Have you ever wondered why the Swedish meatballs they sell at Ikea are so darn cheap? I've always wondered that but never really bothered to investigate (if anyone knows, email me because I'm curious but not curious enough to dig on my own, Ha!). So I hadn't been to Ikea in ages but the other night I needed a recipe that would be kid friendly—since my daughter has a school friend over—and I had an extra head of cauliflower that needed to be made. 

Swedish meatballs! I knew this was the ticket. I love the sweetness that comes from the nutmeg and all spice in this recipe. Most of the time I stick to my go-to recipes and that I find myself in a ingredient vortex. This recipe is a nice change of spices which really offered a nice change of pace to our normal weekly meals. The best part? All the kids ate it up and that is the BEST FEELING as a mom.

Serves:
4-6 People

Meatball Ingredients:
2 lbs ground beef
1 egg
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 onion, diced
2 tablespoons avocado oil, divided
1/4 teaspoon all spice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh, chopped parsely
1/2 cup panko pork crumbs

Cream Ingredients:
1  1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup beef stock (or water)
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup gouda cheese, grated (or any other milder white cheese. Don't use any cheddars. Or just double the parmesan.)
3 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon avocado oil

Directions:

1. In a pan heat 1 tablespoon of avocado oil and sauté onions until they are soft and slightly caramelized.
2. In a large bowl combine all the meatball ingredients and add the sautéed onions. Mix with your hands to incorporate all the ingredients. Form into meatballs about 2 inches in diameter.
3. Once rolled, brown the meatballs in your pan with the remaining avocado oil. Remove cooked meatballs and set it aside.
4. In a small bowl mix the xanthan gum and avocado oil to make a slurry. Once combined, set it aside.
5. In the pan melt butter and add the xanthan slurry. 
6. Using a whisk, mix the butter and the slurry until combined.
7. Slowly pour the heavy whipping cream, stirring with your whisk to break up and xantham gum clumps. Stir until smooth.
8. Add cheeses to the cream and stir until melted.
9. Add beef stock or water to thin out the cream sauce to your desired consistency. 
   
10. Add Worcestershire sauce and reduce your heat to medium-low.
11. Add your meatballs back to the cream sauce and stir to combine and coat the meatballs. 
12. Reduce your heat to low and allow the flavors to combine on a low simmer for 8-10 minutes.

​Serve Swedish meatballs with a side of veggies or over Mashed Cauliflower. Bon Appetit!

What is it about meatballs that make them so comforting and fulfilling? They're also compact and fun so the kids love them. I also love them because I can hide things in them LOL. Before we were Keto I used to hide a tom of veggies in my meatballs and meatloafs because otherwise the kids wouldn't eat them. Now my views on nutrition have so drastically changed. I still hide some veggies (old habits die hard), but I also add some beef liver (sometimes) or beef liver supplements (shhh!)

These keto meatball versions include extra parmesan cheese mixed inside the meatball as well as some pork panko and almond flour as binders. They always come together to nicely and are juicy, filling and delicious. 

Ingredients:
2 pounds ground beef
2 tablespoon beef tallow, divided (or Kerrygold butter)
1 onion, diced
1/3 cup pork pankos (pork rind "bread" crumbs)
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/8 cup almond flour
2 eggs
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper
28 oz Rao brand marinara sauce
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
3 oz fresh mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. In a small pan heat one tablespoon of tallow and sauté onions until they are done. Set aside to cool.
2. In a large mixing bowl combine ground beef, onions, almond flour, pork pankos, cheese and eggs. Add salt, pepper and seasonings.
3. Mix by hand to incorporate all ingredients. Roll mixture into 3 inch balls.
4. Heat remaining tallow in a shallow Dutch oven.
5. Brown your meatballs on the stovetop, turning once or twice to brown the other sides.
6. Once all browned, pour the Rao sauce over the meatballs.
7. Top with fresh mozarella and bake at 350° for 20 minutes.
8. Broil for 2 additional minutes until the mozarella is melted and caramel colored brown.

