Instant Pot Keto Korean Short Ribs

 

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds bone-in beef short ribs
• salt
• pepper
• 1/2 cup beef stock
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 1 T Truvia nectar
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 5 garlic cloves
• 1 T gochujang (Korean red chili paste)
• 1/4 cup Ponzu sauce (or Tamari, soy sauce, coconut aminos, Bragg’s liquid aminos)
• 1 1/2 inch cube of fresh ginger, peeled
• 1T sesame oil
• Ssamjang (dipping sauce see recipe below)
• large lettuce leaves
• fried caulirice
• chopped green onion for garnish
• sesame seeds for garnish

Directions:

1. Season the ribs with salt and pepper. Set aside and make the braising liquid.
2. Place the beef stock, green onion, Truvia nectar, rice wine vinegar, garlic, gochujang, Ponzu sauce, ginger, and sesame oil into a high-speed blender and pulse til liquified.
3. Use the Saute function of the Instant Pot to brown the ribs with a little olive oil. Brown them in batches if needed. Place the ribs back in the pot, pour the braising liquid over them, and cook on the Beef/Meat/Stew pressure cooker setting for 60 minutes.
4. Once done, shred the meat and serve with fried caulirice wrapped in lettuce leaves and with a dollop of ssamjang (recipe below) on top, and a garnish of chopped green onion and sesame seeds, or just pile it on a bowl of fried caulirice and dig in!

Ssamjang

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup red miso ( I didn’t have Korean doenjang)
• 1 T gochujang
• 1 green onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 T chopped red onion
• 2 T Truvia nectar
• 2 T sesame seeds
• 2 T toasted sesame oil

Directions:

1. Mix together the ingredients, stir well, serve,

Singapore Chow Mei Fun

Ingredients:

• 1egg, beaten
• 1 T olive oil
• 136 g chicken breast, chunk into chunks
• 113 g raw shrimp deveined, shelled
• 41 g red onion, thinly sliced
• 85 g broccoli slaw
• 33 g snow peas
• 25 g red bell pepper
• 3 g garlic, minced
• 1 T soy sauce
• 1 T ponzu sauce
• 1 T hot madras curry powder
• 1 T chili oil
• 82 g zucchini noodles

Directions:

1. Make an egg crepe – spray a pan with cooking spray and pour the beaten egg into the pan. Cook until the top is almost dry, the flip. Cook 30 seconds and remove to a plate to cool. Once cooled, roll tightly and cut across to make strips.
2. In a screaming-hot wok, add 1T live oil and saute the chicken until they are mostly done, remove and set aside and do the same with the shrimp.
3. Throw in the red onion and stir fry one minute, then add the broccoli slaw. Cook 1 minute. Add the red bell pepper and snow peas and cook for 1 minute.
4. Toss in ginger paste and garlic, cook 1 minute or so until they become fragrant, then toss in the soy sauce, lime juice and ponzu sauce. Cook 1 minute.
5. Add the chicken, shrimp and egg strips, stir to coat. Add the curry powder and chili oil, stirring to coat, then toss in the zucchini noodles, stir so that everything is coated. Serve.

 

 

 

Pan-Seared Sea Bass with Butter-Braised Leeks and Tomato Saffron Broth

 

For the leeks, I simmered them in SERIOUSLY a fuckton of butter slowly over very low heat for about 30-40 minutes.
Then I set them aside.

For the broth, I tossed 1lb of grape tomatoes with some olive oil, a splash of sherry vinegar and salt and then toasted them in a 400F oven for about 40 minutes.

Then I put them in a skillet with 1.5 cups shellfish stock ( water or chicken stock would be ok too. Bottled clam juice would work too). Bring it to a boil and then simmer, toss in a few capers (abt 1 teaspoon) gently crushing them with a wooden spoon. I let it simmer for a half hour and then strained it through a sieve and crushed the tomatoes to start as much juice as possible.

Then pour the liquid back into a saucepan and simmer. Add some sherry vinegar (abt 1.5 teaspoons), simmer over low heat and let reduce a bit. Soften a pinch of saffron in2 tablespoons of hot water, let sit for 10 minutes then add to the broth. Presto.

The sea bass I just seared in the leftover butter from braising the leeks 3 – 4 min per side.

Zoodles with Chicken and Spicy Peanut Sauce

 

 

A favorite way to have zucchini noodles, or zoodles, is accompanied by spicy peanut and chicken sauce.

I usually wing the sauce, mixing together crunchy PB, water, soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili oil, toasted sesame oil, ginger, garlic, cayenne. Sometimes I’ll add PB2 powder for a little extra protein, and a splash of sriracha for more flavorful heat. If i have lime juice, I’ll add a squeeze or two of that.

This is a pretty forgiving sauce, and reheats very well.

Spicy Beef and Greens

The base recipe for this is something I call Meat and Greens. The basics, saute meat, add some onion and garlic (plus other veg as wanted), let simmer, add a little broth, and then smother with chopped greens (spinach,kale, chard, collard greens) until wilted, season and done.

