by Leanne Vogel
PROTEIN:
18%
STICKY WRAPPED EGGS
DAIRY-FREE • LOW-FODMAP • NUT-FREE
OPTIONS: COCONUT-FREE • NIGHTSHADE-FREE
MAKES 12 wrapped eggs (2 per serving)
PREP TIME: 10 minutes (not including time to hard-boil eggs)
COOK TIME: 30 minutes
I was wasting time on social media one day and found a low-carb recipe in which avocados are cut in half and pitted. Then a hard-boiled egg goes into the hole where the pit was, and the entire thing is wrapped in bacon. That’s what this recipe was supposed to be, but . . . have you ever tried to wrap an entire avocado in bacon and then fry it? It’s next to impossible. The bacon was all over the place, not adhering well to the avocado, and about halfway through frying, the egg popped out somehow!
I figured if I couldn’t master the recipe on the first go, it wasn’t a good fit for this book, so I changed it up a little. This method is easier and doesn’t lead to bacon grease being splattered all over your (or my) clean kitchen.
Pro tip: If you have a pressure cooker, use it to hard-boil the eggs! Set a steamer rack inside your pressure cooker. Place the eggs on top, pour in enough water to cover the eggs, and add 1 tablespoon of vinegar (which will make the eggs easier to peel). Seal the lid and set the cooker to the egg mode for 5 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally before removing the lid. The eggs will be perfect!
¼ cup (60 ml) coconut aminos
2 tablespoons hot sauce
12 hard-boiled eggs
12 strips bacon (about 12 oz/340 g)
6 cups (100 g) arugula
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Line a standard-size 12-well muffin pan with muffin liners, or use a silicone muffin pan, which won’t require liners.
2. Place the coconut aminos and hot sauce in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Set the bowl close to the muffin pan.
3. Peel the hard-boiled eggs. One at a time, wrap each egg in a strip of bacon, then dunk it in the hot sauce mixture and place it in a well of the muffin pan.
4. Bake for 30 minutes, flipping the eggs over halfway through.
5. Divide the arugula evenly among 6 small serving plates. Top each with 2 sticky eggs and the sauce from their muffin liners.
STORE IT: Keep the eggs and arugula in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 5 days.
REHEAT IT: Enjoy cold, or place the wrapped eggs in a frying pan with a drop of oil, cover, and reheat over medium-low heat for 5 minutes.
PREP AHEAD: Prepare the hot sauce mixture up to 5 days ahead and the hard-boiled eggs up to 2 days before using in this recipe.
make it COCONUT-FREE:
Replace the coconut aminos with 2 tablespoons soy sauce and 2 tablespoons water.
make it NIGHTSHADE-FREE:
Omit the hot sauce.
Per serving:
calories: 438 | calories from fat: 293 | total fat: 32.5 g | saturated fat: 1.5 g | cholesterol: 390 mg
sodium: 1498 mg | carbs: 4.1 g | dietary fiber: 0.3 g | net carbs: 3.8 g | sugars: 1 g | protein: 32.5 g
FAT:
67%
CARBS:
3%
PROTEIN:
30%
ALL DAY ANY DAY HASH
EGG-FREE • NUT-FREE
OPTIONS: COCONUT-FREE • DAIRY-FREE
SERVES 4
PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOK TIME: 25 minutes
Living on a sailboat full-time, we are a little obsessed about easy one-pan meals, especially when they yield leftovers so that I have to cook only twice as opposed to three times a day. This hash is a household favorite! I think it’ll become one of yours, too. We love it with creamy Italian dressing, but mayonnaise (store-bought or homemade, here) or my Lemon Turmeric Dressing & Marinade (here) would also be amazing.
I like to use bottom round steak in this recipe, but you can have your pick!
¼ cup (55 g) coconut oil or ghee
⅔ cup (100 g) sliced white onions
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 medium turnips (about 1 lb/455 g), peeled and cubed
2 medium carrots (about 5 oz/140 g), diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
8 ounces (225 g) boneless steak, thinly sliced
⅓ cup (25 g) crushed pork rinds
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
¼ teaspoon finely ground sea salt
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ cup (120 ml) creamy Italian dressing
1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until the onions are translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Add the turnips, carrots, bell pepper, and steak. Toss to coat, cover, and cook for 15 to 18 minutes, stirring every 3 minutes, until the turnips are fork-tender and the steak is cooked to your liking. Remove the pan from the heat.
3. Add the crushed pork rinds, parsley, thyme, salt, and pepper and toss to coat.
4. Divide the hash evenly among 4 bowls and drizzle each bowl with 2 tablespoons of dressing just before serving.
PRESSURE COOK IT: Use the sauté mode for Step 1. In Step 2, add ¼ cup (60 ml) of beef bone broth, seal the lid, and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally before removing the lid, then continue with Steps 3 and 4.
STORE IT: Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
REHEAT IT: Transfer a single serving to a microwave-safe dish, cover, and microwave for 2 minutes, or place in a frying pan with a drop of oil, cover, and reheat over medium heat for 5 minutes.
