Culinary yoU: 2016

Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Kung Pao Chicken (LCHF/Keto)

So who doesn't love some Kung Pao Chicken? Well I know my family does, but American style Chinese food tends to have a lot of calories from sugars, but it does not have too have all of those unwanted carbs to be delicious. In this article I am going to show you how to make one of my family's favorite chicken stir-fry recipes that cuts to carbohydrates to the bone, but is still retains that great flavor that we all love. The majority of carbohydrates in this recipe comes from vegetables, primarily onions, bell peppers, and broccoli. If you choose to use cornstarch in the chicken marinade then it adds an additional 7 carbs to the total recipe making the total recipe 8.1 grams of carbs per person. Leaving out the cornstarch reduces the carbohydrate count to 6.35 grams per serving.

Kung Pao Chicken (Yield: 4 Servings)

1 lb chicken thighs, cubed

1 recipe of chicken marinade

1 recipe stir fry sauce

1 cup onion, medium dice

1 cup red bell pepper, large dice

1 cup broccoli florets

Remove the skin and de-bone the chicken thighs and cut them into 1 to 1 ½ cubes. Place the chicken into a zip lock bag, and add the marinade and allow it to marinate for 3 to 4 hours or longer if desired.

When you are ready to stir-fry, heat a heavy skillet or wok over high heat until a bead of water vaporizes within 1 to 2 seconds of contact. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, then add the chicken, spreading pieces in 1 layer on bottom as quickly as possible. Cook, undisturbed, letting chicken begin to brown, 1 minute, then stir-fry until the chicken is just throughly cooked, about 1 to 2 minutes. You will need to cook the chicken in small batches. When each batch of the cooked chicken is done, remove it to a bowl with any liquid that was in the pan, and repeat the process until you have cooked all of your chicken.

Once the chicken is cooked, it's time to stir-fry the veggies. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sauté the onion, and bell peppers in small batches just until the onions begin to become translucent, then remove them from the skillet to a bowl with any liquid that was in the pan, and repeat the process until you have cooked all of your veggies.

One you have stir fried the chicken and the vegetables, place your broccoli in a microwave safe bowl and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until is it slightly aldente (or however you like it). Then combine all the chicken and vegetables into your skillet or wok and stir fry for 1 minute. Then add the stir-fry sauce and stir-fry for an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute. Transfer the completed stir-fry to a serving platter or leave in the skillet like we do and dig in!

Kung Pao Chicken (With cornstarch in marinade)

Total Recipe – Calories 1155, protein 88 grams, fat 75 grams, carbohydrates 32.4

Per Serving – Calories 289, protein 22 grams, fat 18.7, carbohydrates 8.1 grams

Kung Pao Chicken (Without cornstarch in marinade)

Total Recipe – Calories 1125, protein 88 grams, fat 75 grams, carbohydrates 25.4

Per Serving – Calories 281, protein 22 grams, fat 18.7, carbohydrates 6.35 grams

Chicken Marinade

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine (preferably Shaoxing)

1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional)

1 teaspoon finely grated peeled garlic

1 teaspoon ginger paste or fresh grated ginger

½ teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix with a fork until throughly combined, then add it to the zip lock bag that contains your chicken.

Chicken Marinade Recipe (With cornstarch)

Total Recipe – Calories 170, protein 1.58 grams, fat 14.1 grams, carbohydrates 9.45 grams

Per Tablespoon – Calories 34, protein 0.32 grams, fat 2.8 grams, carbohydrates 1.89 gram

Chicken Marinade Recipe (Without cornstarch)

Total Recipe – Calories 140, protein 1.58 grams, fat 14.1 grams, carbohydrates 2.45 grams

Per Tablespoon – Calories 28, protein 0.32 grams, fat 2.8 grams, carbohydrates 0.49 gram

Stir Fry Sauce

¼ cup peanuts, chopped (optional)

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine (preferably Shaoxing)

1 teaspoon oyster sauce

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon ginger paste

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 drop liquid sucralose or 1 teaspoon erythritol

¼ teaspoon black pepper

Combine ingredients in a small bowl and set aside until ready to use.

Stir Fry Sauce Recipe (Without peanuts)

Calories 273, protein 1.58 grams, fat 28.1 grams, carbohydrates 4.33 grams

Per Tablespoon – Calories 54.6, protein 0.36 grams, fat 5.62 grams, carbohydrates 0.86 grams

Stir Fry Sauce Recipe (With peanuts)

Calories 480, protein 10.58 grams, fat 46.1 grams, carbohydrates 7.33 grams

Per Tablespoon – Calories 96, protein 2.1 grams, fat 9.22 grams, carbohydrates 1.46 grams

Chef's Note: If you decide to make the sauce with the peanuts, you will need to add 3 grams of carbohydrates to the total recipe nutritional count as the nutritional information in this article is listed without the peanuts. While the ¼ cup of peanuts do increase the carb count, they add 9 grams of protein and 18 grams of fat to the total recipe. An addition that I think is well worth adding them, but they ultimate choice is yours.

Conclusion

This is a great chicken stir-fry recipe that is loaded with goodness and is a great low carbohydrate high fat (LCHF) option for when you have a hankering for some great American style Chinese food. If you are following a strict LCHF or Ketogenic (Keto) diet, you may want to omit the cornstarch as it brings the total carbohydrate count per serving from 8.1 carbs to 6.35 carbs for the meal. My family loves American Chinese food, so you will probably begin to see more LCHF / Keto recipes of this type on the blog as I begin to convert our favorite take-out recipes better suit of LCHF eating regimen.

Typically Kung Pao chicken has quite a bit more bite than this recipe, but I need to keep it family friendly. If you like your Kung Pao chicken to have more 'Pow' (I know bad pun) then double the amount of amount of red pepper flakes, or simply increase to suit your individual needs. As always, I hope that you have found this article informative and beneficial for you and your family, if so please take the time to share it with your friends so that they can benefit as well. Do not forget to follow us on our Facebook page 'CulinaryYouLCHF' or add us to your circle on Goggle+.

