorie intake down. Try around 1200 calories per day. Up your fat intake percentage. Try to hit 80% or more from fatty foods. Things like mayo, bacon, pork, Avocado, etc, etc… Break your meal times up and eat smaller portions during this effort.
Remember, this is not your regular routine – this is a STALL BUSTER ROUTINE.
Almost every single time the “stall debate” comes up someone will advise – carb cycling, a cheat day, a cheat meal or whatever. These are all well intentioned responses. DON’T DO IT!! Sheesh.
How do you cheat on a lifestyle?? Better yet – WHY?? This food is better. The long term health benefits are MAGNIFICENT. This isn’t some kind of prison sentence – it is a choice for freedom from BAD HEALTH.
9) Limit Alcohol Consumption – You already know what I’m going to say. Figure it out. Alcohol consumption, even smaller amounts can cause a stall. Why? It is interrupting the liver’s ability to process the various forms of fuel you need. The liver is dealing with the alcohol first. Simple. No need to lose the booze forever. Just push the pause button until you are at goal – then only in MODERATION. Always in moderation.
Here is the recipe…
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 C Sunflower Butter
1 C butter, softened (we used Kerry Gold)
1/2 C powdered artificial sweetener (we used 1/4 C of Truvia and some Torani S.F. Salted Caramel Syrup)
1/2 t Vanilla extract
In a microwaveable-safe bowl, heat the cream cheese, nut butter and butter until the butter is melted. Whisk this mixture well. Blend in the artificial sweetener and Vanilla.
Pour the fudge mixture into an 8×8 or 9×9 inch pan, smooth the top, cover and refrigerate until firm.
Slice into one inch squares and store in the refrigerator.
For this I went a little bit of a “non-traditional” route…
I did the Cauliflower as a stir fried Riced Cauliflower first. This will take a lot of that moisture out of the Cauliflower. Once I got the moisture out, my thought was to then go back and add in the things for taste and body.
I started with a whole fresh head of Cauliflower. I saved two thick steaks out of the middle for a blackened recipe tomorrow. I riced the rest in a small food processor. I stir fried it in some Kerry Gold butter, Salt, Pepper and a little Garlic Powder. I also used just a little Rice Vinegar in the stir fry. I used just enough to start muting the heavy fresh Cauliflower notes.
I baked it for 20 min @ 350* and broiled it for 2 min at the end. It gave the peaks a nice browning and some texture.
I was shooting for something tasty, with a better texture… more like a twice baked masher should be… not a mushy runny Fauxtato mixture. This was a HUGE WIN.
This is BY FAR my favorite Mashed Cauliflower recipe (for now).
(My own creation – BTW)
Keto wisely my friends!!
I ordered 2 salad sides, 2 meat sides (beef), 1 cheese side, 1 Guacamole side and then I changed my mind and asked for a Sour Cream side at the end (she didn’t charge me for that).
For a drink I ordered a water (since I’ve been struggling to get enough water lately).
I put several packets of Mild sauce on there – pretty darned good!!
Total? $2.08
This is just how it worked out for me. I’m sharing this example so you can see what is possible – even when eating out. Fast food or otherwise.
Keto wisely my friends!!
Keto Chicken Pot PieWe decided to make a Keto Chicken Pot pie. Since we haven’t found much in the way of good recipes – I decided to “wing it”. I just started going with what I thought would work. Once I was done, I had to go sit down and write it out immediately (for fear I would forget).
Ingredients:
Small handful of frozen onions (3-4 T)
1/2 T minced Garlic
2 T Butter
2 full ribs Celery
3 oz canned Mushrooms
1/2 bag of Spinach (add some EVOO)
1 1/2 cooked Chicken breast (from a BBQ)
8 oz Mozzarella
8 oz Cream Cheese
2 C Chicken stock
1 t Xanthan gum
1 batch Fat Head Pizza crust. I added some liquid sweetener (your choice) and some Garlic to the dough. It is Pot Pie – right??
Instructions:
I checked the volume I would need to meet to completely fill my 3 Corningware dishes for the baking process (using water). Lucky too – I had an idea where I had to be for volume in the pan and I still just barely had enough.
First, I sweated off the Onion, Garlic, and Celery in butter to get things started. Once the were headed to the right place, I tossed in the Spinach and Mushrooms (side note – there was some wonderfully darkened, seasoned skin on one of the breasts. I chopped it up finely with scissors and added it with the Spinach) with a little Olive oil so they would cook down nicely. As the Spinach started to wilt I added the Chicken (I had cubed it).