​Follow us on Social Media  |  Did you try the recipe? Tag us! @thisketofamily

Ingredients (Marinade):
5 pounds Korean style beef short ribs
1/2 cup liquid aminos
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoon brown Swerve
1 tablespoon Yacon syrup
1 tablespoon avocado oil
2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
2 stalks green onions sliced
2 inch piece ginger, sliced
1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and marinate the meat.
2. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
3. Grill short ribs, turning once, to desired doneness, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. 
4. Serve with a side of garlic caulirice. Enjoy!

​Follow us on Social Media  |  Did you try the recipe? Tag us! @thisketofamily

Chicken and waffles was a meal I ordered once in a blue moon because it always felt gluttonous and unhealthy. A "normal" standard American Diet version of this meal easily boasts 306 grams of carbohydrates and upwards of 123 grams of sugar; not even counting the sugar and carbs from any syrup you'd slather on top--YIKES!! (These nutrition facts I pulled from a popular restaurant's chicken and waffle menu version, eek!)

My keto version is about 6 grams of net carbs for an ENTIRE SERVING (2 pieces of chicken and 2 waffles PLUS keto maple syrup!) I no longer feel guilty eating this meal and neither should you. It's also become a favorite in my household with my kids.

I also opted to use my Cosori air fryer to cut out any further polyunsaturated fats that would have been used if I deep fried the chicken. More on polyunsaturated fats and MegaTrans fats in a separate blog post. For now, know that the air fryer option still produces a crispy crust while keeping the inside moist and flavorful. Bon appetite! 

Ingredients:
2-3 pounds skinless chicken thighs
3 cups pork pankos (pork rind "bread" crumbs)
1 cup shredded parmesan
1 cup almond flour
3 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon Pink Himalayan sea salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Waffle Recipe

Directions:

1. Pour the almond flour, pork panko crumbs and beaten eggs in 3 separate shallow bowls.
2. Add the spices, salt and pepper in with the almond flour. Mix and set aside.
3. Add the parmesan cheese to the pork panko crumbs. Mix and set aside.
4. Dip the chicken in the beaten eggs, then dip it in the almond flour mixture.
5. Dip it back into the beaten eggs, then dip it in the pork panko mixture.
6. Air fry the chicken in your air fryer at 400° for 25-30 minutes.
7. Cook the waffles according to the recipe here. 
8. Serve together with a side of Keto maple bacon.

Make it with our current product favs

​Follow us on Social Media  |  Did you try the recipe? Tag us! @thisketofamily

This Keto Family  is a participant of the Amazon and other affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.

Several months ago when our vegetable garden was producing at its peak, I had zucchini and yellow squash quite literally coming out of my ears. My family quickly got tired of sautéed squash at every meal. I even purchased a spiralizer so that I could dress up the same vegetable in a different way (and trick the babes into eating it yet again ha!)

On night I  asked my keto community for ideas and someone suggested ratatouille. I knew what it was but I honestly thought it would be so hard and complicated that I never endeavored to do it. Wow, was I wrong! The hardest part is cutting the veggies, but with the correct tools, it was a snap.
I dug out my mandoline (that I received as a present and never used) and got to work. Slicing done in less than 5 minutes. Layering the veggies, 10 minutes (maybe). Baking the ratatouille was 30 minutes.

The result? A visually stunning dinner that also tastes amazing, quite literally like it came from an expensive Italian restaurant! Another plus...Leftovers! This tastes even better the next day or repurposed as a soup! I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do.
 
Serves:
6-8

Ingredients:
2 large zucchini, sliced thinly 1/16 inch thick (~1 mm)
2 large yellow squash, sliced thinly 1/16 inch thick (~1 mm)
2 large eggplants, sliced thinly 1/16 inch thick (~1 mm)
1 package fresh mozzarella cheese log
1 jar roasted red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 jar Rao’s Marinara sauce (24 oz)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated, divided
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Basil for garnish
 
Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 375º
2. Using a mandoline slicer, slice your veggies to approximately 1/16 in thickness (~1 mm)
3. In a large bowl drizzle olive oil over your veggies. Salt and pepper to taste and then toss to coat.
4. In an oven safe pan, starting on the stove top, heat the Rao’s marinara sauce.
5. Add garlic powder and Worcestershire sauce. Stir to combine.
6. Remove the sauce from the heat and begin layering the ratatouille and placing it in your pan in your desired pattern. I like to work it in a swirl pattern, others just layer in rows.
7. Alternate layers—zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant, red bell pepper, fresh mozzarella—until you fill your dish.
8. Sprinkle half or your parmesan cheese on top.
9. Bake on the oven covered for 35-40 minutes or until veggies are at your desired tenderness.
10. Garnish the top with remaining parmesan cheese and fresh basil.

Make it with our current product favs

​Follow us on Social Media  |  Did you try the recipe? Tag us! @thisketofamily

This Keto Family  is a participant of the Amazon and other affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.

When I first transitioned to Keto, the one thing I missed the most at first was pasta. The one thing my kids still ask for on a regular basis, especially my oldest daughter, is....pasta. Now if a mom in her mid-30s was having a hard time giving up pasta when going keto, what could I expect from my then 6-year-old daughter? 

I tried everything to substitute for pasta--black bean pasta (which was beans I know, but it only had 8g of Carbs per serving and for my low carb kiddos, that was good enough for me), zucchini noodles, and shirataki noodles (we've tried every single brand and the best is my opinion is Well Lean). I even made my own gnocchi pasta recipe (which satisfied a pasta fix, but was not the same as elbow macaroni). Everything worked out OK, but just never compared to the real deal. I get it, pasta is chewy and has a certain bite to it that until now, no real keto product could rival. 

Enter the Great Low Carb Bread Co.! They carry an AMAZING line of low carb and gluten-free pastas and breads for purchase. The reason we love GLCBC is because they focus on using the highest quality ingredients such as almond flour, flax meal, oat fiber and olive oil. The net carbs are decent (this particular recipe net carbs is 7g net carbs per serving), so if you are careful with your carb intake for the rest of your day, then this can be a nice treat here and there.

If you ever need keto comfort food, this is it. My 4-cheese version is such an easy recipe and delivers all the right fats for a great keto meal or side dish. If you are going to have pasta, you MUST get it from Great Low Carb Bread Co. It will change your keto life LOL —> Click on my link to shop their products!

Ingredients:
16 oz low carb elbow macaroni 
2 tablespoons grass-fed butter
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum (optional)
1 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature
1 cup whole milk, room temperature
1 cup white cheddar cheese, grated 
1/2 cup sour cream
1  3/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated and divided
4 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
1/8 cup crushed pork rinds (for garnish—optional)

Directions:

1. Boil the pasta according to the directions on the bag. Drain and set aside.
2. In a large pot melt butter and sprinkle xanthan gum over it to make a rue. Use a whisk to stir the xanthan gum into the butter until it is incorporated and not clumpy.
3. Slowly pour your heavy whipping cream and milk in, continuing to stir with your whisk.
4. Season your milk with the a little salt and pepper and your garlic powder.
5. Add cream cheese, sour cream, 1 cup each of the white and sharp cheddar cheese and parmesan cheese. Save the remaining sharp cheddar cheese for later.
6. Stir until all the cheese is combined and the sauce thickens a bit. If its too thick you can add a bit of water or milk 2 tablespoons at a time to thin it out.
7. Turn off your stovetop and dump your macaroni into the pot of cheese. Stir to incorporate.
8. Add half of the remaining sharp cheddar so there are little pieces of unmelted cheddar in the mixture,
9. Transfer the mixture into a baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese on top along with the crushed pork rinds.
10. Bake in the over at 350° for 30 minutes or until the top is nicely browned.

TIPS:

• You can make this ahead and it will be great!! Complete all the steps to step 9, cover the baking dish with a plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. When getting ready to bake the mac and cheese, leave it on the countertop while the over preheats and add an additional 10-15 minutes to the baking time.
• THIS IS GREAT FOR CAMPING!!!!!! Again, make everything ahead of time and buy these really cute aluminum foils trays with lids. Wrap them with heavy duty foil TWICE (to prevent the bottom from burning). When you're ready to make these, put them straight over the campfire grill. They will heat fast to check them after a few minutes, stir and recover. You may need to add a tiny bit of water to make the cheese more gooey. 