Saturday, December 24, 2016

Beef Stir-Fry (Low Carb, Lot's Of Flavor)

So who doesn't love some beef stir-fry? Well I know my family does, but American style Chinese food tends to have a lot of calories from sugars, but it does not have too have all of those unwanted carbs to be delicious. As our friends Steve and Sue Coyne were coming over to visit for the evening, I decided to make a big batch of beef stir-fry. While I made rice in the rice cooker for them, my wife and I kept it Keto friendly and simply at the stir-fried beef and veggies. So never fear my LCHF and Keto friends, in this article I am going to show you how to make one of my family's favorite beef stir-fry recipes that cuts to carbohydrates to the bone, but is still retains that great flavor that we all love.

The majority of carbohydrates in this recipe comes from vegetables, primarily onions, bell peppers, and broccoli. If you choose to use cornstarch in the beef marinade then it adds an additional 7 carbs to the total recipe making the total recipe 8.28 grams of carbs per person. Leaving out the cornstarch reduces the carbohydrate count to 6.88 grams per serving. I will say up front, that I calculated the nutritional information on the basis of five adult servings, but the total recipe could have easily served seven adults, expect some of us had seconds….[GRIN]... Having said that, I still based all my nutritional calculations on five adult servings.

Beef Stir Fry (Yield: 5 Adult Servings)

1 ¼ lb beef shoulder steak, thin cut

1 recipe of beef marinade

1 recipe stir fry sauce

1 cup medium, dice

1 cup green bell pepper, sliced thin

1 cup yellow bell pepper sliced thin

1 cup orange bell pepper sliced thin

1 cup broccoli florets

Tenderize steaks with a meat roller and or tenderizing mallet, then cut into 1 ½ to 2 inch wide strips. Place the tenderized into a zip lock bag, and add the meat marinade and allow it to marinate for 3 to 4 hours or longer if desired.

When you are ready to stir-fry, heat a heavy skillet or wok over high heat until a bead of water vaporizes within 1 to 2 seconds of contact. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, then add the beef, spreading pieces in 1 layer on bottom as quickly as possible. Cook, undisturbed, letting beef begin to brown, 1 minute, then stir-fry until meat is just browned on all sides but still pink in center, about 1 minute. You will need to cook the beef in small batches. When each batch of the cooked beef is done, remove it to a bowl with any liquid that was in the pan, and repeat the process until you have cooked all of your beef.

Once the beef is cooked, it's time to stir-fry the veggies. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sauté the onion, and bell peppers in small batches just until the onions begin to become translucent, then remove them from the skillet to a bowl with any liquid that was in the pan, and repeat the process until you have cooked all of your veggies.

One you have stir fried the beef and the vegetables, place your broccoli in a microwave safe bowl and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until is it slightly aldente (or however you like it). Then combine all the beef and vegetables into your skillet or wok and stir fry for 1 minute. Then add the stir-fry sauce and stir-fry for an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute. Transfer the completed stir-fry to a serving platter or leave in the skillet like we do and dig in!

Beef Stir-Fry (With cornstarch in beef marinade)

Total Recipe – Calories 1608, protein 117.5 grams, fat 102.9 grams, carbohydrates 41.4

Per Serving – Calories 321.6, protein 23.5 grams, fat 20.6, carbohydrates 8.28 grams

Beef Stir-Fry (Without cornstarch in beef marinade)

Total Recipe – Calories 1578, protein 117.5 grams, fat 102.9 grams, carbohydrates 34.4

Per Serving – Calories 315.6, protein 23.5 grams, fat 20.6, carbohydrates 6.88 grams

Beef Marinade

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine (preferably Shaoxing)

1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional)

1 teaspoon finely grated peeled garlic

1 teaspoon ginger paste or fresh grated ginger

½ teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix with a fork until throughly combined, then add it to the zip lock bag that contains your beef.

Beef Marinade Recipe (With cornstarch)

Total Recipe – Calories 170, protein 1.58 grams, fat 14.1 grams, carbohydrates 9.45 grams

Per Tablespoon – Calories 34, protein 0.32 grams, fat 2.8 grams, carbohydrates 1.89 gram

Beef Marinade Recipe (Without cornstarch)

Total Recipe – Calories 140, protein 1.58 grams, fat 14.1 grams, carbohydrates 2.45 grams

Per Tablespoon – Calories 28, protein 0.32 grams, fat 2.8 grams, carbohydrates 0.49 gram

Stir Fry Sauce

3 tablespoons LCHF ketchup

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

¼ teaspoon erythritol

¼ teaspoon black pepper

Combine ingredients in a small bowl and set aside until ready to use.

Stir Fry Sauce Recipe – Calories 291, protein 1.56 grams, fat 28.1 grams, carbohydrates 8 grams

Per Tablespoon – Calories 36.3, protein 0.19 grams, fat 3.5 grams, carbohydrates 1 gram

Conclusion

This is a great beef stir-fry recipe that is loaded with goodness and is a great low carbohydrate high fat (LCHF) option for when you have a hankering for some great American style Chinese food. If you are following a strict LCHF or Ketogenic (Keto) diet, you may want to omit the cornstarch as it brings the total carbohydrate count per serving from 6.88 carbs to 8.28 carbs for the meal. Another option would be to increase the amount of meat to 2 pounds and reduce the number of veggies if you like. Increasing the meat content would not only increase the number of portions of the recipe but by shear volume decrease the total carbohydrate count as this marinade and stir-fry sauce could easily accommodate the increased amount of beef without affecting the flavor. BTW, if you do not have a good recipe for LCHF Ketchup, you can check out the link below to see how I make my own LCHF ketchup.

