Summer Sausage Bowl

Summer Sausage Bowl

by | Mar 27, 2019 | Ketogenic

Last night I was tired of all my same ole same Keto dinner options and was craving something FRESH and delicious!  Then I did what I do best and started throwing a TON of delicious ingredients and came up with this AMAZING dish!

It is even HUSBAND APPROVED!!!  And since the base is a combo of delicious veggies, that is a HUGE HUGE compliment!  (He is NOT a big fan of riced cauliflower!)

What you will find out about me is that I will take a recipe base of combo and make it my OWN.  SO know that with this dish, your creativity is endless!  Choose a meat and veggie combo and HAVE FUN!

We loved the bright flavors of the chopped bell peppers and diced tomatoes! The summer sausage was savory and complimented the flavors so nicely. I am excited to hear what you come up with and throw together for your own flavorful dish!

INGREDIENTS
Serves 2-3 people depending on portion size. Estimate what you need for your serving and macronutrient needs. Macros are not calculated for this recipe

2-3 TBSP Butter
3TBSP Cream Cheese
2.5 Cups Riced Cauliflower
1 large Red/Orange/Yellow Bell Pepper (Not green for taste)
3 Large Sausage Links (Polish, Kielbasa, summer sausage works)
1/4-1/2 Diced onion
1-2 TBSP Chopped Garlic
Salt and Pepper to taste

Top with sliced avocado, a sprinkle of cheese and 2-3 cherry tomatoes. 

DIRECTIONS

-In large saucepan, sautéed riced cauliflower in butter Med/Med High till soft. (Roughly 5-10min. Add water to soften if frozen and cook 5 additional min).
-Add salt/spices, garlic and onions to mixture while cooking. 
-While cauliflower is heating, dice up your peppers and sausage. 
-Sauté sausage in separate pan if you desire it to brown. Otherwise let alone. 
-Once cauliflower is soft and well cooked through, add cream cheese and let melt. 
-Add peppers and sausage and cover, stirring every few minutes till peppers are slightly soft and sausage is warm. (Roughly 5-8 minutes)
-Scoop into bowl and garnish with diced avocado, cheese and cherry tomatoes. 
-Enjoy!!!  This would be DELICIOUS with shrimp, chicken, salmon etc!!  

Perfect dish to transition to spring and can be made into a HUGE batch to store in fridge!

Make sure to pop over to my Instagram and Facebook page to say HI and let me know what creative combination you came up with! As always, have fun cooking keto in the kitchen, keeping it simple, satisfying and sustainable!!!

 

Cheers & Ketones,

Rachael Dee

 

 

Air Fryer Chicken Wings

Air Fryer Chicken Wings

by | Mar 26, 2019 | Ketogenic

I don’t know why some things take me SO LONG to hop on the bandwagon, but MAN OH MAN the air fryer is something we have ALL been missing out on!  That is, if you haven’t yet used one. If you have been around for long enough, you know that all things low carb/keto for my family and I need to be STUPID EASY… I love playing around with some of the more complicated recipes, but to be honest, I am a TIRED mom of a very busy baby. Ain’t no body got time for ALL THE KETO CRAZY!  (though I love and adore all my friends who make the amazing intricate recipes. You are all my heroes!)

So thats where the Air Fryer comes in. 
Well, along with the Instant Pot! Omg the BEST APPLIANCE IN THE HISTORY OF EVER. Are those enough caps for you to emphasize my point? A little extra? That’s ok!

Back to business.  Air Fry my friends!

Back during Amazon Prime Day, I scored the Bella Air Fryer (2.7Qt) on major sale because I wanted to give this whole “crisp all the things” a try!  I didn’t realize they came in different sizes, so as you are starting your journey, make sure to consider what your family needs! The Bella is great, easy to use but a bit on the small side. It can fit 3-4 chicken thighs or about 12-14 wings. Not bad for a family of 2-3 but if you need some more space, or want any leftovers, I recommend some of the XL sizing options!  

To help you in your discovery, here are my top AIR FRY picks!

