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Pollo Toluca

Entrees, General,

Pollo Toluca is one of my favorite entrées to order at a Mexican restaurant. For people who are not familiar with this dish, it is a dish comprised of grilled chicken breast covered with chorizo and cheese sauce. In a typical restaurant, it is generally served with Mexican rice, guacamole and Pico de Galo. However, it is a no brainer to make it keto by omitting the rice and adding more salad to it. It has a healthy amount of fat and very little carb.

Basically it is a three part recipe but, honestly, it is not at all complicated. I buy my chorizo from a local Mexican butcher but I am pretty sure any chorizo or chorizo like sausage will work just fine. I know for a fact that there is a very similar sausage available in Goa, India; it has the same kind of vinegary taste that chorizo has and can work really well. If you can’t take the sausage out of the casing and crumble, you can slice it and then fry it too. The recipe makes 6 servings:

For the cheese sauce,

1 cup of chicken broth

2 cup queso cheese (shredded or cubed)

1/4th cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons of diced poblano pepper

Salt to taste

Pinch of nutmeg

Combine all the ingredients except the poblano pepper in a saucepan, bring it to a boil and then stir and simmer until cheese melts and the sauce thickens. Add the poblano pepper, stir to combine and put it aside.

For the chorizo, you will need as much as you want. Ideally 2 tablespoons of cooked chorizo per chicken breast but it is personal preference. Cook the chirizo as per your taste preference.

Now for the chicken breast:

3 chicken breasts butterflied and pounded to make it thinner. This helps in cooking it evenly and fast.

1/2 teaspoon of Salt

1/2 teaspoon of Garlic powder

1 teaspoon of Paprika

2 tablespoon of butter

Season the pounded chicken breasts with the salt, paprika and garlic powder.

Heat the butter in a pan and cook the chicken breasts for 3 mins on each side on medium high heat.

I cooked the chicken breasts in two batches (3 chicken breasts in one batch and used a tablespoon of butter for each batch.

To serve, simply top each grilled chicken breast fillet with 2 tablespoon of chorizo and cover with some cheese sauce. Serve it with a nice crunchy salad. Enjoy!

Zuppa Toscana

Soup

This winter has been hard. After coming back from 2 weeks of vacation from California, this was definitely not what I was looking forward to, but life has to go on and vacation has to end. Also, I wanted to get back to my Keto lifestyle after such a long break. San Francisco is both mine and my husband’s favorite city and the reason is the availability of such vast and delicious variety of different cuisines. We indulged every day without fail, be it a luscious seafood Risotto in Little Italy or some steaming dim sum in China town. So it was time to get back to reality.

Since we were gone for a fortnight and the refrigerator was completely empty, we had to brave the chills and go to the grocery store the next day. I bought a bunch of swiss-chard in hopes of making a lentil soup only to come home and discover that I was out of lentil too. However, not everything was a loss. I had all the ingredients to make a pot of Zuppa Toscana; in fact, a keto version of it. To my surprise it turned out so good that I have decided that everyone who follows a keto lifestyle should give this amazing soup a try. I guarantee that you will not be disappointed. Anyways, here is the recipe…

1 small onion chopped

2 cloves of garlic finely minced

4 sliced of bacon chopped

3 cups of cauliflower florets

4 cups of Swiss chard (cleaned and chopped)

4 cups of chicken broth

½ cup heavy cream

4 tablespoons of grated parmesan

  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Sauté the bacon on medium heat in a pot or dutch oven until the bacon starts to brown.
  • In the same pot, add the onion and garlic and sauté for a few minutes.
  • Next add the cauliflower and Swiss card along with the broth.
  • Cover and cook for 20 minutes on medium heat.
  • Add the cream, parmesan and season with salt and pepper to taste and simmer for another 10 minutes.
  • Serve hot and enjoy.