My family loves this recipe and I hope that you will give it a try and let us know what you think. As always, I hope that you have found this article informative and beneficial for you and your family, if so please take the time to share it with your friends so that they can benefit as well. Do not forget to follow us on our Facebook page 'CulinaryYouLCHF' or add us to your circle on Goggle+.

Friday, December 23, 2016

Eating LCHF: Red Meat, Pork And Poultry On A Budget

If you are new to the low carbohydrate high fat (LCHF) or Ketogenic (Keto) lifestyle, I am going to encourage you to do one thing for the first three or four months until you have developed good eating habits, and that's follow the 'KISS' principle. Of course 'KISS' is normally an acronym for 'keep it simple stupid', but I also like to think of it as meaning 'keto is simple stupid'. Now, before anyone gets riled up, the point is that following a keto eating program is really easy if you purchase the correct foods and prepare them properly. My advice is that you stay away from the LCHF and Keto dessert recipes as much as possible as overeating of these so called “fat bombs” and other low carb treats can blow you right out of ketosis. Once you have the basics of the Keto lifestyle down and have been doing it for several months, then slowly start adding some “treats” to your eating plan.

In my previous article, I talked about strategies you can use to help stretch your food dollars when you embark on a low carbohydrate high fat (LCHF) or Ketogenic (Keto) lifestyle. While it might cost a little more to eat LCHF and Keto due to the increased amount of protein sources, money should not be your biggest hurdle, most people fail because they purchase the wrong foods, or do not prepare enough ready meals during the week. Now that you know where to buy food and how to store it, let's examine what to buy in order to help you meet your weight loss goals. BTW, If you haven't read my previous article 'Money SavingLCHF and Keto Strategies', you can find it by following this link.

I mentioned that Keto is simple, well it is, you have only one goal, and that is to keep your total carbohydrate intake less than 20 grams a day. Sounds hard right? Well actually it is pretty simple, and I am going to show you how to accomplish this goal without breaking the bank and help you to stay “keto strong”. Let's face it if you do not have LCHF and Keto friendly foods in your home, then you are destined to fail, and no ones wants that. So let's look at some of the basic type of meat and poultry that you should be looking for on sale when eating LCHF and Keto.

Cheaper Cuts Of Meat and Poultry

First, all unprocessed meats and poultry contain zero carbohydrates, so on LCHF or Keto you generally want to purchase cheaper cuts of meat. Why you ask? Well, the great thing about cheaper cuts of meat is that they are higher in fat, and that's exactly what we are looking for when eating LCHF and Keto. In fact, cheaper beef and pork roasts generally have more fat, and purchasing chicken (thighs and legs) in family packs with the skin on is far cheaper than purchasing lean chicken breasts. Yes, remember natural fats from animal products are good, and triglycerides are bad. Btw, animal fat does not normally contain any triglycerides.

For now, don't worry about your beef being “grass feed” or your chicken being “organic” or “free range”. We are in budget mode, and these options cost way more, and there is no guarantee that they are actually what the label states. If you want to purchase these types of items later then go for it, for now our focus is getting you started on keto without wiping out your food budget. Don't get me wrong, I am not talking about buying inferior cuts of meat, I am talking about purchasing the cheaper higher fat cuts, that many so-called “health addicts” think are bad for you.

Beef

Fat is flavor, a rib-eye or sirloin steak with a good amount of marbling is far more tasty, and less apt to dry out on the grill then one with less fat. Having said that, we generally do not purchase a lot of steak, but when the opportunity presents itself (i.e. it's on sale) we purchase it and place it in the freezer for later use. Our primary source of red meat protein comes from roasts, and ground beef. If you have the disposable income to purchase steak on a regular basis then I suggest rib-eye as one having the best fat to protein ratio and is also one of the best tasting cuts, sirloin would be my next choice.

Beef Stew Meat – Forget buying the pre-packaged beef stew meat and buy the whole roast instead. Doing this and cutting your own beef stew meat will save you about 20 – 30% off your purchase, and you have the option to either cook it as a whole roast, or cut it up and use it for many other Keto dishes that require cubed beef.

Ground Beef – Forget about the lean and go for the fat! Use the high fat hamburger (73/27) when making hamburger patties, meat loaves, meat balls, spaghetti, or cooking tacos. It is also great for hamburger stew and Keto dirty rice made with cauliflower. Not only is the higher fat better for you when you are on a LCHF diet, it is easier on your wallet. They only time that I buy lean ground beef is when I am making my own jerky (it needs to be lean to prevent spoilage), otherwise, go for the fat.

Roasts – Chuck, pot or rib, it does not matter. We purchase which ever ones we can get on sale. Beef roasts are used in a variety of recipes at our house. In addition, to cooking them whole, we cut them up to make beef stew meat that can then be used to make, stew, chili, curry, and even barbecue. Purchase the cheapest you can find and trim it if you wish. For slow cooker and pressure cooker recipes the type or grade of roast doesn't matter as the cooking process will tenderize the meat. Again the emphasis is to purchase the cheaper roast to stretch your food dollars.

There are obviously other cuts of beef, that you can buy and incorporate into your menu plan (ribs, flank steak, brisket, etc...), but the ones listed in this article will supply you with the most bang for your buck which is extremely important when you are doing Keto on a budget.

Chicken

You can purchase whole chickens and break down the carcasses and use the bones for bone broth, or you can simply purchase legs and thighs. Legs and thighs with the skin on can usually be purchased in family packs and I can often find them on sale for as low as $0.49 per pound, but more commonly in the $0.69 - $0.99 per pound price range. Especially if you are willing to purchase the 5lb bags of legs and thighs which are often sold at even cheaper prices. I have never really been satisfied with the 5lb bags of legs and thighs, they always see to taste different to me, so I generally just purchase the family packs of legs and or thighs when I can get them on sale. Unless you just get a great price on whole chickens, I recommend purchasing the legs and thighs when just starting on your keto lifestyle.

