Archive for Side Dish

It’s the Weekend! Let’s Eat Out!

Another BIG question!

How do you eat out on Keto?  Well, it’s not as hard as you would imagine…

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When we first started cutting carbs, it was a bit intimidating to go out.  I wanted to know the exact source of my food and exactly how it was being prepared.  This is much easier to do at home, but I still wanted to socialize with my friends.  I wasn’t about to give up my few evenings of “adult time” away from the kitchen because of Keto!  I soon learned I didn’t have to give up restaurants and neither do you!

I had always considered myself an easy, low-maintenance restaurant patron.  And, if I must be honest, I was a bit embarrassed when someone at the table was the “difficult one”.  I really love all food, and am a bit of a foodie.  I love trying new things and new preparations, so eating out was always an adventure.  It still is an adventure, but I am a little more cautious when ordering.

I may not be quite as low-maintance, but I have found that restaurants are more than willing to answer questions about preparations, and even more willing to oblige on certain dietary restrictions.  While once an insult to a chef to change his/her dish, it is now all the more common as consumers have more and more dietary restrictions, whether allergies or eating preferences.  Don’t hesitate to ask!

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Here are some of my general questions when asking about a dish:

Is there sugar in the sauce?

Is the dish gluten-free?

What is the side accompaniment?

Is it breaded?

May I substitute the starch for another vegetable?

May I have the protein grilled or sautéed instead of fried or breaded?

You will find that breading, sauces, and sides are the main culprits.


Here are the main things you need to do:

1. Ask for sauce on the side – every time (Unless it is a heavy cream sauce made without flour or a lemon butter sauce – if this is the case, the more the better.)

2.  Ask for extra veggies with butter instead of potatoes, pasta, rice, or risotto.

3.  First thing when you arrive – ask your waiter to hold the bread, but bring the butter (real butter) – you may get a funny look, but they will do it!

4.  Order a bottle of wine, a martini, or vodka soda.  Stay away from the sugary cocktails.

5.  Order your salad without crouton or crisps and stay away from sweet dressings.  Blue Cheese, Ranch, and Caesar are generally safe.  It gets dicey with the vinaigrettes.

6.  Read the menu carefully – learn the code words: crispy or coated usually means fried, seasoned could mean sugar so ask.  Crunchy usually means it has something on top, like fried onions, tortilla chips, panko, etc.  Sweet, glazed, or brushed are almost always code for the dreaded SUGAR.  In short, always read the description, and if you are still unsure, ask!

7.  Good things to look for are: grilled, broiled, steamed, seared, baked, and sautéed.  Savory is usually good, and seasoned is often good as long as the seasoning does not contain sugar.

8.  At the end of the meal, refrain from looking at the dessert menu.  Too much temptation.  Ask for a decaf with heavy cream if you need a little something while your friends order dessert.  They won’t be used to the heavy cream order, but almost any good kitchen has cream, so ask the waiter to check the kitchen.

I promise it is really easy after you get used to ordering Keto.  Restaurants are starting to have more gluten free dishes (I just ate at one that had a gluten-free menu – remember though that gluten-free doesn’t mean carb-free), and many are used to patrons ordering low-carb.  Most of all, don’t be afraid to ask questions.  It is not about weight at this point, it is about your health!

Good places to start are:

Bar-B-Que Restaurants (Have all the meat you want, but watch the sauce and sides)

Steak Restaurants (Steak is great – order with Béarnaise and side salad and veggies – skip the potatoes)

Seafood Restaurants (Shrimp and Fish are great – Add lemon butter and it’s even better)


 

Here are a few pictures of meals we have ordered out to give you some ideas:

Both dishes below were from Houston Street Bistro.  They were wonderful about substituting the pasta that was supposed to be served with each dish with vegetables instead.  The shrimp is in a lemon butter sauce with broccoli and carrots.  The chicken and mushroom dish is in a flourless cream sauce served with a side of spinach instead of over pasta.

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These next three are all from different restaurants.

 The first is a high-end restaurant that had calf liver on the specials menu (a top Keto food) and to top it off, it had sauted onion and BACON!

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This is a cup of beanless chili from a local delicatessen.

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Beef Cheeks from a local restaurant.

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This was a fantastic meal from Silo – Lamb with veggies, and they even brought hollandaise on the side.

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Hopefully these give you some ideas of how easy it is to order a delicious meal out on the town!  Have a great weekend!

 

Quick Rule for Vegetable Picking

One of the very first questions that we get when people start wanting to go low carb is, “What do I eat?!”

The answer can be frustratingly simple because the answer is fat, protein, and vegetables.

The protein is easy enough, the fat raises most eyebrows, but the veggies end up being more difficult than people expect.

Once you start monitoring what you eat, it can be very eye opening the actual carb and sugar count on many foods that you thought were healthier than they are in actuality.