As the ingredients started to gain some heat I added half the Mozzarella (shredded), half the Cream Cheese (thin chunks), 1 C (or half) of the Chicken stock and sprinkled in the Xanthan gum… once this was melted I added what was left and let it come together. I did not let it get to a boil. In fact, once everything was melted, I started working the temp down quite a bit until it was near a very low simmer. It thickened up nicely.
Just perfect.
I put the filling aside and made a normal batch of Fat Head Pizza dough – except as noted above, I added sweetener and Garlic. It’s Pot Pie, not Pizza, right? I split the dough in half so it was easier to work. I put the dough between 2 sheets of parchment I had given a quick shot of cooking spray. I gently turned the “pot” over on the dough, cut out the shape leaving about 1/2” extra around the out side edge. Once I completed one “top pastry”, I set it aside – still on the bottom piece of parchment it was on. I got another piece of parchment, gave it a quick shot of cooking spray and worked the next piece of dough down… and so on.
Once the dough was ready – 3 pieces on individual papers, I went ahead and filled the dishes. It was perfectly portioned. I prepared an eggwash of 1 egg and some light cream (beaten) for the last 8-9 minutes of cooking. I put a bit of this eggwash around the lip of the dish and then turned the dough over and carefully worked it into place. It went very easy. I did the same for the rest. I put just a light dusting of Paprika on and into the oven at 375 F for 18-19 minutes.
I advise keeping a close eye on them. At about the 9-10 minute mark I took them out, put an egg wash on them, turned them around and put them back in for the finale. Mine did not go the full time – I kept a close eye on it at the end.
Enjoy!!
Low Carb Hot Dog on a Stick – OH MY!!It’s the 4th of July and I was thinking about something Low Carb and in keeping with the holiday and our American traditions. What could be more American than a Hot Dog on a Stick??
For this recipe I used Oscar Mayer Bun length Angus Beef Hot Dogs. Reportedly, they are less than >1 net gram of carbs per Dog.
The “bun” a is version of the Fat Head Pizza crust with a few minor adjustments.
Check out my Fat Head Blog post here > TheLowCarbBlog.com/2017/07/03/fat-head-pizza/ .
The adjustments are as follows:
1) I went with a sweet spice profile – which worked out REALLY WELL. I put 2-3 drops of QuickSweet in with the beaten egg and then a couple of drops in the actual dough as I was mixing it at the 1 min mark.
2) I added some Garlic powder, Onion powder and Paprika to the dough mix.
3) When forming the dough (be sure and follow the logic I laid out in the Pizza post), I did it in half batches and formed a long “ribbon” loaf, then worked it into a pretty symmetrical piece. Use two pieces of parchment, a couple of shots of cooking spray – wet hands, etc, etc, etc…
Once I had it laid out as shown, I rolled each dog up carefully. Once it was fully encased, I cut the dough and moved the finished dog over to a cooking sheet lined with parchment paper. I repeated this process until I had 7 dogs done. With a little effort I might have gotten all eight in the batch. Oh well.
I measured the sticks – cut them and soaked them in water (to prevent burning) for a few minutes before inserting them into the dog. Once I had them to this point – I rolled the dogs up in the dough.
I “docked” the dough before rolling the dogs and added a few more holes after they were set into place on the cooking sheet.
I put them in the oven at 400F with the timer set for 15 min. With about 6-7 minutes left to go, I took them out and put a quick egg wash on them. The wash was 1 whole egg and a little light cream (HWC would work too) – well beaten. I put them back in the oven to finish up. I kept a close eye on them toward the end and reset the timer once. I was looking for just the right color. Probably about 18-19 min. total cooking time.
I took them out – let them rest a minute. Dusted them with just a little more Paprika for color and Oh MY GOODNESS!! These things were RIDICULOUSLY GOOD. I had a couple of sauces ready – none needed. They were PERFECT just the way you see them.
The sides were Avocado Lime Angel eggs (the other Avocado egg!!) and a Bacon Jalapeno Cream Cheese ball. I’ll cover these two recipes soon. I was feeling a little light on my fat intake lately. Ha HA!! Problem solved.
If you like this recipe – share it with your friends!! Enjoy!!
