Fish tikka masala !

Curry in a hurry

Fish curry pre keto was totally alien to me , I am a creature of habit , but knew to make this lifestyle change work I needed to change my habits . We eat chicken curry and lamb curry so why not fish. cod is a chunky meaty fish and works well in this dish , as would salmon or prawns !

  • Cod fillets cut into chunks
  • Coconut oil
  • Peppers yellow and red
  • Green beans or sugar snap peas
  • Onion
  • Good quality tikka paste
  • Tomato purée
  • Coconut milk
  • Chilli (optional )

Heat up a large pan and melt the coconut oil in the pan .

Add the peppers onions and greens and fry until they start to soften

Toss in the cod pieces and give it a good stir

Add the tikka curry paste and give it another good stir so the fish and the vegetables get coated in the tikka paste

Add a good dolop of tomato purée and yes you guessed it , give it a good stir !

Once the fish is cooked and the veg are soft add the coconut milk , just a word of warning coconut milk is always thicker at the top and thinner at the bottom so I would add it using a spoon that way you don’t end up with a watery curry it’s easier to add than take away …..

Stir and serve with greens , I found a great broccoli and cabbage mix in Iceland they come in individual bags and a great alternative to rice

Garnish with the chilli if you fancy giving your curry a bit of an extra kick

Enjoy 😊

Pan fried chicken with chorizo&mozzarella

Chicken n veg

This is another dish I do quite often it’s a quick easy throw it all in and the chorizo just gives it enough of a kick without adding a load of extra spices ! This recipe is also great with pork or chicken I prefer to use thighs but it’s entirely personal choice !

  • Olive oil
  • Chorizo sliced
  • Red onion
  • Chicken thigh boneless
  • Salt & pepper
  • Spinach
  • Peppers red / yellow
  • Mozzarella cheese

Heat the olive oil in a large pan open the chicken thighs up so they are thinner and cook on both sides until browned

I prefer to put the chicken in the oven to continue cooking whilst making the rest of the dish , you can never be too careful with chicken !

With the pan full of the chicken juices and olive oil put the chorizo and red onion in the pan and fry , add the peppers and spinach and cook until they soften and the spinach is beginning to wilt

Add the chicken back in the pan and give it a good stir so that all the juices from the Chorizio coat the chicken and veg

Tear the mozzarella and place in and amongst the veg and chicken and Let the mozzarella melt before spooning it onto a plate and seasoning with salt and pepper

Enjoy 😊

Just a bit of basic info ….,

I get lots of people messaging and asking “ what is this keto diet ? “ well basically it’s a high fat low carb way of eating, sounds fab doesn’t it ! Sadly high fat doesn’t mean donuts cakes and crisps , it’s all about the good fats so your olive oil , quality butter , coconut oil and avacados and some nuts . There are huge benefits to eating a ketogenic diet and when you throw in a couple of fasting days the benefits just get better and better !

Benefits of a ketogenic diet

Below I will give you a list of all the keto friendly foods to get you started . The best piece of advice I can give you is don’t over complicate things , stick to the foods you like and simplify …. it’s that easy

Whilst I am by no means an expert , this is just a hobby and I am still learning whilst trying to loose a few kg’s myself I do want to hear from you so if you need some support , or have a question feel free to drop me a message I’d love to hear from you

Good luck 😉

Pork stir fry

Stir fry

This is super quick and super tasty 😋 and without the carbs under 300 calories ….. if you want to thicken the sauce you can use cornflour , I didn’t because I was using honey and wanted to keep it as keto friendly as possible without adding to many unketo friendly products ! I used pork tenderloin in this recipe it’s cheap and a really versatile cut of meat

  • Pork tenderloin
  • Coconut oil
  • Mange tout/ sugar snap peas
  • Red pepper
  • Yellow pepper
  • For the sauce
  • Dark soy sauce
  • Runny honey
  • Crushed chilli flakes

Season the pork with sea salt and lots of black pepper

Heat the oil in a large non stick frying pan or wok , over a medium heat

Add the pork and stir fry until lightly browned and cooked through

Add the vegetables and stir fry with the pork for a few minutes

For the spicy sauce mix the honey and soy sauce and chilli flakes in a bowl and pour over the pork and give it a good stir !

Serve with extra veg or as a one pan meal !

If you don’t like pork this can easily be made using strips of beef chicken or tofu

Peanut butter brownies

Brownies

Well when the weather out side is rubbish it has to be a baking day so here is the result , peanut butter swirls , if you like peanut butter and you like brownie then these are must …. I didn’t have any cocoa powder so I got creative I used Swiss cacao ketones but for you guys cocoa powder is perfectly fine !

  • 105g almond flour or ground almonds
  • 50g sweetener ( I use xilyol)
  • 115g butter
  • 20g cocoa powder or 1 x sachet keto o/s Swiss cacao
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons peanut butter

Pre heat oven to a medium heat

Mix the almonds and the sweetener in a mixing bowl

Melt the butter in a microwave 30 seconds ish and allow to cool

Mix cocoa powder / keto o/ s Swiss cacao eggs and vanilla into the melted butter and stir until smooth

Add the butter mixture to the almond mixture and stir until smooth and no lumps

Pour into individual cake cases or into small tray lined with parchment paper

Melt the peanut butter in microwave and drizzle on top and stir with a knife to create a swirl pattern

Bake for 20- 30 minutes or until brownies are set .

Eat straight out the oven or allow to cool then enjoy !

Lamb saag

Curry !