GREAT VALUE: Ultrean Air Fryer-4.2Qt (Under $70m with great ratings!)
BIGGEST SIZE: Big Boss Oil-Less Fryer 16Qt (Great price, HUGE, decent reviews)
BELLS AND WHISTLES: Cosori 11 Preset 5.8QT (Tons of features, good price!)

*Disclaimer: In the name of full transparency, please be aware that this blog post will contain affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost for you!)  This allows me to do what I LOVE and support my cute little family and much needed coffee habit one recipe at a time! Thank you for your continued support!

Ok Ok… Back to the reason you are here!

Parmesan Garlic Air Fry WINGS!!!

These were so so good that we had them the last 2 nights in a row. Best part though, I cooked them FROM FROZEN and they came out to a crispy perfection.  I am not joking how good these are but also how STUPID EASY they are to whip up!

We tossed them in a blend of melted butter, parmesan cheese and minced garlic. Lip smacking, butter all over your face kind of GOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!!!!!

 

Go crazy with all the Keto sauces your heart desires!  There are tons of great SF BBQ sauces as well as Ranch and Honey Mustard.  Or stay plain Jane like us and toss in butter and some garlic and you are sure to bring the whole family back to the table for more!

INGREDIENTS

-Fresh or Frozen Chicken Wings (Amount depends on size of your air fryer. You can always do multiple batches since they cook up quick! Thawed will cook a little over 20m)
-Salt and Pepper to Taste
-Keto/SF sauce of your choice

DIRECTIONS

-Turn on Air Fryer temp to 375/380 for thawed chicken.  (I cooked at 400 for frozen)
-Stack wings in basket. Don’t worry about them being flat or on top of each other, they start to shrink in size as they cook and can be slightly on top of each other. 
-Spray base and top of wings lightly with a bit of coconut oil. 
-Sprinkle salt and other seasonings on top to taste. 
-Cook for about 25min, flipping wings over half way through. 
-When time is up, increase temp to 400 for an additional 5-6min. (I have forgotten this step a few times and they still turn out great. This will give an added crisp!)
-Transfer immediately to bowl and toss in your favorite sauce!

SAUCES
-Parm Garlic: Melted butter, parmesan cheese and garlic (Amounts vary depending on serving size.) Melt butter and add minced garlic. Sprinkle grated parmesan cheese and drizzle butter mixture over wings. Toss to coat and save some in bowl to dip your STUPID EAST BAGELS into for a delectable treat!
-SF BBQ Sauce, Honey Mustard or Ranch work great as well. 
-Any low carb dry rub. Sprinkle onto wings BEFORE cooking for most enhanced flavor!

I hope this gives you excitement and confidence in using your Air Fryer.  I would also looooooooooove to hear from you some of your other favorite KETO recipes you have tried. We love friend shrimp and chicken thighs but look forward to venturing out with some new ways to use our Air Fryer in the near future!

Have an amazing time cooking keto in the kitchen and I look forward to hearing about all your amazing recipes soon!

CHEERS & KETONES,

Rachael Dee

 

Chocolate Chip Piffle Waffle

Chocolate Chip Piffle Waffle

by | Mar 25, 2019 | Ketogenic

HAPPY NATIONAL WAFFLE DAY!!!

In honor of such a momentous occasion (basically the best day ever and what our hopes and dreams are made of!), I decided to FINALLY get you the details on what I affectionately call on my Facebook page The Chocolate Chipple Piffle Wiffle… or simply put, the Chocolate Chip WAFFLE!

But if you are new around here, this is the famous and all to stupid easy PIFFLE base that your entire family will go crazy about! PLUS its the fastest batter you will whip up! I promise!  So many easy keto bread recipes to whip up!

The PIFFLE base is from our STUPID EASY BAGELS and is simply a base of mozzerella cheese, almond flour and eggs.  Best part is NO.  MELTING.  REQUIRED.  That’s right my keto friends… no more melting and trying to get the eggs mixed into an already difficult batter.  