Legs (Drumsticks) – Depending on the size of the drumstick the grams of fat and protein vary, but on average the protein to fat ratio is about 2:1. When it comes to calories, 48% of the calories come from fat, and 52% of the calories come from protein.

Thighs – Depending on the size of the thigh the grams of fat and protein vary, but on average the protein to fat ratio is about 2:1. When it comes to calories, 58% of the calories come from fat, and 42% of the calories come from protein.

Yes, you can buy split breasts, and whole chickens if you like, but you will get your best value when you purchase the family packs of drumsticks, thighs, or leg quarters when they are on sale. Purchasing whole chickens allows you to make bone broth which is full of Keto goodness, but if you are just starting out I would rather you focus on keeping your carbohydrate count under 20, then attempting to learn to many things at one time. Get the basics down first, learn to spend wisely, and then expand your repertoire.

Pork

Also known as the other white meat, pork can be an important part of your Keto meal planning, unless of course you do not eat pork for religious reasons. So if pork is a no go for you, then skip this section, but for everyone else, pork is a big part of the LCHF and Keto diet. We generally avoid purchasing traditional pork ribs and baby back ribs unless we can get them at rock bottom prices, simply because you are paying for way to much bone as opposed to meat.

Bacon – Bacon is your friend when you are on a LCHF of Keto diet. Having no carbohydrates and being high fat make this crunchy goodness a dietary staple for many following a LCHF or Keto eating program. You can eat almost all the bacon you want when doing Keto, but I would not recommend eating a pound of bacon a day, there are simply better sources of protein, but having 3 – 5 slices of bacon with your breakfast, and having some crumbled in your salad are definitely acceptable. I eat three slices of bacon everyday with my breakfast, so we go through a lot each week. Btw, the fat to protein ratio of bacon is about 1:1, that's one gram of fat for each gram of protein.

Just be careful when selecting bacon, there are some varieties that have sugar such as 'Maple Bacon Flavor'. It may indicate that there are no carbs on the package, but the USDA let's them list an ingredients as zero carbs, it is is generally < 0.8 grams per serving.

Breakfast Sausage – Another high fat low carb breakfast option is pork sausage. While the percentage of fat may vary between brands, most ground pork breakfast sausage is 20 to 30% fat. Unlike bacon, breakfast sausage does have some seasonings and spices (including sugar) that can cause it to have about 1 carb per ounce, so make sure you check the label. Breakfast sausage is a great ingredient for making Cajun style sausage with cauliflower rice (aka. dirty rice).

Chops – Pork chops (blade, rib, and center cut) are a great source of both protein and fat. Like chicken, purchase them in the family packs to maximize your savings. Just as with beef, the lower cost cuts have more fat, however the protein content is the same. If you think there is too much fat on the cheaper chops, then you can trim them, but we do not worry about it, we simply eat the fat. Every couple of weeks the Hispanic markets in the Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) area have pork chops on sale in the family packs and we get them priced matched at our local Walmart. While the fat content will vary depending on whether the chops, are thick or thin cut, pork chops generally have a 1.6:1 protein to fat ratio with 54% of the calories coming from fat, and 46% from protein.

Hams - Cut from the hind leg, hams can be another good source of protein. Care must be taken however to ensure you get the best possible ham when you are on a Keto of LCHF diet. Fresh hams are your best choice, smoked or cured hams can also be a good choice if they contain no sugars. Stay away from most spiral cut hams as they generally contain sugar. You will also want to avoid any hams that contain one of the following in the description 'honey', 'Black Forest', Virginia, Maple cured...etc Always look at the label to determine the sugar content. Even if it states zero carbs, if it has one of the previous words in it's title choose another type of ham.

Roasts – Whether it is a pork butt (aka Boston butt), shoulder (aka picnic), or blade roast like beef, purchase which ever pork roast you can get on sale. In general, the protein to fat ratio for pork roasts is about 1.3:1, however 39% of the calories the calories from pork roasts come from protein, while 61% come from fat. Trimming some of the fat from a roast can reduce the fat percentage, but remember when eating LCHF and Keto, fat is good. Pork roasts are used in a variety of recipes at our house. In addition, to cooking them whole and served sliced as a roast, we use them to make pulled pork barbecue sandwiches, with our LCHF barbecue sauce. Like beef, they can also be used to make, stew, chili, and various curries. Purchase the cheapest roasts you can find and trim them if you wish. For slow cooker and pressure cooker recipes the type of pork roast doesn't matter as the cooking process will tenderize the meat. Again the emphasis is to purchase the cheaper roast to stretch your food dollars.

Conclusion

There are many different meat related protein sources that you can purchase when on a LCHF and Keto diet. Obviously, you want to purchase the ones that you and you family will enjoy. I have listed some of the best purchases you can make if you are on attempting to eat LCHF or Keto on a budget. Remember to use the money saving strategies that I discussed in my previous article 'Strategies To Control Your LCHF/Keto Budget'. Having your refrigerator, freezer and pantry stocked with LCHF and Keto friendly items allows you to make more recipes from scratch allowing you to stretch your food dollar even more, especially if you can buy them when they are one sale.

Yes, you can purchase whole chickens, and beef and pork ribs which have a lot of bones so that you can make nutritious bone broth, but such purchases are more expensive. If you are on a limited budget, or are just starting out I would ask that you concentrate on purchasing the types of items listed in this article to get you successfully of your weight loss journey. Once you have become somewhat comfortable with the LCHF and Keto lifestyle, then you can expand your skill set to making bone broth and examining purchasing other items. Having said that, if you can find while chickens, turkey's, or ribs at super low prices, then by all means purchase them.

As always, I hope that you have found this article informative and beneficial for you and your family, if so please take the time to share it with your friends so that they can benefit as well. Do not forget to follow us on our Facebook page 'CulinaryYouLCHF' or add us to your circle on Goggle+.

