Strong flavors that satisfy

Sometimes I want something that tastes like a treat but isn't sweet. For those occasions I find that something with a really strong flavor can do the trick.

Braunschweiger - a strongly-flavored liver spread.  Oscar Mayer brand is pretty good.

Cheese spreads - Markt brand Beer Cheese flavor; Swiss Almond flavor. Yes, I eat small bites out of the pint-size container with a spoon like a savage. Like Ben & Jerry's, but cheese!

Smoked almonds

Olives - regular old green olives in jar are my go-to, but fancy olive bar olives are great.

Tomato paste - spread on a slice of bologna or salami, add a stick of string cheese and make a roll-up.

Andouille sausage - Hillshire Farms makes a turkey one that is delicious.

Hard salami - I just get the lunch meat kind

Swiss cheese - with mustard

Lunch meats - bologna, ham, turkey

Cheeses - pepper jack, swiss, cojack

A favorite thing to do is make a small plate out of some or all of the above, plus fresh veggies (radishes, green peppers, celery) and a few nuts (I like walnuts, salted pecans, cashews.) Makes a very tasty finger food snack and the veggies make me feel like I haven't given up on traditional nutrition altogether.

Shrimp Salad

12 oz cooked shrimp (peeled), chopped to bite size if necessary
1/2 c mayo 
2 stalks of celery, chopped
2 drops of liquid sucralose 
Splash of plain almond milk or water, to thin the mayo (optional)
1/2 t dill weed
1/4 t kelp seasoning (Maine Coast brand)

Amounts are approximate. Mix everything together in a bowl, adjust seasonings to taste.  Refrigerate. 

Burger on a Salad

This was a tasty, filling lunch.

1/4 lb grass-fed hamburger patty
Seasoned salt, to taste

1 cage-free omega egg, fried over-easy

2 cups romaine salad
1/2 medium tomato, cut in chunks
1/2 medium avocado, cut in chunks
6 Atomic dill pickle slices (spicy hot dill pickles)
1 T ranch dressing

Place lettuce on salad plate, top with pickles, tomato chunks and avocado. Season hamburger patty on both sides, pan fry til desired doneness. Chop patty into bite-size pieces with spatula and place on top of salad.

Fry egg in burger pan to desired doneness. (I made mine over easy because I like the runny yolk. ) Place egg on top of the salad, salt and pepper to taste.

Add ranch dressing or other dressing, if desired.

Flax bread in the microwave

This is a recipe I got off of a low carb message board many years ago. It's a quick and easy recipe that produces a light, coarse-textured bread similar to a whole-grain loaf. I like it with butter and sugar-free jam, and usually eat half the loaf for breakfast.

I think it would also make a serviceable sandwich bun if prepared in two circular ramekins, then cooled and cut in half.

I buy the unground flax seed and grind it myself in a little coffee grinder I keep just for that purpose. You can buy ground flax seed but apparently it goes rancid fairly quickly. I add the baking powder in with the seeds before grinding, just so it gets mixed into the flax really well.

Flax Bread in microwave (makes 2 servings)

1 ounce of melted butter, cooled slightly
2 medium eggs
4 tablespoons of ground flax seed
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder.

Add the eggs to the melted butter and mix well. Add the flax and baking powder and mix together thoroughly. You want a wet, smooth batter. Pour into the greased or sprayed microwave-safe baking dish of your choice.
 

Microwave the bread for 3 minutes. Let cool slightly before removing from pan.

Nutrition info guesstimate (this info was provided by original recipe poster, I cannot vouch for its accuracy. If you really need accurate numbers run it through a recipe calculator.)

