BAKED ITALIAN KETO MEATBALLS!

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My mom and I have been on the keto diet for over a year and we are always looking for new keto-friendly recipes to fit our keto-lifestyle. About a month or two ago my mom found this old ‘baked Italian meatball’ recipe on the internet and we decided to give it try, with a couple of our own keto-friendly twists of course. That evening when we sat down to dinner we could not believe how juicy and delicious the meatballs were, and the sauce - a little spicy but so flavorful. For the next three weeks straight we started a Meatball Monday tradition because we honestly couldn’t get enough! My mom and I love this recipe so much we figured It wasn’t fair for us to keep it all to ourselves, so here it is my keto loving friends! I’ve written it out so you can enjoy it too!

Buon Appetito!

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INGREDIENTS:

-Meatballs-
1 lbs of medium (15-20% fat) ground beef
2 Italian pork sausages - casing removed and chopped
1 cup of Parmesan - grated
1.5 cloves of garlic - minced
1 cup crushed pork rinds
1 Egg
2 tbsp of fresh, chopped Italian parsley
Salt and Pepper

-Sauce-
3 tbsp of olive oil
1 small sweet onion - chopped finely
2 cloves of garlic - minced
1/2 tsp of oregano
2 tbsp of fresh basil, chopped roughly
1-2 dashes of hot chili flakes (if desired)
1 - 800g (28oz) can of peeled tomatoes (Roma / San Marzano)
Salt and Pepper to Taste

-Toppings-
Fresh Parsley
Parmesan Cheese

-Extras-
Baguette

DIRECTIONS:

Mix all meatball ingredients in a large bowl and form 7-8 large meatballs. Place meatballs on a tray covered in parchment paper and store in a cool place.

In a deep skillet or dutch oven, add olive oil and let it heat up on low/medium heat.

Once hot add onion to skillet and let sweat 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and continue to let simmer stirring occasionally.

Once onion and garlic is translucent add in your spices and continue to cook 1-2 minutes.

Add in the canned tomatoes and chop up any large tomato bits. Mix thoroughly before covering and allowing to simmer at a low temperature for 30 minutes, stirring periodically.

After 30 minutes of simmering pre-heat oven to 350F.

Place meatballs in the skillet or dutch oven on top of the simmering sauce. Sprinkle with a little more Parmesan cheese and add in fresh thyme.

Bake (no lid if you are using a dutch oven) for approximately 20-25 minutes turning meatballs over half way.

Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

If you like this recipe or have any comments/questions, feel free to leave them in the comment section below!

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VEGAN PUMPKIN SOUP WITH @INSPIREDBYNICK!

Oh Hello There!

Welcome back to my blog!

I know it’s been a hot minute since I have posted anything on the ‘Food and Drink’ section of Soheila Online, but let me assure you that this was completely intentional. As I grow my brand I am also evolving and changing the direction of certain aspects of my blog. And although I love food (I mean, this girl loves to eat!) I wasn’t sure if recipe posts were where I wanted to concentrate my time and efforts. That doesn’t mean I won’t be sharing pretty food pictures with you anymore! It just means, instead of focusing my efforts on sharing my recipes, I want to share my food experiences with you in a different way - like through collaborations with my favourite food influencers!

So in the spirit of new beginnings I am back on the blog today to share a little festive autumn collaboration with my dear friend @Inspiredbynick! If you are guys are not familiar with Nick Joly he is a vegan food blogger based in Toronto that aims to promote healthier lifestyle habits and delicious vegan recipes. If you aren’t following him on Instagram already I definitely recommend you do!

@InspiredByNick and I at Downey’s Farm

@InspiredByNick and I at Downey’s Farm

Nick and I first met a couple months ago through our mutual friend Krystle (@dineandfash) and really hit it off. Since our first introduction over lunch at Cubano Restaurant I have been following Nick’s progress and really admire his positive attitude, health lifestyle habits, all round hustle, and drool-worthy vegan food pics! That is why a couple week ago I asked Nick if he wanted to collaborate with me on a little project I was planning for fall.