I’ve made this with ground turkey, gourmet chicken sausage, had Mexican, Cajun, Chinese and Korean flavor profiles. It’s a versatile recipe. And boy, do I love some wilted dark leafy greens.

This is the one I make most often. It’s a spicy Asian-ish dish.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 lb ground beef
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, smashed and minced
• 1/2 t ginger paste
• 1/2 t red chili paste
• 1/2 cup beef stock
• water as needed
• splash soy sauce – or coconut aminos, Bragg’s liquid aminos, Maggi seasoning
• 2 cups greens, chopped – this is a densely packed 2 cups, smoosh them down
• cayenne

Directions:

1. Over medium-high heat, saute the beef until brown.
2. Add the chopped onion and cook until it begins to soften.
3. Add the bell pepper, let cook for 2 minutes.
4. Add the chopped mushrooms and cook until they’ve released a lot of liquid and are starting to brown up.
5. Add the garlic, ginger paste and chili paste. Stir through, then add the beef stock and a few splashes of soy sauce.
6. Add the chopped greens on top, cover and cook until they are darker green and nicely wilted. You can add more water as needed to help steam.
7. Remove the cover, stir it all up, and add some cayenne and let cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Notes:

• My digital scale has died, so I had to eyeball things and use volume measurement instead of weight. As I have some control freak tendencies, I was on the verge of hyperventilating over it for a few minutes, then got myself together and said, “You can make this in your sleep. Just do it.” Good news is my new scale is on its way. 😀
• I sometimes buy ginger paste and chili paste in a tube for ease of convenience. Also this beef broth concentrate. I don’t always have my homemade beef stock on hand, and a squirt oor two of this stuff is great.

Calorie Breakdown:

Ok, by eyeballing and guessing at the amounts, this is the calorie breakdown for this meal. We’re also assuming that the nutrient breakdown in the Livestrong database is accurate.

After I get my new scale, I’ll make this again, only I’ll weigh everything out to the gram, and re-enter the data, we’ll see how far off the breakdown is.

Keto Zucchini Lasagna

Layers of cheese, sauce, vegetables, meat, and noodles ad infinitum, topped with more cheese and baked ’til melty, browned and bubbling, what’s not to love about lasagna?

Well, the obvious answer is probably the carb count, if you’re watching your carbs. I’ll make a keto version replacing the lasagna noodles with long slices of roasted eggplant, or thick strips of zucchini. Add an insane mixture of 6 cheeses (ricotta, parmesan, romano, mozzarella, asiago and provolone), and you’ve got a low-carb meal that’ll satisfy the lasagna craving.

Lasagna with Zucchini Noodles, Sausage and Roasted Bell Pepper

Ingredients:

• 2 zucchini
• ½ Vidalia onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• ½ lb. sweet Italian sausage
• 3 – 4 cups marinara sauce
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1/2 cup ricotta
• 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella
• 3 tablespoons shredded provolone
• 3 tablespoons freshly grated parm
• 3 tablespoons freshly grated romano
• 3 tablespoons freshly grated asiago
• 2 basil leaves, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 egg, beaten
• Olive oil
• shredded mozzarella
• basil leaves for garnish
• more shredded parm or romano for garnish

Directions:

1. Carefully slice the zucchini lengthwise into thin slices with a mandoline. Lay out on a rack or kitchen towels. Sprinkle with salt and let drain 20 minutes, then flip over, sprinkle a little salt on the other side and let sit at least an hour to draw out excess moisture.
2. Saute the onion in olive oil over medium-high heat, add chopped roasted bell pepper cook for 3 minutes or so, until nicely softened. Then add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
3. Add the sausage and break into small pieces with the blade of the spatula. Brown. Add roasted cherry tomatoes, and cook 2 minutes. Pour in 1 cup of the marinara sauce and beef both as needed to thin. Cover let simmer 10 minutes.
4. Mix together the ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, provolone, romano, asiago, garlic and minced basil in a bowl. Add the beaten egg and and mix well.
5. Take the zucchini slices and lightly squeegee the excess moisture and salt off the slices. Lay them in between paper towels to dry out further.
6. Preheat the oven to 350 F Spray a small baking dish (4.5 x 6.5 inch) with cooking spray.
7. To assemble the lasagna: Put 1/4 cup of the marinara sauce into the bottom of the dish. Begin layering by covering the sauce with a layer of the zucchini slices. Then cover the zucchini with a few tablespoons of the sauce, followed by one half of the cheese mixture. Spoon in one half of the sausage and vegetable mixture, top with more sauce and another layer of the zucchini noodles and repeat. Cover the top layer of zucchini noodles with enough sauce to moisten.
8. Top with some shredded mozzarella, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, and let bake for another 10 – 15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and browned.
9. Let sit for 10 minutes, then slice and serve.

