Award Winning Guacamole* KETO

 

A chunky guacamole packed with flavor from seasoning, fresh lime juice, cilantro and a shortcut ingredient of a yummy salsa! Award winning recipe!


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SERVINGS: 6


Ingredients :
• 8 medium to large avocados
• 1 fresh lime juiced
• 2 bunches of cilantro chopped and stems cut off
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 c salsa (homemade is best - recipe here)

Instructions : 

• Add everything to a large mixing bowl and mash with either a fork, meat masher or pastry cutter.
• Leave a couple seeds in the guacamole if not serving immediately and directly cover the guacamole with saran wrap and push out all air and place in refrigerator if not serving immediately.


Notes :

The recipe calls for 8 medium to large avocados. Don’t buy the real small avocados that come in a mesh bag. Those are too small and you run the risk of getting a bad avocado. Go for the medium to large, and if you get real big ones you can back off to 6-7 avocados.


I recommend serving this guacamole right away but if you need to store it, be sure to leave a few of the seeds in the bowl. Cover the top of the guacamole surface with saran wrap and then cover the bowl in saran wrap and place in the refrigerator. Like pesto, air is the enemy of guacamole. Even with these measures, you don’t want to make this more than a couple hours before serving. 

When choosing an avocado look for dark skin and when you apply the slightest amount of pressure, it gives. But you don’t want it to be mushy. Definitely don’t buy any hard avocado. If you end up getting a bad avocado, try using what you can and throwing out any black spots. The guacamole is simply seasoned with kosher salt, black pepper and garlic powder. Lots of fresh cilantro and lime juice go in along with a shortcut ingredient of salsa. I highly recommend making my homemade salsa first and adding a cup of it to this recipe. 

Source: Cooklikelauren.com

Mexican Salsa - Year Round KETO* ❤️

 

This salsa is so good and and with the addition of green pepper, it makes it extra fresh. It’s vibrant and fresh, sweet with an optional kick of heat by leaving in the jalapeno seeds. The salsa recipe utilizes fresh purple onion, cilantro, garlic, green bell pepper and jalapenos. The tomatoes for this recipe are canned stewed tomatoes. You would never know they aren’t fresh. By using stewed tomatoes you can make this year round and it will always come out perfect.

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SERVINGS: 8

Ingredients :

• 2 14.5 oz cans stewed tomatoes
• 1/4 large purple onion roughly chopped
• 2 jalapenos with or without seeds, roughly chopped
• 1 small bunch of cilantro leaves, stems removed (or 1/2 of a large bunch)
• 1 large clove of garlic
• 1/2 green bell pepper roughly chopped
• 1/2 tsp sugar (optional)
• 1 tsp kosher salt

Instructions :

• Drain the tomatoes but keep the juice.
• Add roughly chopped onion, green bell pepper, jalapenos, garlic, cilantro, sugar, salt and tomato juice to a food processor.
• Pulse the food processor 7 times.
• Add the stewed tomatoes and pulse 15+ times until you get the consistency you want.
• Serve immediately or store covered in the refrigerator.

Notes :

• The easiest way to prepare this salsa is to place all the roughly chopped vegetables in a food processor. By pulsing the food processor you can quickly chop all the vegetables and control the consistency. The more you process the less chunky it becomes. I recommend adding all the raw vegetables: the green bell pepper, garlic, onion, cilantro and jalapenos along with the juice from the canned tomatoes to the food processor first and pulsing several times to break them down before adding the tomatoes. Because the tomatoes are canned they break apart in just a few pulses.
• This homemade salsa recipe can easily be doubled if you are feeding a crowd. Just be sure to warm tortilla chips in the microwave or oven before serving. The warm chips give restaurant vibes and take everything over the top. If you need a good guacamole to go with this salsa, this recipe is award winning! And it calls for salsa to be added to it. Perfect!

Source: Cooklikelauren.com

Lemon Garlic Butter Chicken Spiedini Skewers

These lemon garlic butter chicken spiedini are air-fried, or baked, crispy, golden breaded chicken skewers with a light lemon garlic butter drizzle. 

