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The KETO My Success

My experiences after embracing a ketogenic lifestyle.

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Want delicious soup? Start with a great stock.

It took a while for this winter to get cold but guess what…it’s COLD now.  What do I crave when the temperatures drop?  Soup.  The start and finish to a great soup, in my humble opinion, is the stock that you use.  There are some really good boxed stocks in the store to use in a pinch but I prefer homemade.  This recipes adapted from the Barefoot Contessa, enhances all the flavors in your soup and takes it to another level.

Positive of this recipe:  It tastes amazing and makes a large quantity so you can “stock” your freezer.

Downside:  It cooks on the stove top for a really long time.

StockI find that this is a great recipe for those weekend days at home when you are just doing things around the house.  Put it on in the morning and let it simmer away all day.  I cook mine for about 6-7 hours, strain it, and then put it back on the stove for an hour or two to further reduce and intensify the flavors.

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Basic Chicken Stock

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 8 hours

Total Time: 8 hours, 30 minutes

Yield: 6-7 quarts

Ingredients

  • 3 roasting chickens
  • 3 large onions, unpeeled and quartered
  • 6 carrots, unpeeled and halved
  • 4 celery stalks with leaves, cut in thirds
  • 20 fresh parsley sprigs
  • 15 fresh thyme sprigs
  • 2 fresh dill sprigs
  • 1 head garlic, unpeeled and cut in half
  • 2 tbsp. kosher salt
  • 2 tsp whole black peppercorns

Instructions

  1. Place all the ingredients into a massive stock pot (16-20 quart pot). Over with 7-8 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Skim any foam that forms on the top of the pot. Lower the heat and simmer over uncovered for 6-8 hours.
  2. Strain the entire pot through a colander into another soup pot, discarding the solids. Return the stock to the stove and simmer for an additional 1 to 2 hours. This will reduce the stock and add terrific flavor! Put the stock into quart size containers and refrigerate or freeze the stock for future use.

Notes

Tip: I keep the remaining bones/skin from rotisserie chickens in the freezer. When I have 3 rotisserie chickens in the freezer, I make more stock. The bones, remaining meat, and skin give the stock all the great flavor without having to purchase 3 additional whole chickens.

http://theketomysuccess.com/want-delicious-soup-start-with-a-great-stock/

Source: adapted from the Barefoot Contessa

Cheeseburger Soup

It has been cold and rainy, here in the Hoosier state, for several days.  What sounds better on a rainy day than soup.  To be completely honest, soups are my favorite foods so I could eat them rain or shine, cold or hot, or during any season.  This soup is a favorite in our house because it is cheesy and delicious!

I do use a processed product in this soup.  You don’t have to use it but it does add a special something to the soup.  What am I hemming and hawing over?  Velveeta.  I use two of the new mini-blocks for the entire pot of soup.  If you choose not to indulge, you can just add some more cheddar to the cheese sauce.  If you choose to use the Velveeta, I hope that you will feel like the extra couple of carbs are well worth it.  It adds a creaminess to the soup and feels more like a traditional comfort food.  Either way, I know that you will love this soup.

I would also recommend using homemade chicken stock.  People tend to feel like they don’t have time to make there own.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Get a big ‘ol stock pot (I got mine at Home Goods) and just throw the veggies, whole chickens, and spices into the pot.  Let me help you further….  you do not need to peel any of the vegetables or do anything to the chickens.  It really is as simple as throwing it in the pot, covering it with water and letting it simmer for 8-10 hours.  I throw mine on before I go to bed and put it on low all night.  When I wake up in the morning – VOILA – chicken stock.  I put it in containers and keep it in the fridge for my next cooking adventure.

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Cheeseburger Soup

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Yield: 8

Serving Size: 1 cup

Cheeseburger Soup

This soup is comfort food at it's best. It is hearty, creamy, and full of cheesy goodness. I know that you will love it as much as we do!

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ cups cauliflower florets
  • ½ cup white onion, diced
  • ½ cup celery, diced
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp dried parsley
  • 4-5 cups chicken stock
  • 1 lb ground chuck
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • ½ tsp xanthan gum
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese
  • 8 oz Velveeta cheese

Instructions

  1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the ground chuck, onion and celery, cooking until meat has browned and vegetables are softened. Add the cauliflower, chicken stock, and spices and bring to a slow boil.
  2. While the cauliflower cooks, make the cheese sauce. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the xanthan gum and let cook for 1 minute. Slowly add in the heavy cream, whisking to incorporate the butter and xanthan gum. The sauce will begin to thicken and you will add the cheddar cheese. Continue to whisk the sauce to ensure that the cheese incorporates and is smooth. Next, melt in the Velveeta cheese. Once everything is blended, add the cheese sauce to the chicken stock and whisk together.
  3. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking.