Roasted Red Bell Pepper & Tomato Sauce with Sausage

 

Ingredients:

• 2 red bell peppers
• 1 head of garlic
• olive oil
• 8 0z bulk Italian sausage
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced
• 4 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 28-oz can of crushed tomatoes
• 1 smaller can, 15 oz, diced tomatoes
• dried oregano
• dried basil

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 F.
2. First, prep the red bell peppers and garlic for roasting:
   • Slice across the top of the garlic, cutting off a flat spot on the top to expose the cloves. Place in a ramekin and drizzle with olive oil.
   • Place the red bell peppers in a baking dish and drizzle a little olive oil over then. Turn a few times to coat. Place the garlic and bell peppers in the oven to roast. Turn the bell peppers every 20 minutes, removing them when all 4 sides are evenly charred. The garlic comes out when the top is browned, about 40 minutes.
   • Place the bell peppers in a brown paper bag, tightly fold down the top, and place the in a bowl to let them steam. one cooled, the skins should peel off easily. Scrape away the seeds and discard them, then chop the flesh of the peppers. Set aside.
   • When the garlic is cool enough to handle, separate the cloves and squeeze the roasted garlic into a bowl, and set aside.
3. Brown the bulk sausage in olive oil, chopping well with the blade of the spatula.
4. Once nicely browned, add the chopped onion and cook until the onion is soft and translucent. add the garlic and saute another 5 minutes.
5. Dissolve the tomato paste in the red wine, then pour the mixture in the skillet. Stir well.
6. Add the crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally to ensure that it doesn’t bur on the bottom.
7. Add the chopped roasted bell pepper and garlic, stir through, cover and let simmer another 2 hours.
8. Add some salt, dried oregano, dried basil, taste to adjust seasoning. If the sauce seems too thick, you can add a little water if needed. Cover and let simmer for another hour.
9. Taste once again and make the final adjustment for seasoning, and you’re ready to serve with pasta, on zucchini noodles, shiratake noodles, or even by itself.

And now for some pictures!

Beautiful, charred, roasted red bell peppers:

A head of roasted garlic, fresh out of the oven:

Bonus Recipe: Pepperoni Pizza Cups

Using large sandwich pepperoni, press the slices into a muffin pan, one slice per well. Put a dollop of sauce in the pepperoni cup, top with shredded cheese – I like a mix of mozzarella, provolone and parm – cover with another piece of pepperoni, pressing down to close it, top with a smidge more cheese and bake in pre-heated, 400-degree oven for 15 minutes.

Presto, an awesome keto snack!

That sauce is perfect over zoodles, or in noodle-less zucchini lasagna, or in a bowl by itself. It also makes a fantastic filling for keto stuffed peppers. With all that meat and cheese, who really needs rice as a filler?

zoodles-n-sauce

Stuffed Bell Pepper

Ingredients:

• 2 bell peppers – I used red for roasting
• ¼ cup cherry tomatoes
• 3 basil leaves, torn
• ½ Vidalia onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• ½ lb. sweet Italian sausage
• 2 cups Roasted Bell Pepper & Tomato Sauce with Sausage

For the assembly:

• ¼ cup Farmer’s cheese
• 3 tablespoons shredded mozzarella
• 3 tablespoons shredded provolone
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated parm
• 2 basil leaves, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Olive oil

Directions:

1. Roast 1 bell pepper and the cherry tomatoes: Preheat the oven to 400 F. Drizzle olive oil on the bottom of a roasting pan and roll the whole bell pepper in the oil to coat. Salt liberally.
2. Toss in the cherry tomatoes and roll them around in the oil too. Roast for 20 minutes, then take out and flip the pepper over and stir the tomatoes. Add some torn basil leaves to the cherry tomatoes and put back in the oven, flipping the bell pepper every 10- 15 minutes from then on.
3. Remove the tomatoes after another 10 minutes have passed, leaving the bell pepper to roast another 10 minutes or so. I like to do the bell pepper a good 45 minutes or so until the skin is dark and blistered.
4. Put the bell pepper in a paper bag, fold the top securely and let steam for 20 minutes. Remove, peel, and chop, removing the seeds. Set aside.
5. Saute the onion in olive oil over medium-high heat, add chopped roasted bell pepper cook for 3 minutes or so, until nicely softened. Then add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
6. Add the sausage and break into small pieces with the blade of the spatula. Brown. Add roasted cherry tomatoes, and cook 2 minutes. Pour in the marinara sauce and beef both as needed to thin. Cover let simmer 10 minutes.
7. Mash together the farmer’s cheese with the mozz, parm and provolone. Add the minced garlic and fresh basil.
8. Cut the bell pepper in half, hollow it out and spoon the sausage and sauce mixture in the bell pepper halves, top with cheese. Place in baking dish with hot water partway up the peppers. Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes. Remove the foil, and cook another 10 minutes or so until the cheese is browned and bubbly.

Notes:

• This recipe makes enough sausage and sauce mixture for two more bell pepper halves, though the extra (about a cup) is perfect for spaghetti squash.
• You can use ricotta in place of the farmer’s cheese, but I’d drain it in cheesecloth or a coffee filter.