Image result for frustrated foodOf course, dark leafy vegetables are the the clear winners when it comes to the best bang for your buck on nutrients and lowest on the carb count. Side note-some of the best dark leafies are ones you have likely never considered, HERBS!

One super herb is Parsley:

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% Daily Value for Parsley, dried 1 tbsp (1.6g)

 

Additional nutritional information on several herbs can be found here.

But after the dark leafies things get a little fuzzy, and that’s why we have employed the rule of thumb: “An above ground veggie is a good veggie.”

While the rule isn’t 100%, it is a great guideline. The high carb veggies tend to be the root vegetables such as carrots, beets, onion, parsnips, yams, turnip, radish, yucca, and of course, potatoes. While onions are on the underground list, the amount of onion people tend to eat in most recipes will not equate to a full serving size-so these can usually slide.

 

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Basically, the general rule means that if it’s above the ground, you are likely okay! The exceptions include the starchy squashes, such as butternut, and of course the veggies that are not really veggies, prime example being corn. Despite being found in the fresh, frozen, and canned sections at grocery stores, corn is a grain, and a highly GMOed one at that, but that is an entire other post.

 

So next time you are considering what side to make, or what vegetable to pick up, just go with the general above ground rule, and you should be in the clear. Oh, and of course, don’t forget to add some healthy fat!

 

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Dress Up Your Summer Veggies with Bacon

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Just about everything is better with BACON!  It is definitely a staple in our house.  We can eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!

Here is an example of eating bacon for dinner; one of many ways!  On days when I make my sheets of bacon, I try to make use of my bacon drippings by doing a dish that requires bacon AND oil.

I mean, really, what isn’t satisfyingly delicious when you cook it in bacon grease?

My Bacon Green Beans are a hit with the whole family!

Start with your sheets of bacon.  I usually try to do two to three cookie sheets of bacon at the beginning of the week.  Search for my bacon blog if you missed it!

Bake a foil lined cookie sheet of bacon on 350 to 375 for 15 minutes.  DO NOT discard your bacon drippings!  Please!

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You can keep going with your bacon on the same sheet to get more drippings (and more bacon).

Meanwhile, prepare your ingredients:

Wash and trim about 2 pounds of green beans.  Set aside.

Chop finely, 1 cup of white onion.

Using a garlic press, mince 5-6 cloves of garlic.  I love, love, love my garlic chopper!  You can find one here, and chop all of your cloves at one time!  My favorite kitchen tool!

Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon into a small bowl, discarding seeds.

Chop your bacon, and get your seasonings: crushed red pepper, black pepper, and Celtic or Himalayan salt.  Parmesan cheese if desired.
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Saute your onion and garlic in your bacon drippings until translucent.

 

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Add your green beans:


IMG_0781Once your green beans are slightly tender, but still crisp, add your bacon, lemon and seasonings.

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End with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese across the top!  I usually do this step on individual plates.

It’s that easy for a gorgeous, colorful, and delicious side that the whole family will enjoy.


To find items that we use in our posts, such as the All Clad sauté pan, the silicone spatulas and spoons, and cookie sheets, check out our new Amazon store here.

Great Side Dish for a Bar-B-Que!

Broccoli Salad

This is one of my favorite side dishes for a Bar-B-Que when you have gone Low-Carb!  Perfect for the Memorial Day holiday and filled with many of our favorite ingredients!

We hope that everyone has a safe, fun weekend filled with laughter, and time spent with loved ones and friends!  Special thanks to all who have served to protect our freedom this Memorial Day!

 

Bar-B-Que Broccoli Salad

8 Slices of Bacon Cooked and chopped

2 heads of Broccoli (chopped and lightly steamed-emphasis on lightly)

2 cups of Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded

1/2 red onion finely chopped

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup xylitol

3 tsp black pepper

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

 

1.  Cook your bacon and lightly steam your broccoli.  Cool.

2. Mix together your red wine vinegar, xylitol, black pepper, salt, lemon juice, and mayonnaise.  This is your dressing!

3.  Combine your broccoli, cheese, bacon, and onion, and combine together for your salad.

4.  Slowly pour and mix your dressing with your salad, tossing to combine well.  Start with half of your dressing, and add more to your desired taste.  Let it sit in the refrigerator for 2 hours before serving.

5.  Enjoy!

Holy Guacamole!

Okay, so guacamole may not be holy, but it’s pretty close in my house.  Avocados are almost the perfect Keto food, and they are loaded with potassium, folate, and vitamin K!

Avocados are ALWAYS in our kitchen!  We eat them on our green salads, and they are excellent in a tomato and mozzarella salad as well.  Our favorite way to eat avocados though, is guacamole!