This is a recipe I found in the fast 800 recipe book which is great as it gives you options if you’re an intermittent faster to add carbs or leave them out . For us it’s always no carbs well not the white or processed ones anyway. This is a handy one pot curry that you can throw in the oven and forget all about it until the wonderful aromas start wafting from the kitchen !

  • Coconut oil
  • Medium onion
  • Diced lamb
  • Medium curry paste such as rogan josh or tikka masala
  • Spinach

Pre heat oven to 180c / gas mark 4

Heat the oil in a flame proof casserole dish and fry the onion until softened

Add the lamb season with salt & pepper and cook for a few minutes until it starts to colour . Stir in the curry paste and warm through with the onion and lamb

Stir in the spinach and add 500 ml of water

Bring to the boil and cover with the lid

Cook in the oven for 1- 1 and a half hours until the lamb is tender and the sauce is thick

I served with a green veg mix I found in Iceland supermarket but cauliflower rice or steamed greens is a great alternative too .

Enjoy 😊

Creamy chicken & bacon cabbage carbonara

Carbonara

Hands up if you love a creamy carbonara . We do but the pasta takes us way over our calories so we don’t end up having it ! Well problem solved I have a keto friendly version that is packed full of flavour that doesn’t leave you with belly ache and swollen tummy from too much pasta …

  • Chicken thighs
  • Butter
  • Bacon lardons
  • Savoy cabbage
  • Garlic
  • Onion
  • Double cream
  • Parmesan
  • Salt & pepper

Heat the butter in a large pan place the chicken in the pan and brown season with salt and black pepper once the chickens are browned thoroughly place on a baking tray in the oven to ensure they are cooked all the way through

In a separate pan steam your cabbage

Back to your pan it should be full of golden butter and the juices from your chicken .Add the onion garlic and bacon lardons and fry off until crisp and golden

In a bowl mix some double cream Parmesan and season with salt & pepper.

Drain your cabbage and add to the pan with the bacon lardons give it a good stir ,pour over the cream mixture and stir again to make sure everything is coated and evenly mixed and warm through

Once it’s warmed serve in a bowl with your chicken from the oven and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and a little bit of black pepper

Bon appetite 😀

Naked lamb burgers !

Burger

Who doesn’t love a burger ? We do in our house and just because we follow a keto diet doesn’t mean we can’t have it , a few simple swaps means we save on a few calories and still get to enjoy food we love without feeling guilty so here instead of a bun I’ve used a portobello mushroom as a base for my burger instead of a bap !

  • Portobello mushroom
  • Butter / olive oil
  • Lamb burger ( butchers shop is the best I find )
  • halloumi
  • Shredded lettuce
  • Vine tomatoes
  • Coleslaw (optional )

So cook your burgers as you would oven grill or bbq

Roast your vine tomatoes in the oven with a drizzle of olive oil

Fry the mushroom In butter and then fry the halloumi

Shred your lettuce

Once the burgers are cooked place them on a piece of kitchen paper to drain.

Place the shredded lettuce and portobello mushroom on your plate load with your burger and halloumi

Place the tomatoes on the plate and a spoonful of coleslaw if using and serve

Enjoy 😊

Chicken casserole

Winner winner !

This is a recipe I found in the joe wicks cooking for family and friends cookbook and use as an alternative to Sunday lunch it’s simple and has bags of flavour ! Joe uses chicken legs I prefer thighs you can use what ever you prefer !

  • Butter
  • Chicken thighs
  • Onion
  • Bacon lardons
  • Garlic cloves ( the more the merrier )
  • Mushrooms
  • Salt & pepper
  • Green beans or peas
  • Double cream

Melt the butter in a large pan over a medium to high heat

Lay the chicken skin side down and allow to brown

When the chicken is a lovely golden brown transfer onto a baking tray and keep warm in an oven , you can never be too careful with chicken so I prefer to make sure they are still cooking whilst preparing the sauce

Your pan should be full of lovely juices from the butter and the chicken

Add the sliced onion , bacon lardons and fry over a medium heat until the onion begins to soften

Add the garlic and the mushrooms and season well with salt and pepper

Lay the chicken skin side down back in the pan on the hob make sure your chicken is cooked all the way through

Add some garden peas or green beans and warm through

Stir in some double cream , and serve !

I don’t usually put anything else with this but you can add more greens if you so wish

Enjoy 😊

Who say’s you can’t have your cake and eat it !

cheesecake

Puddings are a big thing when we’re trying to loose weight or stick to a healthy eating plan. Why should you miss out on treats when your trying to be healthy , that’s what I love about keto there is always an alternative, here is a cheese cake my favourite by the way with a pecan base !

  • 3 tubs Cream cheese
  • Pecans
  • 3 teaspoons Xylitol ( sweetener nicer than stevia )
  • 400ml Double cream
  • 2 teaspoons Vanilla extract/ essence
  • Knob of Butter
  • Fruit of your choice to decorate

Crush your pecans either using a rolling pin or a blitzer

Melt the butter just a few seconds in the microwave or in a pan on the hob , careful not to burn it !

Mix the butter in with the pecans and press down in your tin and refrigerate for a good 30 minutes

In your mixing bowl place the cream cheese, xylitol and vanilla extract / essence and give it a good stir .

Add the double cream and whisk , electric whisk is easier but whisking by hand is fine too , you want a thick consistency.

Spoon the mixture on top of the pecan base and use a knife or the back of the spoon to create an even surface

Place back in the fridge for a good few hours

Once you are ready to serve your cheesecake scatter with berries of your choice and enjoy 😊