Fat Head PizzaFor this pie – I did a BBQ / Smoked Pork rendition. I had some leftover Homemade BBQ sauce and some Smoked Pulled Pork I had just done…
I mixed what BBQ I had left with some Rao’s Red sauce, added some Garlic, Basil and Oregano to the sauce – BOOM. BBQ Pizza Sauce. Next topping was some Spinach… then the Smoked Pork. I used a mix of three cheeses – Mozzarella, thick grated Parmesan and a bit of Fontina Fontal (a delicious white melty cheese). Just UNREAL FLAVOR. I painted the crust with a pass of Garlic butter right before the final cook off.
Crust Ingredients:
1 3/4 C shredded mozzarella
3/4 C almond flour (or 1/4 C Coconut flour??)
2 T cream cheese
1 egg – beaten
Pinch salt (or to taste)
Garlic powder to taste (or other spice profiles)
Instructions:
Cube up the cream cheese before melting with the Mozzarella. Mix both Cheeses. Microwave for 1 min, mix well. Add Almond flour, stir then microwave on HIGH for another 30 seconds.
Add Egg, Salt, Rosemary or other flavorings – mix gently.
Quick tip: Use Parchment both top and bottom when forming it. A tiny shot of cooking spray on the paper (both pieces – won’t hurt).
Place in between 2 pieces of parchment paper and work into a circular pizza shape.
Remove the top sheet of parchment paper.
If the mixture becomes difficult to work with, pop it back in the microwave for 10-20 seconds to soften again. Not too long or you cook the egg.
Make fork holes all over the pizza base to ensure it cooks evenly.
Slide the baking paper/parchment with crust, onto a cookie tray and bake at 425F for 12-15 minutes, or until brown.
To make the base crispy and sturdy, flip the crust over (onto baking paper/parchment) once the top has browned.
Once cooked, remove from the oven and add all the toppings you like. Make sure any meat is already cooked as this time it goes back into the oven just to heat up the toppings and melt the cheese. Bake again at 425F for 5 minutes.
Options:
Rosemary, Garlic or other spice profiles optional. I’ve done Red Neck Tacos – and even Corned Dogs with this recipe!! Get creative!!
Tom’s additional tips:
If you like a thinner Pizza – make it that way in the forming process (under
sprayed paper). Take care – thin crust will carry less in toppings well, be judicious.
If you like a crispier pie… cook on a plain cooking sheet (pan) – NOT A STONE!! I use my stone for presentation only. Before you add toppings, cook on one side – in the oven for 5-7 minutes… just until it just starts to get a tiny bit brown. Take it out and flip it over. Go
another 5-7 minutes.
Take it out and add toppings – cook a few more minutes. Basically long enough for the cheese to melt. 5 min at 425F.
If you are going to make a smaller pizza (when I make a batch – I usually split the dough in half and save one for later) cook one – freeze the other.
Cook the one for freezing about 5 min per side, take out, let cool and put in a Ziploc bag in the freezer. It won’t last long. You will remember where you put it.
BTW – if you like it crispier, the smaller size is much easier to flip and handle. It is not so awkward.
Good news… your next Low Carb Pizza will be done in like 5 minutes!!
Extras:
Fat Head pastry can also be made by replacing the almond meal/flour with 1/4 cup (4 tbsp) coconut flour.
If you enjoy this recipe – share it with others.
My favorite Caesar DressingI am always doing some kind of Low Carb / Keto recipe research or adaptation. I have a bunch of “go to” dressings and sauces I have used for years. All VLC (Very Low Carb) – of course. However, I have never gotten around to doing a Caesar Dressing. My wife loves the stuff – good, bad or ugly. She just loves it. How could I have been such an oaf to pass up making her favorite thing. How could I have missed this?
I ran across a Caesar Recipe on FaceBook that looked interesting. Some kind of “shake up” in a pint jar routine. Fair enough. Time to right some past wrongs.
I did it. It went OK. She loved it. It was very yellow – and had A LOT OF BANG to it. Very powerful. She was soooooo happy. I was not happy – I gave it a 5 out of 10. Maaaaaybe not – maybe a 3.
Have you ever gotten to some point in a recipe and you realize you’ve been hacked by some dude in Islamabad, Pakistan typing stuff on the internet and he’s never cooked so much as a bean?
Well – I got to that place on this one. All of the ingredients they showed would not fit in the jar – as illustrated. It was not possible. Further, my past experience making and creating dressings and sauces told me someone can’t tell the difference between a “big T” and a “little t” in English cooking vernacular. This spice profile was waaaaaaay off.
