Eat the Keto Way

Eat the Keto Way

The ketogenic diet (or keto, for short) is a lowcarb, high-fat way of eating that has been proven to lower blood sugar and insulin levels. The result is numerous health benefits, including weight loss, lower blood pressure and increased levels of healthy HDL cholesterol. The diet may also aid against diabetes, cancer, epilepsy and Alzheimer’s. Here are four recipes to get you started.

Citrus-Herb Shrimp Sauté

Full of fresh flavor and bright color, this delicious shrimp dish will feel like a ray of sunshine on a cold winter day. Serve the shrimp and veggies over cauliflower rice with a side of ripe avocado for a keto meal that will transport you to warmer climes.

1 pound (about 20) jumbo shrimp; peeled and deveined, tails left on

1 teaspoon sea salt 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

¼–½ cup light olive oil or avocado oil

¼ cup seeded, diced red, yellow or orange bell pepper (a mix of all three colors looks beautiful)

2 tablespoons seeded, minced jalapeno or serrano pepper (optional)

1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters

½ cup sliced green onion, plus more for garnish

½ teaspoon each dried thyme and oregano

1 cup shrimp broth or vegetable broth

¼ cup fresh, minced cilantro or parsley

Zest and juice of 2 large limes

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed

Sprigs of cilantro, for garnish

Steamed cauliflower rice, avocado and lime wedges, optional

DIRECTIONS

1. Pat shrimp dry with a paper towel, and season with salt and pepper.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil. Place shrimp in a single layer, working in two batches if necessary. Cook until they begin to brown. Turn them over, and cook another minute. Remove from pan, and set aside while you make the sauce.

3. Add peppers to pan; cook until they begin to soften. Add tomatoes, onions, thyme and oregano. If pan is too dry, add a splash of broth to moisten. Cook until tomatoes begin to soften and release their juice.

4. Add broth and simmer; cook until liquid is reduced by half.

5. Put shrimp back in pan, and heat until fully cooked. Add cilantro or parsley, lime zest and juice, and butter. Stir until butter is melted and mixed in; remove from heat immediately.

6. Garnish with fresh cilantro sprigs and sliced green onion, if desired.

7. Serve with cauliflower rice, a side of sliced avocado and lime wedges.

PER SERVING: 466 CAL; 10G PROTEIN; 45G FAT; 8G CARB (2G SUGARS); 660MG SODIUM; 2G FIBER

Herbed-Gruyère Scrambled Eggs with Easy Almond-Flour Biscuits

Eggs, butter and good cheese—long at the heart of many traditional cuisines—have been welcomed back to the breakfast table with a ketogenic diet. SERVES 4

BISCUITS

2 cups lightly packed almond flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

4 tablespoons (½ stick) cold, unsalted butter; cubed

2 large eggs, beaten

SCRAMBLED EGGS

8 large eggs

2 tablespoons heavy cream

2 tablespoons finely chopped chives

2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 teaspoon fine sea salt ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup (4 ounces) grated Gruyère or Swiss cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425°. Place almond flour, baking powder and sea salt in a food processor. Pulse to combine. Add butter, and pulse to cut into flour mixture until it looks like coarse sand.

2. Add the two beaten eggs to processor; blend until ingredients come together to form a soft dough.

3. Grease a 9-inch cake pan. Using an oiled ¼-cup measuring cup, scoop out 8 biscuits, shaping them slightly as you remove from the cup. Place them evenly on a greased pan.

4. Bake biscuits 15–20 minutes, until they are golden and firm to the touch.

5. While biscuits are baking, crack eggs into a large mixing bowl, and whisk until whites and yolks are completely mixed. Stir in heavy cream, parsley, chives, salt and pepper.

6. Melt butter in a large, nonstick skillet over low heat. Pour eggs into pan, and gently stir with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon as eggs begin to set. Sprinkle cheese over the top, and gently stir it in. Continue to cook eggs over low heat until almost fully set but still slightly moist, 2–3 minutes.

7. Divide eggs among four plates, and serve with a hot biscuit. Or serve with a keto-friendly Mission Carb Balance Flour Tortilla.

