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.
Of 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:
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.
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!
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!
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.
Saute your onion and garlic in your bacon drippings until translucent.
Add your green beans:
Once your green beans are slightly tender, but still crisp, add your bacon, lemon and seasonings.
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.
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.
Let’s face it…being on a Ketogenic diet with REAL food is not inexpensive! We are trying to be as healthy as possible, which comes at an expense to our wallets. In fact, today, while listening to a Livin’ La Vida podcast, a nutrition expert and author was discussing the fact that higher income countries are actually consuming less grains now than low net income countries because those packaged foods and grains cost pennies compared to “real food” which is actually nourishing. Very sad! I totally believe it is worth every penny to feed my family well, but at the same time, I try to save where I can! This is where buying in bulk can help, especially when feeding a hungry family of five. I have two growing boys that eat constantly.
Now, I do have to say, a high fat, real food diet, keeps you full much longer that the recommended, low fat Standard American Diet (SAD), so in terms of food, you are not eating the same quantity. There are certain foods that we consume more often than others, so using a store like Costco or Sam’s can help you. One of the more frequent questions we receive is where we buy our groceries. The answer is…everywhere, but I don’t shop at every store every week. I probably make a Costco run every two weeks, so I thought I would share the basics I keep on hand in bulk.
From left to right:
1. Almond Flour: I have said this before, but do not even try the other brands…Honeyville is far superior to any of the others. I have tried all of them, and hands down, Honeyville bakes the best with the least amount of heavy texture. Costco saves you a ton…you can’t find a lower price even on Honeyville’s own website!
2. Berries: (On both sides – All organic!) While we do not recommend a large amount of fruit on a Keto diet, berries are by far the best choice. They are the lowest in fructose and have a high amount of anti-oxidants. These are primarily for the children, but every once in a while, I will have a small handful in a bowl of sugar-free whipped cream (homemade) with Swerve and vanilla for a sweet treat. Remember to always eat protein and carbs with lots of fat so you stay a fat burner!
3. Avocados: Costco usually has bags of five or six avocados. I use these for lunch filled with shrimp salad or plain with salt and lime or on salads. We ALWAYS have guacamole in the house. We use it on eggs in the morning and meat in the evenings. You can never have too many avocados.
4. Cheese: One of the biggest differences between the Ketogenic diet and the Paleo diet is the allowance of dairy. We love cheese! I bought the blocks of cheese because many of the shredded cheeses use potato starch to keep the cheese from clumping. I use my food processor attachment to shred the cheese for large quantities. I DO cheat, and buy shredded cheese on occasion to keep in the fridge for morning eggs and a quick grab, but the blocks are better as well as cheese sticks. All are a great buy at Costco or Sam’s.
5. Organic Ground Meat: I keep these in the freezer for an easy throw together dinner. You know we prefer the Grass-fed beef, but in a pinch these are great to have stored. While not as great as Grass-fed, it is a better alternative than your antibiotic and hormone ridden meats.
6. Kerrygold Butter: Need I say more? I think you all know how we feel about Kerrygold. It is delicious Grass-fed butter from Irish cows! It comes in packs of 3 at Costco, so I always pick up a couple when I am there!
7. Sausage: My kiddos love sausage. My husband grills it, and we serve it over zucchini noodles or eat it plain. Kiolbassa is also made in San Antonio so you are supporting a local business if you live here!
8. Daisy Sour Cream: I always have sour cream and cream cheese (I buy cream cheese at Sam’s) on hand for sides to add more fat. Remember, you want full fat. The low fat and fat free versions are NOT REAL FOOD! They are filled with chemicals and additives. Stick with the good ingredients our great-grandparents used, and their ancestors before them!
9. Veggies: We LOVE veggies…We are fortunate that Costco has many organic vegetable options. Not all of them are organic, however, so please wash well! A friend was over recently, and I was washing fruit with soap and water when she questioned me about it. Water alone will not wash off the chemicals. You really need to wash in a fruit and veggie wash or use a soap. I make a bath of soapy water and soak them in the wash and then rinse in a colander with cold water. This still does not guarantee the removal of all chemicals, but it is a better bet. I love the cauliflower, spinach, and mushrooms at Costco. These are always on my list. I also stock up on limes in the summer to make infused water and iced tea. I must admit, that I also like a cocktail on the weekends made with a lot of fresh lime juice mixed with vodka and soda, or dare I say, tequila, for a homemade sugar-free margarita! One drink usually takes 4 to 5 limes (or more) so that explains the bulk on these. Broccoli and celery were also on the list this week. Please make sure you wash your celery VERY well. It can be a really dirty one!
10. BACON: Who can have too much bacon? Always on the list. Try to buy bacon as naturally as possible without a lot of curing ingredients. Each Costco carries different bacon I’ve noticed, so look at your labels.
11. Coconut Oil: It is not in the picture, but another staple that we all buy at Costco is Coconut Oil. This makes great Bulletproof Coffee for all of us each morning! A definite staple, and a much better buy at Costco or Sam’s.
Any questions or comments? Leave us feedback. We would love to hear what Low-Carb High-Fat foods you like to buy at Costco or Sam’s!
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!”
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!
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.
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.
Microwave 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!
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!
Use the mixture to fill your squash “boats” so it is slightly heaping.
Lightly 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!
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!
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.
Drain in a colander, and let it sit while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
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.)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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)
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.
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.
Tonight I added cheese to the top and popped everything back into the oven to melt and meld it all together.
Even the incredibly picky three year old enjoyed them!
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.
Cut your cauliflower into small florets and rinse in a colander.
Let 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.
Then PULSE your food processor until the cauliflower resembles snow. Don’t over pulse or you will get a puree.
After 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”!
Bake 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!
Grilled broccoli may sound a little strange but don’t knock it until you’ve tried it!
Almost any vegetable can be grilled with fantastic results. Here are a couple ideas and tips to get you going:
Veggies to try: Broccoli, artichokes, asparagus, mushrooms, peppers (any color or type), zucchini, squash, onion, cabbage, Brussels, etc
Consistent size is important, make sure your veggies are all roughly the same size or you may end up with bites more done than others. They do not have to be bite sized-just similar.
Season well! Start with high QUALITY salt and pepper then get creative.
Butter or Ghee (Not Olive Oil! Olive oil is great for your cool salad but not great for high temperature cooking/grilling. You can learn more here:http://www.savorylotus.com/5-reasons-to-stop-cooking-with-olive-oil/ )
Foil lined grill basket. This will make clean up a snap and help avoid flare ups from the melting butter goodness. In a pinch you can make a foil tray by simply crunching up the edges on heavy duty foil but be very careful this will be flimsy and hot!
Ready to grill
This is our well loved circle basket with removable handle.
Clean up does not get easier!
Keep an eye on your veggies! You know how “done” you like your veggies. Plus, unlike meat and fish, its easier to tell by sight when veggies are done and you can taste test without worry!