I realized I would have to make my own. I wanted a creamy, slightly sweet, gentle Caesar that would be so enticing – so inviting, it would always leave you wanting more. Here’s where I went…
I trimmed a little here – added some Sour Cream, cut the MONSTROUS SPICE profile down to something that wouldn’t burn your eyes, added a Low Carb sweetener and PLENTY OF PARMESAN.
If someone tells you there is too much Parmesan in here – UNFRIEND THEM IMMEDIATELY. No one needs that kind of negativity in their life!!
Tom’s Caesar Dressing
1/2 C Mayo
1/2 C Parmesan (grated, bottled)
1/2 C Olive Oil
1/2 C Sour Cream
1 t Pepper (medium grind preferred)
1/2 t Salt (Kosher)
2 t Garlic (minced)
2 t Mustard (I have used both yellow and ground dark)
2 T Lemon
4 drops QuickSweet (or 2-2 1/2 t Truvia – or 4 t Stevia. Relax – use what you like)
Mix all well – I put it in a quart jar. It didn’t fill it up. Let it steep a day (or not). When I made the Caesar I chopped the Romaine quick, tossed it well in some of this dressing – maybe 3-4 T per serving.
When I had plated it I added a few more shakes of black pepper and more shaved Parmesan. Voila’ – plated with LOVE!!
I think I NAILED IT. I don’t even like Caesar. This is my favorite Caesar and maybe one of my favorite dressings – EVER!!
P.S. Some sliced, grilled Chicken on this wouldn’t hurt a THING. Enjoy!!
Low Carb Breakfast CasseroleIngredients:
6-8 slices of Low Carb Bread (I had a few slices from the Great Low Carb Bread Co. left in my freezer. It was time to clean it out. Only about 4 net grams for this ingredient). One could easily use some of The Best Low Carb Bread – EVER as the base for this. This adaptation would make this recipe ENTIRELY Keto friendly.
1/2 C Melted butter (1 stick)
2 C Half & Half (or Heavy Cream)
1/2 t Salt
1/2 t Dry Mustard
5 eggs
1 package Sausage (I used a Mild Sage)
8 oz Cheddar Cheese
4 oz canned Mushrooms
Directions:
Brown the Sausage – reserve, and for HEAVEN’S SAKE!! SAVE THE GREASE!! You can make gravy and pour it over my Diet 7-up Biscuits or some Keto Bread!! Melt butter – soak bread (or tear it up into pieces) on bottom of a 9×13 casserole dish. Beat eggs – add all other ingredients and mix well. Add most of the Cheese – except maybe 1-2 oz. Add everything over the first layer. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
Bake at 325* for 1 hour. Remove – let rest for 10 min… top with remaining cheese, a dusting of Paprika and Pepper (if you like).
Enjoy!!
Tom’s Low Carb Blue CheeseNothing like a snack time with a few fluffy, crunchy Hot-N-Spicy Pork Rinds with a side of Blue Cheese for dipping!!
This Blue Cheese has been a staple of mine for a few years. I was aiming for something very creamy and a little sweet (and very Low Carb) to go with Buffalo Chicken strips. This is what I came up with.
Tom’s Low Carb Blue Cheese Recipe:
1 C Mayo
1 C Sour Cream
3 Oz Blue Cheese
3 t Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 t Black Pepper
1/2 t Garlic Powder
3-4 drops liquid sucralose
Mix all ingredients well EXCEPT BLUE CHEESE – fold it in gently at the end.
ENJOY!!
The Best Low Carb Bread – EVER!!This gem of a meal was a couple of slices of Low Carb Almond Bread seared off in a buttered skillet. A smear of our Low Carb Creamy Horsey Sauce topped off with an egg, some Pepper and Scallions. This is very quick, easy and 5 star TASTY!!
I had the Bread made up and in a Tupperware container in the fridge. I did the egg in the microwave. The Horsey sauce was made a couple of days ago (and very quick – even then). Searing the bread off in butter took longer than anything (maybe a minute??). The whole process was done in less than 5 minutes.
A while back several of us were debating the merits of “cheat meals”, “cheat days” and “carb cycling”… I guess I got sucked into the wrong train of thought. I am wholly against such ideas. There are always other ways to go about results. I guess it boils down to one simple idea. We were asking the wrong question…
Why would I ever want to go back? Why would I want to eat anything but the way I do? In the event there is something outside my current set of standards – there is most often a creative way to get there.