Usually not the biggest fan of letting go of summer, this year I wanted to embrace autumn by celebrating its cuteness in all its glory. For me this meant a little content creation road trip up to the pumpkin patch would need to happen, and I knew Nick would be the best partner in crime to collaborate with. So off we went to Downey’s farm in Caledon (a short 45 min drive from downtown Toronto).

Our plan for the collaboration was to go early, take a couple lifestyle photos, grab some picture perfect pumpkins, head back to Nick’s house to make a vegan recipe he had in mind, and style some Pinterest worthy photos. We were so prepared for our little road trip and for our food styling and pumpkin patch photos session that everything went off without a hitch. Nick had purchased mini pumpkins and ingredients ahead of time and I showed up with a red wagon (the perfect pumpkin patch photo prop) and a bag full of dollar store decorations for food styling. Together we took some super cute photos and created perfect autumn themed content. 

Nick of course being the master cook in this collaboration has shared the recipe to the Vegan Pumpkin Soup we (but really he - I just played with the dogs) made -> http://bit.ly/2CC1ATS on his blog while I get to share the cute pictures of us from the pumpkin patch with you here. Although I won’t be posting as many recipes anymore I really feel like there are so many talented foodies out there like Nick who’s Instagram could benefit a lot of people and instill more positive habits in everyone’s life - vegan or not. That is why I wanted to collaborate with Nick on my first post back and share his amazing platform with you as a way to find inspiration and positive reinforcement for your everyday life. Food after all is ment to be shared and Nick just does it so well!

I hope you enjoyed this recipe as much as I do. If you have any comments please leave them below and I'll be happy to answer them as soon as I can! Happy cooking!!!

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SUNRYPE SLIM BOOZY POPSICLE RECIPES #SPONSORED

It may only be spring, but my heart is already yearning for summer. I love longer days, warmer nights, and being able to gather with friends. Summer entertaining is one of my favourite things to do on weekends, and I always look for any excuse to host a get together. It’s also a great way to just relax and take 10 for yourself and to actually enjoy the moment, instead of being wrapped up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

One thing I typically do in the summer is keep some fun popsicles in my freezer. Not only because they make a great after work treat and are a great party ‘wow’ factor, but because they help me take 10 for myself and cool down on those hot and sweaty summer nights when there isn’t a breeze for miles. I can still picture myself last summer, happy as a clam licking my popsicle as it dripped down my hand like I was twelve - so perfectly refreshing. Who is to say popsicles have to be just for kids anyways? As a matter of fact, MY popsicles are just for Adults.

To add a little extra fun to my popsicles, I booze them up in a multitude of ways. There are obviously so many variations you can make, but I always like to make sure that the ingredients I use taste great and aren’t filled with sugar and artificial elements. That is why I love to use SunRype Slim beverages as the perfect popsicle base, as they don’t have any artificial colouring, flavours or contain any aspartame, plus they only contain 10 calories per serving (250ml), how great is that!.

Using SunRype Slim makes it easy for me to adjust the amount of sweetness I want so my popsicles fit my palette (and calorie intake) and still maintain natural flavours and ingredients. The best part - they are so easy to make to your liking and easy to find. You can try this recipe out using a variety of different flavors including SunRype Slim Blueberry Burst, Cranberry Twist, Lemon Drop Lemonade, Long Island Iced Tea and Tropical Mango– all found in the non-refrigerated juice aisle of your grocery store.

Not into popsicles? SunRype Slim 10 low calorie beverages are also perfect without alcohol as a refreshing glass over ice on a warm summer day!