USE OUR FAVORITE BRANDS + PRODUCT

​Follow us on Social Media  |  Did you try the recipe? Tag us! @thisketofamily

This Keto Family  is a participant of the Amazon and other affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.

Craving an Asian inspired keto meal that the whole family will love? Broccoli beef is such an easy recipe to ketofy. What I loved about the Chinese Restaurant version was always the sweet, thick sauce that when you poured it over rice, made everything oh so yummy! However the problem with the Restaurant version—and the reason its a big no on the Keto diet—is because most traditional restaurant versions always use sesame seed oil (which is highly inflammatory), corn starch and brown sugar.

My beef broccoli keto version uses all keto-friendly ingredients to achieve the same sweet, rich sauce with tender cuts of beef and plenty of broccoli. Serve this on top of cauliflower rice and there you go! An easy keto dinner that you can make any night of the week. You'll be wondering why you haven't ever made it earlier!

Serves:
4 

Ingredients:
2 pounds New York steak (or meet of your choice), sliced thinly
2 cups broccoli florets
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon avocado oil
1/2 teaspoon ginger powder, divided
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon brown Swerve
1/2 cup + 1/4 cup liquid aminos, divided
1/2 cup water, divided

Slurry Ingredients:
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon avocado oil

Directions:

1. Marinate the beef slices in 1/2 cup liquid aminos, 1/4 cup water, ginger, garlic and onion powder for at least 1 hour.
2. Make the thickening slurry. Mix the xanthan gum and avocado oil in a small dish until combined and set it aside.
3. In a large pot, heat the avocado oil and cook the onions until fragrant and translucent.
4. Add beef to the pot, discarding the marinade. Season with remaining ground ginger.
5. Cook the meat on medium low until browned and the liquid released.
6. Add the broccoli. Sauté with the beef for 1-2 minutes.
7. Add the remaining liquid aminos, water and brown Swerve. Mix and reduce the heat to low.
8. Add the slurry and stir well.
9. Cover and simmer for 3-5 minutes until the broccoli is done to your liking.
10. Add pepper to taste.
11. Garnish with sesame seeds (for a lovely presentation =)

Make it with our current product favs

Follow us on Social Media  |  Did you try the recipe? Tag us! @thisketofamily

This Keto Family  is a participant of the Amazon and other affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.

A super easy cioppino stew can warm up any dinner. The best part? It's completely keto-friendly, Cioppino is one of those meals that tastes so good and looks like it took all day to prepare but is in fact quite quick and easy, trust me. The hardest part is getting all of your ingredients lined up.

Ingredients:
1 large onion, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 teaspoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
8 ounces clam juice
4 cups seafood stock (or chicken stock)
20 ounces crushed tomatoes
4-5 pounds of seafood of your choice.
     Suggested combination:

• 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 pound clams or muscles
• 1 pound crab legs, pre-cooked
• 2 cod filets
• 6-8 scallops

3 tablespoons butter, divided
3 tablespoons avocado oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, divided
Salt and Pepper to taste
​
Directions:

1. In a large pot, add 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon avocado oil and sauté onions and garlic until fragrant.  Add red peppers and sauté until soft.
2. Add parsley, Italian spices, red pepper flakes and bay leaves. Stir and cook until fragrant.
3. Add white wine and cook until alcohol is reduced. 
4. Add clam juice, crushed tomatoes and seafood or chicken stock. Bring to a boil.
5. Add clams and muscles. Cook until clams begin to open. Discard any clams or muscles that DO NOT open.
6. Add the crab legs. Or if you desire, pre-crack the crab, remove the crab meat and simply add the crab to the soup.
7. While the clams are cooking, heat a medium skillet with 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon avocado oil. Sauté shrimp with salt, pepper and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder just until it starts to turn pink (some uncooked parts is ok). 
8. Add contents to your soup pot. Turn the heat to a low simmer in the pot.
9. In the skillet, heat the remaining butter and oil and sauté the scallops 2 minutes on each side. Season with salt, pepper and the remaining garlic powder. Add contents to your soup pot.
10. Stir soup and heat through about 5 minutes.
11. Serve a generous serving hot with a side of keto garlic bread. Try making our delicious Keto Dinner Rolls!! Slice them in half, slather some butter, parsley and garlic powder and broil for 2 minutes until golden brown. DELICIOUS!