I have tried a lot of Low Carb breads, tortillas, recipes and substitutes. I have a few very good – “Go to” Low Carb / Keto “bread” recipes. However, this is FAR AND AWAY the best Low Carb Bread – EVER!
Best Bread Recipe
Ingredients:
1/2 C Melted Butter
2 T Coconut Oil
7 eggs (I used 8 – a few were small. They were our farm eggs)
1 t Baking Powder
2 C Almond Flour
1/2 t Xanthan gum
1/2 t Salt
6 drops QuickSweet
The above is a great version. It works really good for searing or in another recipe. However…
I highly encourage some creativity with a flavor profile for your bread and going all the way with it.
For instance – Garlic powder, Rosemary and Thyme?? Or Cheddar…
Or Cinnamon, Pumpkin Spice and QuickSweet.
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350*
Beat Eggs on high a full minute (or more?), add Coconut oil and melted butter – beat another minute.
Add additional ingredients and 1/2 the Almond flour – continue beating – add last half of the Almond flour. Continue beating. It will be thick.
Scrape into loaf pan lined with parchment paper. A quick shot of cooking spray on the bottom and sides won’t hurt a thing either.
Bake 50 – 60 minutes. I have found 45 minutes wasn’t even close to enough bake time. Mine turns out done and a nice medium color at 55 minutes.
Let stand a few minutes. Carefully pull parchment sides up. Gently remove loaf – it should come out with little coaxing. Let cool – cut with bread knife. It will be soft, moist, warm and have an INCREDIBLE bread texture. Enjoy.
I have been able to store in Tupperware for a few days while using it – but I have no clue how long it will last. Because it never makes it long enough to find out. It’s usually gone in a few days.
Keto wisely my friends!!
Here was a lunch – WOWSERS!!
A bed of Baby Spinach with homemade Low Carb Ranch, Blue Cheese crumbles, some sliced Radishes and Bacon. Who doesn’t like bacon – right?? All this with a side of warm, thinly sliced Low Carb Bread smothered in butter and a dusting of dill. Oh my.
Tom’s Ranch Dressing
1 C Mayo
1/2 C Sour Cream
1/2 oz. Sugar Free Vanilla Syrup
1 oz. Apple Cider Vinegar
2 oz. Heavy Cream (or unsweetened Almond Milk)
1 t Dill
1/2 t Thyme
1/2 t Onion
1/2 t Garlic Powder
1 t Parsley
3 drops liquid sucralose
Mix well – let steep one day…
Be sure to check out our post for The Best Low Carb Bread – EVER…
If you enjoy this recipe – share it with others.
Thanks – Tom
Aunt Meg’s Steak and EggsIn an homage to Aunt Meg and Bill Paxton from the movie Twister, this is a T-Bone and eggs for breakfast in ULTIMATE Keto and Low Carb fashion. You can eat this way, right?!? So why not? It is so quick, easy and awesome.
Here are the details…
I started with pretty decent cut of T-Bone. I let it age a few days in the fridge.
I took it out – lightly brushed it with Olive Oil (both sides). I put a slight dusting of Garlic powder – Kosher salt and Pepper to taste (both sides).
I preheated the grill to near high (on my grill). I grilled this steak for 9 min total – 5 min. on the first side and 4 min. on the second (move them 45 degrees 1/2 way thru each side makes those nice sear marks).
This grill time gave me a really nice medium to medium/rare for this cut of meat. Once it comes off – let it rest under a cover for several minutes. While it’s resting make the eggs.
Two eggs in butter in the skillet and right at the end put a bit of water in a cover to firm up the tops… same seasoning – Garlic, Salt, Pepper (LIGHT).
I started in a very civilized fashion – cutting it with a knife (about twice)… then realized it would just pull apart in my fingers. I didn’t even need a fork.
This T-Bone tasted like meat flavored butter!! 
😀 Perfect medium/rare…
It wasn’t long before I just picked it up and went to gnawing at it – no remorse…
Comments?? Too much egg, right??
Quickie Bread – a real bread alternativeThis was Quickie Bread, butter, a Low Carb Horsey sauce with some eggs and cheese on top we had for breakfast… Quick, easy – delicious.
Here is the recipe for the Quickie Bread – it’s a bit of a take-off from the 3 minute Chocolate Cake. This is a VERY versatile and usable bread alternative.
