CHICKEN PUTTANESCA - LOW CARB KETO FRIENDLY MEALS

Most often seen in its pasta form, puttanesca originated in Naples, Italy, and is said to be a sauce created by the ladies of pleasure. One story told is that the ladies would visit restaurants at the end of the night and they would ask for leftover ingredients. These ingredients would all go into one pot to create this salty, vibrant sauce. Today, the sauce is most often found made from tomatoes, black olives, capers, anchovies, onions, and garlic, and served commonly on pasta.

I, however, have been trying to stay low carb since starting Keto and decided to skip the pasta and use cauliflower rice instead. The results were fantastic and the saltiness of the sauce was perfect. Further, the chicken was tender and just fell off the bone.

If you are looking for a great, low carb meal this one is sure to be a hit!

Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

- Serves 2-3 people

3LBS of Chicken Thighs or Drumsticks
Salt
2 TBSP of Olive OIl
3 Cloves of Garlic - thinly sliced
4 Anchovy Fillets in Oil
1/2 TSP of Red Chilli Pepper Flakes
2 TBSP of Concentrated Tomato Paste
1 Cup of Olives - crushed and pitted
3/4 CUP of Dry White Wine - and a little extra for drinking
2 TBSP of Capers - drained
2 Bay Leaves
Lemon Peel - 3 x 2” stripes

- Optional Bases -

Pasta
Cauliflower Rice - low carb option

DIRECTIONS:

Clean and pat dry your chicken before seasoning with salt.

In a large skillet, heat 2 TBSP of olive oil and sear the chicken, turning it occasionally until the fat and skin is a golden brown color. Once done, transfer chicken to a baking dish.

As you near the end of searing all your chicken, preheat the oven to 350.

Once done searing the chicken you will have a lot of delicious chicken bits stuck to the bottom of your skillet along with a pool of fat, remove fat from skillet, reduce heat to medium and add in your anchovies and garlic. Once the garlic is soft (about 2-3 minutes) add in your red chili flakes and tomato paste, and mix until well incorporated.

Next add in your olives, wine, bay leaves, capers, and lemon peel to the skillet. Using your wooden spoon or spatula, scrape the bottom of the pan so as to lift up all the good bits stuck to the bottom. Allow this sauce to simmer for 4-5 minutes or until most of the liquid from the wine evaporates.

Next, add 1 cup of water to the baking dish with all the seared chicken (they should be snuggled together) and add in the sauce from the skillet. Place entire baking dish in oven uncovered and allow to bake in the sauce for another 20-30 minutes

Once ready, remove from oven and serve either alone or with pasta or on a bed of cauliflower rice.

Enjoy!

NOTE: The chicken should be plenty salty from the capers and anchovies but if it is not you can always taste the sauce when it comes out of the oven and add extra salt as desired.

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If you like this recipe or have any comments/questions, feel free to leave them in the comment section below!


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SPICY SHRIMP WITH CREAMY CAULIFLOWER AND SPINACH RICE - KETO & LOW CARB FRIENDLY

Since being on the Keto diet I have been experimenting a lot with carb substitutes like cauliflower rice as a way of getting the texture of carbs without the calories, and one recipe I came across that made cauliflower rice sound so delicious was a creamed version of it. Of course, being in lockdown still, I didn’t have all the ingredients the original recipe required so I remixed it my way and topped it with some spicy shrimp for a little extra kick! Needless to say, it turned out fantastic and so far I have made it twice for my family - we just can’t get enough! The creamed cauliflower made for a perfect replacement for carbs without compromising on taste at all not to mention the entire meal takes only 10 minutes to whip up! If you are looking for a delicious, low carb meal for dinner tonight, you got to try this one!

Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

- Serves 2-3 people

2 TBSP of Olive Oil
1 Pack of Frozen Riced Cauliflower (500grams)
1 TSP of Garlic Powder - Split into two portions
1 TBSP of Salted Butter
1 Packet of Shrimp - mine had about 20 raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 TSP of Paprika
1/4 TSP of Chilli Flakes
Salt and Pepper
2 Handfuls of Fresh Spinach
3 TBSP of Light Cream Cheese

- Optional Toppings -

Chilli Flakes
Green Onions

DIRECTIONS:

In a large skillet, heat up olive oil on medium/high heat. Once hot add in your cauliflower rice and garlic powder. Mix thoroughly, add salt and pepper to taste, and let cook for 4-5 minutes or until cauliflower becomes softer.

