Keto Clarity: Your Definitive Guide to the Benefits of a Low-Carb, High-Fat Diet (62 page)

When I was addicted to carbohydrates, I used to think it was the alfredo sauce in fettuccine alfredo that was going to clog my arteries and give me a heart attack. But now I know it’s the wheat-based pasta that was the problem, which is why I’ve replaced that truly unhealthy ingredient with a delicious and nutritious low-carb one: spaghetti squash! Once you get a taste of this, you’ll never miss the high-carb version again.

Ingredients

1 spaghetti squash

3 tablespoons grass-fed butter

1 cup heavy cream or coconut milk

2 pinches of garlic salt

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Pinch of dried basil

1. Preheat the oven to 375˚F.
   
2. Slice the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and pulp. Wrap both halves in aluminum foil, place face-up on a baking sheet, and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool, then scoop out the flesh with a fork and set aside.
   
3. In a skillet, melt the butter over medium heat and add the heavy cream, garlic salt, Parmesan cheese, and basil. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes at a light simmer, stirring occasionally.
   
4. Add the cooked spaghetti squash, mix thoroughly, and enjoy.
   

Pan-Fried Avocado
by Wendy McCullough

(a reader from Bicknell, Indiana, who blogs at TheLowCarbMom.blogspot.com)

Serves
: 2
Prep time
: 5 minutes
Cook time
: 5 minutes

Note from Wendy:
I started making this recipe when I had several avocados that weren’t quite ripe yet when I needed to use them (if you’ve ever bought avocados, you know exactly what I mean). I was inspired by a recipe for baked avocado and eggs, but I was out of eggs when I wanted to make it. Then it occurred to me that maybe the heat would soften the unripe avocados and make them edible. It did and they were. I like to serve this with scrambled eggs or bacon. How’s that for a keto recipe?

Ingredients

1 avocado, firm and unripe

4 tablespoons butter

Sea salt, to taste

1. Cut avocado in half and remove the pit. Peel and cut into 1-inch cubes.
   
2. In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the avocado and cook, covered, until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally. Season to taste with salt.
   

Keto Vanilla Ice Cream
by Kent Altena (YouTube.com/Bowulf)

Contributor to
Low-Carbing Among Friends, Volume 1
and
Low-Carbing Among Friends, Volume 3

Yield: ½ cup
Prep time
: 2 minutes
Cook time
: 5 minutes to set

Note from Kent:
After running the Minneapolis Marathon in June 2010 with temperatures in eighties, I was seriously craving ice cream. I was hot, exhausted, and aching, so when I got home, my kids came up with this recipe for low-carb, high-fat ice cream for me. This simple, three-ingredient recipe has all the flavor of rich vanilla ice cream without the sugar and chemicals that are in most ice cream from the grocery store. It’s a perfectly ketogenic way to quench that craving for ice cream.

Ingredients

½ cup heavy cream

6 to 9 drops liquid stevia (equivalent to 1 tablespoon sugar)

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups ice

6 tablespoons sea salt

1. Pour the heavy cream, liquid stevia, and vanilla extract into a plastic bag and shake briefly to combine.
   
2. Place the ice and salt in an airtight container. Set the plastic bag on top of the ice and close the container. Vigorously shake for 2 to 5 minutes to set the ice cream.
   
3. Remove the plastic bag from the container and rinse any excess salt from the bag. Serve immediately.
   

Jimmy Moore’s Keto Chocolate Shell Topping

Yield: ¼ cup
Prep time
: 5 to 10 minutes

Lightning struck in the Moore household when I came up with this heckuva ice cream topping. When I started eating a low-carb, high-fat diet, I missed having Magic Shell topping—that chocolate syrup that magically solidifies when you pour it on ice cream. By pure dumb luck, I came up with this fascinating and delightful keto-friendly version, which now goes on top of any cold dessert that I make. I had no idea at first that it solidified on ice cream; I was just making a chocolate syrup. Then I poured it on my wife’s vanilla ice cream and handed it to her, and as I was walking back to the kitchen to fix mine, I heard her screech with excitement, “Where did you get the Magic Shell, and is this really low-carb?” I had no idea what she was talking about until I noticed that the chocolate coating had turned hard. What a cool discovery, and it’s very ketogenic!

Use dark chocolate with the highest percentage of cacao you can tolerate. I love Taza brand at 87% cacao.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon water

1 tablespoon coconut oil

3 ounces dark chocolate (at least 80% cacao)

1. In a microwavable bowl, combine the water, coconut oil, and dark chocolate. Microwave in several 15- to 20-second cycles until the almost all the chocolate is completely melted, stirring well between cycles.
   
