So it’s now late January and everyone who’s on a diet is probably wishing they weren’t on a diet anymore. Since I’m living with someone who’s on the Keto diet, I’m personally seeing all the advantages and pitfalls. I’m not an advocate of Keto but I can also see how eating this way can reset your body and help you lose weight. My partner has been on it for several weeks and he’s lost inches on his belly and love handles. Why do men have such an easy time losing weight compared to women?! Testosterone = SO not fair.
Keto has a very specific macro system you have to follow. Hi fat, very low carb/sugar and moderate protein. This is not Atkins where you eat tons and tons of protein. So basically meat, fish, eggs, lots of greens, non-starchy vegetables, avocados, cheese and nuts. No legumes, beans, fruit (except occasional blueberries or raspberries in small amounts), potatoes, squashes, flour or any sweeteners. No alcohol either except a little white wine. It’s pretty damn restrictive.
The struggle meals are real.
Since I have to cook for a toddler too, I find it hard to cook for all three of us with having to take into account his macro needs for the day. They change with every meal too since he tracks what he eats throughout the day. So, my partner has mostly been left to his own devices with meals. I’ll make one thing, like a salad or a vegetable that he would be able to eat as well but coming up with a meal for all three of us has been difficult.
I’ve seen him struggle at times and being a chef, I decided to come up with some meals just for him, such as this one. It also happens to be a meal I would happily eat and the kid might even like too. I’ve cooked for clients who have dietary restrictions, so I made it a personal mission to develop some Keto friendly meals at home.
Coming up with satisfying Keto recipes.
I instantly thought that a braise would be a good answer. It’s tough protein slowly cooked in your liquid of choice and it’s delicious. I also have a Breville Fast Slow Cooker, which I got before the InstaPot craze. It was a gift I received from a chef who was on the show Mind of A Chef. I was doing food prep behind the scenes for each segment and since Breville was a sponsor, he received a plethora of appliances to use. The cooker has been very handy when I need to cook something fast. It’s a slow cooker too but I have to admit, I’ve hardly used it as one. Mainly as a pressure cooker because I’m not good at planning meals ahead for myself.
What goes great with braised meat? A mash or puree of some sort! Cauliflower was the only option. I happen to really like cauliflower mash. It’s a great carrier for fats. You can really taste the unctuousness of butter and cream in cauliflower mash. Since I’m currently being told my food “needs more fat” for him to feel full, I knew I could add fat here. Full fat creme fraiche (or sour cream) and butter? I can be on board with that.
Looking at recipes, I found a great tip for avoiding runny cauliflower mash. After cooking the florets, place them in a sieve and press down with a small mixing bowl or large spoon to remove excess water. Wish I had found this tip before I made the video! My cauliflower sat in the pot too long and got a little too wet.
The cabbage slaw was developed to sneak in a different vegetable for him. He’s been loading up on salad greens and kale and I knew he could use a break. I also wanted something crunchy and acidic to contrast with the soft, savory and buttery textures of the rest of the meal. Coming up with ingredients for this meal, I constantly had to google “what are the net carbs of _____ ?” You have to be careful with onions, carrots and tomatoes as these contain natural sugars. So I had to keep them to a minimum to keep the carb count low.
A delicious meal for everyone.
I don’t think this meal would even register as low carb to most people. You do not need a pressure cooker to make this and you can definitely make the pot roast in the oven or the slow cooker. I’ve included instructions in the recipes below. The hardest part of being on a diet for most people is having to cook for yourself. For those who do not know how to cook or don’t enjoy cooking, it’s the worst. You end up eating practically the same bland things every day. So I’m hoping these recipes will aid those in that boat and give others some delicious recipes that happen to be low carb.
Keto Pot Roast
Ingredients
- 2-2.5 pounds chuck roast
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 cup onions medium diced
- 1/2 cup carrots medium diced
- 1 cup celery (about 3 stalks) medium diced
- 2 cloves garlic sliced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 3/4 cup white or red wine
- 1 tsp dry mustard
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cups beef broth (or more if needed)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 5 parsley stems
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Method
- If using a pressure cooker with a sauté function, set the function on now to heat. Otherwise, heat a large, low sided pot to heat over medium high heat.
- Season the meat generously with salt on both sides. Add oil to the pot and sear meat for about 5 minutes on each side or until a golden crust forms. Remove from pot and set aside.
- Add the celery, onions and carrots to the pot. Sauté for 5 minutes to soften. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Push the vegetables aside to create a hot spot and add the tomato paste there. Cook for 30 seconds, then stir everything together.
- Add the wine and simmer rapidly until reduced by about half, about 1-2 minutes. Add the spices, bay leaf and the herbs (tie the herbs together with kitchen twine to make removal easier).
- Put meat back into pot, along with any juices. Add enough beef stock to cover everything at least half way up. Add the soy sauce and season everything with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Place the lid on and set function to Medium/Pressure Cook for 45 minutes. After the timer goes off, release the steam and carefully open the lid. Remove the meat, bay leaf and tied herbs.
- Set the cooker’s function back to sauté and simmer it rapidly for about 10-15 minutes to reduce it so it’s slightly thickened. At this point, the sauce can be strained through a sieve or blend the sauce to incorporate all the cooked vegetables. Doing this will thicken it a bit more. Re-season if needed.
- The meat can be shredded or it will naturally fall apart into smaller chunks. Place the meat back into the sauce to warm. Serve immediately.
Notes
Keto Cauliflower Mash
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower (medium-large) cut into florets
- 1/4 cup sour cream or creme fraiche full fat
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/4 tsp pepper or to taste
Method
- Place cauliflower florets into a steamer basket set into large pot. Add 2 inches of water to the pot and set over high heat to come to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-high and cover with a lid. Steam for 10-12 minutes or until very tender.
- Immediately remove cauliflower from pot and allow to steam dry for 5 minutes. To remove even more water, place florets into a sieve and press down with a large spoon or small bowl. Repeat until all the cauliflower has been pressed.
- Place the cauliflower into a bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Add the sour cream, butter, salt and pepper. Process to combine. Pour into serving bowl and serve.
Notes
Zesty Keto Cabbage Slaw
Ingredients
- 4 cups cabbage, white or red, finely shredded (half a head)
- 1/2 cup celery peeled and finely diced
- 1/2 cup parsley chopped
- 2 scallions finely chopped
- 1/4 cup plus 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup sour cream or creme fraiche full fat
- 2 tbsp mustard, grainy
- 2 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/2 tsp pepper or to taste
Method
- In a large bowl, combine the shredded cabbage, celery, parsley and scallions.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sour cream, mustard, salt and pepper. Pour over the cabbage mixture and toss everything to combine. Serve immediately or store in refrigerator until ready to use.
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This looks absolutely delicious!! I’m so excited to try this out!! Yum!!
I am not on a Keto diet but I could definitely go for this! Cauliflower mash is great!
This all sounds amazing. And not just for Keto folks, sounds satisfying for anyone! And yay for all the unctuous vegetables! 😍
The meat sounds amazing!