Now don’t get me wrong… I love a good fathead dough base and the puff pastry texture it gives (which IMO can only happen through melting the cheese).  However, I get more frustrated each time I attempt it and find this SEB dough works just as good and so versatile!  (With how many of y’all are crazy about this dough, I know I am not the only one!)

BACK TO THE WAFFLES!!! 

This is a totally different texture of waffle than you might be used to and has the most decadent taste and delightful crunch!  (If you want a fluffy texture, make sure to check out my KETO WAFFLES here!)  You really have the a lot of creativity with this recipe and can go big with your flavors or stay nice and simple. 

You will need a waffle iron for this one… and if you don’t yet have one in your keto kitchen, you will surely be glad you did!  We love THIS BRAND because it has removable plates. Trust me, it makes clean up SO MUCH EASIER!

Some of our favorite toppings are as follows:
–Lakanto Maple Syrup OR ChocZero Maple and Kerry Gold Grass Fed butter
-All natural peanut butter and a tiny drizzle of SF syrup
-Cinnamon and Swerve Sprinkled on top

What is your favorite way to dress up your waffles!?

*Disclaimer: In the name of full transparency, please be aware that this blog post will contain affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost for you!)  This allows me to do what I LOVE and support my cute little family and much needed coffee habit one recipe at a time! Thank you for your continued support!

INGREDIENTS:
(This is for one person. Multiply base as needed)

-1 cup of mozzarella cheese (only use this for sweet baking as it has a mild flavor)
-1 egg
-1/2 cup almond flour (We love this brand for just $5 per pound)
*For those with almond allergy, substitute with 2tbsp coconut flour
-1 to 2 TBSP ERYTHRITOL or low carb sweetener (depending on how sweet you like)
-1/4 cup Lily’s Low Carb Baking Chocolate Chips
-1/4 tsp baking powder

DIRECTIONS:

-Turn on waffle iron and allow to heat. Spray with coconut oil prior to adding batter.
-Mix all ingredients in bowl and place onto hot griddle
-Allow to cook 5-7min depending on your waffle setting. (I place mine on med high and wait till it no longer separates when I open to check texture)
-Immediately remove from iron and slather with butter and toppings!
-Inhale, ENJOY and make sure to let me know ON MY FACEBOOK PAGE how much you LOVE the taste!!!

 Cheers & Ketones,

Rachael Dee

Loaded KETO Nachos

Loaded KETO Nachos

by | Mar 22, 2019 | Ketogenic

Normally Firday night is PIFFLE PIZZA NIGHT but I wanted to give you another amazingly STUPID EASY option that will have the men in your family come RUNNING for more! Seriously. It is that good. But the best thing is that this is a perfect meal for those nights you 100% forget to thaw anything or like me, completly forgot about dinner… Sorry babe!

I promise y’all… you will NOT be disappointed!  The base is any flavor of Pork Rinds (We love the MAC’S BBQ) and then any sort of combination of meat and cheese. You could do ground beef, diced chicken, shredded pork, or even sliced up pepperoni or lunch meat. Seriously y’all, it tastes THAT good!

Then you can have fun with drizzling any sort of low carb sauce on top of the meat before you broil, or have it on the side for dipping!  My husbands current favorite combo is some diced lunchmeat like ham and turkey, with SF BBQ sauce (This is his current favorite!) and smothered with cheese!

SO. GOOD.

I will be honest with you, if you are looking for a “tortilla chip” taste, you will not get it. These are clearly pork rinds and they taste like pork rinds.  (Because we hate it when someone tries to make a “keto” version of something and it DOES NOT taste anything like the original… like cauliflower pizza. Don’t call it that please LOL)

BUT if you even remotely like the flavor of pork rinds then you will LOVE the crunch that this provides! And once is it smothered and covered in meat, cheese and toppings, YOU WILL INHLAE IT. I promise. We had this the other night and I stopped talking to Justin so I could savor each and every bite!

