Keto Thai Meatballs with Cauliflower Rice

 

A lot of the meals I have been posting lately have the word “keto” in them. You don’t have to be following a low carb or keto eating plan to make them. They are delicious, healthy, hearty, beautiful, and also happen to be keto friendly. You can substitute cauliflower rice with regular rice or even something like quinoa if you prefer. 

The nutritional counts per serving (recipe makes 8) are: 247 calories, 14 fat, 7.5 carbs, 3 fiber, 26 protein. That’s 4.5 net carbs per serving. Counts would obviously change if you use white rice or quinoa. 

Recipe is easy to halve if you have a smaller crowd to feed or aren’t meal prepping. 

Keto Thai Meatballs with Cauliflower Rice

Ingredients 

Meatballs

2 lb ground beef

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp red curry paste

1/4 cup green onions, diced

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

1 Tbsp Swerve sugar substitute 

1 Tbsp olive oil

Sauce

1 Tbsp butter

1/2 medium onion, sliced 

1 large red pepper, slivered

1 can coconut milk (~2 cups)

1 Tbsp red curry paste

1 Tbsp lime juice 

1 tsp fish sauce

1/4 fresh basil, chopped 

4 cups cauliflower rice

Directions

Combine meatball ingredients (ground beef through olive oil) and form into meatballs. I do 4 per serving, so 32 meatballs about 2 Tbsp in size. 

Cook using your favorite method - either in the oven or in a frying pan. I usually do 375 for about 15-20 minutes. Set aside when done.

Prepare sauce - sauté onion in butter until softened. Add in pepper and cook 2 more minutes. Add in coconut milk, curry paste, lime juice, fish sauce, and basil. Simmer to thicken, about 5-10 minutes.  

Add in meatballs and cook another 5 minutes. 

Heat up the cauliflower rice and put 1/2 cup serving on each plate or bowl. 

FYI - If you are not trying to make it look pretty, you can also just mix the cauliflower rice directly into the sauce. 

Top with 4 meatballs and 1/8 of the sauce and peppers. 

Serve immediately or let cool and place leftover in fridge. They will last several days, covered, in the fridge. 

For meal prepping I place them bowls with lids so they are stackable. 

My mom prefers quinoa for hers so I thought I would share a pic of that too. The meatballs and sauce are tasty on a variety of different things. Rice, zoodles, quinoa, couscous, etc. 

From start to finish in under an hour.

 If you don’t need 8 servings simply cut the recipe in half! 

If you aren’t counting carbs then throw in another pepper for more veggies. 

Keto Sushi Bowl

 

If you are cutting down on carbs or even doing strict keto, you'll want to try this recipe. Heck, even if you aren't doing those things, you'll want to try this recipe!

It's so tasty and very sushi-ish. I have tried to make roll sushi several times and am terrible at it. I blame my knife not being sharp enough but it could also be my technique.... When you make a sushi bowl you don't have to worry about that! It looks pretty even if you just throw it all in the bowl. Of course, you can get as fancy as you like by layering the toppings. Completely up to you!

Keto Sushi Bowl

Ingredients

"Rice"

20 oz (2 1/2 cups or approx 1 medium head) cauliflower rice

2 Tbsp rice vinegar

2 tsp sesame oil

Sauce

4 Tbsp mayo

1 - 2 tsp sriracha

 Toppings

2 avocado, sliced

1 medium cucumber, sliced

1 cup prawns, chopped

2 - 3 packages of nori seaweed snacks (or 1 sheet nori)

1 tsp sesame seeds

2 diced green onions

Directions

Grate cauliflower and cook in microwave for about 2 - 3 minutes. (Does not have to be thoroughly cooked, just softened a little. If you prefer you can leave it raw) Mix in rice vinegar and sesame oil. Divide into 4 bowls and set aside to cool.

In a small bowl, stir together mayo and sriracha.

Set aside. (I put mine in a small plastic baggy so I can drizzle it over the finished bowls)

Assemble toppings and prep them.

Tip: I leave the avocados until I am ready to serve the bowls. You can make everything up to this point and refrigerate until ready to serve. Chop the avocados right before servings so they don't go brown. Similarly, chop the nori right before hand so it doesn't go soggy. 

Assemble the bowls:

Layer the toppings on the cauliflower rice however you like. I always end with the sesame seeds and green onions and the sriracha mayo.... no particular reason other than I think this looks nicest. 

Recipe, as written, makes 4 servings. Per serving (according to MyFitnessPal) is: 345 calories, 25.6 fat, 14 carbs, 7.7 fiber, and 16 protein. That means 6.3 net carbs per bowl. 

