Category Archives: keto recipes
Day 48: Sunday at home; steak dinner
Total weight loss: 14 pounds
Next weigh-in: Saturday, March 3rd
Yesterday morning was a quiet pleasant Sunday. I made myself three scrambled eggs with cheese and onion. I had some leftover bacon, so I warmed that up to go with the eggs. I usually eat while doing my NYT Sunday puzzle, but I wanted to catch up on Downton Abbey, so I watched the Christmas Special, instead. I enjoyed the leisurely meal and entertainment.
We intended to go work on the rental house, but Rick started cleaning out the garage. This led to a couple of bins and boxes of my dad’s paperwork landing in my office. Since I have been looking for some of his documents, plus I didn’t want my office to get messy, I spent the afternoon and evening going through everything. I stopped for a quick almond snack around 3, but worked straight through until about 8:30.
Lucky for me, Rick took care of the cooking. When I finally came up for air, he had a grilled steak and portobello mushrooms waiting for me. Those big juicy mushrooms make up for my usual baked potato, or baked sweet potato, and I don’t miss either of those foods.
We watched the Oscars while we ate. The meal was delicious. I had a big glass of Silk unsweetened almond milk (zero net carbs) to go along with the meal.
Dessert was chocolate mousse. I think the result was my lowest daily carb count so far: only 6 net carbs!
Day 45: A successful bread discovery
Weight loss to date: 14 pounds
Next weigh-in: Saturday, Feb. 25, 2012
Yesterday began as usual, at work with a McRick breakfast. I had an almond snack about 11.
I didn’t eat lunch until around 2. I brought taco salad to heat up, but I really wasn’t looking forward to it. I was debating just going out to search for low-carb fast food, but I didn’t have the gumption or the time. I was hungry, yet nothing I could think of appealed to me.
Brandon offered me a low-carb Kroger yogurt. He had 3 in stock back in the kitchen. I tried the raspberry and it was really flavorful. That will be going on my (Rick’s) grocery list right away. It was only 4 carbs and it really hit the spot.
After work, we stopped by to visit my dad, but he was sleeping. We headed on home and I immediately tried a recipe I had found online and been meaning to try. I haven’t missed bread because I crave the flavors or taste of it; I’ve missed having something to use for a sandwich or to convey dips to my lips.
This recipe for foccacia-style flax bread was on about.com in their low carb recipe section. It appeared to be pretty simple, so I started assembling the ingredients when I got home: milled flax seed, eggs, oil, baking powder, and water. After mixing those together and letting them sit for about 5 minutes, I poured the batter(?) into a 10×14 pan lined with parchment paper. I sprayed the paper with a little Pam first. I baked it for about 20 mins at 350 and it couldn’t have been easier.
The bread had a nice texture, but was very cake-like. It also doesn’t taste like much. Don’t get me wrong. It’s not bad at all. It just doesn’t have much flavor. I don’t think Wonder bread has much flavor either, but it gets the sandwich ingredients to my mouth, and that’s about all I was hoping for.
Rick was about to make himself a couple of chicken sandwiches, so I stole a bit of the chicken and some onion. After assembling the sandwich, with the addition of some mayo, of course, I realized that bacon would add some zest.
I ran down to the freezer, got out a pound, and thawed it in the microwave. As it was cooking on the stove, I made a few tiny appetizers using the bread cut in small pieces and topped with crab spread. YUM.
After the bacon was cooked, I added that too my sandwich. It was a pretty good dinner, with some chili lime almonds on the side.
This bread is labeled: SUCCESS
I intend to make up another batch in a day or so. This time, I’m going to experiment with adding some garlic or cheese (thanks for the idea, Matt and Brandon).
Dessert was chocolate mousse.
Day 44: Taco salad
Weight loss: 14 pounds
Next weigh-in: Saturday, Feb. 25, 2012
I was really busy at work, so I ate a late breakfast yesterday. I had the usual egg bowl made by Rick, which is a really convenient and delicious start to my dad.