Monday, December 19, 2016

Money Saving LCHF And Keto Strategies

In my eighteen years as a chef, there were two principles that were drummed into my thick skull, 1) never throw any food away that could be used in another recipe, 2) whenever possible, do not buy prepackaged foods, rather make everything you can from scratch. All of these principles are just as valid for low carbohydrate high fat (LCHF) or Ketogenic Diet (Keto) home maker as they are for the restaurateur. Let's face it, most of us have a limited number of food dollars to spend each month, and embarking on a LCHF or Keto lifestyle can be a little more challenging financially. Therefore, being able to maximize your food dollars is very important, and while LCHF and Keto diets can be more expensive, they do not have to be.

Most of the focus of this blog has been about how to save money by making meals from your family from scratch or through the use of limited prepackaged ingredients. Why? Simply because you can generally prepare a larger selection of better quality LCHF and Keto foods cheaper at home than you can purchase at a supermarket or restaurant. Believe it or not, most of the time preparing foods from scratch takes about the same amount of time as using prepackaged foods and mixes, but the cost savings can be anywhere from 50 to 70%. That's like getting a 50% raise in your salary, and who would not like that? So, lets examine some beneficial strategies you can implement to help stretch your LCHF and Keto food dollars and make better, more nutritious meals for you and your family and keep you “keto strong”.

Create a Menu/Meal Plan

Creating a weekly menu or meal plan will actually help stretch those precious food dollars. By planning your meals, you will know exactly how much and what type of food you need to purchase to feed your family. A menu plan, keeps you from buying unnecessary items and allows you to stretch a food product (chicken, hamburger meat etc...) over several meals during the week. This is especially important when you are on a limited income. Buying a 5lb package of hamburger to use for keto spaghetti one night, tacos the next, and keto meatballs on another is far cheaper than buying five individual 1lb packages.

The bottom line is that a meal plan helps you maximize purchases and minimize waste which saves you money. As I mentioned, having a food or menu plan will help you purchase only the foods that you need for the week thereby maximizing your food dollars. I admit that since we have built up a pretty extensive pantry over the last few years, I do not do this on a regular basis anymore, but if you are just starting out, it really helps. Do not forget to get the kids and your spouse involved, choosing quality keto meals they will all enjoy will help you to be more successful with your LCHF/Keto meal planning sessions and eventually meeting your LCHF and or keto goals.

Use Those Food Coupons

Using coupons to increase the buying power of your food dollars can be an extremely effective strategy. I am not talking about 'extreme couponing' like you may have seen on television. In this instance I am talking about using coupons to help reduce the cost of items on your shopping list. Using coupons to purchase food that you do not need is a waste of your hard earned money. Having said that, if you have additional left over money in your budget and the item(s) are something that you can stock your keto friendly pantry with and use later, then purchasing these items may be a good idea. But keep in mind, just because you have a coupon does not mean you have to purchase something.

Competitive Price Shopping (Competitors Ads, and Fipp App)

I have had several emails from people asking why I mention Walmart so often in my articles. Two reasons really, in rural East Texas where I live, we have a Walmart and a Brookshires that's it. The one thing that Walmart does that really helps stretch our food dollars is they accept competitors ads. In plain English, they price match. So every grocery store in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area that has a weekly grocery ad is accepted at my local Walmart in Canton, TX.

What we used to do was look on-line at each of the grocery store websites and print out their ads, but that costs way to much money in paper, and ink and takes way to much time. Now we simply use the 'Flipp' app on our smart phones to see all the local sale ads in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. Recently they had added the ability to log onto the 'Flipp' website and look adds on your home computer, you cannot transfer you selections to your smart phone yet, but hopefully in the near future you will be able to. Generally we can find multiple items that are LCHF and Keto staples (meat, poultry, eggs) at 30 – 50% off our local Walmart prices. Which Walmart then matches. I think you get the picture, using comp ads is one of the best ways to stretch your food dollars, and it is the one strategy we use the most. You can find out more about the 'Flipp' grocery app in my article 'Saving Money With Flipp'. And no I get money from them, but their app saves us a ton on money each year.

Specialty Stores Will Kill Your LCHF, Keto Budget

I am sorry if this offends you but it's the truth, food stores like Whole Foods, Fresh, Central Market, and Natural Grocer's will quickly destroy your food budget. If you need a specific item or ingredient that you cannot find at your local supermarket, then by all means go there to get it, but do not buy the bulk of your food here if you want to maximize your food purchases. Whether you like the company or not, Walmart can save you a ton of money on your food budget and they are my go to supermarket. I am telling you upfront, that shopping at Walmart is a financial for me and my wife. My local Walmart takes competitors adds (see below) therefore, it's like shopping at twelve different grocery stores at one time. It may not be cool to shop there, but Walmart will save you money, nuff said.

If you are fortunate enough to have one of the club membership grocers like Sam's or Costco nearby, then you can buy many LCHF and Keto friendly food items in bulk and save quite a bit of money. For example, we had previously purchased a 14 ounce jar of organic coconut oil at Aldi's for $4.99 ($0.35 per ounce). Last week we purchased a 128 ounce (1 gallon) container of organic coconut oil at Sam's Club for $17.49 ($0.13 per ounce). Btw, that's a 63% savings. You can also purchase many meats and other LCHF/Keto staples here in bulk and save a considerable amount of money.

The Internet, The World At Your Fingers

Since you are reading this blog, then you are well aware of the information and opportunities that you an find on the internet. We use Amazon quite a bit to help us with some of our more speciality item purchases. As Amazon Prime members we do not pay for any shipping on 'Prime' related items and this saves us a lot of money throughout the year. We recently purchased 4 pounds of organic almond flour online for the same cost as purchasing 1 pound at a local retailer.