 

For the whole recipe:

About 570 cals

Total fat 48 g
Carbs 18g (including 15 g fiber) - so only 3 net carbs
Protein 20 g

High fat, moderate-to-low protein foods

Oils & fats: olive oil, coconut oil, ghee, butter, lard
Olives
Avocados
Dark chocolate
Flax seed (make microwave flax bread!)
Chia seeds
Leafy salads with oily dressing
Caesar salad
Vegetables with butter
Camembert cheese, Brie cheese, blue cheese
Eggs
Walnuts, almonds, pecans
Macadamia nuts (treat like an oil, a cup of these is over 900 calories! And it is not hard to eat a cup's worth.)
Cream cheese
Heavy cream
Sour cream
Almond milk
Bacon
Braunschweiger

A good chart with nutrition info for different keto foods:

https://www.perfectketo.com/full-ketogenic-diet-food-list/

Fresh and light flavors

I sometimes get to where I am sick of the meaty-salty-greasy flavor profile of many low carb foods, and find myself craving fresher lighter flavors. Here are some things I do:

Drink more water. For me I think the fresh-light craving is related to wanting foods with more water content, which I assume is a sign I'm a bit dehydrated. Iced or chilled water is more refreshing than room temperature, of course. Lemon or cucumber slices add a bit of fresh flavor and feels fancy.

Have a fruity low-carb beverage like Bai, Crystal Lite, diet 7-Up, etc. This of course depends on your opinion/reaction to artificial sweeteners. Bai is made with erythritol which is considered by many to be a good sweetener for low-carb. I was really missing having orange juice with my morning eggs and bacon, but a small glass of pomegranate-flavor Bai makes an excellent low carb substitute. 

Drink more tea or herbal tea in place of coffee. I love coffee but it does have a certain heaviness of flavor. Teas are lighter and fresher. Try Tazo’s passion tea, iced or hot… it’s sour taste is really refreshing! Bonus: you can get it at Starbuck's. Just be sure to specify you want it unsweetened (or sweetened with one of their sugar-free syrups. Vanilla flavor would be brilliant. You could also get it with a splash of heavy cream for a tea-latte-like drink. It'll be beautifully pink :) )

Eat more salad and raw veggies. Watery veggies like cucumber and celery are ideal. A big plate of cucumbers and tomatoes dressed with a little bit of vinegar or lemon juice is fresh, summery and delicious. Celery stuffed with nut butter or cream cheese makes a satisfying snack, the high-fat high-protein fills you up while the fresh watery crunch of the celery cuts the heavy taste. Creamed cucumbers made by dressing sliced cucumbers with a dressing made of mayo plus sour cream or greek yogurt plus a little vinegar is a refreshing and delicious side dish.

Cut down on red meat and salty processed meat like bacon and sausage. Chicken, turkey and fish are much lighter tasting.

Use acidy things like vinegar and lemon juice to dress your foods.  Make a cucumber salad with vinegar dressing. Try a light vinaigrette on your salads instead of heavier dressing. Dress cooked vegetables with a little rice vinegar instead of butter and salt. Top eggs or meat with salsa.

If you don’t mind budgeting for the carbs, have a small serving of berries.

Yogurt is another item that might be worth a few extra carbs. I like a 1/2-cup serving of Fage 5% fat yogurt mixed with a little bit of True Lemon powder and Truvia sweetener. I thin it out with a bit of water as I don’t like my yogurt quite so thick. 

Just a few ideas that might help you feel more refreshed and satisfied if you find your usual food staples are not appealing after a while.

Goulash

1 lb. hamburger
1 large onion, chopped
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 T powdered beef boullion
4 cups water
4 T paprika
1 lg pkg frozen green beans
Salt & pepper
Sour cream for serving

Cook onions in oil until translucent. Add hamburger, chop it up with a spatula and let it brown. Add tomatoes, beef boullion, water, paprika. (You may want more or less paprika, I put enough in so you can smell it while it is cooking. That gives it the "authentic goulash" flavor.) Bring to a boil, then lower heat to simmer for about an hour.  Add green beans, bring back to a boil and cook another 15 minutes or so. Add salt & pepper to taste. Serve with sour cream.

How to get started on low carb, or get back on the wagon if you've fallen off

In the beginning, the easiest way to shop is to plan meals around meat, veg and salad.

Stock up on chicken, pork chops, sausage (read the label), pork roast, beef roast, steak, salmon.
Buy bags of frozen veggies: broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, brussels sprouts.
Bags of salad, any fresh veggies you like. Cheese and dressing for your salad.
Eggs and bacon for breakfast, Heavy whipping cream and artificial sweetener for your coffee.

