“I love cream-baked broccoli! Its a simple dish which I throw together quite often. In this version, however, I enhanced the creamy mixture with soured cream and full-fat cream cheese. I then served the bake with one of my favourite homemade condiments: a quick relish made from finely chopped tomatoes and garlic. This dish is very rich and indulgent and will suitably serve 4 as a side veg option.” – Monya
“Next to biltong and droewors, NUTS are probably the most popular go-to snack in our house. They just tick all the boxes as a perfect keto snack: high in fat, fibre and protein. We try and steer clear of the store-bought roasted nuts for several reasons: many mixed nuts packets (while convenient) usually include peanuts and almost always feature vegetable oil – two things which should be avoided on keto. However… in the spirit of being honest and transparent, I would be lying if I said we didn’t always have a packet kicking about. Anyway, honesty aside… during COVID-19 lock down, I found a packet of halved macadamia nuts in the pantry and got to work straight away when Funnyman said he was craving something spicy as a snack. These did not last long in our house – they were delicious!” – Monya
“My butcher hooked me up with a whopping kilogram of pork ribs recently! So, I got to work creating a delicious glaze to brush over them while we braaied one day. I used tamari (gluten-free soy sauce) and the delicious The Skinny Food Co Sugar-free Maple Syrup along with other few bits. These keto BBQ ribs will sufficiently feed 4 hungry people. More importantly, I want to encourage you to please try technique of pre-cooking the ribs ahead of going onto the grill. The meat literally falls off the bone… its pure heaven!” – Monya
“When I was younger, I was always asked to bring along a loaf of one of my “legendary” Beer Breads to friends and family BBQs. The flavour was indescribable and deserved its popularity. I even joked with everyone that I would leave the recipe in a Last Will and Testament for loved ones! After going keto, I often thought about that bread and hoped one day I would attempt a low carb version. Funnyman discovered SkinnyBrands® Lager. I immediately got to work! One bottle (330ml / 11.2 fl.oz) comes in at only 3g carbs per serving. As far as I know, SkinnnyBrands® is a UK company, so for my readers from other parts of the world, try this recipe using the lowest carb beer you can get your paws on. After a little research, Michelob Ultra comes in very low, so that may be a good option.” – Monya
“I churn out a lot of keto lollies for Funnyman. While I don’t have a sweet tooth myself, Funnyman loves his after dinner treats. I therefore try to keep things interesting for him by switching things up and changing the flavours of the lollies I make for him! With these, I add cream cheese to the mixture and it changed the texture in a beautiful way! Without telling him, I also added avocado to sneak in some fibre and additional goodness and healthy fats. And so, my Avocado Cheesecake Lollies were born! Hand on heart, these are now his favourite lollies. And just in case you were wondering – the flavour of avocado does not come through at all. Its simply just creamy, indulgent sweetness in every lick!” – Monya
“This is a very simple fish dinner that requires only a little effort. Skinless cod fillets are very gently baked in the oven while butter is browned and infused with garlic on the stove top. After straining, I warm the butter through with little capers (which add great bursts of salty flavour) then pour it over the fish along with a generous squeeze of lemon. The night we enjoyed this, we had it with Fresh Tomato and Garlic relish which was an excellent accompaniment and highly recommended. I have not included the macros for this condiment because it is optional. However, it was sensational and I highly recommend you include it.” – Monya
“I have been meaning to share my celeriac chip recipe for a while now. However, I wanted to give it some more ‘kick’ in terms of spicy flavour. Here, I partially cook my celeriac batons in boiling water, then allow them to drain off. My fat (I used lard) is infused with garlic powder and paprika. I then scatter over Parmesan in the last 5 minutes after letting them finish in the oven. This recipe is suitable for 4 as a side dish, but you can adjust the recipe if you wish to make a smaller or larger batch.” – Monya
“Who doesn’t love a classic cauliflower bake? I have a delicious, easy recipe in my first book (Keto Kitchen), but I am all for ‘pimping’ the classics! My whole life revolves around food and flavour – and I think I ticked all the boxes with my latest cauli-bake. The creamy mixture is infused with basil and I added Parmesan (for extra richness and flavour) as well as tomatoes which add the most delicious sweetness. This dish came about by accident one night – just like all the best ones do.” – Monya
“I created this brownie cake because Funnyman loves brownies and I like chocolate mousse. The texture is rich and dense and the “mousse ganache” layer (used to ice the cake too) is pure decadence. I suggest you use best quality 85% dark chocolate (I love Lindt®). This is best enjoyed at room temperature.” – Monya
“This is currently my favourite condiment and you will notice I have been adding it to so many dishes! There are only three key things to bear in mind. Use the ripest, organic tomatoes you can find, and invest in a garlic press to crush the garlic (which is eaten raw so it must be minced well). Lastly, nothing beats a great quality olive oil. I also season it with sea salt flakes which add little perfect bursts of flavour and crunch. This could not be simpler and can be used to serve with any grilled meat, added to salads – or simply stirred into warm, cooked vegetables. ” – Monya
“South Africa nails it when it comes to offering keto snacks. I could write a thousand words on how much I love biltong and droewors! If you have never tried either, please do so. (And, ‘jerky’ is not the same thing). I often make my own biltong, but was inspired by a friend who used my ‘Boerewors‘ mix to create droe wors (South African dried sausage) in a biltong maker. I then did the same (not using the pork) and LOVED the result! Not only is my version clean, but there is something special about using a cool gadget (in this case, a sausage stuffer) and making your own snacks. Macros indicate a 30g (1.06oz) serving, which is one-third of the long dried beef stick.” – Monya
“I am still having fun with my version of fathead dough and have been playing around with it for years. Here, I used fathead pizza base recipe to create pinwheel rollups. I add pepperoni slices, grated cheddar and baking powder so they could puff up. They are rather rustic-looking, but that has never bothered me, they are delicious! Simply pull apart and enjoy the indulgence! The macros are calculated that this recipe will serve two as a main, but I think it will also make a great light meal for 4 people. It tends to be quite rich and heavy. Funnyman loves this with hot sauce, but I love it as is!” – Monya
“This is a decadent and side veg option that can be enjoyed any time of the year, yet ALWAYS part of my Christmas spread! I slice up Brussels sprouts to ensure even cooking, then smother them in a buttery bacon mix. It needs only a little seasoning. Not too bad for only 20 minutes!” – Monya
“Jazz up your chicken dinner with dynamite flavours and a little extra effort! I cook ginger-seasoned chicken with a creamy coconut spinach and threw in tomatoes for sweetness. The macros are calculated to serve 6 and it would be lovely over Creamy Cauliflower Mash.” – Monya
“It’s chicken wings with blue cheese sauce! YUM! You can serve this up as an appetiser, or simply enjoy it for dinner with veg on the side. Adjust the amount of cayenne pepper to suit your liking, but be mindful that you don’t want any flavours competing with the luxuriously stinky dip!” – Monya