Tips before we get started
*   Soaking your popsicle sticks before making your popsicles will help with any buoyancy issues and prevent them from popping out of the molds completely.
*   Soaking your fruit in alcohol before hand adds for an extra punch!
*   SunRype Slim contains only 10 calories per serving (250ml). To keep calories per popsicle even lower, you can always leave out the simple syrup and replace with more SunRype Slim!

What are you waiting for? Take 10 – whether you have just 10 seconds or 10 minutes - for yourself and relax with a delicious SunRype Slim popsicle now!


Blueberry Mojito Pops!

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 Cup of Sugar
1/2 Cup of Water
Mint
1 Bottle of SunRype Slim Blueberry Burst
3/4 Cup of Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice
1/2 oz Shot of Rum Per Popsicle
Blueberries

DIRECTIONS:

-    Make a simple syrup using equal parts sugar and water. Bring water to a boil and add in your sugar. You can also add in some mint to give your simple syrup extra flavour! Once sugar has completely dissolved, strain the mint from your simple syrup and let cool to room temperature. 

-    Fill 1/4 of each popsicle mold with SunRype Slim Blueberry Burst, then fill 1/4 of each popsicle mold with equal amounts of Lime Juice and Simple Syrup. Next add 1/2 Oz of Rum and some blueberries (maybe like 10 per mold). You can also add in some fresh mint leaves to each if you want. If there is still room in your molds, top it off with more SunRype Slim Blueberry Burst.

-    Add in your popsicle sticks and place popsicle molds in the freezer overnight for best results!

Spiked Peace Raspberry Ice Tea!

INGREDIENTS:

2 Peaches - sliced thin
1 Pint of Raspberries
1/2 Cup of Tequila
1/2 Cup of Vodka
1/2 Cup of White Rum
1/2 Cup of Sugar
1/2 Cup of Water
1 Bottle of SunRype Slim Long Island Ice Tea

DIRECTIONS:

-    Mix tequila, vodka, and white rum together in a bowl and add in your thin slices of peaches. Allow peaches and raspberries to soak up the alcohol overnight in the fridge.

-    Make a simple syrup using equal parts sugar and water. Bring water to a boil and add in your sugar. Once sugar has completely dissolved, let cool to room temperature. 

-    Place a couple of your alcohol soaked peaches and raspberries in each of the molds. Fill 1/2 of each mold with SunRype Slim Long Island Ice Tea. Fill the remainder with equal parts simple syrup and left over alcohol mix.

-    Add in your popsicle sticks and place popsicle molds in the freezer overnight for best results!


Watermelon Lemonade Prosecco Pops

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 a Seedless Watermelon (Cubed)
1 Bottle of SunRype Slim Lemon Drop Lemonade
1 Bottle of Prosecco
1 Lemon - to make thin lemon slices with

DIRECTIONS

-    Placed cubed watermelon in blender and liquefy.

-    Add 2-4 thin slices of lemon to each mold.

-    Fill 1/3 of each mold with watermelon juice, 1/3 with SunRype Lemon Drop Lemonade and 1/3 with Prosecco (pour Prosecco slowly as to not have the bubbles overflow).

-    Add in your popsicle sticks and place popsicle molds in the freezer overnight for best results!

Discover More With SunRype Slim10!

Disclaimer: This post has been generously sponsored by Sun-Rype, the opinions and language are my own and in no way do they reflect Sun-Rype

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KETO SAFFRON CHICKEN VEGETABLE SOUP

So being Persian I grew up having some amazing home cooked middle eastern meals. I would have to fight my brother and sister over the tahdig (the toasted crunchy bites at the bottom of the rice that would be caramelized together by the butter and saffron) because in our household it was a prize possession. Anything with saffron usually gets my seal of approval, which is why the other day when it was -15 in Toronto and I was craving soup I decided to make a KETO friendly chicken veg soup recipe with a Persian twist. The results - heavenly! This soup is so jammed packed with flavor and immune boosting nutrients you feel like you're getting a hug from the inside out. ENJOY!