If you not an Amazon Prime member or use other online retailer's just be aware of the shipping costs. I really hate paying more for shipping than the actual cost of the item. Amazon Prime is not free, it costs about $120.00 a year, but as we live in a rural setting we use Amazon often and we save more money in a year than the cost of the membership. If you live in the big city, then buying locally may be a better option, but using the internet is a great shopping and money saving resource.

Avoid Prepackaged, Premade Foods

One of the best ways to prepare LCHF and Keto friendly meals is to make all your own seasoning mixes and condiments replacing prepackaged foods with your own homemade recipes whenever possible. Ounce for ounce, prepackaged foods cost you more money than just about anything you can buy. If you do not believe me just take a look at beef jerky. Jack Link's Original Beef Jerky is $6.48 for 6 1.2 ounce packages, that's $0.92 cents per ounce or $14.72 per pound. You can make your own LCHF and Keto friendly jerky for $0.55 per pound, that's a 41% savings. Heck even fillet mignon or T-Bone steak do not cost $14.72 per pound. So do you really want to pay those kind of prices for prepackaged foods? I should think not!

Buying prepackaged foods when you can make you own is like throwing your hard earned money out the window. In addition, making your seasonings, condiments, and mixes allows you total control of the carbohydrate count of the food you eat. That's why there are so many recipes on our blog that teach you how to make your own LCHF and Keto spice mixes, salad dressings, and condiments.

Purchase And Use A Vacuum Sealer

If you are going to buy foods and cook in bulk (recommended) then you will need a way to store all of that food so that it will not go to waste. The best tool for this job is a vacuum sealer. We use the Foodsaver brand (actually we have worn two of them out), but any brand will work. Way before we began to eat LCHF we purchased our meats in bulk and vacuum sealed them and threw them in the freezer. A practice that will continue today. The initial cost of a vacuum sealer can put some people off ($100 - $150), but the money you will save over the years will be well worth the investment.

Conclusion

Personally my wife and I still use these strategies to help stretch our food dollars. By having a menu plan you can begin to stock your pantry with LCHF and Keto friendly non-perishable items that will allow you to make more recipes from scratch allowing you to stretch your food dollar even more, especially if you can buy them when they are one sale.

The one thing I have not listed here that we do is plant a fall and spring vegetable garden in addition to raising our own chickens and meat rabbits. Not everyone has the ability to do this, but if you do, supplementing your food budget with fresh vegetables, free range eggs, and meat can be a tremendous way to help feed your family healthy nutritious food. As always, I hope that you have found this article informative and beneficial for you and your family, if so please take the time to share it with your friends so that they can benefit as well. Don't forget to follow us on our Facebook Page 'CulinaryYouLCHF' or add us to your circle on Google+.

My LCHF Jamacian Barbecue Sauce

This is the barbecue sauce that I use when I want to add the flavor of Jamaica to my meals. This sauce is not a high fat sauce, but you could add 1 - 2 tablespoons of butter to not only increase the fat content, but to give the sauce an even smoother taste and greater “mouth feel”. I use this sauce primarily on grilled chicken (yes with the skin on) when I do not have the time to marinate the chicken overnight in my jerk marinade. I also use it on hamburger patties whenever we cook them on the grill. In addition, it is a great sauce for ribs and other meats as well.

Traditionally jerk sauce is made with scotch bonnet or habanero peppers, in this recipe I use cayenne pepper giving it a milder tastes so that my wife can enjoy the sauce as well since she is not quite the chili head that I am. If you like your sauce to have a little more kick, then please use a scotch bonnet or habanero pepper, or you can increase the cayenne pepper to suit your tastes. For a milder kick add a minced jalapeño or two (0.9 carbs for a medium to large jalapeño) in place of the habanero or scotch bonnet pepper.

LCHF Jerk BBQ Sauce Yield (23 tablespoons)

8 ounces tomato sauce

2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon Jerk Seasoning

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper or ½ scotch bonnet pepper

1 drop liquid sucralose or 1 teaspoon granulated sweetener of choice (optional)

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

In a medium saucepan combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until sauce is thick and coats the back of a spoon. Remove sauce from heat and cool before bottling in jar or plastic bottle.

Total Recipe – Calories 120.8, protein 2.57, fat 0.36 grams, carbohydrates 17.8 grams

Per Tablespoon – Calories 5.25, protein 0.11 grams fat 0.01 grams, carbs 0.76 grams

Jerk Seasoning

You can make your own Jerk seasoning or purchase a ready made variety. Just make sure that if you use a ready made Jerk seasoning that you check the ingredient list. Some may contain sugar with will increase the carbohydrate count. If you are watching your sodium, you can omit the salt, from this recipe and simply adjust the seasoning of the sauce just before bottling. This recipe is my variation of the Jerk Seasoning that I originally found in a Helen Willinsky's cookbook 'Jerk: Barbecue From Jamaica'. Not only is this recipe an important part of this barbecue sauce, but you can use it as a seasoning on grilled meats and fish.

Jerk Seasoning (3 tablespoons)

1 tablespoon onion powder

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon allspice, ground

1 teaspoon thyme, ground

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

¼ teaspoon nutmeg, ground

¼ teaspoon cinnamon, ground

Mix all ingredients in a small plastic container and store in your cupboard with all your other spices.

Total Recipe – Calories 44.5, protein 0.96 grams, fat 0.4 grams, 17.84 carbohydrates

Per Tablespoon – Calories 14.8, protein 0.32 grams, fat 0.13 grams, carbs 0.99 grams

Conclusion

One of the milestones in my life was meeting my soul mate and getting married on a beach in Jamaica. There were a lot of things we experienced on this trip that we will never forgot, one of those being the discovery of Jerk chicken. This fiery, delicious chicken marinated overnight and grilled over pimento wood served with a Jerk style barbecue sauce is simply delicious. Although we have been back to Jamaica several times, when I make Jerk chicken my mind is always flooded with memories of our first trip eleven years ago, and that's a good thing.