Quickie Bread
3 T Almond Flour
1 egg (beaten)
1/4 t Baking Powder
1 1/2 T Butter (melted)
2 Drops Quick Sweet (liquid sucralose)
Pinch of salt
Melt the butter – then mix all wet ingredients. Mix dry ingredients and mix them well. Add the dry to the wet mixture and mix well again. I like to do all this in a separate bowl and then pour in the one I’m using to Microwave in. Quick tip – smooth the top of the batter a bit (if it isn’t already) – if it is uneven, once it gets cooking, it only gets more so. No need to add additional cooking spray. There is plenty of butter in it and it will come right out.
Wrap bowl in a cooking wrap and vent the top. Set microwave for 1:30 – One minute and thirty seconds. Once it is done…
Unwrap, turn over and give a gentle tap – it should come right out. It might need a little coaxing. I like to let it rest and start to get a little firm. This might take a couple of minutes.
For this meal I then cut the bun in half with a bread knife and gave it a quick sear in some butter on a skillet. WOW!!
There are NUMEROUS of different variations you can do with this recipe. For instance, swap the sweet for more salt, Garlic and add some Cheddar Cheese – you’ve got Red Lobster biscuits!!
Be creative – and enjoy!!
Avocado EggsWe’ve been making Avocado Eggs for years. They are a great Low Carb / Keto breakfast.
I’m sure you will find a number of different renditions for them out there – this is ours.
Ingredients:
2 Avocados
4 fresh eggs
Garlic Powder
Cayenne
Pepper
Cheddar
Scallions
1) Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2) Slice the Avocados in half, and take out the pit (cool trick you can look up on You Tube – once you have the Avocado cut in half – in a smooth, but forceful downward motion “set” the edge of your knife into the pit and give a little twist – comes right out). Spoon out some of flesh from the center of the Avocado, just enough so the egg will fit snugly in the center.
Save this spooned out flesh for later – goes great as a snack with dip… or a mini-batch of Guac!!
One of two things should happen here – take out enough flesh to fit the egg, or use small eggs. Lately we’ve been using pullet eggs. These are eggs from our young hens… they fit right in a smaller cavity and leave a lot of Avocado for the final dish.
3) Place the Avocados in a small baking dish. I have used a oven safe dish, pie pan (as shown) – another great method is to use a muffin tin… this holds the Avocados in place nicely. They have a tendency to want to roll a little and let some egg run over once you get the egg in them.
4) At this point, I like to put a slight (very slight) dusting of Garlic powder, Cayenne, maybe even Onion powder across them – be sparing here. Let the Avocado and the Egg be the stars!!
5) Crack an egg into each Avocado half. Try your best to crack the yolk in first, then let the egg whites spill in to fill up the rest of the shell.
6) Place in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Cooking time will depend on the size of your eggs and avocados. Me, personally – I go about 14 – 15 min… I like a juicy egg. If you like a firmer egg – just go a little longer, make sure the egg whites have enough time to set.
Remove from oven, add some cheddar on top, let them sit a minute to cool giving the cheese a bit to melt. They will be VERY HOT – so be careful. Season with pepper, top with a sprinkle of Scallions or garnish of your choice and enjoy!
Epic Sunday Brunch – Chicken and Waffles!!I picked up some frozen chicken tenderloins at Wal-Mart the other day… I was kind of curious how they would do in this dish.
I took 5 tenderloins out early in the morning to let them thaw so we could get started as soon as my Sweetie got home from Church. With about an hour to go (around 10 O’Clock or so), I put them in a big Zip Lock bag and added some Kosher Dill Pickle juice as a marinade/brine (for the last hour).
They had thawed enough to take some of it on.
I then whisked 1 egg as a wash. I would (normally – see notes) bread in the following:
My Chicken Nugget/Strip Breading:
1 T Almond Flour
1 t Baking powder
1 T Paprika
1 t Onion Powder (that’s a SMALL t – for teaspoon)
1 t Garlic Powder (that’s a SMALL t – for teaspoon)
Plenty of Salt and Black Pepper (a little Cayenne might not hurt)…
Note: However, I skipped the above step because I had a left-over batch of CarbQuick in the fridge already seasoned correctly – lots of Salt, Pepper, Garlic and Cayenne. Well – it was close enough!!