What I love about keto is that I can eat flavorful, delicious and comforting food every day and still lose weight. I mean what's better than that? This recipe is the epitome of comfort with a lovely Mediterranean vibe that spices up any week night dinner. 

Moussaka is traditionally made with layers of potatoes and eggplants. Some versions call for zuchinni which you can totally use as well. But I found that eggplant along does the job for flavor and texture. I promise you won't even miss the potatoes!

Ingredients—Filling:
3 large eggplant, sliced 1/8 inch discs
1 tablespoon avocado oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 lb ground beef
1 teaspoon Monkfruit Golden sweetener
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 can tomato sauce

Ingredients--Béchamel sauce:
1 tablespoon Kerrygold butter
Xanthan gum slurry*
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature
1 cup whole milk
2 egg yolks, beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

*Ingredients—Xanthan Slurry:
3 teaspoons avocado oil (or olive oil)
1 teaspoon xanthan gum

Directions:

1. Slice your eggplants into 1/8 inch thickness. Use a mandolin to achieve a uniform cut. I love this one!
2. Lay your eggplants on a baking tray and sprinkle them with salt. Set them aside and allow them to sweat.
3. In the meantime, prepare your meat filling. Sauté your onions and ground beef in 1 tablespoon of avocado oil over medium high heat.
4. Add all spices and cook until the meat is browned and fragrant. Remove the meat mixture from the heat and make bechamel sauce.
5. In a small sauce, melt butter and add your xanthan slurry. Whisk vigorously to combine.
6. Add your room temperature (this is key) heavy whipping cream and continue to whisk vigorously to combine the slurry and cream until smooth. Reduce the heat to low.
7. In a small bowl combine beaten egg yolks with room temperature milk. 
8. Temper the egg/milk mixture by taking a tablespoon of the hot heavy whipping cream and adding it to the bowl. Stir to combine.
   This allows the egg/milk mixture to come to temperature so when added to the sauce pan the eggs don't turn into scrambled eggs! (LOL)
9. Add the tempered egg/milk mixture slowly into the sauce pan.
10. Add 1/2 cup parmesan cheese and spices. Stir the sauce continuously to encourage it to thicken. Remove the sauce from the heat and now you're ready to assemble.
11. Pat your eggplants dry with a paper towel.
12. In a lasagna pan assemble your moussaka. Add alternating layers of meat sauce and eggplant. Your last layout should be eggplant. 
13. Pour the béchamel sauce on the top and sprinkle with the remaining parmesan cheese.
14. Bake your moussaka for 50-60 minutes at 350° or until the top is bubbly and a nice caramel color. Serve hot with some Keto Dinner Rolls and enjoy!

USE OUR FAVORITE BRANDS + PRODUCTS

Follow us on Social Media  |  Did you try the recipe? Tag us! @thisketofamily

This Keto Family  is a participant of Amazon and other affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.

Before we went Keto my family had pasta at least 3 days a week for dinner, possibly more. I never had any desire to make my own pasta then because there were so many options out there. Fast forward to being full keto and there really is NO keto pasta option at all, so here I am deciding that I needed to make my own; not because I was necessarily craving pasta, but because I wanted to see if it was possible.

My family and I have found some relatively decent pasta alternatives— shirataki noodles and black bean noodles—but yet, I still wanted to make my own. Before keto I loved the soft, chewiness of gnocchi. There was something so comforting about eating a bowl of it.

I knew that gnocchi could be made with ricotta or even potatoes. Since potatoes were out, I opted for ricotta for these lovelies.