Dinner is meat, veg and a side salad.

For lunch have a big salad with meat, eggs and cheese.

Bacon and eggs for breakfast.

This simple framework gets you through the early days of "I don't know what to cook". Then you can start trying different recipes to add some variety.

Aldi Grocery List for LC

Nuts
Produce: tomatoes, onions, avocados, celery, cucumbers, cilantro, bagged salad, green pepper, colored peppers, jalepenos, limes, (not lchf items: apples, oranges, grapes)
Eggs
Almond milk (unsweetened)
Heavy cream
Cottage cheese, 4% milkfat (not lchf)
Sour cream
Butter
Shredded cheese (mozzarella and Mexican-style)
Bacon
Smoked sausage
Hot dogs (reg and cheddar)
Fresh meats (hamburger, pork chops, pork roast, chicken, etc.)
Cured sliced ham (Applewood Farms)
Cheese sticks (marbled, etc)
Cream cheese
Assorted hard cheeses
Dry spices
Sucralose
Coffee
Black tea
Seltzer
Pork rinds
Salsa
Cheese sauce
Enchilada sauce
Pickles
Olives (black & green)
Banana peppers
Mayo
Mustard
Ketchup
Bacon (pre-cooked)
Tuna (packets)
Salmon (canned)
Boullion (chicken or beef)
Green beans (canned)
Diced tomatoes
Tomato paste
Chicken broth
Frozen chicken (wings, legs, etc.)
Cornish hens
Shrimp (cooked, tail off)
Fish (tilapia, cod, salmon, etc.)
Frozen veggies (broccoli, green beans, California mix, etc.)
Paper & cleaning products (TP, paper towels, ziploc bags, trash bags, dish soap, laundry detergent)
Health & beauty (toothpaste, shampoo, soap, face cream, acetaminophen, multi-vitamins, baby wipes)

Sloppy Joe Bowl

2 lbs ground beef, browned & drained
1 Diced green pepper (optional)
1 Diced onion (optional)
1 c Sugar-free ketchup or tomato sauce
3 T Yellow mustard
2 t Garlic powder
2 t Onion onion powder
2 t Chili powder
Sweetener to taste (I use Splenda)
Salt to taste

Top with:
Shredded cheddar cheese
Dill pickle spears, cut into chunks

Amounts above are approximate. I never use a recipe for sloppy joes, I just brown up the ground beef  (with onions and peppers if using) and add other ingredients to taste. Serve the sloppy joe in a bowl topped with cheese and a generous handful of pickle chunks.

Peanut Butter Tip

Mix no-sugar-added peanut butter with butter or coconut oil to up the fat content and cut the carbs. For example, if you would normally eat 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, put one tablespoon on a plate and mix in a tablespoon of butter.

Shrimp Ceviche

1 bag frozen cooked salad shrimp, thawed

3 medium roma tomatoes, diced

1 medium red onion, diced

1 large jalepeno pepper, ribs and seeds removed, diced

1 firm avocado, cut into small chunks

1 small cucumber, seeded and diced

2 fresh limes or about ½ cup of lime juice

¼ cup low carb ketchup (or ¼ sugar-free tomato sauce plus a bit of sweetener to taste)

Cilantro, chopped (optional)

Mix all ingredients together and eat with a spoon.

Amounts are just suggestions. This recipe is very flexible so if you want more or less of anything, it will still come out great!  I’ve even seen recipes that don’t use tomatoes. Other vegetables could be added such as celery, green or red peppers, radishes, green onions, snap peas, etc.

Almond Flour Scones

2 eggs, beaten
1 cup almond flour
1/3 cup Splenda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Use a spoon to drop batter onto a parchment lined baking sheet.  2-3 tbsp of batter per scone yields about 9 scones. Bake for 15 minutes until lightly browned. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Easiest Low Carb Cocktail Sauce

3/4 c. sugar free tomato sauce
Splenda to taste (I used one drop of liquid sucralose)
Horseradish to taste

Couldn't be easier! :)

Pizza Sub Wrap

When I was a kid we used to have a pizza place nearby that served hot subs made with lunch meats, tomato paste and mozzarella cheese. I was a teenager before I realized that there was any other kind of "sub" sandwich. And since I've been grown, I've never found the pizza place kind of sub anywhere but my hometown. So I learned to make a version of it at home, using deli buns.