People ask me how to keep the pork rinds from getting too soggy and the remedy is pretty easy! If you are cooking up some ground beef or chicken, allowing the meat to cool in the fridge or freezer for a bit will help it dramatically. My hubby LOVES it when if gets soggy (go figure lol) but if you want to maintain that CRUNCH, then used cold meat or cool it down before applying. 

I am curious if you have ever tried nachos this way!? Have FUN with the combinations and make sure to comment below with your favorite rendition!!!!

*Disclaimer: In the name of full transparency, please be aware that this blog post will contain affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost for you!)  This allows me to do what I LOVE and support my cute little family and much needed coffee habit.

INGREDIENTS

-Base of pork rinds (plain, BBQ, hot and spicy… the options are endless!!) We love THESE!
-Choice of meat (ground beef/turkey/chicken, rotisserie chicken, pulled pork etc)
-Choice of sauce drizzled on top of meat (This is optional-BBQ, ranch, sour cream etc)
-Shredded cheese (Colby jack, mozzarella, pepper jack, sharp cheddar etc)
-Any toppings once cheese is melted under broiler (avocado, guac, lettuce, tomato etc)

DIRECTIONS

-Turn broiler onto low
-Layer items: pork rinds, meat, sauce (optional) and then covered in shredded cheese on parchment paper or silicone baking mat (some people do not use their mats under the broiler but we have never personally had a problem)
-Place pan under broiler for JUST a 1-3 minutes, checking constantly to keep them from burning. (Or electric broiler cooks WAYYYYYYY faster than our gas stove did. Just keep checking) 
-Pull pan out once cheese is melted and gooey!
-Use spatula to transfer delectable nachos to plate and top till your hearts content! (I love to have a huge side of sour cream to dip mine into. OMG yum. )
Devour and ENJOY!

-Very very low carb count. To calculate your own macros, add up your totals in your macro calculator and be on your merry way!

Comment below with YOUR favorite LOADED KETO NACHOS and share this amazingly stupid easy recipe with your best Keto friend!

 Cheers & Ketones,

Rachael Dee

Kid Friendly KETO Egg Salad

Kid Friendly KETO Egg Salad

by | Mar 21, 2019 | Ketogenic

One of the questions I get ALL THE TIME is what I feed my toddler and if kiddos HAVE to eat Keto!

So that sparked my JOY and I wanted to start to document some of the things that Noah LOVES and some of the thoughts behind Kids and Keto!  I will eventually have an entire blog post up about the need for kids to eat keto or not but until then I will leave you with this. Children, for the most part, have not developed any sort of insulin resistance in their bodies. Therefore they do not need to restrict their carbohydrates in the way an adult who has insulin resistance would need to. However, the body, no matter the age, does not tolerate large amounts of sugar in any form-fruit, juices, grains, etc.  My encouragement would be to focus on GOOD brain healthy fats, clean protein sources, tons of veggies and complex carbs in moderation

My child loves bananas right now.  LOVES THEM.  I do choose to limit them since they are a tropical fruit and rich in simple sugar… but they sure are convenient when we are strolling the aisles of Target and are SO filling.  I also limit any sort of grains and try to choose starches I can prepare at home (Like sweet potatoes) and balance any carb with a good fat and protein so his body can break it down slowly.

The only other thing I am PERSONALLY 100% committed to is NO GLUTEN OF ANY FORM in his diet. I have my reasons as someone who suffers from celiac, but with the research surfacing right now of the impact gluten has on inflammation in the body, I find it a wise choice to just stay away from. There are so many amazing breads and muffins I can make him with coconut flour or almond flour and I know that the lining in his gut is going to stay reduced while he is still developing. I am no expert on this subject, but there are some real affects gluten has on the body. (Especially with the impact of GMO’s and the way our wheat is not processed vs. 30+ years ago. Again, do your own research and have no guilt if you choose to include it)

*I am of course NOT a doctor or nurse NOR DO I offer ANY advice, treatments or diagnosis in regards to health. What I share is my own opinion and what I have found to work for my child and family. Please consult your doctor before starting any new way of healthy eating and ALWAYS do your own personal informed self care!