Stuffed Chicken Breast, in sun-dried tomato cream sauce

Entrees

Chicken Breast makes a great weeknight meal.  It cooks quickly and if made right is tender and flavorful. When I meal prep, I tend to sauté a bunch of chopped vegetables like peppers, onions, zucchini and so on. The sautéed veggies help me to easily make a stuffed omelet early in the morning for my husband’s lunch box. It is healthy, delicious and low carb. It can also be served as side dish to a meat and that makes up for a great meal as well.

This recipe has 3 components to it: the chicken breast which is the star of the show, the stuffing which is the sautéed veggies and the cream sauce. It might sound a bit complicated but it really is not. The sautéed veggies can be made ahead of time even though it hardly takes 10 mins to be put together. Also, you can use whatever veggies you have in your fridge.

Ingredients:

2 cups of chopped zucchini

½ cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped bell peppers (I used red since that is what I like)

2 tablespoon of butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 Chicken breasts butterflied

2 tablespoons of shredded sharp cheddar or cheese of your choice

1 tablespoon of minced garlic

1 cup chicken broth

1/4th cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon of chopped sun-dried tomatoes

1 tablespoon of chopped parsley or herb of choice (reduce the amount to 1/3 if using dried herb)

Salt and Pepper to taste.

Instructions:

In a sauté pan, heat one tablespoon of butter, add the vegetables salt and pepper and sauté on high heat till all the veggies soften and the liquid evaporates. Keep the mixture aside. There should be enough for leftovers.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and lay the chicken breast flat and put enough stuffing and one tablespoon of cheese. Fold the chicken breast so that one side lays over the other and secure it with a toothpick.

Heat the remaining butter and olive oil and brown the chicken breasts on both sides.

Remove the chicken from the pan.

Add the garlic and sauté for a few seconds. Then add the broth, cream, sundried tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Add the herbs at this point if using dried herbs.

Add the chicken back to the sauce along with any liquid that might have come out of the chicken while it was resting and cook the chicken for 15 mins covered on low heat.

Adjust the seasoning if necessary, garnish with fresh herbs and serve with a side of creamy cauliflower mash.

Keto Cauliflower Soup

Soup

For past few days it feels like Fall and I love having soups and stews during this time of the year through winter. Snuggled up on the couch and having a hot bowl of soup while watching Netflix is the perfect dinner after a long hard day. Cooking this soup is extremely simple and all I need to clean up is one single pot! Now, that is always a bonus. This cauliflower soup is creamy, luscious, comforting and can easily be altered into a vegan recipe.

 

Ingredients:

6 cups of cauliflower florets roughly chopped

6 cloves of whole garlic

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 teaspoon dry parsley flakes

1/2 teaspoon chili flakes

4 cups chicken stock

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4th cup heavy cream

1/4th shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

In a heavy bottom pan heat olive oil and add the garlic and onion till they start to develop color.

Add the cauliflower, Parsley flakes and chili flakes and keep stirring on a medium high heat till the cauliflower starts to brown (you may notice some liquid initially but that will eventually evaporate). This process takes around 15-20 minutes. At this stage the cauliflower will be almost cooked.

Add the chicken stock, heavy cream, cheese, stir the mixture and bring to a simmer.

Turn off the heat and blend the mixture until smooth or until you achieve the desired texture. (I like mine a bit chunky).

Adjust the seasoning and serve hot.

Keto Blueberry Muffins

Breads, Desserts,

If there is something I love with a cup of coffee on a Sunday morning, it is watching the news and a couple of blueberry muffins. I have a killer recipe for blueberry muffins in my blog but it is not low carb and hence does not fit in my Keto diet. Last Saturday, I and my husband went to Costco and as usual the bakery aisle had samples. One of which was those gigantic blueberry muffins. They looked so darn delicious with abundant blueberries peeking through their golden top. I immediately decided to bake myself some muffins and without a second thought I grabbed myself a big box of blueberries.