This version contains the same toppings but in a low carb tortilla. It's quite good. Although I keep hearing the "Hot Pockets" tagline as sung by Jim Gaffigan in my head whenever I make them.

For each wrap you will need:

1 low carb tortilla
1 T. tomato paste
1 slice bologna, cut in half
1 slice hard salami, cut in half
2 slices lunchmeat ham (I used Oscar Meyer Smoked Ham lunchmeat)
Small handful of shredded mozzarella cheese
1 square of foil big enough to wrap the sandwich for the oven

Spread tomato paste on tortilla. Lay out meat slices to mostly cover the tortilla. (You will use both halves of the bologna and salami on the sandwich.) Sprinkle the cheese over the meat, and fold the wrap in thirds. Wrap in foil. Bake at 450 for approximately 10 minutes. Allow to cool a few minutes before eating, the center will be hot!

Slow Cooker Pork Tacos (or Taco Bowls)

1 pork shoulder roast
1 c. water
Adobo seasoning to taste (Goya brand)
low carb tortillas
Toppings of your choice

Put roast, water and seasoning in slow cooker, and cook all day on low.

Shred the meat with two forks. You can take it out of the slow cooker liquid if you want it more dry and roast-like, or mix in some of the liquid if you want it a bit soupy.

Serve hot pork on low carb tortillas and top with your favorite toppings. I used shredded colby-jack cheese, sour cream, fresh pico de gallo and shredded green cabbage.

I wound up taking off the tortilla and eating the pork and toppings with a fork, it was so good that way I probably won't bother with the tortilla next time.

Breakfast, Lunch and Snack Foods

• Unsweetened chocolate almond milk (add a little sweetener of your choice or drink plain)
• Full-fat cottage cheese with chopped tomatoes
• Hard boiled eggs (buy the pre-cooked and peeled kind in a bag)
• Scrambled eggs (with or without add-ins or toppings such as chorizo sausage, veggies, cheese, pico de gallo, etc)
• BACON
• Bologna pizza roll-up: tomato paste & mozzarella on a slice of turkey bologna (can also add salami or pepperoni)
• Microwave flax bread
• Celery with cream cheese
• Celery with pimento cheese
• Celery with natural peanut butter
• Raw veggies with guacamole
• Raw veggies with dip: radishes, cauliflower, pepper strips, celery, mushrooms
• Raw mushrooms dipped in marinara
• Pork rinds with french onion dip
• Pork rinds with natural peanut butter and sugar-free strawberry jello (tastes like PBJ!)
• Pork rinds with peanut butter, cup of chicken broth or boullion (reminds me of my favorite childhood lunch of peanut butter sandwich with chicken noodle soup)
• Pork rinds dusted with Splenda and cinnamon (tastes like cinnamon twists from Taco Bell)
• Shrimp with low carb cocktail sauce
• Cheese sticks (cheddar jack, orange & white string cheese)
• Nuts (watch portion sizes & carb count. Cashews are apparently a little higher carb than other nuts)
• V-8 juice (1/2 cup is 5 grams of carb)
• Cucumber slices with rice wine vinegar
• Cucumber slices with Olive Garden salad dressing
• Baby tomatoes or tomato wedges with Olive Garden salad dressing
• Berries
• Pickles
• Olives
• Pizza bowl: sliced mushrooms topped with marinara and cheddar jack cheese
• Hot dogs with cucumber slices, mustard & ketchup, celery salt, sport peppers
• Lunch meat
• Ham (Hormel Brown Sugar Cured) with green pepper slices
• Taco salad (hamburger seasoned with taco spices, on top of lettuce with salsa, sour cream, olives, tomatoes, avocado, etc.)
• Chicken salad (white meat chicken, mayo, chopped celery, serve in half an avocado if desired)
• Tuna salad
• Shrimp salad
• Turkey bratwurst (leftovers)
• Cold chicken wings (leftovers previously roasted with seasoned salt)
• Crystal Lite (I like the pomegranate cherry). Add chia seeds for fun.
• Sugar-free Jello cup - chop up the Jello into cubes and add a little heavy cream. It's like Jello mixed with whipped cream and you don't even need to add sweetener)
• Greek yogurt - add a little Crystal Lite for flavor (lemonade or cherry pomegranate is really good. Can also sprinkle with sliced almonds.)
• Cottage cheese with berries
• Atkins Shakes (dark chocolate royalle flavor is delicious)
• Chicken broth - supposed to be good for "Keto flu" symptoms
• Hot and sour broth - chicken broth or boullion with vinegar and cayenne pepper. 
• Hot and sour soup - hot and sour broth with chicken, eggs, mushrooms, tofu, veggies for more of a meal or just drink the broth for a snack
• Root beer "float" - diet root beer over ice with a couple tablespoons of heavy cream added
• Hot chocolate - 1/2 cup of unsweetened chocolate almond milk, 1/2 cup of heavy cream, 2 teaspoons of Swiss Miss No Sugar Added hot chocolate mix (has a little over 2 carbs)
• Sugarless cough drops, sugarless gum - not exactly "foods" but helpful for sweet cravings and for getting rid of keto breath or an unpleasant taste in the mouth
• Cinnamon sugarless breath mints