I have adapted this barbecue sauce recipe from my original recipe to be low carbohydrate high fat (LCHF) and keto friendly. I know this recipe will not have the same powerful memories for you that it has for us, but I hope that you and your family will enjoy this recipe as much as my family does. As always, we ask that if you have found this recipe informative and enjoyable please share it with your friends. Don't forget to follow use on our Facebook page 'CulinaryYouLCHF' or add us to your circle on Google+.

Saturday, December 10, 2016

Liquid LCHF Flavored Coffee Creamers

I guess I could survive the morning without having any coffee if I had too, but I don't have too, and to be honest I love a good cup of coffee. Not just any coffee mind you, I have been accused of being a 'fru-fru' coffee drinker. That is to say, I like my coffee with plenty of cream and generally the flavored kind. Don't get me wrong, I can drink it black, and have on many occasions, but only when necessary. One of the great things about the low carbohydrate high fat (LCHF) eating program is that I discovered that heavy cream is far more beneficial and has less carbohydrates (0.42 carbohydrates per tablespoon) than the Great Value powdered creamer I was using (3 carbohydrates per tablespoon). BTW, that's 7 times less carbohydrates in the heavy cream, than the cheap powdered coffee creamer. Because I was using 2 tablespoons of powdered creamer (6 carbs per cup), the first step in making my coffee not only healthier for me, but making it more enjoyable was to switch to using 2 tablespoons of heavy cream (0.84 carbs per cup).

Now, on to the 'fru-fru' part. Before I was diagnosed as a diabetic, I loved to use International Delights flavored coffee creamers in my coffee, because they contained enough sugar that all I had to do was add the creamer to my coffee and like a miracle it was not only sweet, but flavorful, and creamy. I would like to officially blame 7-11 for my addiction to these creamers as I used to buy a 24oz coffee for $1.19 and load it up with 'French Vanilla' flavored creamer when I worked in the big city when I was quite a few years younger. The problem with these creamers is that they contain 5 carbohydrates per tablespoon, all coming from sugar. So if I only used 2 tablespoons (and I probably used more) it would contain 10 carbs, and that's half my carb intake goal for the day, Yikes!

So I gave up the flavored coffee creamers a few years ago, but I always enjoyed them, and decided that there had to be a way that I could make my own version of these flavored creamers that contained a minimal amount of carbohydrates. After all, the biggest hurdle is to find a suitable zero calorie substitute for the sugar. If you have been reading our blog, then you will know that in the last few months we have discovered liquid sucralose and began introducing it into our diet as a substitute for the granulated Splenda and we love it. Once I had a good liquid sugar substitute, I knew I could make my own flavored coffee creamers.

In this article, I will show you how to make my versions of many of the popular flavored coffee creamers available from Coffee-Mate, as well as International Delights. I am not going to claim that I am a pioneer in making my own creamers, in fact, I based my initial trial recipes off a blog post that used sweetened condensed milk as the base for the creamers, but as we know sweetened condensed milk is loaded with sugar. From there a simple substitution of heavy cream and some tweaking of the flavorings and after a few trial runs I believe I have the recipe down.

The Recipe

The recipe for all of the flavored creamers in this article start with a 'creamer base'. This creamer base is simply 1 cup of heavy cream with 3 to 4 drops of liquid sucralose added to it for sweetness. To this base you simply add the flavorings of your choice to make a specific type of creamer. We buy heavy cream in the 1 quart container, and make a couple of different one cup (8 ounces) flavors of creamer at a time. You could scale up this recipe to make a bulk creamer base, and then add your flavorings to make a whole quart of one specific flavor, just remember you need to increase the amount of both the sucralose and the flavorings. Having said that, I personally believe the one cup batch is the most versatile, and this is how I make my flavored creamers.

LCHF Creamer Base

1 cup heavy cream

3 – 4 teaspoons liquid sucralose

Take your creamer base, and add one of the following flavorings and place in a jar and shake well to mix the ingredients and your ready to enjoy a delicious cup of coffee.

Chef's Note – I use liquid sucralose (25% concentration) as my sweetener of choice, the ratio is 1 drop of sucralose equals 1 teaspoon of sugar. You can of course use liquid stevia, but I never have. According to stevia.net, it takes 3 – 4 drops of liquid stevia to equal one teaspoon of sugar. Therefore you would need 9 – 12 drops of stevia to make this LCHF creamer base.

LCHF Creamer Base

Per Batch – Calories 821, protein 1 gram, fat 88 grams, carbohydrates 6.6 grams

Per Tablespoon - Calories 51, protein 0.31 grams, fat 5.51 grams, carbohydrates 0.42 grams

Coffee Mate French Vanilla

Per Tablespoon - Calories 35, protein 0 grams, fat 1.5 grams, carbohydrates 5 grams

International Delights French Vanilla

Per Tablespoon - Calories 35, protein 0 grams, fat 2 grams, carbohydrates 5 grams

The Flavorings

We use the following recipes to make some of our favorite coffee creamers. They are listed alphabetically, not by preference just to make it easier. Remember the ingredients listed in these flavor variations is to flavor one cup (8 ounces) of the creamer base. You will note that in some of the following flavorings we use the Torani flavored syrups, make sure you get the sugar-free ones, they are made with liquid sucralose. Doing this keeps the carbohydrate count effectively zero.