If you are tracking macros be sure to enter your own ingredients into a tracker for exact counts. 

You can change up the toppings however you like! Don't like prawns? Use crab, fake crab, or even tuna. Don't like avocados? Leave them out! Of course, changing toppinggs will change the nutritional counts but it will still be a tasty and healthier meal! 

Keto Bacon Clam Chowder

I'm always surprised at how many carbs can sneak into soup. All those potatoes and root veggies and things can quickly add up. I decided to try my hand at a low carb, keto friendly clam chowder using cauliflower instead of potatoes to thicken in up. 

Not that this is a new idea... cauliflower instead of potatoes in recipes has been around forever. My version includes bacon and clams to up the protein and fat factor for keto. Also... the deliciousness factor. 

From start to finish in under half an hour. Perfect for those busy weekdays or those lazy weekends! 

Keto Bacon Clam Chowder

Ingredients

5 slices bacon, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 onion, diced

1/2 tsp thyme

1 tsp dried parsley

1 cup milk

1 cup whipping cream

1 1/2 cup chicken broth

4 oz cream cheese, room temp

1 340 gr bag cooked clams, chopped

3 cups cauliflower florets, diced

Directions

In a large pot over medium heat, fry bacon until crispy and then remove from pot. Drain all but 2 Tbsp of the bacon grease from the pot. Add garlic and onions, and thyme and parsley to the pot and cook 2 - 3 minutes to soften. 

Add in the milk, cream, chicken broth, and cream cheese. Stir until cream cheese is melted. 

Add in the clams and diced cauliflower and cook about 15 minutes or so, until cauliflower is soft and cooked through. Serve hot. 

Sprinkle generously with bacon and a pinch more dried parsley for garnish.

This recipe makes 6 servings. The nutritional counts are: 308 calories, 21.7 fat, 7 total carbs, 1.7 fiber, 22.6 protein. That's 5.3 net carbs per serving. 

You can, of course, eat as much or as little as you like, just be sure to change the nutritional counts accordingly. :) 

I served mine with a little Mestamecher protein bread which only added another 4 net carbs to the meal. Not too shabby for a hearty, delicious meal, I'd say. 

I love how easy this is to whip up. If you don't have clams you could leave them out or sub them with chicken. The base of this soup is a simple cream base that would lend itself well to several other options, keto or not! 

Cauliflower Broccoli Pancakes with Fried Egg

For the last 8 days I have been on the Wild Rose Detox/Cleanse. I have been struggling with breakfast ideas that are "cleanse approved" until I decided to use up some veggies I had in the fridge. I decided to try a very simplified version of our cauliflower crust pizza (that recipe HERE). 

Turns out this was a brilliant idea (if I do say so myself). 

The recipe for the "pancakes" is only 3 ingredients then there is only 3 more ingredients for the toppings. How easy is that? 

According to MyFitnessPal, one serving (recipe makes 1) is: 214 calories, 14 carbs, 10 fat, 17 protein, and 4 fiber. Even if you aren't following the Wild Rose Detox/Cleanse (website here for more info), this is a great recipe for a healthy, hearty, delicious breakfast. Nutritional info includes pancakes and toppings.

If you are interested in hearing about my experience with the cleanse then be sure to check back. I will do a more extensive post with what I thought after I have finished the cleanse. 

Cauliflower Broccoli Pancakes (with Fried Egg)

Ingredients

Pancakes

1 cup grated cauliflower, raw

1/2 cup cooked, finely chopped broccoli

1 egg

Toppings

1/4 cup sliced onions

fried egg

1/2 tsp garlic powder

salt & pepper

Directions

In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the cauliflower, broccoli, and egg until well combined. 

Heat a frying pan over medium/low heat. Scoop half of the cauliflower broccoli mixture into the pan and press into a circle about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. 

Let cook until firm - don't rush it!! I believe it took about 8 minutes on the first side. (I just kept gently trying to lift the edges with a flipper until it felt solid enough to turn over). Gently turn over and cook the other side for about the same amount of time. You want the heat fairly low so the outside doesn't burn and leave the inside mushy. 

When done, move to a plate and keep warm while you prepare the second pancake.

While second pancake is cooking, in a second frying pan, fry the onions and the egg over medium heat until they reach desired level of done-ness. I started the onions frying, when they were turning translucent I pushed them to one side and cracked the egg in. 

To serve: Place second pancake on serving plate with the first. Sprinkle with a little garlic powder and salt & pepper. 

Place fried egg on top and then the onions. Season with a little more salt and pepper, if desired. 