Notes

Calories 240 Fat 18 Protein 16 Carbs 9

http://theketomysuccess.com/cheeseburger-soup/

Adapted from: Life in the Lofthouse

Getting Started – Refrigerator/Pantry Essentials

Beginning a Ketogenic lifestyle be intimidating.  Where do you even start?  What can I eat and what should I avoid?  Are there certain brands that are better than others?  I am going to try and address this by sharing what we use and the brands that we lean towards.  The bottom line is that you have to experiment and read labels at the store to identify the best products and best brands.

I have a couple of close friends who want to jump in and get started on their keto journey.  I have put together a list of all the staple ingredients in our house and where we buy them.  We live in the suburbs of Indianapolis so we have access to a plethora of great grocery and natural food stores.  I understand that many people do not have accessibility to many of these special ingredients.  Luckily for everyone, there is this amazing company called AMAZON.com where you can find ten types of just about everything!  I am also including the links to the items I purchase most often online.

I have provided some links to Amazon below but you can also check out my store page, here, for more of my favorite products and cookbooks.

The next post will focus on some of my favorite Keto resources and a plan for weekly make-ahead items!  Stay tuned…

Grocery Store:

Cream Cheese – The Marsh brand (Food Club) is ½ the carbs as Philadelphia Original Cream Cheese…and less expensive.

Knox Gelatin

Coconut Flour

Better than Bouillon Chicken Base

Just Mayo – Uses better oils in the mayo

Olive Garden Italian Dressing

Mauna Loa Dry Roasted Macademia Nuts – (Found at regular Wal-Mart Store, not Super and on Amazon)

Chicken Stock – I like to make my own (see recipe here) but I also use Kitchen Basics.

Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa Powder

Hershey’s Natural Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

Thai Kitchen Coconut Milk

Marscapone Cheese

Baker’s Unsweetened Baking Chocolate

PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter

Jell-O Sugar Free, Any Flavor

Jell-O Sugar Free Chocolate Pudding

Kerrygold (Wal-Mart is least expensive most of the time)

Heavy Cream

Sour Cream

Pesto (There is a good one in a large jar at Sam’s Club – Artisan Fresh Pesto)

Eggs

Cheddar, Mozzarella, Mexican Blend, Parmesan cheeses

Lunch Meat (High Fat like Hard Salami)

Pure Protein Chocolate Shake (Good to supplement a meal – Can be found at Wal-Mart Pharmacy area and on Amazon)

Tomato Paste

Casaburo Salad Dressing

Walden Farms Pancake Syrup

 

Amazon:

Wellbee’s Super Fine Almond Flour

Celtic Sea Salt Fine Ground – Great for baking

Now Real Food Xanthan Gum (Also in Specialty Stores by different brand)

Sukrin Gold – Brown Sugar

Swerve – Granulated and Powdered (Also in Specialty Stores)

Now Real Food Xylitol (Also in Specialty Stores)

Lily’s Dark Chocolate Premium Baking Chips (Also in Specialty Stores)

Fresh Gourmet Parmesan Cheese Crisps

Madi K’s Spicy Salsa Almonds

Madina Raw Cocoa Butter

Herb Ox Bouillon Cubes (Beef, Chicken, Vegetable)

Extracts, any flavor (Wal-Mart has a large assortment)

Protein Powder

Fresh Thyme:

Nature’s Way Liquid Coconut Premium Oil

Spectrum Organic Coconut Oil – Refined

Fresh Thyme Romano Caesar and Italian Dressings

Justin’s Classic Almond Butter

SweetLeaf Sweet Drops – Liquid Stevia

Let’s Do Organic 100% Organic Coconut Flakes

Hemp Hearts

Chia Seeds

Whole Foods:

Rao’s Pizza Sauce

Artisana Organics Raw Coconut Butter

Sometimes you just want PASTA

Work has been crazy busy on top of some training out of town; so I haven’t been good with keeping up with my posts.  I think you are really going to love this recipe.  Pasta!  Anymore, we generally don’t miss a lot of the starchy foods like bread, rolls, or pasta.  This is a great alternative for those times when you just want some pasta.  The pasta is very simple to make and tastes much like an egg noodle.  The best part is that this is, again, one of those versatile foods that you can make to your tastes.  For this round, we cut the pasta to a fettuccine size noodle and topped it with pesto-alfredo sauce, sautéed mushrooms, and grilled chicken.  You can really mix it up with different sauces, veggies, and meats.

