Keto Clarity: Your Definitive Guide to the Benefits of a Low-Carb, High-Fat Diet (61 page)

Yield: 1⅓ cup
Prep time
: 5 to 10 minutes

When I first began my low-carb, high-fat, ketogenic diet in 2004, I started looking at nutritional labels to find the foods that were low in carbohydrates and had plenty of fat. What I didn’t realize at the time was that there is a huge difference between the saturated and monounsaturated fats found in real foods (like the saturated fat in coconut oil and butter and the monounsaturated fat in avocadoes and olive oil) and the polyunsaturated fats found in vegetable oils, including soybean, corn, cottonseed, and canola oil. It’s these polyunsaturated fats that are highly inflammatory and should be limited.

Unfortunately, virtually all of the commercially sold mayonnaise products contain soybean oil—even if they try to spin it by calling it “real” mayonnaise or attempt to fool people by putting “with olive oil” on the label, it is still predominantly soybean oil. And when you take into account all the sugar and other dubious ingredients added to this science experiment in a jar, it only makes sense to make your own mayonnaise at home. It’s a whole lot easier than you think. This recipe gives you a flavorful source of dietary fat without all the added sugar.

Instead of olive oil in this recipe, try using the same amount of bacon fat. You haven’t lived until you’ve experienced bacon mayo!

Ingredients

2 large eggs

2 egg yolks

½ teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon mustard

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

½ cup coconut oil

1. Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl, if you’re using an immersion blender, or food processor. Blend until it thickens to the desired consistency.
   
2. Store in a glass jar or sealable container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days (but it won’t last that long!).
   

West African Chicken Stew
by Melissa Joulwan (
TheClothesMakeTheGirl.com
)

Author of
Well Fed: Paleo Recipes for People Who Love to Eat
and
Well Fed 2: More Paleo Recipes for People Who Love to Eat

Serves
: 4
Prep time
: 10 minutes
Cook time
: 1 hour

Note from Melissa:
I have a thing for peanut butter, by which I mean that I love it to distraction. I especially adore peanut butter in unexpected places, like soups and savory dishes. It was a heartbreaking day for me when I learned that peanuts are a legume and, therefore, do not love me back. But almond butter is an excellent rebound partner, and this stew will win you over with its savory combination of creamy almond butter, just the right bite of heat from the ginger and cayenne, and the underlying sweetness of vanilla and coriander.

Ingredients

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon coconut oil

½ medium onion, diced (about ½ cup)

1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, grated (about 1 tablespoon)

3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)

½ tablespoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 bay leaf

1 cup canned crushed tomatoes

¼ cup water

¼ cup almond butter (no sugar added)

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Minced parsley, for garnish

Butter (optional, for added fat)

1. Sprinkle the chicken enthusiastically with salt and pepper. Heat a large soup pot over medium-high heat, about 3 minutes. Add the coconut oil and allow it to melt. Add the chicken in a single layer and brown well on both sides, about 10 minutes. (Don’t crowd the pan; cook in batches if you need to.) Transfer the chicken to a bowl.
   
2. In the same pot, cook the onion and ginger until soft, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic, coriander, cayenne, and bay leaf, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and water, stirring to combine. Nestle the chicken into the sauce, along with any juices it released into the bowl. Increase the heat to bring the pot to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, for 25 minutes.
   
3. Remove the chicken from the pot; it will be very tender. Break the chicken into large pieces with the side of a wooden spoon. Add the almond butter and vanilla to the pot and mix to combine. Return the chicken to the pot and cover. Heat through, about 5 minutes, then serve, sprinkled with parsley. Add butter on top if you desire more fat.
   

Macadamia Avocado Freezer Fudge
by Shelby Malaterre (
CavemanTruck.com
)

Owner and operator of the Caveman Truck food truck in Indianapolis, Indiana

Yield: 2 cups
Prep time
: 15 minutes
Cook time
: 10 minutes, plus 3 hours to freeze

Note from Shelby:
This recipe was inspired by my love of dark chocolate and desire to create something with a fudge-like texture. I was encouraged when I started to see similar recipes online. The problem with a lot of these recipes, though, was that they relied heavily on honey and bananas for consistency and sweetness, and I wanted something that could be used as a treat on a low-carb, high-fat, ketogenic diet. After several variations I came up with this recipe, and it was everything I was hoping for.

Ingredients

½ cup macadamia nuts

¼ cup grated or shaved dark chocolate (100% cacao) (2 ounces)

¼ cup ghee

¼ cup coconut butter

Liquid stevia, to taste

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

¹⁄₈ teaspoon sea salt

4 large egg yolks

1 medium avocado, peeled, halved, and pitted

2 tablespoons MCT oil

1. In the top of a double boiler, combine the macadamia nuts, chocolate, ghee, coconut butter, stevia, vanilla, and salt. Place about 1½ cups of water in the bottom of the double boiler, set the chocolate mixture on top, and place over medium-high heat. Let the chocolate fully melt, stirring occasionally.
   
2. Once the mixture is melted and combined, pour it into a blender and blend until the nuts are smooth. Because they were heated in the double boiler, this process is fairly quick. Once the mixture is smooth, add the egg yolks, avocado, and MCT oil. Blend to smooth it out again.
   