PER SERVING: 772 CAL; 25G PROTEIN; 61G FAT; 34G CARB (1G SUGARS); 1324MG SODIUM; 1G FIBER

Tarragon Chicken and Wild Mushroom Bisque

Instead of using starch or flour for thickening, this soup gets its body from pureed vegetables. It’s a simple and nutritious technique that keeps the carbs low. SERVES 4

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 cups sliced wild mushrooms

1½ teaspoons fine sea salt, divided

2 large leeks; white part only, chopped

2 large ribs celery, chopped

1 large shallot, chopped

4 skinless chicken thighs

1 teaspoon dried tarragon

1 teaspoon poultry seasoning or dried sage

½ teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

½ cup sour cream

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

1. Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add mushrooms, sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt, and cook until mushrooms release their liquid and begin to cook dry.

2. Remove ½ cup of cooked mushrooms; reserve for later.

3. Add leeks, celery and shallot to pot; continue to cook over medium heat, until vegetables are soft and translucent.

4. Add chicken thighs, dried herbs, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, pepper and broth. Raise heat to high, cover, and bring to a boil.

5. Once soup has begun to boil, reduce heat and simmer covered until chicken is completely tender and falling from the bone, 30–40 minutes. Remove chicken with a slotted spoon, and set aside to cool briefly.

6. With an immersion blender or regular blender, blend hot soup until completely smooth.

7. Pull chicken meat from bones, and shred into pieces. Return chicken and reserved mushrooms to pot, and heat soup to a simmer. Stir in sour cream and fresh parsley.

8. Divide among four bowls, and garnish with a dollop of sour cream, a slice or two of sautéed mushroom, and a sprig of fresh parsley, if desired.

PER SERVING: 244 CAL; 18G PROTEIN; 13G FAT; 16G CARB (4G SUGARS); 1,039MG SODIUM; 2G FIBER

Dark Chocolate Panna Cotta with Raspberry Sauce

This decadent chocolate dessert is light, refreshing and easy to make. It’s also dairy-, sugar- and egg-free. SERVES 6

PANNA COTTA

1/2 cup cold coconut milk

2 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin powder

13/4 cups (14-ounce can) coconut cream

3 tablespoons stevia-erythritol blend granulated sweetener

1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

RASPBERRY SAUCE

1 pint raspberries, rinsed and dried

1 tablespoon stevia-erythritol blend granulated sweetener

*If you don’t need this recipe to be completely sugar-free, you can substitute an equal amount of coconut sugar.

DIRECTIONS

1. Lightly oil six small bowls, ramekins or teacups.

2. Pour cold coconut milk into a medium saucepan, and sprinkle gelatin over the top. Allow to sit 1 minute for gelatin to soften.

3. Add coconut cream, sweetener and salt, and place over medium heat. Stirring to dissolve the gelatin, sweetener and salt, bring mixture to a boil. When boil is reached, remove mixture from heat, and carefully add chocolate and vanilla extract.

4. Allow to sit until chocolate has melted; then whisk together. Mixture should be smooth and glossy with no lumps.

5. Divide mixture among prepared dishes; loosely cover each with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until fully set, at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

6. In a mixing bowl, crush half of the raspberries with a fork until mashed. Mix in sweetener; then gently fold in other half of the berries. Cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

7. To unmold panna cotta, run a thin, flexible knife around edge of each dish; briefly dip outside of ramekins to just below the rim in very hot water. Place a small plate or saucer over top of panna cotta, and invert, shaking gently to release. To serve, drizzle a tablespoon of raspberry sauce over each panna cotta. Place a small plate or saucer over the top of the panna cotta and invert, shaking gently to release.

PER SERVING: 433 CAL; 6G PROTEIN; 37G FAT; 22G CARB (8G SUGARS); 51MG SODIUM; 8G FIBER

USE A VERY DARK CHOCOLATE OF AT LEAST 80 PERCENT COCOA SOLIDS, WHICH HAS A LOW ENOUGH SUGAR CONTENT TO BE USED IN THIS DESSERT.