I had a “midmorning snack” at around 1, then ate a boring lunch: two hotdogs on a plate, topped with mustard. That’ll teach me to plan ahead.
By dinnertime I was looking for something different. I decided to adapt my taco salad recipe to the keto plan.
I cooked ground beef, added onions and black soy beans. Those are the only type of keto-friendly bean I have found. They are okay tasting, will help me get more fiber into my diet, and make a nice filler for mexican meals. I added taco seasoning and simmered it all together.
I ripped up some lettuce, added grated cheese, and topped with the beef mixture. Then I sliced up an avocado and put it on top. I used 2 Taco Bell taco sauce packets, because those are low carb. The only thing missing was the crunchy bag of Doritos. I cut a Flatwrap into triangles and sauteed in olive oil until mildly crunchy and broke a few up and tossed them into the salad. Of course, I topped it all with a dollop or two of sour cream.
The result was meh. It tasted just okay. I think there were too many tasteless items and not enough spicy ingredients to make up for the missing Dortitos. It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t nearly as good as traditional taco salad. Experiment #1 was a failure.
Day 43: Meat loaf, part 2
Total weight loss: 14 pounds
Next weigh-in: Saturday, Feb 25, 2012
Yesterday began at work, as usual. I had my egg/sausage/cheese bowl, made by Rick.
Lunch was 2 hotdogs microwaved in the last of the chili.
Snack: chili/lime slmonds
At the end of the workday, I got some more bad news. Another friend passed away suddenly over the weekend. When I got home, I decided to have a drink, and a vodka and Diet Coke provided a no carb option.
Brandon and Lindsey dropped by to let me try some wings they picked up from Buffalo Wild Wings. I don’t usually eat traditional wings. I’m a bonelss wing fan. However, each wing is only .3 grams of carbs, so I had to give it a shot. They were parmesan garlic wings and they were pretty good dipped in blue cheese sauce. I could definitely get used to them at 3 wings per one carb!
Rick makes a really good meatloaf. Last month, he tried to adapt it to the keto plan, but I thought the ground pork rinds made it too bitter. This time, he substituted chopped cauliflower and the results were much better. The only thing missing now is the barbecue sauce, but the only really low carb option I found is about $21 for 6 bottles online, and I’m not sure I want to commit that much money to something I haven’t tried yet!
I made the faux cauliflower potatoes to go with the meat loaf. Doesn’t this look like a traditional meat and potatoes dinner?
Dessert was sugar-free lime jello mixed with cream cheese.
Day 41: Indian butter chicken cooked the right way
Weight loss to date: 14 pounds
Next weigh-in: Saturday, Feb 25th
I had another relaxing Sunday, yet accomplished a lot. Breakfast was at home. I ate the leftover pizza from last night while doing the NYT Sunday puzzle.
Lunch was piecemeal. I had a handful of almonds while I worked on websites. I did some laundry, cleaned the kitchen, and by then it was time to go tile the floor at the rental house. I grabbed the leftover 1/4 dish of Cincinnati chili and warmed it up when I got there. It wasn’t enough to call lunch, but it held me over until dinner.
Brandon made crackers from a recipe I found yesterday. They weren’t very good, but the jalapeno yogurt dip tasted very good on top. I guess we’ll all stick to bbq pork rinds to use for dipping.
For dinner, I decided to try to cook the Indian Butter chicken correctly this time. I microwaved it for 22 minutes on medium power, and it turned out well. I took a new picture of the way it is supposed to look, not dried up like my last venture.
I cooked a half a head of grated cauliflower in the microwave and served the butter chicken over the top. I certainly have eaten more cauliflower than I ever have in my life.
I had mousse for dessert.
It felt odd not to weigh myself this morning, but I am definitely going to hold out until next Saturday.
Day 40: Saturday night pizza
Weight loss to date: 14 pounds
Next weigh-in: Saturday, Feb 25
We decided to relax at home yesterday, and boy did I!
I started the morning playing around online. Unfortunately, I get caught up in what I’m working on (pictures for our new website) and I forget to eat breakfast. I finally decided to eat around 1 p.m. I did, however, have my allotted 28 almonds as a pre-breakfast snack.