Later that evening I started with my “Operation Keto Blueberry Muffins” and after a failed attempt, I got it right! I am delighted to share the recipe with fellow keto diet followers. Although the taste was heavenly in the first attempt, the texture was too crumbly and they were falling apart as I was trying to take them out of the muffin pan. I made a few adjustments during the second attempt and I got the same heavenly taste and a great texture.

Ingredients:

2 cups almond flour

1 cup blueberries

1/2 cup Erythritol

2 tablespoons of oats fiber

2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4th teaspoon salt

1/4th cinnamon

1/4th teaspoon ginger powder

5 tablespoons melted butter

2 whole eggs

1/4th cup plain yogurt

1/4th cup almond milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon molasses

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Instructions:

Combine all the dry ingredients except for the erythritol in a bowl.

In a separate bowl combine the melted butter and erythritol and whisk until creamy.

Add the rest of the wet ingredients and whisk until smooth.

Slowly fold in the dry ingredients and the blueberries in the wet mixture.

Pour the mixture in muffin molds and bake for 20 minutes.

Let cool before digging in.

Refrigerate to store and it will be good for 5 to 6 days.

Enjoy!

Carnitas

Entrees

I have noticed a trend since we started the ketogenic diet. Whenever we are short of time or feel too tired to cook dinner, we get a burrito bowl from either Chipotle or Qdoba.  It is very convenient and fits in the macros  well.

Although this maybe…… happens once a week,  it is getting old really fast and is not good for our wallet.  So, I decided to make a big portion of meat which would last at least 8 meals and will make similar “burrito bowls”

I had a pork shoulder in my freezer which I had bought a couple of weeks ago.Since the weight was around 4 lbs,  I decided to make Carnitas, which are basically slow roasted little bites of meat. I used a dry rub and a marinade to make my Carnitas,  which may sound a bit odd, but follow along and you will be surprised at the deliciousness it will whip up. This combination of rub and marinade can be used with chicken and beef as well.

Ingredients:

3 lbs of pork shoulder

1 cup of warm water

Ingredients you will need for the rub:

11/2 tablespoon of cumin

1 tablespoon of smoked paprika

1 tablespoon of onion powder

1 teaspoon of garlic powder

½ teaspoon of cinnamon

1 teaspoon of dried oregano

1 teaspoon of dried thyme or a few sprigs of thyme

1 ½ tablespoon of salt

1 teaspoon of ground black pepper

Blend the ingredients below to get the marinade

3 adobo chilies in sauce

3 cloves of garlic

1 tablespoon of olive oil

2 tablespoon of red wine vinegar

Preparation:

Pat dry the meat and make ½ inch deep slits all over the meat specially on the fat side.

Coat the meat thoroughly all over with the dry rub and leave it on the counter for 30 mins.

Meanwhile preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

After 30 mins are up, massage the meat with the wet marinade and transfer it in a baking dish and add the warm water from the sides so as to not wash away the spices.

 Cover the dish with heavy duty aluminum foil (if using regular aluminum foil, double cover).

Roast it covered in the oven for 3 hours; then remove the foil cover and roast it for another 20 mins at 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Let it rest for at least 15 mins before cutting or shredding the meat.

Enjoy!

Crab Stuffed Mushrooms in lemon butter sauce

Entrees

Last Wednesday my husband had a lunch meeting from his work at Johny Carinos. For people who do not know, this place is a popular chain serving mostly Italian pastas and pizzas. Although the food is good, there is very limited choice if you want to eat keto friendly food.

After a lot of dilemma, I told him the previous night, that he should just order some salad and the stuffed mushrooms in cream sauce that he loves and we put the matter to rest. When he came back from work the next day I asked him how the lunch meet went and he was very disappointed since the restaurant was not serving the stuffed mushrooms. I felt really bad for him since he really loves those mushrooms so I looked in my pantry and refrigerator and realized that I had everything I needed to make the stuffed mushrooms. Usually the ones he likes are stuffed with cream cheese and spinach but I thought of making it a little fancier and substituted the spinach with crab meat. Who does not like crab meat?