They are quite delicate, so read the notes and tips carefully so they don't fall apart while you’re boiling or sautéing them. Serve them warm, straight from the pan drenched in your sauce of choice. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1/2 Tub (approx 7-8oz) ricotta cheese, full fat
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
3/4 cup, plus 1 tablespoon almond flour
2 tablespoons psyllium husk powder
pinch of salt

Directions:
Prepping the Gnocchi dough:

1. Gather all your dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl.
2. Dry out the ricotta on a paper towel to remove some excess moisture (I know this sounds weird, but the extra moisture can make your dough too wet). Lightly squeeze the ricotta to get as much moisture out as you can.
3. Add ricotta, egg and cheese with the almond flour and psyllium husk. Stir until combined.
   (TIP: If your dough is too wet, add more almond flour 1 tablespoon at a time until it comes together). The dough should easily form into a ball.
4. Dust your countertop with more almond flour. Bring your dough together into a ball and cut into 8 even pie wedges.
5. Dust with more almond flour and roll each wedge into a thin log about .5-.75 of an inch in diameter. Cut the log into 1 inch "pillows".
6. Using the back of a fork, gently roll the pillows on the fork to form grooves. Or if you want easy, just leave them as small pillows.
   (TIP: The ridges mostly go away after you boil the gnocchi anyway, so it may not be worth the time. Just saying :))

Boiling your Gnocchi:

1. While you finish rolling out the rest of the dough, preheat a pot of boiling water.
2. Once ready to boil, turn the heat to LOW (you DO NOT want a rolling, boiling pot of water. Your gnocchi will fall apart if the water is rolling).
3. Boil the gnocchi for 15-20 SECONDS, just until they start to float (NOTE: they will NOT float to the very top like regular gnocchi. The almond flour is too heavy, but they will start to jump just a bit. Watch them carefully and boil in batches).
4. Use a slotted spoon to pickup and drain the gnocchi and let them dry on a paper towel or piece of parchment paper. Allow them to dry for 10-15 minutes.

Sautéing your Gnocchi:

1. In a frying pan heat 1-2 tbsp of grassfed butter. Add your desired seasoning (sage or garlic are great classics).
2. Allow herbs to cook until fragrant. Lower heat to medium and add your gnocchi dumplings in.
3. Cook gnocchi for about 2 minutes before flipping (avoid moving them so they can get a nice golden color to them). Flip them carefully and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
4. Serve immediately, hot with your favorite sauce. Or just as is with some grated parmesan! Delish!!

'I'm kinda surprised just how much this looks and tastes like sushi rice. If you're a sushi lover like myself you know that sushi rice is a bit sticky and has a hint of rice wine vinegar to it which adds a nice sweetness and tang.

This recipe uses riced cauliflower and is seasoned in such a way that it tastes just like the real thing. The trick to this is to cook your cauliflower on the stovetop for a few minutes. If you simply steam your cauliflower in the microwave, like most people, you'll have bits of hard-ish cauliflower which doesn't do a good job of convincing anyone. Traditional white rice is soft and sushi rice is a bit on the stickier side. So I used some gelatin (shhh thats the secret) and a bit of cream cheese (who doesn't love cream cheese) to hold the cauliflower together. Add you choice of fillers, roll em up and there you have it. Keto style sushi, that is low carb and won't fall apart when you pick it up with chopsticks (I know because I tried)!

Directions:
If you are going to add the gelatin, follow the first 2 steps. Otherwise skip to step 3.

1. Prepare your gelatin. Add the cold water to a small shallow dish.
2. Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water as evenly as possible. Stir with a spoon and set aside to bloom.
3. In a medium pan, add butter and frozen cauliflower to the pan. (First, break apart the cauliflower a bit inside the bag so you don't have huge chunks. It'll make it easier and faster to cook).
4. Using half of the bloomed gelatin (it should be firm now), dissolve half in 1 tablespoon of hot water. Add it to your cauliflower.
5. Sauté for 3-5 minutes until the cauliflower is soft and tender, stirring often.
   
6. Once cauliflower is done, turn off and remove the pan from the heat. Add the rice wine vinegar, cream cheese and Nori seasoning. Stir and enjoy!