I will also be posting my recipes for the Alfredo and Pesto Sauces.  They are staples in our refrigerator!  Fingers crossed that this cold weather is past us and we can start planting our outside herbs soon.  We plant basil in the spring and make pesto throughout the summer so that we have a stockpile going into the winter months.  The pesto at Sam’s Club is good but cannot compare to the fresh sauce you can make with your homegrown basil.  Delicious!

Bon appetite!

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Keto Pasta

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 2 Servings

Serving Size: 1/2 recipe

Keto Pasta

Ingredients

  • 4 eggs
  • 2 oz cream cheese
  • Pinch each of: Garlic powder, onion powder, salt & pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325F
  2. Prepare a baking sheet with non-stick foil
  3. Next put all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth and bubbly. Pour onto foil and bake for exactly 8 minutes! Remove from oven, immediately remove foil from pan. I place the foil on table and let cool slightly. Cut tp desired thickness.

Notes

Calories 216 Fat 15.5 Protein 16 Carbs 1

http://theketomysuccess.com/sometimes-you-just-want-pasta/

Source:  LCHF Diva

Grilled Pesto Shrimp & Pan Seared Green Beans

Today marks the first Friday of Lent.  This year is a little different now that we are eating lchf.  Fried fish, cheese pizza, and pasta are aplenty in Catholic homes Grilled Shrimp & Green Beans (1 of 1)around the country.  Fortunately for our health, those aren’t really options for us anymore.  So the question becomes, what are we having for dinner tonight?  The answer tonight was grilled pesto shrimp and pan seared green beans!  It was a very simple meal in preparation but the flavors packed a punch.

Throughout the summer, I harvest the basil in our garden box and make pesto to enjoy throughout the winter.  Pesto freezes great and once thawed, gives your dishes a punch of freshness.  I marinated the shrimp in some of my summer stock of pesto for a couple of hours.  Grilled shrimp is quick!  I skewered it and grilled it for just a couple of minutes on each side.  As soon as the shrimp turns pink, you’re done.

The green beans were inspired by a restaurant that I frequent in Madison, IN called Fresh Cut.  They make the most delicious green beans that I have ever had.  First, I blanched the green beans to get out a little of their bite.  Then, I pan seared them olive oil over high heat and seasoned liberally with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.  Simple but delicious!

Grandpa Mike is in town visiting this weekend and gave this meal a thumbs up.  He said that he is as picky as, my son, Hudson but that this was really good.  I couldn’t ask for a higher compliment!

 

 

Casa Salad, it’s what’s for lunch

I would venture to guess that there are few in northern Indiana that can say that they eaten at one of the Casa restaurants in Fort Wayne.  Every time we head up to our hometown of Angola, we stop to eat at this family favorite!  Casa is a family owned and operated chain of Italian restaurants serving authentic Italian pastas, pizzas, salads, soups, and an array of Italian specialties.  Everything I have ever had is amazing but the standout (and keto-friendly option) is their house salad, the Casaburo Salad.  Loaded with flavor…and cheese…it is simply the best!  Lucky for us, they have bottled their house dressing and have made it available for purchase in their restaurants.  I have spoken with their corporate office and they are going to make it available to order online in the next week or so.  I will make sure to post the link so that you can order it and have it conveniently shipped to your home!

Casa Salad 1

One of my goals this year is to pack my lunch more often.  I went to the grocery store this weekend to get stocked up on the ingredients and prepped them for a few days of lunches.  Once everything is prepped, it’s easy to throw it together in the morning and pack it for a delicious, healthy lunch.  I don’t know about you but eating lunch out is expensive!  Without question, a salad and drink can cost you anywhere from $8-12.  Packing this salad is much more economical and tastes so much better.

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Copycat Casaburo Salad

Copycat Casaburo Salad

Ingredients

  • 2 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
  • 2 tbsp. sweet red pepper
  • 2 tbsp. green onion
  • 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
  • 2 oz grilled chicken
  • 4 tbsp. Casaburo salad dressing
  • salt & pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Toss romaine, red pepper, green onion, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese in salad dressing. Add salt and pepper to taste. Plate salad and add grilled chicken on top.

Notes

Calories 655 Fat 54 Protein 37 Carbs 10

http://theketomysuccess.com/casa-salad-its-whats-for-lunch/

Source:  Inspired by Casa Restaurants