Back to my bitty babe!
I stayed Keto for most of my pregnancy (most because I ate my body weight in yogurt and Cheerios the first trimester to keep the morning sickness at bay) and had minimal weight gain because of it. From the information I gleaned from other doctors and experts, some of the best ways to support babies brain development, even in the womb, was FAT! Our brains are composed of large amounts of fat and is SO healthy and healing to this vital organ. (The brain is an organ, right? See… I told you I am not a medical professional LOL). 

So when Noah was born, I fought hard to breastfeed (and it was a hard fight for me till 10 months when we ended our journey!!) BUUUUUT the MAIN reason I chose to fight for it was… DING DING DING… THE FAT! Breastmilk is all kinds of miraculous but one of the most amazing aspects is how chock full of good fats it is! (A natural producer of KETONES!) So when we started solids at 4 months, our pediatric doctor suggested supplementing with avocado and hard boiled egg yolks. Noah actually struggled to gain weight the first 4-6mo of his life, so I felt SO good about these nutritious foods that were packed with fats. He slowly started gaining and is now a really great eater!

(*I know that ALL babies are different and we ALL go through different journeys. Be it that you couldn’t breastfeed or your child is a picky eater, I want you to know mama that you are the PERFECT MOM for your baby and you are FEEDING your child. You are doing an amazing job and I want you to OWN your journey and never allow comparison to steal your abundant joy of nurturing and taking care of your child. I share what I do simply to offer support and context for some of the highs and lows we went through. You do the best you can and know I am 100% cheering you on!!! Much love to you!!!)

Still to this day he loves avocado and eggs! If I let him, I think he would eat it for EVERY meal. That’s why this rendition of a Keto Egg Salad was a HUGE hit the other day and we were chuckling as he smeared and inhaled the entire bowl, smothering and covering his face! What a joy it is to watch him enjoy such great foods for his body to grow!

Avocados contain more potassium than bananas and are an amazing superfood!  They are loaded with healthy monounsaturated fatty acids, fiber, antioxidants and are so satiating!  Its considered a fruit, however is low low in carbs and an incredible fat source for both kids and adults!  

Eggs are considered the PERFECT protein and such wonderful foods for babies. My naturopath encouraged me to start with the YOLKS only, until 10-12months of age since some of the egg allergies are actually from the WHITES.  I saw that as a good thing since the yolk has ALL the amazing benefits! Egg Yolks are rich in folate and vitamin B12 and tons of great Omegas for baby’s brain.  My mom also helped me understand that yolks are rich in CHOLINE, which is a member of the B vitamin family and is necessary for the proper function of our liver, helps with the structural nature of our cells and imperative to our cognitive health!

That’s why I love this recipe for kiddos and parents alike! SO easy to make and free from any mayo as well! (Don’t get me wrong, I loooooove me some mayo.  Just not ready for my tiny tot to have it). That’s why I decided to use some MCT oil for all of its amazing nutritious values and cognitive support! (If you don’t use MCT oil daily, go do a simple google search of its value. SO. GOOD. FOR. YOU. )

This base is super simple, fast to make and something you can play around with when it comes to spices and seasonings! Make some STUPID EASY BAGELS to go along with it and smear some on for yourself while your kiddos enjoy this amazingly nutritious meal!

Cheers & Ketones!

Rachael Dee

INGREDIENTS
-2 to 3 hard boiled eggs
-1/2 of a ripe avocado
-1 to 2 tsp MCT OIL (This is the one we use and LOVE)
-Salt and seasoning to taste (pictured above is Trader Joes Everything But the Bagel seasoning and a family FAVORITE!!!)

DIRECTIONS
Mix ingredients together in bowl and ENJOY immediately!
This recipe can keep in the fridge for a day but you will notice the ripening of the avocado turning brown. Its not that the avocado has gone bad, but oxidation from the air will start to turn the color. I suggest making enough for one sitting and keep some hard boiled eggs on hand for when you need more!