That's it! Allow the rice to cool before adding it on top of your Nori wrapper sheets. If the mixture is too hot, the nori will rip when you try to roll it. Happy eating!

This Keto Family  is a participant of the Amazon affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.

Here is a traditional Filipino dish I keto-fied rather easily. The measurements are pretty much the same as I learned from my mom, just used keto versions. Next time I make this we'll go really traditional and add the quail eggs - YUM!

Ingredients:

• 4 steaks beef loin, about 20 oz
• 1 onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1-2 tablespoon avocado oil
• 5 tablespoons Bragg's liquid aminos
• 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 cup water

Directions:

1. Thinly slice your meat.
2. Marinate with soy sauce, pepper and lemon for at least 1 hour.
3. Add your onions and garlic to a pan with butter and sauté until the onions are soft and opaque. Remove from the pan and set it aside.
4. In the same pan, brown your meat. The meat will give off the yummy liquid it absorbed.
5. Add additional water and liquid aminos.
6. Add the onions and garlic back to your pan and simmer for another 5-10 minutes. The meat is thin so doesn't need much time to cook.

Serve this hot over cauliflower rice. Enjoy!

This dinner can be on the table in under 20 minutes — no joke! Serve it with a side salad or steamed broccoli and call it a day! This is sure to please even the pickiest eaters. The key to this to not to overcook the pork. Take it out slightly under-done and let it rest (it will continue to cook) while you prepare the sweet garlicy dipping sauce/gravy. 

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°
2. In a small oven-safe pan (like a cast-iron skillet), melt 1 tbsp of butter. 
3. Season the tenderloin with salt, pepper and garlic powder and brown the tenderloin on all sides. 
4. While the tenderloin is browning, melt the remaining 4 tbsp butter and add the yacon syrup. Mix until well combined. 
5. Once browned, pour the butter-syrup mixture over the top of the tenderloin.
6. Bake in the oven for apporximately 15-20 minutes or until the internal temperature reads 160° with the meat thermometer. If you don't have a thermometer, remove the tenderloin from the oven after 15 minutes and pierce it with a knife. If the liquids run clear, you are good to go! 
7. Remove the tenderloin from the pan and let it rest.
   
8. In the meantime, place the pan back on the stove top for the sauce.
9. Add 1 tbsp of water (or chicken stock) to loosen the bits on the bot of the pan. If you want a creamier texture, add 1 tbsp of heavy whipping cream. Whisk together to combine flavors. Add more liquid to thin out the sauce as desired.

This Keto Family  is a participant of the Amazon affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.

My kids love this sweet and tangy meaty dinner. They seem to love the messiness that also comes along with this meal. Perhaps they feel like it gives them permission to be messy—almost like you need to act messy—to eat this meal properly. Perhaps it’s a bit liberating in a way.

In any meat sauce and especially sloppy joes, I used to  LOVE hiding veggies. Nowadays my kids know all my tricks and have grown accustomed to eating a wide variety of veggies so the need to hide veggies is no longer a requirement. But I remember the earlier years of training these maturing pallets. I am of the philosophy that a child’s immune system and metabolic strength develops early and negotiating veggies over carbs is NOT an option in our household. We talk about what things on their plates are most important, “non-negotiables” that they must eat. I know it sounds drill sergeant-ish, but I believe they will be better from it in the future.

​If you are at the stage of hiding veggies, then hide away mama! Below is how I still make it. My kids know what’s in it now, but back then I’d just tell them it was ground beef. They ate it and I was happy.

