I have just returned from a magnificent holiday! Funnyman and I cruised on the ‘Diamond Princess’, a beautiful ship that sailed in the East over Christmas, docking in Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong. If any of you know what cruise holidays are like, you know about those endless buffets where everything under the sun is presented three times a day in a large dining room. In addition, there are food stations scattered throughout the ship where burgers, tacos, hot dogs and pizzas are there for the taking: freshly made to order – and all included in the cost of the cruise. Its a food lover’s dream and its pretty good quality.
Tag: low carb
Our Low Carb Feast in the East
Cajun Cauliflower Bake (Keto)
“I never run out of ideas for making interesting side dishes to enjoy alongside meat or fish. I love vegetables and believe its where you can get really creative. It’s also where most of your daily allocated carbs should be coming from. More so, this is where your fibre comes from. Here, I coat cauliflower florets in a spicy Cajun spice mix and roast them until done. To add additional flavour and a creamy mouthfeel, I drizzle over a mix of double cream and sour cream before cooking for a few more minutes. This Cajun cauliflower side dish is so packed with flavour and spice, I advise it’s served alongside simple roasted chicken thighs or pork chops.” – Monya
Salmon and Cream Cheese Domes (Keto)
“Need a pretty-looking appetiser? These little domes are simply made using seasoned cream cheese wrapped in smoked salmon. To achieve the cute dome shape, I used clingfilm-lined mini pudding (dariole) moulds. They were then simply tipped upside down before serving. Try these with slices of toasted Quick Chia Keto Bread (not included in macros) for a lovely, fresh appetiser for four people.” – Monya
Chicken and Veg with Balsamic Drizzle (Keto)
“The great flavour of this chicken and veg with balsamic drizzle is enhanced further by the addition of basil. I especially love the balsamic mustard reduction drizzled over at the end. It brings a sharpness that shapes the whole dish and a key flavour to the end-result. The whole lot takes only 35 minutes to cook, but this means getting some things going at the same time. I have outlined an efficient order in the method below. Remember, always preheat your oven and prep all your components before you even start cooking – its good practice for any cook. As amazing as this dish is, you may want to save it for a day after intermittent fasting because it still calculates at 12g carbs per serving. Be sure to see all the Poultry dishes on the site.” – Monya
Balsamic-roasted Asparagus with Parmesan (Keto)
“A quick and easy alternative technique to cooking up asparagus. I love the Buttered Asparagus with Parmesan recipe, but this is also a great way to add a bit of sweet acidity to this fabulous vegetable. Try both the buttered asparagus and this balsamic-roasted asparagus recipe and let me know in the comments below which one you prefer.” – Monya
Keto Shakshuka
“How cute is this breakfast? I bought several mini cast-iron pans so that I can make this breakfast for house guests. This Shakshuka is super simple: the cooked tomatoes are spiced with ground cumin, cayenne and smoked paprika. An egg is then cracked into the centre and baked to perfection. To finish, I used smoked sea salt flakes to season. I must, admit though, there is a massively improved, “pimped” version of my Shakshuka in my cookbook Keto Kitchen (which came out long after this blog post).” – Monya
Keto Hollandaise Sauce
“A beautifully-rich keto Hollandaise (with just the right amount of acidity) is so much easier to make than you think. Here is a quick example to whip up and enjoy over eggs Benedict. Or, in the case of one of my recipes here on Fats of Life where I created an Eggs Benedict using smoked salmon instead (far posher).” – Monya
Buttered Asparagus with Parmesan (Keto)
“OK, let’s be honest here… everything tastes better with butter and this is merely an idea with some cheffy techniques added to help you prepare perfect buttered asparagus. If you are okay with your urine smelling funky for a day, try this super-simple recipe. And if you don’t suffer from bizarre-smelling urine after eating asparagus, consider yourself a very small percentage of the population. (I will leave you to Google what I am on about, if you don’t already know.) Enjoy this lovely, easy side dish – and be sure to also check out the Brown-buttered Brussels Sprouts on the site!” – Monya
Low-carb Peri-Peri Chicken Livers
“Aaah, chicken livers… you either love ‘em or hate ‘em. I must admit, I dated two blokes in my life that wouldn’t touch them – until they tried my peri-peri chicken livers! One was completely converted, and I am married to the other one! Funnyman puts in formal requests for me to make them often. I think it’s the texture of the livers that bother people, so I get them browned first, then remove them from the pan, only to add them later after the sauce has thickened so they can gently cook through. This prevents them over-cooking and ‘crumbling’. They are also a fantastic source of iron. I used Nando’s® hot sauce which is a little #DirtyKeto. It is available at most supermarkets in the UK.” – Monya
Coconut Flour Wraps (Keto)
“I love these coconut flour wraps. They may seem a little daunting to make, but once you get the hang of it you will smash them out with ease. I have supplied detailed pics to help you along. This recipe will yield 5 wraps and the macros are calculated per wrap, excluding any fillings. Happy wrapping!” – Monya
Beurre Noisette (Brown Butter)
“Let’s take butter up a notch in flavour! Try this recipe at least once and I promise you will not regret it. Beurre noisette (brown butter) has a deep, rich, nutty flavour that remind me of caramel. A block or two of browned butter can be used to cook eggs, add to your baking, or melt over cooked vegetables, like I did on my Brown-buttered Brussels Sprouts. And more good news: since you are essentially removing the milk solids from the butter (when you strain it through the muslin / cheesecloth), so this browned butter is even lower in carbs than regular butter (in fact, its zero carbs). If you love it (and I know you will), make a larger batch next time.” – Monya
Quick and Easy Keto Pho Bo
“Backpacking around Vietnam with Funnyman in 2010 was one of our best holidays ever! I recall having phở bo (pronounced “fuh” – not “foo” or “foh”) for the first time in Hanoi. I was blown away and happily slurped it down numerous times as we travelled north to south over several weeks. Now, many years later and hardcore into my very low-carb lifestyle, I wanted to relive those awesome memories. I created a quick 15-minute keto pho bo using the (konjac / shirataki) ‘noodles‘ to make it low-carb friendly. You could also use courgette noodles.” – Monya
Keto Seafood Bake
“This recipe is a fantastic example of how versatile my Keto Creamy Cauliflower Mash is! This is a simple, hearty and comforting fish pie and an ideal meal for the chilly evenings. I have seen many stores sell ready “fish pie” mixes (usually a mix of chopped white fish, salmon and smoked haddock) which is handy. However, I added prawns to my version to make it a wee bit fancier. This dish is just too lovely and I can’t wait for you to try it! Great with greens on the side, if desired.” – Monya
Keto Raspberry Rose Water Lollies
“These raspberry rose water lollies were made using raspberries and rose water and I added a drop or two of pink food colouring to make them pretty! Fragrant and creamy with little tart raspberry bits throughout, you should definitely give these a try!” – Monya