When I finally set out for the kitchen, I warmed up a plate of Cincinnati chili. I guess that’s my go-to leftover. Since I was taking this relaxing thing seriously, I ate it while watching some of the TV shows I had recorded during the week. I discovered my appetite is not what it used to be, and I could only finish half the plate.
I went back to working on my site in the afternoon, and had no lunch to speak of. When I got hungry in the evening, I had another handful of almonds.
Rick and I played with some logo ideas for our business. We’ve been doing this for nearly 10 years, but we’ve never fully agreed on the logo. Time to get that ironed out, because there are lots of items we’d like to purchase: tshirts, hats, folders, bags. We worked until about 8, then it was time for Saturday night pizza.
I decided to try the cauliflower crust that I found on reddit. Brandon and Lindsey tried it before, and he gave me some advice on cooking it a little differently than the recipe online.
I processed a half a cauliflower, then micro’d a cup of it in a bowl. I added 1 egg, about 1 and 1/4 cups of mozarella cheese, a clove of garlic, some oregano, and some parsley. I glopped the whole mess onto a pizza pan lined with parchment paper and baked it at 410 for 10 minutes. (I have no idea how I arrived at that temp. 450 seemed to much, I guess)
I then removed the crust and turned it over. I baked it directly on the pan for another 10 minutes.
It looked pretty official. I should have taken a picture of just the crust, but I will next time. I topped the crust with mozzarella and Mexican blend grated cheeses, some Italian sausage that I cooked while waiting for the crust, some onions, and some sliced jalapenos.
At first I was a bit disappointed. When I cut the pizza, it was pretty gooey. However, I waited for Rick to finish cooking his English muffin pizzas, and by then the pizza was solid enough to pick up and eat like a real slice. I dipped each slice in sour cream (because I can!) and enjoyed it very much. Half the pizza was about 10 grams of carbs.
Dessert was chocolate mousse. What a life.
Day 39: Progress!
Weight loss: 2 pounds Total weight loss: 14 pounds
Oh, this is much better. It’s been 4 days since my last weigh-in and I’ve lost 2 pounds. I will now continue to weigh in only once a week, on Saturdays. I knew logically that if I continue to eat on this plan, I will lose weight, but going up and down a 1/2 pound or a pound at a time was very frustrating after eating nearly perfectly to the ketogenic plan. Seeing bigger numbers once a week should be much more satisfying.
I only needed to go into work for 4 hours yesterday, so Rick and I had a leisurely breakfast at the diner. I chose the spinach/feta/tomato omelet with 4 pieces of bacon. It was a filling start to the day.
After work, we went to Costco. I walked through the cheese and dip section looking at the carb count on all the products. I purchased the tzaziki sauce (2g), a jalapeno yogurt dip (1g), a crab dip (1g), guacamole (1g), and of course, Dubliner cheese. I’ve been eating a couple of avocados a week, but they spoil quickly. I’ve had the Costco guac at my friend Walter’s house and it was pretty good, so I thought the guacamole would be more cost-effective than avocados, due to the individually wrapped portions.
I walked through the cracker/chips aisle hoping to find something low carb, to no avail. Nothing good in the frozen section, except the vegetables, of course. I thought I might find pre-made eggplant lasagna or something like it, but nope.
I looked at the nutritional info on so many items, that I automatically checked the back panel on the shampoo I was looking at! Oops.
After making it through Costco for just under $200, we were both hungry. (We NEVER get out of there without spending lots of money, but we do have plenty of toilet paper and paper towel!) I had been craving a 5 Guys burger earlier in the week, so we dropped in there. Rick was concerned that I would be tempted by the french fries, but I’ve never been a big fan of theirs.
I ordered a bacon cheeseburger (the 2 patty version) with mayo and double grilled onions (no charge). I wasn’t sure if their relish is sweet pickle or regular pickle and the sweet type has a few more carbs, so I passed on the relish. Rick automatically ordered two pops, so even though I’ve cut down drastically on my diet soda intake, I decided to live it up! They had a cool new pop dispenser and I found Coke Zero lime, which was really a treat.