Pairing: 
Keto Dinner Rolls

Serves: 
4-6

​Ingredients:

• 2 pounds ground beef

• 1 green bell pepper, minced

• 1/2 package cauliflower rice, frozen

• 1/2 large yellow onion, minced

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tablespoon avocado oil
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• 3/4 cup ketchup, sugar free

• Water
 (for thinning, if needed)
• 1-2 tablespoon brown Swerve 

• 3/4 teaspoon chili powder

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

• salt and pepper to taste

 
Directions:

1. Heat avocado oil and saute onions and garlic until fragrant and onions are translucent.
2. Add ground beef and brown. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
3. Add bell pepper and riced cauliflower.
4. Stir and cook until cauliflower is softened and half of the water/liquid is cooked away. (TIP: too much liquid will make your sauce extra runny)
5. Add tomato paste, ketchup and stir to mix. If you need to thin out the sauce use water 1 tablespoon at a time. You don’t want your sauce to be too runny.
6. Add brown swerve (1 tablespoon at a time, and add more to taste), chili powder and Worcestershire sauce.
7. Cover and simmer together on low for 5-10 minutes until the flavors combine and the sauce begins to thicken a bit.

​Follow us on Social Media  |  Did you try the recipe? Tag us! @thisketofamily

If you are just starting keto, I always recommend to #KeepKetoSimple. When starting a new diet or lifestyle, you want to make the transition as painless as possible. I know if post a bunch of semi-complex recipes, but fret not, the ability to think of a recipe on the whim and to know its general macro ratio for keto success will come. In the beginning, just choose a protein (about 4oz depending on your exercise and activity) and a green vegetable steamed or sautéed and voila, instant meal.

Well, not really, but it an equation for success that make transition super simple, at least in the first week or two. Need more meal ideas? Contact me and get my free 7-Day Meal Plan!

One of the meals I suggest on the plan is this Easy Baked Salmon. You can go from oven to table in literally 20 minutes!

Ingredients:
​6 salmon fillets
1 tablespoon avocado oil
1 tablespoon liquid aminos (I use this one)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dired parsley
2 tablespoons grass-fed butter, divided in 6 pieces

Appliances/Tools:
Silicon pastry brush

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400°
2. Rinse your salmon fillets under cold water and pat them dry. Arrange them on a baking tray or dish. (I like to put foil down and lightly spray it with coconut oil or avocado oil for less sticking and easy cleanup. Make sure to choose sprays with high smoke points like the ones I linked above.)
3. In a small dish mix the avocado oil and liquid aminos. Using a pastry brush, generously brush each fillet with the mixture.
4. In another small dish, mix the spices, salt and pepper together. Generously sprinkle the mixture on your salmon fillets.
5. Top each fillet with a small pat of butter and bake it in the over for 18-20 minutes.

Pair this protein with a side salad or steamed broccoli and you have yourself a perfectly balanced keto meal! Don't forget to add some butter to your veggies too =)

This dough is so versatile. I've used it to make pizza crusts, keto bagels, keto hotdog buns (or more like pigs in a blanket). The key to this recipe is to make sure the almond flour is completely mixed in with the cheese so that you don't get clumps of flour when you bite into the dough.

You can make these as thin or thick as you want. They keep their shape and can hold up to having toppings and cheese loaded on top without falling apart. And it's super easy too. You can have Keto pizza without guilt in about 25 minutes or less — faster than it takes to order pizza and have it delivered!

​Ingredients (Dough):
1 cup almond flour (I recommend this one)
1  1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 oz cream cheese
1 egg
Pinch of salt
Pizza Sauce (We love Rao's. Try it here.)
Toppings of your choice.

Optional Seasoning:
You can add 1/2 tsp of any of the below spices to give your crust a boost of flavor:

• Garlic powder
• Italian Seasoning
• Everything but the bagel seasoning (Get it here)

Directions:

1. In a microwave safe bowl, stir together mozzarella cheese, cream cheese and almond flour.
2. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir, then microwave again for 30seconds - 1 minute.
3. Add an egg to the mixture and stir together until fully combined. Be patient and use those muscles! The dough will be thick and slightly sticky. If the dough is too sticky, add a tbsp of almond flour at a time.
4. In between 2 parchment paper, roll out the dough into a circular pizza crust shape 
5. Preheat your oven to 320°. Pre-cook your crust in the oven for 8-10 minutes.
6. Remove the crust, add sauce and toppings. Return to oven for another 10-15 minutes.
7. TIP: Eat this dough when its warm. If you wait until its cold, the dough will get tough. But not to worry, just reheat it slightly and you'll be good to go!