• ❤ With love and full tummies ~ Mama Bear  ❤

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  Servings: 6 Skewers | 4 net carbs | Total Cook Time 30 Minutes
• 
  
• Ingredients :

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice, divided
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 2 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
• 2/3 cup Italian breadcrumbs
• 2/3 cup panko
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 6 (6 to 8 inch) skewers
• olive oil cooking spray
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh parsley

Instructions :

• Whisk together olive oil, wine, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, lemon zest, 1/2 of the garlic, crushed red pepper, oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl. Add chicken and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Stir together remaining salt and pepper with bread crumbs, panko, Parmesan cheese, and garlic powder in a shallow dish. Remove chicken from marinade and toss to coat in breadcrumb mixture, pressing to adhere as necessary. Thread chicken onto skewers and coat with olive oil cooking spray. 
• FOR AIR FRYER: Preheat an air fryer to 390 degrees F (198 degrees C).  Air fry until chicken is no longer pink at the center and juices run clear, and is until lightly golden brown and crisp, about 12 minutes. An instant read thermometer, inserted near the center, should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
• FOR BAKING:  Pre-heat oven to 350 and bake skewers for 30 minutes, turning half way through.
• Meanwhile, melt butter with remaining garlic in a microwave-safe dish on High in the microwave, about 10 seconds.  Stir in remaining lemon juice and parsley. Drizzle butter mixture over chicken just before serving.

Nutrition :

calories 636
total fat41g
saturated fat 13g
cholesterol212mg
sodium 1170mg
total carbohydrate 21g
dietary fiber 1g
total sugars 2g
protein 43g
vitamin c 3mg
calcium 146mg
iron 3mg
potassium 524mg

By Nicole McLaughlin - Allfrecipes. Video

Source:

Snowman Cheese Ball KETO (Carolyn)

This easy snowman cheese ball is the perfect keto appetizer for all of your winter celebrations! It’s easy to make and looks adorable as the centerpiece of a buffet table. Did I mention it’s delicious?

❤️ With love and full tummies ~ Mama Bear  ❤️ 

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Servings: 12

Ingredients :

• 8 ounces Cabot Seriously Sharp White Cheddar divided
• 8 ounces cream cheese softened
• ¼ cup butter softened
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 10 whole peppercorns
• 1 thin baby carrot
• 2 rosemary sprigs

Instructions :

• Grate the cheddar on the small holes of a box grater, or use a food processor with a grating blade.
• In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter until well combined and smooth. Beat in half of the cheddar, the garlic, parsley, onion powder, salt, and pepper until well combined.
• Divide the mixture into two uneven portions, using about two thirds for the body and one third for the head. Grease your hands lightly with olive or avocado oil and roll into balls. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 hours.
• When the balls are chilled, unwrap the balls and roll in the remaining grated cheddar. Place the large ball on a serving platter. Press two toothpicks about halfway down into the top of the ball. Place the smaller ball on top, secured in place by the toothpicks.
• Use the peppercorns to make eyes and a mouth on the head of the snowman, and buttons down the body.
• Cut the tip off the thin carrot and use for the nose. Remove most of the rosemary leaves from the sprigs and press in as the arms of the snowman. Spread any leftover grated cheese around the bottom as snow.
• Serve at room temperature for easier scooping.

Notes :

Storage: The unassembled cheeseballs can be stored, wrapped in plastic, for several days. Once you’ve put together the snowman, it will dry out if left out longer than a day.

But the leftovers can be pressed into a sealable container and will last several weeks, as long as your ingredients were fresh.