We eat guacamole on almost anything.  We use is on our eggs in the morning (any kind), salads at lunch, and burgers and fajitas for dinner.  We can’t get enough!

If you missed the post the other day on the cheese crackers, now is the time to scroll down.  This is one of my favorite tricks!  We love the cheese crackers to dip in the guacamole!

It is a super easy recipe to make too!

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Guacomole

3-4 large avocados

1/2 bunch cilantro

1/4 red onion

juice of 1 lemon

garlic salt to taste

 

It took me many years to discover the best way to scoop an avocado.  Now that we eat them daily, I have the perfect tip for you.

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Slice the avocado lengthwise.

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Once open, chop down on the seed, twist and remove.

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Using a serving spoon, scoop the meat out of the skin.

Now you ready to get your ingredients together!

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Chop your onion and cilantro finely.

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Using a lemon/lime juicer, squeeze all the juice out of your lime.

Mix everything together and sprinkle with garlic salt.  Taste, and add more if needed.

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YUM!!!!

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A Meal to Make a Family Happy!

So, I was ruled out on my dinner choice this evening!  My husband wanted steak, and the kiddos wanted potatoes.  “Hmmm,” I thought to myself.  Let’s see if I can slide those cauli-mashers by them without notice.

Worked like a charm!  My super picky four-year old said this was the “best dinner in the world!”  She also told me that “these are the best potatoes ever!”

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If you missed Erin’s post on Cauli-mashers, they are a breeze to make, even when you get outnumbered at the last minute in the kitchen.

I steamed one bag of Costco fresh Cauliflower florets until fairly soft.  I don’t have the emersion mixer like Erin, so I just used my KitchenAid hand mixer, and beat them until they were the consistency of mashed potatoes.  I added a half block of Kerrygold, a half block of cream cheese, and a handful of chopped parsley.  I then added a generous amount of salt and pepper.  Mixed it all together with the mixer, poured into an 8×8 pyrex, and topped with some Colby Jack cheese.  I popped it in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, and to the delight of everyone, it was devoured.

Served with grass-fed New York Strips topped with sautéed mushrooms (in Kerrygold no less), and a side of asparagus topped with Kerrygold!

Every plate was clean, and every face had a smile!

So my sweet 8 year boy (the middle child) wanted me to share his dessert with you tonight!  He was very proud of his extra helping of steak and his two dark chocolate-coconut fat bombs (posted last week) that he used to make a smiley face!  He said, “This will show your viewers how happy I am right now!”  So, how could I refuse?  Here is Colton’s sugar-free dessert!

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I hope you all have a happy dinner tonight!

Stuffed Low-Carb Yellow Squash

A Savory Summer Side!

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Perfect for the summer time veggie season!

This is super easy, and so delicious anyone in your family will love it!  Even my picky 4 year old will at least eat out the stuffing!

Ingredients:

5 yellow (summer) squash

1 zucchini squash, steamed, cooked and diced

2 eggs

3/4 cup Parmesan cheese + additional to top squash

1/3 cup melted butter + 2 Tbsp (not melted)

1 bunch green onion

4 Tbsp almond flour

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp garlic powder

Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

Start with your yellow squash by washing and cutting off the ends.  Then cut in half lengthwise.

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One squash = two servings.

Lay them cut-side up in a glass pyrex baking dish.  Fill the bottom of the dish with water so you can steam the squash until softened.

IMG_0736Microwave on high for 4 minutes.  Check them after this time…if they are still hard in the middle, then keep cooking them on high in 2 minute increments until they are soft enough to scoop, but not mushy.

When they are tender, remove them and let them cool a bit or you will burn off the tips of your fingers. Maybe not, but it will hurt!

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When they are cool enough to handle, use a soup spoon, and start hulling out the inside of the squash. Hull all but one half – leaving this one to chop finely.  Be careful not to poke all the way through.  Place the squash you have removed into a mixing bowl, and your now empty “boats” onto a cookie sheet.

Finely chop one half of one yellow squash into small bits, along with one zucchini squash that you have also steamed and finely diced.  Now, you will see a lot of water in the bottom of the bowl.  Try to drain as much of this as possible or it will be too runny.  I press and drain 3 or 4 times.  You could use a mesh colander for this also.  It is okay to be moist, but you don’t want standing water at the bottom of the bowl.

Once most of the water is removed, I use a sharp knife and run it through the squash in the bowl to break up the membranes in the squash.  This is not an exact science.  Just break up the larger pieces that you scooped out.

Add your eggs, 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, 1/3 cup melted butter, finely chopped green onion with some of the green tops included.  Then add 2 Tbsp of almond flour and your seasonings.  Mix well!

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Use the mixture to fill your squash “boats” so it is slightly heaping.

IMG_0742Lightly sprinkle with the additional 2 Tbsp of almond flour, put a pat of additional butter on top and finish with as much Parmesan cheese as you desire.  I have also topped with mozzarella cheese as well.  Both are delicious!