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 Cup of Salted Butter
A Pinch of Saffron (ground)
2 S/M Sweet Onions (chopped finely)
5 Carrots (peeled and chopped)
3 Celery Stocks (chopped)
2L of Chicken Stock
1 Rotisserie Chicken (remove skin and shred chicken meat)
2-3 Cups of Fresh Spinach
Fresh Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Melt butter in a large soup pot on medium heat. Add in the freshly ground saffron and l let it turn the butter a golden color.

When the butter is hot, throw in your finely chopped onion and coat that in the saffron and butter. Let this cook down until the onions become translucent and soft - about 5 minutes.

When ready add in your chopped carrots and celery, tossing everything so it is all coated in saffron butter. Cover and let the excess water escape from the celery and carrots. Stir every 3-4 minutes so nothing burns and the butter is well distributed among all the vegetables.

Once  the vegetables have soften you can add in you chicken stock, stir and let come to a low simmer.

Next add in your shredded chicken and fresh spinach. Make sure to stir and submerge the spinach into the soup. Cover and let the soup continue to simmer on low heat for about 3-4 minutes to get that spinach soft and then keep stiring until it is submerged into the soup completely.

Add pepper to taste (you shouldn't need salt but if you want more you can add it now).

That's it! Enjoy!

If you like this recipe or have any comments/questions, feel free to leave them in the comment section below!

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KETO CREAMY AVOCADO PESTO WITH ZUCCHINI NOODLES!

After Christmas, I starting to feel like I had really over done it this holiday season. With all the parties and dinners I was really starting to feel unhealthy. I knew I was in need of making some serious changes to my diet. Both my mom and my boyfriend have been eating KETO for awhile and both of them would sing me praises about their new KETO lifestyle. Both said that eating KETO for them has provided them with great energy, they don't ever feel hungry, and both have experience weight loss. My mom who suffers from bad inflammation not only had lots of energy and lost weight, but she also started to feel better and was able to move around more without feeling as much pain. Fast forward to now - I have been on KETO for a month and I have lost 5 lbs! I get to eat full fats like avocado, butter, and olive oil, and never feel drained of energy.

When I started on the diet I was looking for some recipes and realized there aren't that many out there there were actually healthy and KETO.  So here is a delicious recipe that I altered and made my own to help you get started. It can also easily be transitioned to a Vegan recipe by removing the cheese. ENJOY!

Good for 6 People

INGREDIENTS:

4 Zucchini Large - (1 zucchini can usually feed 1.5 people regular portion sizes)
1 TBSP of Olive Oil
1.5 Large Avocados
1 Cup of Fresh Basil Leaves (Washed and left on paper towel to dry)
2 Cloves of Garlic
1/3-1/4 Cup of Pine Nuts (depends on your palette)
2 TBSP of Lemon Juice
1 Cup of Grated Parmesan Cheese
3 TBSP of Olive Oil
Large Pinch of Sea Salt
Cracked Pepper

YOU WILL ALSO NEED:

-A Spiralizer
-A food processor

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DIRECTIONS:

Spiralize your zucchini and set aside on a piece of paper towel so that all the excess water/juice is absorbed.

In the food processor add in your avocado, basil, garlic, pine nuts, lemon juice and grated Parmesan. Pulse until basil is finely chopped and you have a creamy consistency. While the motor is still running add in your 3 TBSP of olive oil. When finished add a large pinch of salt and pepper to taste and mix in until well incorporated.

In a skillet add 1 TBSP of olive oil and let it heat up on medium heat. When ready add in your spiralized zucchini and let cook until soft (around 2-3 minutes).

Once ready, move cooked zuchinni to a bowl and toss n the avocado pesto (there will be pesto left over don't feel like you have to use all of it). Garnish with Parmesan cheese and serve!

*This recipe can easily become vegan if you remove the cheese!

Enjoy!

If you like this recipe or have any comments/questions, feel free to leave them in the comment section below!

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