The ingredients for this recipe are not many and the recipe by itself is easy to follow and can be prepared under 30 mins. I used sage as my choice of herb but you can use whatever you prefer, dried mixed herb will also work. You can also use ricotta cheese instead of cream cheese. I just used what I had on hand.

Ingredients you will need for the stuffed mushroom are:

8 to 10medium sized Portobello mushrooms or any mushrooms

4 oz. of softened cream cheese or paneer or ricotta cheese

6 oz. of crab meat (I used canned crab meat)

¼ cup of grated parmesan (you can also use sharp cheddar)

1 tablespoon of butter

1 tablespoon of olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

For the Sauce you will need:

1 tablespoon of unsalted butter

1 teaspoon of crushed garlic

5-6 sage leaves

1 teaspoon of lemon zest

2 tablespoon of heavy cream

2 tablespoon of chicken stock or water

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Start with combining the cream cheese, crab meat, salt and pepper to taste in a bowl and stirring the mixture until it is homogenous.

Clean the mushrooms; scoop out the stem and stuff them all with the mixture.

Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top of the mushrooms.

In a pan heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil with 1 tablespoon of butter, place the mushrooms in the pan and cook them for 10 mins on a medium high heat.

Remove the mushrooms from the pan and add the remaining tablespoon of butter along with garlic and sage and saute till the rawness of the garlic is gone (about 20 seconds).

Add the rest of the ingredients except for the lemon juice.

Once the sauce comes to a simmer, adjust the seasoning and place the mushrooms back in the pan with any dripping and add the lemon juice.

Put the pan under the broiler on low for 5 mins or until the cheese on the top of the mushrooms have browned.

Garnish with some chopped Parsley if you wish and serve it warm with a salad or Zoodles.

Servings:2

Sunday Tuna Bake

Entrees

I love a good cheesy savory casserole. This tuna bake is perfect in many ways.

One of which is that you can assemble everything beforehand, freeze it, and then bake it when you desire. Along with some serious cheesy goodness this casserole is keto friendly. Serve it with a salad and a cup of your favorite brew and you know you have set yourself up for a good start.

The ingredients are few and you can probably substitute any of the cheeses if you want; and if you are on a keto diet chances are that you will probably have all the ingredients in your pantry and refrigerator anyways.  I made a big batch which made 8 very generous servings but feel free to adjust the volume or just make it, portion it and freeze it.

Ingredients you will need:

20 oz. canned Tuna in water

12 oz. low fat cream cheese (softened)

11/4  cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese

4 cups of cauliflower florets diced into smaller pieces

1 cup chopped onions

¼  cup of sugar free relish or diced pickles ( optional)

2 tablespoons of chives or herb of choice

1 tablespoon of chopped red chilies (optional)

1 tablespoon of olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 450 °F.

While the oven is preheating, heat the olive oil in a pan and add the onions and cauliflower florets to it. Season with salt and pepper lightly and sauté till the cauliflower florets starts to brown.

Combine the cream cheese and 1 cup of cheddar along with the relish, chilies. Gradually add the Tuna and the Cauliflower and onion mixture and fold it in so as to not mush everything up.

Adjust the seasoning at this point. (remember that cheddar cheese will add to the saltiness of the whole dish so be careful. I did not add any extra salt and I liked the way it came out).

Transfer mixture in a baking dish and sprinkle the remaining 1/4 th cup of cheddar on top. (this is where you can cover it with a plastic wrap and freeze it).

Bake the casserole in the oven for 15 mins or until the top is browned.

Let it cool for at least 10 mins before serving.

Keto Chocolate Creme Brûlée

Desserts

I have a really bad sweet tooth so if I cannot have a desert once in a while on a keto diet, I would surely fail to adhere to the strict guidelines. I am a chocoholic and a big fan of this chocolate desert, the mighty Chocolate Crème Brûlée which is nothing but a baked chocolate pudding with a burnt crispy sugar crust on top.