Low Carb Ground Beef Enchiladas

Low Carb Ground Beef Enchiladas

1 lb lean ground beef
1 - 15 oz. can red enchilada sauce (aka red chile sauce), divided
8 low-carb tortillas (La Tortilla Factory)
1 - 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
2 packets taco seasoning
1.5 cups shredded Mexican style cheese

Brown ground beef in skillet; drain off grease if necessary. Add one can of diced tomatoes, including juice; 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce; 2 packets taco seasoning; 1/2 cup of water. Bring to a boil and simmer until liquid is absorbed.

While meat mixture is cooking, pour 1 cup of enchilada sauce in the bottom of 9 x 13 pan. One by one, dip tortillas in the sauce, coating both sides. Fold each tortilla in half and leave in pan.

When liquid has absorbed from the meat mixture, spoon 1/8 of the mixture into each tortilla. Top with a big pinch of cheese (1 oz per enchilada will use 1 cup of the shredded cheese, leaving half a cup for the top of the casserole.) Roll tortilla around meat-cheese mixture to form enchilada. Pour Remaining enchilada sauce over the top of enchiladas.  Sprinkle the remaining half cup of cheese over the top. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, until cheese on top is melted and slightly brown.

Crockpot Turkey Brats & Sauerkraut

2 pk Jennie-O Turkey Bratwurst
2 15 oz cans sauerkraut, with juice
1 envelope brown gravy mix
1 cup water

Add ingredients to crockpot; cook on high for 4 hours. Optional step: Prior to serving, remove sausages from crockpot and brown in 450 oven for 10 minutes.

To serve: on each plate spoon some sauerkraut and juices over a slice of low carb bread*. Serve sausages on the side.

*I like the Great American Low Carb Bread Company's plain bread for this.

Crustless Zuchini Quiche

2 med zucchini, sliced into thin rounds
1 med yellow squash, sliced into thin rounds
1 c low carb milk (I used Fairlife skim, 1 carb per cup)
1 c heavy cream
4 eggs
1 c shredded cheese (I used cheddar jack)
1 t dry mustard
1/2 t. onion salt
1/2 t cayenne pepper
1/2 c shredded cheese (for topping)

Put sliced zucchini in a baking dish and bake at 325 until zucchini softens and releases its juices. Drain in a colander, pressing down on zucchini to extract as much water as possible.

Place drained zucchini in a pie plate or baking dish. Mix in 1 cup of cheese. Whisk together milk, cream, eggs and spices. Pour over zucchini. Top with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.

Bake at 325 until top is brown and knife inserted in center comes out reasonably clean.