Serve immediately. 

I added a little bell pepper to my plate as the calorie count on these was so low. 

You can leave out the broccoli if you like and these will still work just fine. I just happened to have leftover broccoli to use up and wanted to add a little color. These are definitely best served as soon as they are made. They do not reheat well as they they don't maintain their crispness (read: they get soggy). 

I really liked this and will be adding it to my breakfast rotation. The only thing I will note that makes these tricky is trying to flip them. DO NOT rush it. Let them cook for as long as it takes!! You can cover the pan with a lid for a few minutes to help hold in the heat and cook better if you find the bottom is getting too dark and the pancake isn't cooking through. 

Pop over to Carole's Chatter for more food links. 

Pineapple Cauliflower Fried Rice with Honey Garlic Pulled Chicken

Want to know the secret of making your meals taste even better?

Serve them out of a fruit. 

No... seriously. 

Take this rice and chicken dish for example. On a plate it's good. Pretty tasty. BUT, serve it out of a pineapple and *boom* suddenly it's spectacular. Suddenly everyone is asking, "Oooooh, what is that?" Suddenly people are lining up around the block to eat at your dinner table. 

The best part, it's soooooo easy. 

You might want to whip this up for Mother's Day and treat your mom to a delicious, healthy, filling, fancy schmancy dinner that will surely make you her favorite child. You know, if moms actually picked favorites. (P.S. - I'm the favorite.) 

Honey Garlic Pulled Chicken

Ingredients

4 or 5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 

2 Tbsp packed brown sugar

1/2 cup honey

2/3 cup white vinegar

1/2 cup lemon-lime soda (like 7up)

3 Tbsp minced garlic

3 Tbsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 Tbsp corn starch

Directions

Place chicken breasts in a slow cooker. In a small bowl, whisk together brown sugar, honey, vinegar, soda, garlic, soy sauce, and black pepper. Pour over chicken. 

Cook until chicken is done - about 6 to 8 hours on low or 4 - 5 hours on high (it helps to know how your slow cooker cooks to narrow down the times.)

When done, remove chicken from slow cooker and place in a bowl or on a cutting board. Whisk the corn starch into the liquid in the crock pot until smooth. Turn temp to high. 

Shred the chicken with 2 forks.

Place chicken back in crock pot.

Let simmer while you make the pineapple rice. 

Pineapple Cauliflower Fried Rice

Ingredients

1 Tbsp sesame oil

1 small onion, diced

1/2 cup red pepper, diced

1/2 cup carrots, shredded

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup peas

1 tsp fresh ginger, grated

1 small head cauliflower, grated (about 4 cups)

1 egg

1 1/2 cups pineapple, diced (amount from 1 small pineapple) 

Sauce

2 Tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

2 tsp Thai sweet chili sauce

Decorations

Green onions

toasted sesame seeds

Directions

First step - Prep your pineapple. Cut a pineapple in half vertically (a serrated knife works well).

Using a paring knife, cut out the inside meat of the pineapple. and dice to be used in the rice. You will need about 1 1/2 cups or so. (You can use less or more depending on your preference. Just remember it will be sweeter the more you add.) 

Set aside until ready to serve your dinner. 

Prepare rice - Heat 1 Tbsp of sesame oil over medium high heat in a large wok or frying pan. Add in the onion and pepper and stir fry for 3 minutes. Add in the carrots, garlic, peas, and ginger and stir fry another 3 minutes.

Add in the shredded cauliflower, stir everything together, and stir fry for 2 minutes. 

Make a well in the middle off the pan and add in the egg. Stir them about in the center to scramble it for about 1 minute.

Now stir the cooked egg into the rice mixture to combine everything together well. 

Add in the diced pineapple. Stir well. 

In a small bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients. Pour over the rice and stir to mix well. Cook for 1 minute to make sure everything is heated through. 

Scoop some of the rice into the hollowed out pineapple halves. Remember to leave a little room for the chicken to be placed on top. 

Top with a generous scoop of the honey garlic chicken. Top with some diced green onion and a sprinkle of sesame seeds, if desired. 

Serve immediately. 

Note - I used a fairly small pineapple. Each half had about a 1 1/2 cup to 2 cup capacity. This is a great size for individual serving dishes for people to eat out of, if you use a really big pineapple then it could be used as a serving dish to scoop the meal onto plates for people. Either way it makes for a pretty impressive meal. 

Note - I figured out the nutritional counts for the Pineapple Cauliflower Fried Rice using MyFitnessPal. Per serving (recipe makes 4) it is: 172 calories, 25 carbs, 6 fat, 8 protein, 6 fiber. I didn't calculate the honey garlic chicken counts. 