Back at the table, I removed top and bottom bun (of course) and ate with a knife and fork. It was a flavorful experience, and I ate slowly while finishing a crossword puzzle. Low carb, good flavor, win, win.
After a visit with my dad, we went home for the evening, and I headed to my office to work on client websites. We’re also updating our own website. It’s been a few years since we revamped it, and we were never really satisfied with the lack of information on the original site (the shoemakers children, etc.). While working, I snacked on some cocoa-flavored almonds. They were just okay, but I could see how they might be a nice treat if I am ever craving a chocolate fix.
For dinner, I reheated the other half of the Indian butter chicken and cauliflower, topped it with sour cream, and enjoyed it just as much as I had the day before. Dessert was chocolate mousse.
This keto plan is really the most satisfying I have ever come across. I have craved carbs maybe one time in the last 5 1/2 weeks. I don’t crave junk food, and I can pass up donuts, sweets, and chips without batting an eye, because I know that there is some form of low carb treat I’ll be able to eat instead. Of course, I have to give a big shout out to Rick! He has gone out of his way to study which foods are low carb, keeps the larder stocked, and cooks up dinners that I can eat on the plan, even while he sometimes makes a second meal for himself. The ironic thing is that he likes BBWs. That’s true self-sacrifice on his part. LOL
Thanks, honey.
In three days, I will have been eating on this plan for 6 weeks and so far I’ve lost nearly 15 pounds. I think I have gone over on my carb count 1 or 2 times – barely – and I have enjoyed many many of the meals. I have more energy, and it’s pretty thrilling to feel my clothes get looser. I haven’t had this much success on any of the past 5 or 6 attempts to cut calories and exercise. Viva keto!
Day 38: Indian food on the keto plan
Total weight loss to date: 12 pounds
Next weigh-in Saturday, Feb. 18th
Yesterday didn’t start well for my nutritional intake.
We were out of sausage, so I opted to take leftover Cincinnati chili w/ squash for breakfast and grabbed a pack of hotdogs for lunch. I decided I could put some of the chili over the hot dogs to spice them up a bit, since bunless franks are a bit droll.
When I got to work, I discovered that the microwave was broken. Ok. I can adapt. I thought I’d make the hotdogs on the toaster oven for breakfast instead. Only there never was a good time. We had meetings, I had deadlines, and I never got back to the kitchen for breakfast.
At 2 p.m., I went back to make those hotdogs and found a new microwave, not yet installed, but set up for use. I ate the Cincinnati chili.
Rick called about 4 pm with a dinner idea he discovered while down in the pantry. Last year, he built himself a fabulous larder in the back corner of the basement. It’s pretty barebones, but it does have overhead lighting and lots of built in shelves where he stores cases of food or paper supplies he buys at Costco or onsale at Kroger. I also buy alot of our staples on Amazon through “subscribe and save,” so we had need of a place to store these items.
He was getting something from the larder and noticed my packets of Kitchens of India butter chicken seasoning paste. I love this product! It’s about as close to the traditional Indian restaurant dish as I’ve ever had. Lo and behold, one serving [the packet makes 4] is only 5 grams of carbs! Needless to say, I was a happy gal.
When I arrived home that evening, I had a glass of cabernet while waiting for a pound of chicken tenders to finish thawing. I usually make the meal on the stovetop, but discovered it can be made easily in the microwave – my kind of cooking!
I cut the chicken into bite-size portions. I threw those, the packet contents, 3 tbsps of butter, and a cup of water into a covered glass dish and set the micro to 22 minutes. WRONG! I sadly discovered it was supposed to be set at 22 minutes on MEDIUM. Oops. It was pretty dried up, and less appealing that usual, but DELICIOUS.
While the chicken was cooking, I set out online to discover what to use in place of rice. Cauliflower, of course. Processed it with the grater blade on my food processor, put in a covered glass dish, and put it in for 5 minutes after the chicken was finished.
