#ketoqueen

So the KETO CHICKEN AND CAULIFLOWER CHEESE BAKE turned out well...

Parmesan Keto Bread Sticks

Looking for a great keto bread recipe?  With these Keto Parmesan Breadsticks, it’s no longer a problem. Give this bread recipe a try. They are truly customizable to whatever is for dinner this week. Because they take only 10 minutes to put together and 15 to bake they are easily done on a busy weeknight.

Added benefit. these are good made ahead and heated up as well. We normally batch on Sundays and enjoy all week.

How to Make Keto Bread Sticks w/Parmesan

Preheat your oven to 350F

Mix the flours, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

Melt the butter and the cheese on the stove.  Stir with a wooden spoon until blended and smooth.  Add one egg and blend that in well.

Add the wet to the dry and stir until you get a firm ball

Assembly

Sandwich the dough ball between two pieces of parchment paper. Roll out your dough into a rectangle with a rolling pin until about 1/2” thick.

Take the top parchment paper off and place on a flat baking pan.

Sprinkle your herbs on top of the dough.

Slice your dough into 5 one inch wide strips, longwise.

Slice your strips in half again so you have 10 total.

Twist each strip and place on your baking pan.

Scramble the 2nd egg you have set aside. Brush the top of the bread with the egg.

Sprinkle the tops with your parmesan cheese.

Bake 15-20 minutes.

These breadsticks are great paired with our Keto Chili recipe or any meal where you need some more fat. Feel free to experiment with flavors on this one. Change out the cheddar cheese for another kind. Change out the herbs.  Lots of flexibility. These parmesan breadsticks can be the perfect keto side dish for multiple meals.

Easy Instant Pot Keto Chili

You NEED this keto chili recipe in your arsenal.

Who doesn’t love a warm, cozy bowl of chili? This recipe is great on its own, or as a topping for veggies or on top of an avocado. This recipe is loaded with flavor and ready in less than 30 minutes.   Make a double batch and freeze it for another night when you are running late or need something to bring to a pot-luck.  Pair it with our breadstick twists.

Feel free to adjust the spices to taste.  If you need more flavor, aka fat; add cilantro, sour cream, cheese and avocado to the top.  These toppings make any chili complete.

How to Make Instant Pot Keto Chili

While you can make this recipe on the stove or the slow cooker, the instant pot makes the beef even more tender and flavorful in less time. Win/Win in my book.

To save time while you are pulling out all your ingredients, also pull out your instant pot and hit the saute button. It takes 5 minutes or so to warm up, so you might as well get it started.

Once the instant pot says HOT, go ahead and add your ground beef to the pot.  Cook it for 5 minutes in the olive oil. Drain off the fat into another bowl in reserve.  You want this fat, but you don’t want to boil the beef, so get it outta there.  Cook for another 5 minutes until all the pink is gone.

While the beef is cooking, cut up all your veggies and measure out your spices.

Drain the beef again after the 10 minutes is up.

Add the veggies and spices to the pot and cook for 5 minutes. This step is crucial to bringing out all the flavors of the spices.

Add the fat, broth and spaghetti sauce into the Instant Pot.

Turn the pressure on to high and cook the chili for 15 minutes.

After the timer dings you can either let it cool on its own or hit the quick release button,  depends on how patient you are!

Add the yummy toppings of your choice to make this keto chili extra special. We love to add cheese, sour cream, cilantro, avocado, red onions, maybe even bacon bits if you have any left over from something else.

If you like your chili thicker then this is, feel free to add a bit of xanthum gum to thicken it up. Start with a small amount, like 1 tsp, you can always add more.

Freezes well

Make a double batch and freeze this recipe. It defrosts in a flash and you can heat it up on the stove or even in the microwave.  Just remember to let it cool before you put it in ziplock or other freezer containers. Get all the air out of the bags if you are using those as it will cut down on freezer burn.

Keto Kalua Pork in an Instant Pot

I love pulled pork. This keto kalua pork is yummy, easy to make, and great to freeze. If you have been fortunate enough to get to Hawai’i, you’ve probably already enjoyed this dish. This Hawai’ian pulled pork is all over the islands. Traditionally “Kalua” means to cook in the ground. A hardwood fire is built inside a pit large enough to accommodate the food you are cooking, stones to keep it warm and the vegetation (ti leaves) to keep it moist are used on top.

If you have all day and have a pit in your backyard you are all set. For the rest of us, we pull out the Instant Pot.  Much faster and 95% as good.  I don’t know about you, but I’m willing to give up 5% for the time savings.

How to Make Keto Kalua Pork in Your Instant Pot

Prep

Put the bacon in the pressure cooker. Saute until half done, about 3 minutes.

Cut the pork shoulder into 4 equal sized pieces. You’ll have to work around the bone. Try to get all the pieces roughly the same size.

Mix the smoked paprika and salt. Rub the pork pieces well.

Place on top of the bacon.

Mix 1/2c water and 1 tbsp of liquid smoke. Pour the liquid over the meat.  That’s it.

Cook the Pork

Cook on manual for 90 minutes.  When the pot beeps, push the cancel/keep warm button and allow pressure to release  (about 20 minutes).

Pull the pork out of the Instant Pot being careful to leave all the juices in. You may need a spoon as the meat is so soft it’ll literally fall apart on you. Put in a bowl to keep warm and cover with tin foil.

Cook the Cabbage

Cut the cabbage into pieces to fit into the pot. Normally 6-8 pieces.

Put the cabbage into the pot and wait 15 minutes or so for the pot to get back up to pressure. Cook the cabbage for 3-4 minutes.

While the cabbage is cooking shred the pork. Kids love to help on this step.

Serve with cabbage on the side of the shredded pork.

This keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days or you can freeze it for up to 3 months. The pork freezes really well. The cabbage, not so much.

What is Liquid Smoke?

As the name implies, liquid smoke is liquid that smells like smoke. It originated in the 19th century when people cured meat over an open flame to preserve it, rather than for the BBQ style flavor, we think of today. In an article published in 1923 in the Rotary Club’s official magazine The Rotarian, Mr. Earnest Wright described it as the “black liquid trickling down the side of a stove-pipe”.  Wright, a chemist, came up with the idea of trying to replicate the taste.

Liquid smoke is really made from smoke. Hardwood or chips are burned at super high temperatures and the steam it produces is collected in condensers. This water results in a strong smoke flavor. There are a few brands out there. Look for ones that don’t have added coloring or molasses. Because this product is made from smoke, use it in moderation.

Let’s Eat!

This is one of my favorite recipes because it keeps well and I can pull it out of the fridge on the fly to make a great meal.  I add it to omelets in the morning, warm it up for a quick lunch or make keto tacos with it at night.