THAW IT: Set in the fridge and allow to thaw completely before using the reheating instructions above.
make it COCONUT-FREE:
Do not use coconut oil.
make it DAIRY-FREE:
Do not use ghee.
MAKE IT AT HOME
Replace store-bought creamy Italian dressing with my homemade version.
Creamy Italian Dressing
Per serving, made with coconut oil and bottom round steak, with homemade creamy Italian dressing:
calories: 512 | calories from fat: 335 | total fat: 37.4 g | saturated fat: 16.1 g | cholesterol: 62 mg
sodium: 454 mg | carbs: 17.4 g | dietary fiber: 4.1 g | net carbs: 13.3 g | sugars: 9.1 g | protein: 26.6 g
FAT:
66%
CARBS:
13%
PROTEIN:
21%
SOMETHING DIFFERENT BREAKFAST SAMMY
COCONUT-FREE • DAIRY-FREE • NUT-FREE
OPTIONS: EGG-FREE • NIGHTSHADE-FREE • VEGAN • VEGETARIAN
SERVES 1
PREP TIME: 5 minutes
COOK TIME: 10 minutes
On a recent cross-country trip, driving from our hometown of Calgary, Alberta, in Canada to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in the U.S., I discovered a new thing: avocado sandwiches. Our food budget was tight, so eating breakfast at grungy diners was the way to go. Grungy diners don’t always have the best keto options on the menu, but you can just about bet that they have bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and, if you’re lucky, a little avocado. In our case, we lucked out every time. Instead of packing all the ingredients inside a lettuce wrap, I tried something different, and it stuck. Welcome, avocado sandwich! What will you put in yours? This is my favorite, and the simplest, combination.
Pressed for time in the morning? I like to precook bacon on Sundays so I have lots to use in recipes like this during the week.
Sick and tired of mayonnaise? It happens. This sandwich is also really good with Green Speckled Dressing (here) or Quick ’n’ Easy Barbecue Sauce (here).
1 medium Hass avocado, peeled and pitted (about 4 oz/110 g of flesh)
1 lettuce leaf, torn in half
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
2 strips bacon (about 2 oz/55 g), cooked until crispy
1 red onion ring
1 tomat
o slice
Pinch of finely ground sea salt
Pinch of ground black pepper
Pinch of sesame seeds or poppy seeds (optional)
1. Cook the bacon in a medium-sized frying pan over medium heat until crispy, about 10 minutes.
2. Place the avocado halves cut side up on a plate.
3. Lay the lettuce pieces on top of one of the avocado halves, then slather the mayonnaise on the lettuce. Top the lettuce with the bacon, onion, and tomato, then sprinkle with the salt and pepper.
4. Cover the stack with the other avocado half and sprinkle with the seeds, if using. Enjoy immediately!
MAKE IT AT HOME
Replace store-bought mayonnaise with my homemade version.
Mayonnaise
make it EGG-FREE:
Use egg-free mayonnaise (see recipe on here).
make it NIGHTSHADE-FREE:
Omit the tomato.
make it VEGAN/VEGETARIAN:
Omit the bacon. For vegan, also use egg-free mayonnaise (see recipe on here).
Per serving, made with homemade mayonnaise, with sesame seeds:
calories: 545 | calories from fat: 391 | total fat: 43.4 g | saturated fat: 11.2 g | cholesterol: 60 mg
sodium: 1407 mg | carbs: 19.8 g | dietary fiber: 8.8 g | net carbs: 11 g | sugars: 7.8 g | protein: 18.9 g
FAT:
72%
CARBS:
14%
PROTEIN:
14%
SUPER BREAKFAST COMBO
DAIRY-FREE • EGG-FREE • NIGHTSHADE-FREE
OPTIONS: AIP • COCONUT-FREE • LOW-FODMAP • NUT-FREE • VEGAN • VEGETARIAN
SERVES 1
PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOK TIME: —
Some days I wake up really hungry, and other days I don’t. On days when fasting until noon or later sounds like a horrible idea, this is one of my go-to breakfasts. It’s mega fatty and keeps you full for hours on end, making it awesome for days that are so busy that lunch may not be an option. You can have the latte only or pair it with the fat bombs. I like to keep little fat bombs like these in the freezer for fast access so my mornings unfold with ease!
You’ll notice that I call for maca and chaga or ashwagandha powders, all superfoods with a purpose, but they are not required for the latte to turn out well. Maca is an herb that helps with hormone balance; chaga is a type of mushroom that helps balance stress and supports immune function; and ashwagandha is an herb that helps support adrenal function. When added to recipes like this, or to homemade keto ice pops, shakes, smoothies, and fatty coffees, they boost the overall nutrition without affecting the taste. And hey, if I can support my adrenals by drinking a matcha latte, I’m all for it!