I topped the “rice” with my somewhat dried out chicken, and added some sour cream. What a tasty treat it was!
I took a picture for the blog, and discovered even better news! There are 2 grams of fiber in a serving. My net intake for 2 servings was only 6 grams of carbs [not including the cauliflower]. WOW
You can bet this will become a weekly staple of my eating plan. Next time, I’ll be careful to cook it correctly, so I end up with some of that savory sauce instead of the dried up [but did I say DELICIOUS?] meal.
I’m sure glad Rick took the time to investigate. He knows how much I like this dish, and his thoughtfulness made me a happy gal.
Day 34: Lime cheese cake and weekday preparations
Lost: 0 Total weight loss: 12.5 pounds
Zero, zero, zero. Sigh. My plan to start weighing once a week after I hit 15 pounds may have to change. I’ll give it a couple more daily weigh-ins, but if I continue to see no progress on the scale, I may stop weighing for a week or so. Today, I think I’ll drink about 12 glasses of water. I’ve been reading ideas about how to get the pounds to start coming off when the progress is stalled.
I spent yesterday at home working on client sites and a revamp of our own business site. Before getting started, we did take an hour to have breakfast at the local diner. I had the feta omelet and bacon, and gave Rick all the extras that came with the meal.
For lunch, I cooked up some hamburger with taco seasoning and topped it with cheese, onion, and a couple of tablespoons of salsa.
I was in the mood for pizza, but didn’t have enough ambition to try creating a crust from cauliflower. Instead, I adapted a recipe I found that used a mini muffin pan. I put a piece of pepperoni in the bottom of each muffin slot, topped with mozzarella and a bit of onion and green pepper. Then I sprinkled them with pizza seasoning and put chopped jalapeno peppers on half.
I baked them at 350 for 15 minutes. The original recipe called for cream cheese, eggs, and other items. I think that would have been more like a quiche.
The result was just so-so. They were tasty, and they were cute little cups, but the jalapeno pizzas were too salty. I ate about 8 of them, but that was the extent of my dinner.
I learned my lesson about planning last week. It seemed like I was always looking for a quick meal or having a snack for dinner. While my tiny pizzas were cooking, I prepared spaghetti squash and cooked up some Cincinnati chili. Then, before bed, I layered all the ingredients for a 5-layer chili dish into plastic dishes, so I could grab one for lunch as I left the house this a.m.
Last night’s dessert was something I’ve been meaning to try; however, again, I adapted the recipe to an easier version. I had found a few recipes that used sugar-free lime jello and cream cheese to make a sort of mock cheese cake. Some called for cooking, some called for crust. I just mixed the jello and cream cheese together and chilled for a couple of hours. Before serving, I topped with whipped heavy cream.
It was heavenly. Rick said it hit every one of his taste buds. The flavor of the cream cheese blended well with the lime taste.
Day 31: You really can eat carryout on keto: meet the unwich
Lost: .5 pounds Total weight loss: 13 pounds
Wow, this scale is moving slowly, but at least it’s in the right direction.
Yesterday began with the traditional eggs ala Rick breakfast.
Lunch was a new adventure. Brandon was going to Jimmy John’s. I completely disagree with Mr. John’s political leanings, and make it a habit to avoid his franchise. However, I was pretty hungry and my scruples lost the battle: I ordered an Unwich. Brandon recommended the Lulu, which is basically a club sandwich in a lettuce wrap. I must say, it was quite delicious. This picture isn’t of a Lulu, but it gives you an idea of the convenient lettuce wrapper.
I left work early to meet a web client at Panera Bread. You may be thinking that it was an odd choice for someone avoiding carbs, but they have wifi, and it’s a pretty good place to meet when discussing websites. I ordered a Diet Coke.
After escaping “Bread Heaven,” Rick and I went home to enjoy some chicken kabobs. While waiting for them to grill, I had a handful of habanero-flavored almonds. It was a satisfying end to a busy, yet satisfying day.