Tag: Mains

This recipe is posted as a courtesy to those following a variety of low-carb and ketogenic diets (not necessarily Meal Plans designed by me). This recipe may or may not be appropriate for you.

What if I told you that it is possible to enjoy real Chili Con Carne on a low carb high fat plan?  Would you be interested?

This Chili is rich with ancho chili peppers, diced onion and green pepper, with plenty of fresh minced garlic. Along with a hint of ground cumin, a healthy dash of oregano and salt, these classic chili seasonings are simmered gently with browned, medium ground beef, canned diced tomatoes and beans…real beans!

Beans? How can it be low carb with beans??!

Ahhh, that’s because these beans are black soy beans. Yes, they’re a thing!

Black Soy Beans are soybeans that have a black seed coat on the outside of the bean. Inside, they are the same colour as regular yellow soybeans, although they are smaller than yellow soybeans. Though they look quite a bit like Black Turtle Beans, don’t mix the two up, because Black Turtle Beans are high in carbs, as are all legumes and pulses (another word for “beans”).

Black Soy Beans are so low in carbs and so high in fiber, that they have a mere 1 gm of carbohydrate for a 1/2 cup serving – and there is only one can of these beauties in the entire pot of chili.

 

Canned tomatoes are fairly low in carbohydrate too, and there was only one 796 mL (28 oz) can of those in the entire recipe.

The rest was veggies, meat and seasoning.

Here’s the recipe:

Low Carb Chili Con Carne

Ingredients

2 tbsp. coconut oil
1 kg (2.2 lbs) medium ground beef
1 large onion, diced
1 large green pepper, diced
1 tbsp. ancho chili pepper, ground
1 tbsp. fresh garlic, minced finely
1/2 tsp cumin, ground
1 tsp. oregano (Mexican or Greek), rubbed
sea salt, to taste

Method

1 – In a heavy dutch oven or cast iron casserole, melt the coconut oil over a medium-high heat.

2 – Add the diced onion and saute until translucent, but not browned. (Don’t let the pan get too hot.)

3 – Add the diced green pepper and saute until wilted.

4 – Add the ancho chili pepper and gently saute until all the vegetables are soft and well coated with the pepper, then add the salt, cumin and oregano.

5- Sprinkle the freshly minced garlic on the top and continue sauteing gently until it begins to become translucent.

6 – Gently crumble the ground beef on top of the cooked, seasoned vegetables and continue to saute over a medium high heat until the beef begins to brown.

7 – Empty the can of diced tomatoes on top.

7 – Then empty the can of black soy beans with the liquid, on top of the tomatoes.

8 – Gently stir until well mixed, then simmer over a low heat for at least an hour (preferably until the liquid is thick and flavourful.

9 – Serve the chili in individual soup bowls, topped with your favourite chili toppings. Some popular ones are diced avocado, minced green onions, shredded mozzarella and a dollop of sour cream. Top with Mexican habanero sauce if desired and enjoy!

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This recipe is posted as a courtesy to those following a variety of low-carb and ketogenic diets (not necessarily Meal Plans designed by me). This recipe may or may not be appropriate for you.

I have been asked so many times for this recipe, that I’ve decided to post it and while this isn’t everyday fare for me, one of my sons would eat it as often as I would make it. There is a local fish and chips place right on the Pacific Ocean and I’ve been told this easily rivals theirs.

Have a look:

The batter is light and crispy – like the best tempura batter.

In fact, when I make fish this way, I dip slices of zucchini in the leftover batter, and make a deep fried side to go with it. I mean, why not?  Once you’re frying, might as well, right?

This is definitely not “everyday food” but “sometimes food”, but oh, is it good!

I fry in cold-expressed virgin coconut oil, as it has a high smoke point and unlike commercial refined seed oils like grapeseed, soybean, sunflower,  safflower  and corn oil, cold-expressed virgin coconut oil doesn’t produce  Advanced Glycation End-Products (AGEs), which can cause oxidative damage to cells in the body.

I heat the coconut oil to between 160-170 °C or 320-340 °F, which is hot enough that a piece of batter dipped vegetable begins to puff and get golden quickly, but still allows some frying time for the internal parts to be fully cooked.

My favorite fish to fry this way is fresh Pacific Cod loins, but even defrosted Haddock Loins come out pretty good, if defrosted in the fridge until ~80% thawed, then pressed dry with a paper towel prior to dipping in batter, to get the excess water out.

Okay, enough background…here’s the recipe.

   

Low Carb Fish and Vegetable Beer Batter

• 11 Tbsp unflavoured Whey Protein Isolate powder
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp pink Himalayan salt, ground
• 1 tsp guar gum (or xanthan gum)
• 3 eggs, large, free-range, beaten well
• 3 Tbsp low carb beer (such as Sleeman Clear 2.0) or sparkling water (Club Soda, Seltzer)

Cooking Instructions

1. Slice 6 cod or haddock loins in half and pat dry well with a paper towel.
2. Cut one or two firm slender zucchini into 1/8″ (1/3 cm) slices.
3. Heat the coconut oil in a heavy pot until between 320-340 °F. (160-170 °C).  Make sure there it is deep enough that the thickest piece of battered fish can float.
4. Mix all the batter ingredients together in a wide, shallow bowl and whisk well for a minute or two, to make sure there are no lumps. (You can’t toughen the batter, as there is no gluten!)  The batter should be a light creamy yellow.
5. When the coconut oil is hot enough, dip your zucchini (and/or other vegetables) and fry first on one side and then the other and set aside on a plate lined with several paper lunch bags, to absorb the excess fat. Don’t over cook. Be sure to whisk your batter back together for 20 seconds or so before dipping the fish to ensure the perfect consistency.
6. Dip your dried, cut fish loins in the batter and coat well on both sides, and fry in the coconut oil until the batter is golden brown on the first side. Flip each piece over gently and fry on the second side, until the fish is cooked in the middle and a golden and crisp.*Don’t overcrowd the pot, as it will cause the oil temperature to decrease to much, and your fish will be greasy. I fry two pieces at a time in a 10″ (25 cm) pot.
7. Transfer each piece to a plate lined with paper lunch bags, to absorb the excess oil.

Enjoy!

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