In the meantime, in another medium skillet add in butter and allow to heat up on medium/high heat. When butter is hot, drain any excess juices from shrimp before throwing them into the pan along with garlic powder, paprika, and hot chili flakes. Salt and pepper to taste. Mix spices and shrimp until the shrimp are well coated. Allow it to cook for 2-3 minutes.

Returning to the cauliflower skillet as you let the shrimp cook, add spinach and allow to wilt down by stirring it into the cauliflower rice. Once wilted, add in cream cheese and mix thoroughly.

By this time the shrimp should be ready. Plate creamed cauliflower rice adding shrimp on top and you are ready to serve!

Enjoy!

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SPICY COCONUT CHICKEN THIGHS

One of the first recipes we made up at the cottage this year was this delicious spicy coconut chicken thigh recipe! Everyone was craving something Asian and this chicken dish ended up being not just KETO but super easy to make! Further, the flavors of this dish were amazing, totally satisfying everyone’s cravings. I ended up serving the dish on a bed of riced cauliflower and alongside my Asparagus Stir Fry with A Touch Of Citrus dish, and the pairing got a thumbs up from everyone at the table so we will definitely be making this meal again. If you are looking for a SUPER easy recipe to try that will spice up your next meal, I highly recommend this one!

Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

- Serves 4 people

1/3 CUP of Freshly Grated Ginger
3 Cloves of Garlic - Minced
3/4 CUP of Coconut Milk
1/4 CUP of Curry Paste - Hot Chili Paste can be used as a substitute
1/4 CUP of Fresh Lime Juice
2 TBSP of Brown Sugar or use a Keto Substitute Like Sukrin Gold Brown Sugar Alternative
1 3/4 TSP of Kosher Salt
2 TBSP of Vegetable Oil
2 LBS of Skinless, Boneless Chicken Thighs

-Optional Base and Toppings-

Riced Cauliflower
Cilantro - for Garnish
Green Onions - chopped finely for Garnish

DIRECTIONS:

In a bowl add in the freshly grated ginger, garlic, coconut milk, curry paste, lime juice, sugar, salt, and vegetable oil, and whisk until well incorporated. Add chicken in and make sure it is well coated in sauce.
Let marinate for a minimum of 15 minutes. If you are preparing the chicken ahead of time, store it in the fridge.

When ready to cook, remove chicken from marinade and drain excess drip back into the bowl. Transfer chicken to a baking sheet covered in parchment paper and broil on high for 7-8 minutes before flipping the chicken and allowing it to broil on high for another 7-8 minutes on the other side or until it appears crispy.

Pour the excess marinade drippings you drained off the chicken into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Once it starts to boil, reduce heat and allow it to similar on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until its thickens - about 2-3 minutes.

Once the chicken is cooked, remove from oven, add sauce on top and serve!

Enjoy!


If you like this recipe or have any comments/questions, feel free to leave them in the comment section below!


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MUSSELS ARRABBIATA (SPICY TOMATO SAUCE)

One thing my brother-in-law and I have in common is our love for all-you-can eat mussels. When it comes to who can put down more bowls of mussels, I’ve got some stiff competition. Almost every time I go to visit him we always go to this restaurant that runs a ‘bottomless mussels’ special on Tuesdays and when they see us walk in they know, IT’S GOING DOWN!

The last time I visited though, I suggested trying our hand at making mussels at home. At the time I had also been craving something with a spicy arrabbiata sauce and I thought the flavors would pair really nicely with mussels (very similar to mussels marinara). So why not hit two birds with one stone!? Dinner that night came together beautifully, and I loved how well my new mussel recipe turned out. Needless to say, there were ZERO leftovers and being a self-proclaimed ‘mussel connoisseur’ I’m definitely giving myself a pat-on-the-back for this one!

To all my seafood lovers out there, this one is for you!

Buon Appetito!

