KETO. Hmmmmm.

I don't know about you, but this year has been... different.  What started with my daughter's broken leg (ice skating), snowballed into Mom's brain tumor and diagnosis, quarantine/co-vid, and moving - all of that is for another post I'm not quite ready to write.

At the end of all of that and a few vacation pictures (is that me?) I decided I needed something different.  I normally bounce back from the holidays in January and just get moving, eat clean and watch my calories.  Was.  Not.  Happening.  Not this year.

So, I looked into keto.  I've never done what one might call a 'fad' diet.  No Adkins, paleo, whole 30 or anything else.  And quite frankly, I didn't know much about it.  I wanted to do something different and commit to a plan.  Preferably someone else's.  

I started researching on the way home from vacation - clearly, got the refresh I needed.  Checked out some books.  Figured out what macros were.  Pinned some things.  I have to say, it's been really good.  And if I do say so myself, not that hard.  My cravings have been almost non-existent.  At the beginning, I credit how fed up I was but after that I was enjoying what I was eating and not missing much of anything else.  I dropped 10 pounds in the first week (water weight/uh-hem, vacation weight).  And haven't lost much since, but can see and feel a difference.  I wish I had taken measurements....

All of that to say, I'd like to do a keto meal plan.  I put together a list of meals that I think will appease the whole family and be fairly easy to put together on our crazy weeknights.  So, here's meal plan #3 - keto style.

BLT Turkey Wrap

Cashew Chicken Lettuce Cups

Chicken Sausage and Cabbage

Club Sandwich Lettuce Wrap

Coconut Chicken Tenders

Keto Buffalo Chicken Wings

Steak Fajitas

Your shopping list

Steak Fajitas

1 1/2 lbs skirt steak, cut into thin strips

1 green bell pepper, sliced

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 red onion, sliced

2 jalapenos, sliced

2 cups salsa

1 T chili powder

1 T dried oregano

1 T cumin

1 T garlic powder

1/2 T onion powder

1 t smoked paprika

1 t sea salt

1 t pepper

8 almond flour tortillas

Toppings (optional)

finely chopped kale (I prefer mixed greens)

plain goat yogurt

tomatoes, chopped

green onions, chopped

cilantro, to taste

Place the steak, vegetables and all the seasonings into a crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours.  Serve on the tortillas with the kale, goat yogurt, tomatoes, green onions, and cilantro, as desired.

Keto Buffalo Wings

6 whole chicken wings

1 T avocado oil

1 t sea salt

4 T grass-fed butter or ghee

1/4 cup hot sauce of your choice

1 garlic clove, minced or 1 t garlic powder

Preheat the oven to 400.  In a bowl, toss the chicken wings in the avocado oil and sea salt.  Set a wire rack on a baking sheet and arrange the chicken wings with space left in between them.

Bake for 20 minutes.  Increase the oven temperature to 425 and bake for 10 minutes.  Be sure the chicken is cooked through and the internal temperature reaches 165.  In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, place the butter or ghee, hot sauce, and minced garlic and heat, stirring frequently, until the butter has melted.

Toss the chicken wings in the warm sauce and serve immediately.

Coconut Chicken Tenders

2 T coconut oil, melted

1/4 cup coconut flour

1 t sea salt

1/4 t pepper

1/4 t garlic powder

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1 lb chicken tenders

Preheat the oven to 400.  Place a wire rack on a parchment-lined baking sheet and brush with melted coconut oil to prevent sticking.  Arrange 3 medium bowls.  In the first, put the coconut flour mixed with the sea slat, pepper, and garlic powder; in the second, put the beaten eggs; in the third, put the shredded coconut.

Coat the chicken tenders in the coconut flour mixture, shaking off any excess.  Next dredge them in the eggs, and then roll them in the shredded coconut.  Place the coated tenders on the wire rack.  Avoid overcrowding.  Bake for 25 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165.  Serve warm.

Club Sandwich Lettuce Wrap

4 butter lettuce or romaine leaves

1 T avocado oil mayonnaise

2 slices turkey

1 slice cheddar cheese

3 slices beef or turkey bacon, cooked

2 tomato slices

On a piece of parchment paper, lay out the lettuce pieces as fat as possible, making a square for the butter leaves or a rectangle for the romaine leaves.