It is very difficult to get a sugar burnt top when there is no sugar involved you say?

I found that Swerve actually browns and burns like sugar and fortunately I had some at home. So, without much delay let us start with this awesome and super easy desert recipe.

 

To make 4 servings of Chocolate Crème Brûlée you will need:

1 ½ cup of heavy whipping cream

¼ cup of sugar substitute

1 oz of unsweetened baking chocolate

½ teaspoon of instant espresso powder

1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder

Pinch of salt

Pinch of Cinnamon

1 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract

4 egg yolks

4 teaspoons of Swerve

Preheat the oven to 300° F.

In a saucepan, heat the heavy whipping cream on a medium heat stirring occasionally till tiny bubbles start appearing on the periphery.

Take the saucepan off the heat and add all the ingredients except the egg yolks, vanilla extract and the Swerve. Giver it a stir and let it stand for 10 mins.

After 10 mins, add the vanilla extract to the mixture and whisk until smooth.

In a separate bowl whisk the egg yolks until pale yellow.

Add the cream and chocolate mixture in a thin stream to the egg yolks whisking the egg yolks continuously to avoid curdling ( in fancy terms this method is called tempering).

Once all the cream mixture and egg yolks are incorporated together, it is time to dish up and bake.

Cover the bottom of a baking dish which can accommodate all 4 bowls with a kitchen towel ( this will ensure that the bowls will not move while transporting them from the kitchen counter to the oven).

Distribute the mixture in 4 oven proof custard bowls or ramekins and place them in the baking dish. Pour hot water from the side of the pan to avoid any splashing until 1/3 of the ramekins/bowls are covered. (This process is called Bain Marie and ensures that the food cooks evenly at a lower temperature setting slowly).

Bake the Crème Brûlée for 30 mins until the mixture sets and becomes jiggly in the middle.

Take them out of the hot water bath and place on a cooling rack to cool completely.

At this point, you can either put them in the refrigerator to serve later or if you are like me, eat it right away.

To serve, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of swerve on the top of the custard and brown the top either under the broiler ( keep a close watch since it can go pretty quickly) or you can be fancy and torch the top with a Crème Brûlée Torch; and if you just can wait anymore, take a spoon and just dig in. The custard is delicious even without the top crust.

Hope you enjoy.

Chicken Saltimbocca

Entrees

I had Chicken Saltimbocca in Buca de Bepo and I absolutely fell in love with this Italian classic. This is a simple and quick dish to make if you have the right ingredients lurking in your pantry. It can be enjoyed with simple Pasta or crusty bread and is surely a crowd pleasure. I am toning down on the butter to make it lighter but this has no effect on the taste whatsoever.act_chicken saltimboca

You will need:

♦           2 Chicken Breasts butterflied                            ♦          2 artichoke hearts halved

♦          2 prosciutto strips cut in half                              ♦         2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour

♦          ½ teaspoon salt                                                        ♦          ½ teaspoon of pepper

♦          ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes                      ♦          2 tablespoons of lemon juice

♦          1 teaspoon of sage                                                  ♦          1 teaspoon lemon zest

♦          1 teaspoon of capers                                             ♦          1 tablespoon of butter

♦          1 tablespoon of olive oil                                      ♦          1/3 cup of white wine

♦          ½ cup chicken stock

What you need to do:

  • Combine the flour salt and pepper and sprinkle over the Chicken breast and wrap them with prosciutto strips.
  • Heat the sage and olive oil in a pan on a medium high heat and add the Chicken breasts to brown them which will take 4-5 mins on each side.
  • In the same pan, add the rest of the ingredients except for the chicken stock and let the wine reduce to half.
  • Once the wine has reduced, add the chicken stock and the butter. Cook till the butter melts and serve with desired sides.