Nutrition :

Serving: 2 tablespoons | Calories: 177kcal | Carbohydrates: 1.6g | Protein: 5.8g | Fat: 14.7g | Fiber: 0.1g

Source: By Carolyn Ketchum of All Day I Dream About Food

Mama Bear's Meatballs and Sauce (Me)

So...I ran across Antoinette's old Italian recipe posted on my blog, but I had to tweak it a bit.  No Surprise. However, I did learn that these meatballs were the best I have ever made.  Antoinette's secret, by not browning or baking them, was the golden ticket.  I will never do that again. I promise you, you will never change this recipe and will use it forever.   

With love and full tummies ~ Mama Bear 

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Sunday Tomato Sauce Ingredients :

• 2 cans 28 oz of San Marzano crushed tomatoes (best quality) OR use whole San Marzano Tomatoes and squish them with your hands or use a potato masher.  The potato masher will control the bursting of the tomatoes and is less likely to make a mess.
• 1 can of 28 oz tomato puree
• 1 can of 6 oz tomato paste
• 12 leaves of fresh basil torn (they bruise easily so best if torn)
• 3 T Italian seasoning
• 1 T parsley flakes
• 1 cup of dry red wine (optional but adds a depth of flavor)
• 4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium size onion, finely chopped (if you don't like onion, use 1 T onion powder)
• 4 cloves of fresh garlic finely chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Optional:
• 1 T red pepper flakes if you like some heat

OR you can use 4 jars of your favorite marinara sauce.  I prefer to use one that doesn't have sugar in the ingredients.  

Sunday Sauce Instructions :

• Sauté onions in a large pot of EVOO until tender.  Add the minced garlic, red pepper flakes, tomato paste and salt/pepper to taste.  Cook for about 2 minutes, constantly stirring.
• Add all the rest of the ingredients to the pot and then simmer on low for one hour in a covered pot.
• Note: you can transfer to a crock pot now and then add the meatballs. 

These are my pictures of the meatballs, could I get any closer shots?

Meatball Ingredients :

• 2.5 lbs of ground beef 
• 1 cup of seasoned Panko Italian breadcrumbs or plain but add 2 T Italian Seasoning OR use GF Panko
• 1/2 cup of fresh parsley, finely chopped OR 1/3 cup dried parsley
• 1/2 cup of grated Pecorino Romano/Parmesan cheese 
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup of onion powder OR 1 small onion minced finely
• 2 tbsp of garlic powder
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 2% cup milk or heavy cream

Meatball Instructions :

• In a large bowl — add 2 eggs, lightly beaten.
• Add all ingredients above (except meat), mix and combine. 
• Add ground beef.  Do not over mix.  I turn the mixture over and over and poke holes in with my fingers to blend in the spices/Panko/Parmesan cheese into the ground beef. It's kind of therapeutic.  
• Wet the palm of your hands with warm water using a small bowl. This process will keep the meatballs moist. 
• Start rolling meatballs, roll each meatball the same desired sized. This should make about 25-30 meatballs. I make them bigger than a golf ball so more likely 20 meatballs. I roll them all at once...because I am on a roll (get it?). Moving on....
• Place the meatballs into the sauce as it simmers and cook for 60-90 minutes in a partially covered pot. Make sure that the sauce isn't boiling.  I like to put it on low and let it get yummy in time.

My Notes :

• If you choose to take a short cut and use jarred marinara, just add the sauce and skip the Sunday Sauce recipe above.  I would heat up the sauce first though before adding the raw meatballs.
• Once you add the meatballs into the crock pot with the heated sauce, put it on low for 3 hours.  
• Be careful to not stir them too much, or at all, to keep their shape.  This is why I like putting them into a crock pot. 
• These meatballs can be frozen too.  Make sure you place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper in a single row, not touching one another and freeze them solid.  Once they are frozen, remove them from parchment paper and place them into zip lock bags.  They will be good for a couple of months. 
• You can use these meatballs for Swedish Meatballs or put BBQ sauce on them.  Adjust the seasonings. (i.e.: don't use Italian seasonings) check out my Swedish meatballs recipe for the seasonings.  You should then sub in ground pork for 1 lb of the ground beef in this recipe.  And then, of course, the sauce is totally different.  

Source: Mama Bear Nikki