CHOCOLATE FAT BOMBS:
1 tablespoon coconut butter
2 teaspoons coconut oil
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
½ teaspoon confectioners’-style erythritol, or 1 drop liquid stevia
MATCHA LATTE:
1 cup (240 ml) boiling water
2 tablespoons collagen peptides or protein powder
1 tablespoon coconut butter, coconut oil, or nut butter
1 teaspoon erythritol, or 2 drops liquid stevia
1 teaspoon matcha powder
½ teaspoon maca powder (optional)
¼ teaspoon chaga powder or ashwagandha powder (optional)
1¼ cups (300 ml) full-fat coconut milk, hot
1. To prepare the fat bomb, place all the ingredients in a bowl and either set out in the sun to melt or microwave for 20 to 30 seconds. Once the coconut butter has melted, whisk thoroughly and transfer to a paper muffin liner, a silicone mold, a plastic container—anything will do. Place in the freezer for 5 minutes, or until hardened.
2. Meanwhile, place the boiling water, collagen, coconut butter, sweetener, matcha, and maca and chaga, if using, in a 20-ounce (600-ml) or larger mug. Whisk until the ingredients are incorporated and the lumps are gone, about 1 minute. Stir in the hot coconut milk.
3. Serve the latte with the chilled fat bomb.
STORE IT: Store the latte in the fridge for up to 3 days and the fat bomb in the freezer for up to 1 month. The fat bomb can be eaten directly from the freezer.
REHEAT IT: Transfer the latte to a 10-ounce (295-ml) or larger microwave-safe mug and microwave for 1½ minutes, or place the latte in a saucepan, cover, and reheat over low heat for 5 minutes.
Latte made with collagen, coconut butter, and superfood powders, with fat bomb:
calories: 740 | calories from fat: 589 | total fat: 65.4 g | saturated fat: 24 g | cholesterol: 0 mg
sodium: 233 mg | carbs: 11.6 g | dietary fiber: 9.3 g | net carbs: 2.3 g | sugars: 2.1 g | protein: 26.3 g
FAT:
80%
CARBS:
6%
PROTEIN:
14%
make it AIP:
Use carob powder in place of the cocoa powder in the fat bomb and use stevia in both the fat bomb and the latte.
make it COCONUT-FREE:
For the fat bomb, replace the coconut butter with a nut butter and replace the coconut oil with ghee or cocoa butter. For the latte, use a nut butter and replace the coconut milk with another milk of your choice. Cashew Milk (here) is a great alternative.
make it LOW-FODMAP:
Replace the coconut milk with almond, macadamia nut, or hemp milk.
make it NUT-FREE:
Use coconut butter or coconut oil in the latte.
make it VEGAN:
Do not use collagen. Opt for a plant-based protein powder.
make it VEGETARIAN:
Do not use collagen. Opt for a plant- or egg-based protein powder.
Latte only:
calories: 546 | calories from fat: 424 | total fat: 47.1 g | saturated fat: 8 g | cholesterol: 0 mg
sodium: 228 mg | carbs: 6.3 g | dietary fiber: 5.7 g | net carbs: 0.6 g | sugars: 1.2 g | protein: 24.4 g
FAT:
78%
CARBS:
4%
PROTEIN:
18%
COFFEE SHAKE
EGG-FREE • NIGHTSHADE-FREE • NUT-FREE • VEGETARIAN
OPTIONS: COCONUT-FREE • DAIRY-FREE • LOW-FODMAP • VEGAN
MAKES one 14-ounce (415-ml) serving
PREP TIME: 5 minutes
COOK TIME: —
I love using mushroom coffee in this recipe because it tastes great, has healing properties, and doesn’t contain caffeine. But any type of coffee will do the trick, even freshly ground coffee beans instead of the instant stuff. You could even play around with using your favorite tea leaves in place of the coffee. Black tea or rooibos leaves are amazing.
1 cup (240 ml) full-fat coconut milk
½ cup (120 ml) water
4 ice cubes
2 tablespoons coconut oil, unflavored MCT oil powder, or ghee
1½ tablespoons cocoa powder
1½ teaspoons erythritol, or 2 drops liquid stevia
½ teaspoon instant coffee granules
1. Place all the ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend on high until the ice is broken up completely and the texture of the shake is smooth.
2. Transfer to a 14-ounce (415-ml) or larger glass. Best enjoyed immediately.
STORE IT: If there are leftovers or you need to make the shake ahead of time, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. When ready to enjoy, give it a little shake. Alternatively, pour the leftovers into ice pop molds and freeze.
make it COCONUT-FREE:
Use heavy cream instead of coconut milk.
make it DAIRY-FREE/VEGAN:
Do not use ghee.
make it LOW-FODMAP:
Replace the coconut milk with almond, macadamia nut, or hemp milk.
Per serving, made with coconut oil:
calories: 757 | calories from fat: 684 | total fat: 76 g | saturated fat: 67.9 g | cholesterol: 0 mg
sodium: 60 mg | carbs: 12.3 g | dietary fiber: 2.7 g | net carbs
: 9.6 g | sugars: 4 g | protein: 6.1 g
FAT:
91%
CARBS:
6%
PROTEIN:
3%
6.
LUNCH
CHILI LIME CHICKEN BOWLS
GERMAN NO-TATO SALAD
SALMON SALAD CUPS
STEAK FRY CUPS
BROCCOLI GINGER SOUP
ANTIPASTO SALAD
SAUERKRAUT SOUP
EASY CHOPPED SALAD
CAJUN SHRIMP SALAD