Bake in the oven for 25 minutes at 350 degrees, and you have an amazing side dish!

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Enjoy!

 

Rich and Delicious Creamed Spinach

I don’t know about you, but when we go to a nice steak restaurant, one of our sides is always creamed spinach.  Well, I was determined to duplicate this rich satisfying side dish, and mission accomplished!  Behind my fat bombs, this is my second most requested recipe, and is delicious alongside any meal, but it is our favorite with grass-fed beef!  This dish is good enough for company!


 

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Ingredients:

Organic Baby Spinach (I used two large containers)

Kerrygold Grass Fed Butter (1/4 to 1/2 stick)

Full Fat Cream Cheese (I package)

Heavy Whipping Cream (1/4 to 1/2 cup)

White Onion (Quartered)

Garlic (4-5 cloves)

Salt and Pepper

Whole Nutmeg


Preparation:

Bring a full pot of water to a boil.  Add spinach and cook for 3 to 5 minutes.  You want it cooked down, but not completely wilted.

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Drain in a colander, and let it sit while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

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Back in the same pot, melt your butter over medium heat.  I used a half of a Kerrygold brick.  If you are using a regular stick of butter, you will need 1 whole stick.

Add a quarter to a half of a white onion, finely chopped with 4-5 minced garlic cloves, and sauté until translucent.  (We like a bit more onion and garlic which is higher in carbs so take that into account.)

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Turn your heat down to low.  Add your cream cheese cubed and stir well until incorporated with the butter. It may separate slightly and this is okay.  When you add your spinach it will combine well.

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Press all the remaining water out of your spinach.  Dump it out on a cutting board and chop roughly.  Then add it to your butter mixture on the stove.

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Next, add your heavy cream.  This is up to you.  Start with 1/4 cup, and if you want it creamier, add a little at a time.  It will thicken slightly after about 5 minutes over low heat.

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Now, all you have left is your seasoning!  Spinach is amazing with nutmeg, especially freshly grated.  I also add freshly ground Himalayan salt and black pepper.

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Mix all your seasonings in and let it simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes.  Then serve and enjoy!  It is just as good left over for lunch too!

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Cauliflower can do anything!

Well not quite.

But it is definitely a vegetable and Keto All-Star!

 

Yesterday we talked about cauli-rice and today I want to talk about cauli-mashers. This is another go to side that is quick and versatile.

 

I started with frozen organic cauliflower, but you can absolutely use fresh!! I like to keep the frozen organic cauliflower and organic chopped spinach on hand. These are great for fast weeknight dinners.IMG_4660

Steam the cauliflower until soft. Personally I avoid heating any food in plastic containers. While there are multiple organizations giving us all sorts of contradicting information about the safety of heating food in plastics; I’m going to just play it safe. Read more here: (http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324493704578433290465517564)

 

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After the cauliflower is soft move it to a large mixing bowl, add cream cheese, heavy cream, and/or sour cream. Then mash and mix together just like like if you were making mashed potatoes. I use an immersion hand blender and this is done in a snap.

 

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Salt and pepper to taste and feel free to add chives, garlic, and parsley. The amounts of vitamins packed into herbs are incredible plus they make it pretty! They can be served immediately or put into the oven to crust to top.

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Tonight I added cheese to the top and popped everything back into the oven to melt and meld it all together.

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Even the incredibly picky three year old enjoyed them!

 

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Low Carb Rice?

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Yes, low carb rice indeed!

This is one of our favorite tricks for sprucing up dishes with a little extra texture.

I have to admit that I was skeptical at first, but it really works, and the kids love it, while getting their veggies at the same time.  Mine can’t tell the difference!

 

Cauliflower Rice

Start with a large head of cauliflower, a nice sharp knife, a food processor and a foil lined baking sheet.

IMG_0659Cut your cauliflower into small florets and rinse in a colander.

IMG_0658Let the cauliflower dry for a bit and then add to your food processor a little at a time.  If you do too much at once you will get some clumps.

IMG_0650Then PULSE your food processor until the cauliflower resembles snow.  Don’t over pulse or you will get a puree.

IMG_0649After each batch, scrape the pulsed cauliflower out onto your cookie sheet.  If you have larger pieces, just throw them back in with the next batch.

When it is all “snow” you should have a nice full cookie sheet of “rice”!

IMG_0648Bake in the oven on 350 degrees until the top is just starting to turn golden.  I take it out a few times and toss it around to make sure it is all getting cooked through.  This will remove the rest of the moisture and you will have a great side dish in about 25 to 30 minutes.

We generally use the rice under Indian dishes like Tiki Marsala or Curry, but we also serve as a side topped with Kerrygold!

Enjoy!IMG_0647

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