Spread the mayonnaise over the leaves and top with the turkey, cheddar, bacon, and tomatoes.  Carefully roll the sandwich up lengthwise and wrap with parchment paper to keep it secure.  Cut the rolled sandwich in half.  Peel back the parchment paper as you eat.

Chicken Sausage and Cabbage

1 T avocado oil

1/2 yellow onion, sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 links organic chicken sausage (no sugar added), sliced

1/4 small green cabbage, shredded

1/4 cup water

pinch of salt

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the avocado oil, onion, and garlic.  Saute for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent.  Add the chicken sausage and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side.  Add the cabbage, water, and salt.  Cook for 5 minutes, or until the cabbage has softened and the water has evaporated.  Serve warm.

Cashew Chicken Lettuce Cups

6 T coconut aminos

3 T almond butter

2 T coconut vinegar

1 T minced ginger

1 garlic clove, minced

1 t sesame oil

1 T coconut oil

1 cup diced bell peppers

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into half-inch cubes

1/2 cup roughly chopped cashews, plus more for topping

4 butter lettuce leaves

In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut aminos, almond butter, vinegar, ginger, garlic, and sesame oil.  Set aside.  Heat the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat until melted.  Add the bell peppers and sauté for 5 minutes or until soft.  

Add the chicken and 3 T of the sauce to the skillet and cook for 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the liquid in the skillet evaporates.  Add the chopped cashews to the skillet and pout the remaining sauce over the chicken, veggies, and cashews.  Mix well.

Place about 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture on each lettuce cup.  Top with more cashews, if desired, and serve.

Note:  The coconut vinegar can be replaced with 1 T white balsamic vinegar and 1 T apple cider vinegar.

BLT Turkey Wrap

1/2 cup avocado oil mayonnaise

1 t dried basil

1/2 t sea salt

1/4 t pepper

8 romaine lettuce leaves

1 lb. sliced turkey breast

8 sliced turkey bacon, cooked

2 roma tomatoes, sliced

In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, basil, salt, and pepper.  Spread an equal amount of the mayonnaise mixture inside each romaine leaf.  Fill each romaine leaf with an equal amount of the turkey breast, bacon, and tomatoes.  

Meal List #2 (healthy, healthy, healthy)

As I've organized meals I've come up against a problem - many of our favorites are NOT light.  Which, of course, are the ones I save on the blog the most!  

I wound up splitting my meals into two lists so I could intersperse the healthy/lighter ones with the faves.  When I realized one list was three times as long I decided to just do an all healthy/lighter meal plan for a quick couple of weeks of good eating!  Enjoy!

Beer & Paprika Beef Stew

Tomato Basil Tortellini Soup

Shrimp Tacos/Lettuce Wraps

Cabbage Beef Soup

Mediterranean Platter

Butternut Squash Soup

Taco Salad

Pumpkin Soup

cilantro

*fresh chopped dill

*fresh basil 

*4 c. chopped cabbage (I bought the pre-shreded angel hair at Walmart)

2 bag of carrots

2 medium butternut squash

1 large English cucumber

2 limes, juiced

2 pints grape tomatoes

3 roma tomatoes

romaine lettuce

mixed lettuce box

red onions

1 bag of yellow onions

4 whole New Potatoes

2 jars of salsa

8-12 ounces hummus, (homemade or store bought)

2 8 oz brick cheddar cheese

*sour cream

crumbled feta cheese

Parmesan , shredded

1 15 oz can pumpkin

sugar
salt

olive oil

garlic , minced 

bay leaves 
garlic powder

chili powder

*pumpkin pie spice

Parsley

Italian seasoning
cumin

cayenne pepper

Paprika

vegetable or chicken broth

beef broth

16 oz refrigerated three cheese tortellini 

2 cups corn, (thawed if frozen)

3 (28 oz) cans whole Roma tomatoes 

1 can of Tomato Paste

2 14.5 oz. cans organic fire-roasted diced tomatoes

2 cans black beans

corn/flour tortillas

2 packets taco seasoning

basmati rice (Costco)

ranch dressing

kalamata olives
1 can black olives

Worcestershire Sauce

maple syrup

4 lbs. ground beef

2 pounds Stew Meat

Butter

1/2 pint heavy cream

1 can Beer, 12 Ounce Can

1 1/2 lbs shrimp, deveined & shelled

*3 large roasted red peppers

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