Almond Joy

2 teaspoons Torani chocolate syrup (sugar free)

½ teaspoon coconut extract

¼ teaspoon almond extracted

Bailey's Irish Creme

2 teaspoons Torani chocolate syrup (sugar free)

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon almond extract

Butter Toffee

½ teaspoon butter extract

½ teaspoon almond extract

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

French Vanilla

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Hazelnut

1 teaspoon Hazelnut extract

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Peppermint Patti

2 teaspoons Torani chocolate syrup (sugar free)

¾ teaspoon peppermint extract

¼ teaspoon coconut extract

Somoas

2 teaspoons Torani chocolate syrup (sugar free)

2 teaspoons Torani caramel syrup (sugar free), or ¾ teaspoon caramel extract

½ teaspoon coconut extract

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

White Chocolate Macadamia nut

2 teaspoons Torani chocolate syrup (sugar free)

½ teaspoon macadamia nut extract

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Now, there are a wide variety of other flavors some more popular than others. Including the seasonal varieties of that you could make and there are quite a few recipes for making your own flavored coffee creamers out there on the internet. Now that you know how to make the LCHF creamer base, it is simply a matter of adding the necessary flavorings that you like.

Using Powdered Flavorings, Spices, and Sweeteners

Using powdered flavorings, spices, and or sweeteners (Erythritol, Xylitol, Splenda etc...) requires a few more steps as you need to make sure that the powdered or granulated ingredients are throughly dissolved in the creamer as you do not want a gritty cup of coffee. Because of the milk proteins in heavy cream, it should be heated gently and slowly in order to avoid a scorched flavor and or film forming on the top or bottom of the pan. While you can heat your heavy cream in a small saucepan on the stove directly on the burner, you will have less problems if you use one of the following methods when making your flavored creamers using powdered spices and flavorings.

The Double-boiler Method – Place a small metal bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and add your LCHF creamer base, flavorings, spices, and sweeteners. Heat just until bubbles form around the edge and steam begins to rise from the heavy cream. Stirring frequently will prevent a film layer from forming. Once you are satisfied that all of the powdered spices and flavorings are completely combined, then remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool. Pour into a container of your choice and store in the refrigerator.

The Microwave Method – Pour the LCHF creamer base, flavorings, spices, and sweeteners into a microwave-safe container and microwave on medium-high (70%) power, and heat for 15 – 20 seconds at a time, just until steam begins to rise from the bowl. Be careful not to overheat the heavy cream as it will curdle. Once you are satisfied that all of the powdered spices and flavorings are completely combined, then remove the bowl from the microwave and allow to cool. Pour into a container of your choice and store in the refrigerator.

Chef's Note: The times and power settings are based on a smaller 700-watt microwave oven. If you have a more powerful microwave then you will need to adjust cooking times to suit your particular microwave.

Chocolate Coconut

2 teaspoons powdered cocoa (adds 2.1 carbs, 0.13 carbs per tablespoon)

1 teaspoon coconut extract

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Hazelnut (Frangelico)

2 teaspoons powdered cocoa (adds 2.1 carbs, 0.13 carbs per tablespoon)

1 teaspoon hazelnut extract

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Cinnabon

½ teaspoon powdered cinnamon

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon imitation butter extract (optional)

Double Chocolate Fudge

2 teaspoons Torani chocolate syrup (sugar free)

2 teaspoons powdered cocoa (adds 2.1 carbs, 0.13 carbs per tablespoon)

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Egg Nog

1 teaspoon rum extract

¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

Pumpkin Spice Latte

½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

The Competition

Just in case you are wondering, Coffee-Mate and International Delights both make a limited run of sugar-free versions of some of their popular flavored creamers using sucralose, but they also contain maltdextrin and some corn syrup milk solids. So while the are sugar free, they are not totally carbohydrate free.

Coffee Mate French Vanilla Sugar-Free

Per Tablespoon - Calories 15, protein 0 grams, fat 1 gram, carbohydrates 2 grams

Coffee Mate French Vanilla Sugar-Free

Per Tablespoon - Calories 20, protein 0 grams, fat 2 grams, carbohydrates 1 gram

Cost Analysis

Well I am going to tell you up front, that it is not cheaper to make your own flavored coffee creamers. At the time that I am writing this article, one quart (32 ounces) of Great Value heavy whipping cream is $4.14 at my local Walmart. A quart of International Delights flavored creamer sells for $2.98, a quart of Coffee Mate flavored sells for $3.18, and a quart of Great Value flavored creamer sells for $2.48. In addition, you will need to purchase some flavor extracts and or Torani sugar-free syrups to make a variety of flavors, increasing your end product cost even more. I estimate that it costs me about $4.50 to make a quart of flavored creamer at home. That's about 40 to 50% more to make my own flavored creamer. Having said that, the cost-benefit ratio to me is invaluable.

DIY LCHF 32 ounce flavored creamer $4.50 ($0.14 per ounce)

Great Value 32 ounce flavored creamer $2.48 ($0.08 per ounce)

Coffee Mate 32 ounce flavored creamer $3.18 ($0.10 per ounce)

International Delights 32 ounce flavored creamer $2.98 ($0.09 per ounce)

So, while it does cost me more money to make my own flavored creamers, they contain seven times less carbohydrates than the commercially prepared creamers, and they do not contain any preservatives, and they contain up to 60% more fat which, which wait for it….is good for those of use on a LCHF diet, including people that are diabetic.

Conclusion

The bottom line, making your own flavored creamers is an excellent way to limit the number of extra carbohydrates that most people fail to think about when they are having their morning coffee. If you are diabetic, then making your own flavored creamers is a great way to add not only flavor to your coffee, but also allows you to control the amount of sugar and carbohydrates that you consume. Making specialty flavors using powdered spices, flavorings, and sugar substitutes does take a bit more time and work as you have to heat up the cream in order to make sure the powdered and granulated ingredients are throughly dissolved, but for many, they effort is well worth it.

With the right favorings and extracts, the combination of liquid creamers that you can make is only limited by your imagination. I have included some of my families favorites here, but there are definitely more combinations than I have listed in this article. So I encourage you to experiment and enjoy. As always, if you have found this article informative and useful, we ask that you share it with your friends. Don't forget to send us a friend request on our Facebook page CulinaryYou LCHF, or add us to your circle on Google+ so that you can keep up with the latest articles from our blog.