Keto For Beginners

Most nights we have a meat already prepared as well as a salad, but what makes a suitable side for a Keto Dinner?

Any non-starchy veggie would work, so I usually scour Pinterest until I come up with a recipe that will work for the veggie I happen to have on hand, which in this case is zucchini!

We all probably get tired of broccoli, and besides, it’s already in my salad, so I would like a change, please. 🙂 Enter zucchini noodles mac and cheese! I found this recipe through Kirbie’s Cravings on Pinterest and I’m betting it’s a winner winner chicken dinner!

I will link to the recipe below, but first, I wanted to talk about some other sides we have had in the past. How about seasoned and buttered Brussels Sprouts? Even better with bacon!

I tend to want sweet potatoes…a lot, yet they aren’t actually low carb (still good for you) so they are a sometimes cheat. Just one cup of sweet potatoes has 27g of carbs!!! However, the nutrition they provide just can’t be beat. So, I eat them from time to time.

Another great choice is asparagus, which is also good wrapped in bacon, lol! See a trend here? 🙂 I have done a post on the best low carb veggies here, so just grab any one off the list, add some butter, spices, and of course, bacon when appropriate!

Be like me and scour Pinterest Keto boards for more inspiration. Here is the recipe for the zucchini mac and cheese-just click the image!

Of course, there have been nights all we did was add some slices of salted avocado to our plates along with our meat and a salad of some sort. Most nights, however, the avocado is already in my salad. (my salads are more like a meal) 🙂

What are your favorite side dishes? Do you like quick and easy, or do you tend to go all out and be a true chef in the kitchen? I’d love to hear your thoughts, ideas, or share a recipe!

Easy cream cheese pancakes are a great alternative to eggs every day on a keto diet.

Do you ever get tired of eggs? People on the Keto diet eat a lot of eggs, but what if I told you that combining one egg with an ounce of cream cheese and a splash of vanilla could create the tasty pancakes like the ones pictured above, almost as fast as cooking up an omelet? Would you believe me?

Well sisters and brothers, believe it! I decided yesterday I couldn’t face one more egg muffin this week, and longed for something more filling and delicious. I needed a change. Well, change is what I got and it was so satisfying, quick and easy, I’ll be having these at least once a week!

Now don’t get me wrong, these weren’t big, thick, fluffy pancakes of olden days, but they were pancakes that tasted delicious and broke me out of the old egg-for-breakfast routine, which was good enough for me! Can you imagine?

The recipe is just what I mentioned above, mixed in a bullet or Ninja, cooked in Kerrygold butter in a nice, hot, frying pan and voila! Top with sugar-free syrup and you have a delicious, keto breakfast that satisfies those cravings for something resembling bread, yet stays low-carb.

Add a slice or two of bacon or your favorite low carb protein of choice and there you have it! Try them out yourself and tell me what you think!

Recipe:

1 egg

1oz cream cheese

1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

Mix ingredients in a bullet or Ninja cup blender, pour batter in a hot, buttered frying pan, cook like any other pancakes. Top with butter and sugar-free syrup and enjoy! Makes about 3 medium sized pancakes.

(Revising nutrition info)

It’s been awhile back, a few weeks ago I believe, that I tried these Keto muffins I found on this site here.

BASIC ALMOND FLOUR MUFFINS 
6 ounces almond flour (1 1/2 cups) 
1 teaspoon baking powder 
1/8 teaspoon salt  
2 tablespoons butter, melted 
1 cup granular Splenda or equivalent liquid Splenda 
1 teaspoon vanilla 
2 tablespoons heavy cream 
3 tablespoons water 
2 eggs 

Put the almond flour, baking powder, salt and granular Splenda, if using, in a medium mixing bowl. In a small bowl, melt the butter in the microwave. Add the liquid Splenda, if using, the vanilla, cream and water to the butter. Add the liquid mixture and the eggs to the dry ingredients in the bowl. Mix well with a spoon. If the batter seems too stiff, stir in another tablespoon of water.

Spoon the batter into six paper-lined muffin cups. Bake at 350º 15-20 minutes, until the tops are golden brown. Remove from the pan and cool at least 5 minutes on a rack before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store in the refrigerator. 

Makes 6 muffins 
Can be frozen

With granular Splenda: 
Per Serving: 258 Calories; 22g Fat; 8g Protein; 10.5g Carbohydrate; 3.5g Dietary Fiber; 7g Net Carbs

With liquid Splenda: 
Per Serving: 242 Calories; 22g Fat; 8g Protein; 6.5g Carbohydrate; 3.5g Dietary Fiber; 3g Net Carbs

VARIATIONS:

Maple Nut Muffins – Add 1 1/2 teaspoons maple flavoring and 1/4 cup chopped pecans 
Orange Muffins – Add 1 teaspoon orange extract and 1 tablespoons grated orange zest 
Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins – Add 1 teaspoon lemon extract, lemon zest and 1 teaspoon poppy seeds 
Banana Walnut Muffins – Add 1 teaspoon banana flavoring and 1/4 cup chopped walnuts 
Apple-Cinnamon Muffins – Add 2 packets sugar free cider mix, reduce the sweetener to 1/2 cup and add 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 
Blueberry Muffins – Add a handful of fresh blueberries 
Cinnamon Muffins – Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Full disclosure, I copied her recipe to share with you guys here in case some of you don’t use Pinterest. The photo is my own from the time I made them, they were so delicious! Once made, I stored them in the fridge, then when I wanted one, I placed them in the toaster oven on the toast setting and when ready, I used cream cheese instead of butter…heavenly!

Another note, I use silicone muffin liners like these and they pop right out with easy cleanup!

Try them with your next stew or whatever you usually pair cornbread with. Makes every Keto meal better when you can have a piece of bread, right?!!