Take it straight out of the Pickle Brine, into the egg wash and dredge in the coating…
Listen – don’t freak out over CarbQuick. Is it grain – Yes. Is it Low Carb – YES. It only has a carb count of 3 net grams per 1/3rd Cup. Is it something you should use as a staple – probably not. In fact, I don’t use it that much. In lot of things, it just doesn’t do so well.
I use it in CarbQuick in three primary ways – ONLY. As an easy breading for Fresh Oysters, for Shrimp (if I need a coating)… and in the Diet 7-up biscuits.
That’s it… so you might see a CarbQuick recipe out of me from time to time. This only means we eat a tiny bit of this “slightly sketchy” Low Carb product about once every other month or so. No biggie. We also carefully monitor how it affects us. We weight every morning.
I really like the Pickle Brine routine. I think it adds to the plump, juicy factor.
On another related note – Chicken Nuggets, depending on their size are more like in the 4-6 minute range – mine are usually perfect at 5 min… same oil – same temp.
For the Waffles I did a Pecan Protein Waffle – VERY low carb count.
Protein Waffles
2 eggs, beaten
1 Scoop Quest, unflavored, all – purpose mix (1 gram – natural Carb count)
¼ t Baking Powder
2 T Kosher Philly Cream Cheese (softened in microwave)
Cinnamon, a splash of Sugar Free Vanilla flavoring – a couple of drops of liquid Sucralose and a splash of Maple extract…
Whisk thoroughly – if it gets too gooey just add a little water, won’t hurt a thing.
Next add about a half a hand full of chopped Pecans in the batter – not too many, the lid won’t shut right.
Preheat the Waffle iron – give the Waffle maker a shot of cooking spray, pour the mix in and 3 minutes later – Boom. Waffle!!
Trim it – plate it… add a pat or two of butter in the middle, stack the Chicken – then douse it with “Sweet and Sassy” topping.
Sweet and Sassy Waffle topping
½ C Sugar Free Syrup – the kind you would find at most grocery stores
¼ C Valentina hot sauce (Salsa Picante)
Pretty generous portion of Cinnamon
1 T Maple Extract
Whisk together…
(this was enough for two full servings)
The End
A couple of my guiding thoughts are to dispel the myth that the Low Carb / Ketogenic cooking or way of life is boring or uninviting. This is wholly untrue. Another inaccurate perception is that such flavorful recipes are hard to make or take more time than normal. Also untrue.
While I was standing there in Wal-Mart holding a jar of this Rao’s Marinara sauce I wondering what in world could I do with this stuff??
Then it hit me… an epiphany really did hit me standing right there in the sauce isle in our local Wal-Mart.
I made some Shirataki noodles…
Here is how I prepped the noodles this time (I have done it a lot of
different ways)…
First, I rinse and rinse and rinse and then rinse just a little more – once
it loses the funny smell when cool – I drain them well. To cook, I tossed
these in a skillet with some butter a dusting of garlic, kosher salt and
black pepper and worked them around similar to stir frying. They don’t
really need cooked more than a minute or tow but cook as long as you want (I
go long enough to get some of the spice flavors I’m using to work in there) – then
drain again. You can’t hardly tell them from regular noodles.
These are the Home Foods brand tofu Shirataki Noodles. I think they can be
ordered on the internet. These are a tiny bit higher carb count than the
Miracle Noodle brand – I like these better. Just a better texture… IMHO
I am somewhat hesitant to use these more than once or twice a week
or so (being made of Konjac flour)… they are VERY FILLING.
I got a quick feel for the Rao’s sauce when I put about a third of a jar in the sauce pan to heat up… I added 4 drops of Quick Sweet (liquid sucralose) and some extra Oregano.
I covered the noodles in the Rao’s 4-cheese Sauce topped with two thick slices of my Smoked Meat Loaf (quick seared in butter)… then the whole thing is covered in some shaved Parmesan – and a few scallions to garnish (I could have just as easily used some fresh Rosemary as well).
My impressions? This tasted something along the lines of a very high end Italian dish – only better. Being from Chicago – it was soooooo good to have stumbled onto this.
I had no idea what to call this – I have never even heard of such a thing, but it was such a delicious, slow jam of Italian awesomeness – this what I came up with. Sweet, smoky, savory and I can’t wait to do it again.
The whole thing took exactly 14 minutes from fridge to plate. Not bad.
So much for Low Carb being hard or boring – huh??