Serve the rice on it's own or top it with the chicken. Either way, it's delicious. 

 

 

Be sure to stop by Carole's Chatter for lots of fun foody links.

Veggie Tots

Want to eat more vegetables?

Of course, you do. 

Who doesn't want to be all healthy and stuff? (That's a rhetorical question, by the way.) Whip up some veggie tots and you can eat a million veggies in such a way that you don't even know you are eating veggies. #TrueStory

I used zucchini, cauliflower, and carrot but you can swap in your favorite if you like. For example: broccoli, or turnip, or sweet potato. These also reheat quite nicely so if you have any leftovers, simply freeze them for a later date and pop them in the oven at 375 to heat up. 

I shaped them into tater tot shapes but you could easily leave them in the cookie scoop rounds to save some time. 

Veggie Tots

Ingredients

2 cups shredded zucchini

1 small head cauliflower, grated

1/2 cup shredded carrot

1/4 cup onion, finely diced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 eggs

3 Tbsp shredded Parmesan

1/2 cup aged cheddar, shredded

1 Tbsp chia seeds

salt & pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400, line cookie sheet with parchment paper, set aside. 

Place the shredded zucchini, cauliflower, carrot, onion and garlic in a large bowl and stir to combine. 

Place in a clean tea towel OR cheesecloth, twist towel to remove as much moisture as possible. (The more moisture you can remove the crispier the tots will be.)

When you have removed as much moisture as you can, stir in the eggs, cheeses, chia seeds, and salt & pepper. Using a small cookie scoop - or pinch off ping pong ball sized pieces - press firmly into tater tot shapes or leave in rounds. Place on prepared cookie sheet. Repeat until all the veggies are used up. 

Bake at 400 for approx 40 minutes - until tots are golden brown and the outside is crispy. Turn the tots every 10 minutes to ensure each side browns up nicely. Keep an eye on them.

When done, remove to serving plate and serve hot.

These are great on their own as an appie or snack. They also go great as a side dish with burgers or hot dogs (or sad looking lettuce wrapped turkey burgers like the one below) !

According to MyFitnessPal a serving of these veggie tots is: 146 calories, 9 carbs, 8 ft, 10 protein, 3 fiber, and 3 sugar. (This is counting the recipe as 4 servings.) A serving is about 6 - 7 tots. 

If you wanted them crispier you could deep fry them BUT that kind of takes away from the whole healthy thing and would definitely change the nutritional counts. 

Keep in mind - the insides are soft and the outsides, while a bit crispier, are not going to be crunchy. 

Also - I added chia seeds for a little nutritional boost but you can leave them out if you don't have any. 

Mashed Cauliflower

I've been in the cauliflower rice fan base for quite some time. What I had never tried, oddly enough, is mashed cauliflower. To see it in the photo above you would never know it wasn't mashed potatoes. 

Honest.

If you eat it on its own then it does have a cauliflower-ish taste BUT if you put a few spoonfuls of gravy on then *boom* exactly like mashed potatoes but nowhere near the calories or carbs. I'm watching my calories and this completely satisfied the craving I was having for a big ol' plate of mashed potatoes and gravy. 

You can fancy them up with butter or cream cheese - I didn't because of the calories it added - but I found I really did not need to add them. 

Mashed Cauliflower

Ingredients

1 med head cauliflower

3 cloves garlic, halved

1 Tbsp Parmesan, grated

1/4 cup red onions, fried

Directions

Break apart the cauliflower into florets. Place in the top of a steamer (or double boiler) with the 3 cloves or garlic. 

Cook until fork tender. 

Remove from heat and place cauliflower and garlic into a blender (or food processor). Add in the Parmesan and fried onions. 

Pulse until smooth - leave it a little lumpy if that is how you prefer your mashed potatoes normally. 

Place on serving plate...

Top as desired.

With some  gravy OR 

Some gravy and chicken meatballs!

I added the red onions (fried) because I found that the little colored bits in the mashed cauliflower resembled potato skins and lent to the whole illusion of having mashed potatoes. 

I counted this recipe as 2 servings - about 1 cup each - and, according to Myfitnesspal the nutritional counts are: 94 calories, 1 fat, 18 carbs, 7 fiber, 7 protein per serving. 

How awesome is that? And the gravy hardly adds any calories either - the gravy I use is 3 Tbsp for 40 calories. I had one serving for dinner then reheated the second serving in the microwave for lunch the next day. *perfection*

 

Be sure to stop by Carole's Chatter for more tasty links!