INGREDIENTS:

 Serves 2 People

-Seafood-
4 lbs of fresh mussels – rinse, scrub and debeard. (I usually buy extra because I know that some are going to be bad)

How to buy, store, and prep fresh mussels:

When buying fresh mussels, make sure to smell them - they SHOULD NOT have a strong odor! You also want the shells to be shut. Since mussels are alive if you bang the shells or apply pressure and close them yourself, if they are indeed alive, they should shut or remain shut. If they open once again right away it means that they are weak/not fresh, so don’t buy those. Make sure to store your mussels in the fridge, they need air to breathe so don’t use a sealed container, instead place a damp cloth over them like a napkin or paper towel to provide further moisture. Before you are ready to use them make sure to rinse the shells, remove the beards or hairy bits, and scrub away any debris off the shells.

-Arrabbiata Sauce-
3 tbsp of olive oil
1 small sweet onion - chopped finely
2 cloves of garlic - minced
1-2 dashes of hot chili flakes (as desired)
2 800g (28oz) cans of peeled tomatoes (Roma / San Marzano)
2 tbsp of fresh basil, chopped roughly
Salt and Pepper to Taste

-Toppings-
Fresh Italian Basil

-Extras-
Baguette


LOVE SEAFOOD? CHECK OUT THESE OTHER SEAFOOD RECIPES!


HOW TO MAKE MUSSELS ARRABIATA:

 

In a deep skillet or Dutch oven, add olive oil and let it heat up on low to medium heat.

Once hot add onion to skillet and let sweat for 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally.

Once onion and garlic are translucent add in your chili flakes and continue to cook, 1-2 minutes.

Next, add in your roughly chopped fresh basil and both cans of tomatoes. Chop up any large tomato bits.

Add salt and pepper and mix thoroughly before covering and simmer at a low temperature for 30 minutes, stirring periodically. After 15 minutes add more salt and pepper to desired taste, if needed, then cover and let the sauce continue to simmer.

Place mussels in the skillet or Dutch oven and mix until fully coated in the simmering sauce. Cover and allow mussels to open/cook for 3-5 more minutes

Once all the mussels appear to be open and cooked, place in a bowl, garnish with fresh basil and serve!

Enjoy!


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If you like this fresh mussels recipe or have any comments/questions about how to cook mussels, feel free to leave them in the comment section below!


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VEGAN TOFU FRIED RICE

This fried rice recipe has got some POWER! I love a little spice in my food so you know I'm gonna turn it up with this dish but if that's not for you go easy on the garlic chili sauce. I love me some Asian fried rice!!! If you are vegan this tofu dish is perfect for you and if you are not... well dont stop there! I've been known to add some shrimp to this baby or even chicken but you can remix this however you want - just make it your own. Enjoy

VIDEO POSTED BELOW

INGREDIENT:

3/4 Cup of Tofu (diced)
1 Cup of Brown Rice
3-4 TBSP of Soya Sauce or Tamari
2 TBSP of Brown Sugar
1 TBSP of Peanut Butter
1-2 TBSP of Garlic Chili Sauce
1 TSP of Sesame Seed Oil (optional)
4 Cloves of Garlic (Crushed or minced - 1 for Sauce 3 For veggies)
Veggies (Corn, Celery, Peas and Carrots)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven at 400 degrees.

Place diced tofu on a baking tray covered in parchment (wax) paper. Place in the over for 30 minutes or until lightly browned.

Next get your rice cooking (I usually do two parts water to one part rice)

Time to compose the sauce, add the soya sauce, brown sugar, peanut butter, sesame seed oil, garlic and garlic chili sauce to a bowl and mix!

Once the tofu is ready throw it in the sauce and let it marinate for 5 minutes and soak up all that goodness. 

After five minutes you want to throw it in a pan on medium heat and let that cook up for 5 minutes. DO NOT throw all the sauce in with the tofu, just whatever it is coated in is fine - keep sauce for the veggies and rice.

Remove tofu from pan once cooked and throw in a little more sauce along with the veggies. You want them to soften so you may want to cover the pan to speed up that process and keep moisture in - stir every couple minutes.

Once the veggies are soft add the tofu back in along with some cooked rice and the remainder of the sauce. Mix it all together before serving.

*If you are adding an alternative protein (i.e. chicken or shrimp) you can make extra sauce and marinate it in that prior to cooking it separately and then adding it in at the end.

I hope you enjoyed this recipe as much as I do. If you have any comments please leave them below and I'll be happy to answer them as soon as I can! Bon Appetite!!!