3. You should now have a fairly dense, warm pudding. It can be eaten right away or frozen to solidify. To freeze, transfer the mixture to bowls, cookie cutter shapes, or, for easy removal, a silicone muffin pan and place in the freezer for 3 hours.
   
4. Keep in the refrigerator or freezer (depending on the density and temperature you like best) and pop them out as an easy way to get some nutrient-dense, high-fat calories in a hurry.
   

Luscious Lemon Bars
by Caitlin Weeks (
GrassFedGirl.com
)

Author of
Mediterranean Paleo Cookbook: Over 135 Grain-Free Recipes to Tempt Your Palate

Yield: 9 squares
Prep time
: 15 minutes
Cook time
: 5 minutes, plus 2 hours to chill

Note from Caitlin:
You may not have heard of chia seeds, but they are a very healthy source of omega-3 fatty acids and a great substitute for eggs. Chia seeds do tend to have a gritty texture that some people find undesirable, so I encourage you to grind them up to make them smooth and easy to work with. (You can also buy ground chia seed.) There’s a lot of healthy fats to bring about ketosis in this recipe.

Ingredients

2 cups full-fat coconut milk

½ cup water

1 heaping tablespoon grass-fed gelatin

1 teaspoon stevia powder extract

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoon lemon zest

2 tablespoons chia seeds

1 cup almond flour

¼ teaspoon sea salt

¼ cup coconut oil, melted

Butter or coconut oil, to grease the pan

1. Heat the coconut milk and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the gelatin and whisk until dissolved. Stir in the stevia, lemon juice, and lemon zest, remove from heat, and set aside.
   
2. In a coffee grinder, grind the chia seeds to a fine powder. In a medium bowl, mix the ground chia seeds, almond flour, sea salt, and melted coconut oil until well combined.
   
3. Grease an 8-by-8-inch glass baking dish and pour in the chia seed mixture, using your fingers to evenly spread it over the bottom of the dish. Pour the lemon gelatin over the crust and refrigerate for 2 hours. Slice and serve.
   

Pan-Fried Breaded Pork Chops with Sautéed Kale
by Kelsey Albers (
IgniteNourishThrive.com
)

Serves
: 2
Prep time
: 10 minutes
Cook time
: 20 minutes

Note from Kelsey:
My Grandpa Suma loved breaded pork chops. He loved them so much that he would gnaw at them until all the meat and gristle was gone. As a kid, I was filled with pride and excitement when I helped my mom make them for him.

Grandpa Suma was a man who could have benefited greatly from books like this one. He was diabetic, and his doctors pulled fried and breaded foods like pork chops out of his diet and replaced them with diet sodas, sugar-free treats, and low-carb, “healthy” whole grains.

When I recently I bought a couple of pork chops on sale from my farmer, I was struck by the memory of my grandpa enjoying breaded chops, and the scrumptious, comforting recipe below was born. I wish my grandpa were still with us so I could share my recipe, but I’ll just be happy with dedicating it to his memory. I hope it can help you or a loved one transition to a real-foods lifestyle!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons coconut flour

¾ teaspoon onion powder, divided

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon sea salt, divided

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

2 pork chops (5½ ounces total)

2 tablespoons coconut oil

½ clove garlic, minced

½ bunch kale, stemmed and chopped

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the coconut flour, ½ teaspoon of the onion powder, the garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon of the salt, and ¼ teaspoon of the pepper. Dredge each pork chop in the mixture until it’s well coated.
   
2. In a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, melt the coconut oil. Add the pork chops and cook for 4 to 6 minutes per side, or until golden-brown. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.
   
3. While the pork chops are resting, in the same skillet, lightly sauté the garlic for 2 minutes. Add the kale, the remaining ¼ teaspoon of onion powder, remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt, and remaining ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Sauté until the kale is slightly wilted, usually 5 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
   

Keto Pot Roast
by Lori Pratt (a reader from Orland Park, Illinois)

Serves
: 4
Prep time
: 10 minutes
Cook time
: 3½ hours

Note from Lori:
When I started eating ketogenic, I already loved to cook and was excited to see what I could come up with. This recipe helps keep me from cheating at all because it tastes so good. In fact, it smells so good while I’m making it that my dogs start crying! I always feel energetic after eating a meal like this; it’s perfect for anyone following a low-carb, high-fat diet.

Ingredients

3 pounds chuck roast, room temperature

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons coconut oil

¼ cup beef broth

2 small onions, halved

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 pounds large mushrooms, halved

¼ cup grass-fed butter

1. Rub the roast on both sides with salt and pepper. In a Dutch oven over high heat, add the coconut oil and wait 1 minute, until it becomes hot. Add the chuck roast and sear on each side until brown, about 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add the beef broth. Cover and simmer for 2½ hours.
   
2. Put the onion halves underneath the bottom of the roast to lift it out of the accumulating liquid. Add the garlic, mushrooms, and butter and continue to cook for 1 hour.
   
3. Discard the onions, slice the roast (which should practically fall apart), and serve.
   

Spaghetti Squash Alfredo
by Jimmy Moore

Serves
: 2
Prep time
: 5 minutes
Cook time
: 40 to 55 minutes