2. Continue stirring the runny chocolate until it is completely liquid and smooth. Immediately serve on top of anything cold.
   

Easy Cheesy Cauliflower Gratin
by Nicole Wiese

(a reader from Las Vegas, Nevada, who blogs at menusforlife.wordpress.com)

Serves
: 6
Prep time
: 10 minutes
Cook time
: 45 minutes

Note from Nicole:
The cheese is the star of this dish. Although you can use any cheeses you like, according to your tastes and budget, I think the best texture and creaminess comes from a combination of primarily medium-soft cheese (Havarti, fontina) or firm to semi-firm (cheddar, Swiss, Gouda, Edam, Colby, Monterey Jack), a bit of sharply flavored hard cheese (Asiago, Parmesan, Romano), and a small amount of tangy soft cheese (goat cheese, cream cheese, mascarpone). I personally like to make this with about 1½ cups sharp cheddar, ⅓ cup goat or cream cheese chopped into little chunks, and a bit of freshly grated Romano, but any real, full-fat cheeses you have in the house will do.

This is a fantastic dish to make as a side to a richly flavored meat dish, especially a slow cooker meal.

Ingredients

1 large head cauliflower

2 cups shredded cheese, any combination

2 cups heavy cream

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¹⁄₈ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg

1. Preheat the oven to 400˚F.
   
2. Chop the cauliflower into bite-sized pieces and place in a steamer basket. Add an inch or two of water to a pot, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, lower the heat to keep the water at a simmer, add the cauliflower in the steamer basket, and cover again. Steam the cauliflower for 10 to 15 minutes, or until it is fork-tender, and remove from heat.
   
3. While the cauliflower is cooking, mix the cheese and heavy cream in a 9-by-9-inch baking dish. Stir in the black pepper, salt, and nutmeg.
   
4. Add the cauliflower to the cheese mixture and mix until the cauliflower is well coated. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the top of gratin is nicely browned. Check at the halfway point, and if the top is already browned, cover the dish with a lid or aluminum foil until it is done.
   
5. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken a bit.
   
6. To make this in the microwave, heat on high for 5 minutes, let sit for 2 minutes, and stir. Continue to microwave in 5-minute increments, wait 2 minutes after each cooking cycle, check if the cauliflower is tender, and repeat if necessary. If you want to brown the top, heat under the broiler until bubbly, but check it frequently because cheese can burn quickly.
   

How’s that to get your low-carb, moderate-protein, high-fat diet started with a bang? Now that you are armed with some incredible ketogenic recipes, read on for a plan for keto success that will help you create keto habits that will last a lifetime. Coming up in the next chapter, we’ll outline our 21-Day Kick-start Keto Meal Plan, which will have you rolling in ketones in no time.

Probably the most common mistakes I see people make when they’re attempting to get into ketosis are consuming “hidden” dietary carbohydrates (“Whaddaya mean fruit counts?!” or “You mean corn is a grain? I thought it was a vegetable!”) or excessive protein consumption, followed by insufficient dietary fat. “If in doubt, cut the carbs even more, eat less protein, and eat more fat!” This often makes the difference for many people.

– Nora Gedgaudas

The quality of macronutrients is just as important as the proportion of macronutrients. Carbs should come from above-ground vegetables. Where possible, protein should be animal-based, and dietary fat should come from saturated and monounsaturated fat and less polyunsaturated fat, ideally with a 1:1 ratio of omega-3 to omega-6.

– Dr. Zeeshan Arain

Now that you’ve learned all about ketogenic diets; why you might want to be eating low-carb, moderate-protein, and high-fat; the scientific evidence for eating this way for therapeutic purposes; and what eating keto can look like in terms of recipes, let’s get you going on our 21-Day Kick-start Keto Meal Plan to put you on the clear pathway to success.

Keep in mind that this meal plan is simply a suggestion. If you really like a particular meal and it satisfies your hunger, there is no harm in eating it again and again (this is sometimes referred to as
mono eating
). And remember, we all have different levels of tolerance for carbohydrate and protein. So attempting to exactly replicate these twenty-one days’ worth of meals is not necessarily the point. Rather, use this as a general guideline and then adapt it to what works best for you.

You’ll notice that this meal plan doesn’t refer to specific serving sizes or mealtimes such as breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This is by design. While some people like the traditional three-meals-and-snacks routine, others are able to eat one to two somewhat larger meals daily once they are in ketosis. You may even find yourself gradually reducing the frequency of your meals over time. Keep in mind that if you are hungry enough to eat again just a few hours after your last meal, you probably didn’t eat enough fat and/or food in that meal.