P.S. This had a true carb count for the serving shown – of maybe 5 net carbs?? Maybe even less…
So this past weekend we had a lot of guests on kind of a short notice – so I swung into action and made a bunch of these Smoked Meat Loaves (16 to be exact) and a Smoked Pork Shoulder (which means easy, delicious meals and lots of pulled pork sandwiches).
Here is my recipe for a smaller “home brew” batch…
Smoked Meat Loaf Recipe
1.5 lbs of Eye of Round, Sirloin, Inside Round or similar beef cut – custom grind
1.5 lbs of Pork shoulder – trimmed and ground (twice)
1/2 C Celery and Onion mixture sauteed in Butter, Garlic and Oregano
1/2 C finely diced Orange Pepper (NOT A HOT PEPPER – just plain Orange Bell Pepper)
1 T Worcestershire sauce (I use the 40% Low Sodium version)
Kosher salt and Pepper to taste
2 T of Tom’s Low Carb Rub
1 C finely ground plain Pork Rinds… (not flavored)
2 eggs
1/4 – 1/2 C Nature’s Hollow Sugar Free Honey
Heinz Reduced Sugar Katsup (about 1 gram per 1 T) as a glaze
For the last 1/2 hour – I added some Katsup on the top as a glaze…
Let them cool and store – or not…
Slice off nice thick hunks – microwave about 1 minute per loaf and then and give each slice a quick sear on a grill, in a pan or on a flat top (preferably in butter). Oh my… LOW CARB FLAVOR MADNESS!!
Pro Tips: here are a few short cut ideas…
If I had limited items available to me – I might try 2 lbs of regular ground beef and 1 lb of packaged mild sausage.
If I didn’t have access to a wood smoker – I would pick up a cheap, used electric smoker. It will work great for a lot of stuff. In fact, I am going to pick one up for all kinds of stuff I do like this. Great for short, quick smoke sessions. If I couldn’t do any of this – skip it and add 1 T of liquid smoke and just bake it in the oven. Same time – same temp.
Tom’s Low Carb Dry Rub
3 1/2 t Truvia
7 t Chili Powder
3 t Onion Powder
3 t Garlic Powder
3 t Oregano
1 T Black Pepper
1 T Kosher Salt
2 t Paprika
Whisk this rub thoroughly – then use it on EVERYTHING!!
Enjoy.
So yesterday – I was making a quiche with some left over Smoked Pork Tenderloin as the meat… a while back I had smoked off a bunch of different meats. Ribs, Pork T-Loins, Fish, etc, etc…
This stuff was about at the end of it’s “usefulness” so I thought – “what the heck”? Why not throw it in a quiche for breakfasts? I start trimming it up a little better… then I tossed it in my little processor…
As I was standing over this bowl – I was overcome with the incredible aroma of the smoke… WOW!! I was rolling all kinds of ideas around in my head about what I could do with this stuff. Stay strong – stay strong… just make the quiche’ and WALK AWAY!!
Low Carb Quiche recipe:
6-7 eggs
1 C Meat (in this case I used the processed Smoked Pork Tenderloin)
1 C grated Cheddar Cheese
8 oz Cream Cheese (if you like on the moist side – cut this down to 4 oz and add 4 oz of Sour Cream).
2 T of the spice base leftover when storing it…
NO CRUST – Just cooking spray, pour it in and GO!!
Note: Depending on what “version” I’m up to I will add a spice profile to match. For instance, with a more Spanish/American meat version I might toss in a packet of Sazon to amp things up a little.
Mix all ingredients well. Shoot a pie pan with some cooking spray. Pour ingredients in… bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 min. I start checking at about 30. I finished this one off with a little Smoked Paprika and just a little shredded cheese on top.
This worked out REALLY WELL.
However, when I got done processing it – I realized I had something like 3 1/2 cups of this stuff!! SCORE!! I took one cup to make the quiche – and it had CRAZY FLAVOR. Then I took the other 2 1/2 cups and decided to make a version of ham salad since it as already finely chopped.
Easy Pork Salad Recipe
2 1/2 C processed Smoked Pork Tenderloin
1 1/2 heaping T of Mayo
3 t No Sugar Sweet Pickle Relish
2 T of the Smoke Spice base left over in the storage container.
3 drops QuickSweet
Whip it all together.
Whoa… really, really good.
This was last nite. After this “Smoked Pork Salad” had a chance for the flavors to really come together over night, it was JUST UNREAL how good this was. This was our third meal/snack. All gone…
Moral to the story – don’t be afraid to be creative!!
The end
