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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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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