ZoEd's ketogenic journey, w/recipe's

[ZoEd]

So I started a keto diet three weeks ago and so far the results have been pretty damn good. 23 days 10 pounds. I'd probably be doing a lot better had I not back slid this past weekend and pigged it on up BIGTIME! After the stomach virus had worn off and I had already polluted my body with several bottles of gatorade I figured WTF, I'm out of ketosis might as well eat some junk.

Anyway, I felt guilty as hell afterwards and got back to it on Tuesday this past week. Got on the scales at the gym that morning and had gained back two of the pounds I lost. So, today rolls around and I lost the two I gained and added one on top of it.

I was pretty suprised how fast I got back into ketosis. I checked myself everday after the binge just to see how long it would take and I was not only in ketosis after just three days but the readings I'm getting now have elevated from trace to small. I'm pretty happy about that.

[ZoEd]

When I cook I'm not big on measuring, I just kind of eyeball everything. Because of this the exact amount of each ingredient will be a wag. You'll have to adjust them to your tastes but I promise you, I won't post anything that doesn't taste good while minimizing the carbs.

Recipe #1 Stuffed Zucchini

2 zucchini (about) 6 g carb
half cup of ricotta 4g carb
4 table spoons of sour cream 2 g carb
1/4 cup of parmesan
1 egg
2 cloves of garlic
italian seasoning
salt
pepper

(around 12 g carbs for 4 zucchini halves)


Take two zucchini and cut them in half length ways.
If you have a melon baller use it to remove the meat from the zucchini, if not just use a spoon. KEEP THE SHELLS!

Use a knife and cut the zucchini into smaller chunks and set aside

Chop two cloves of garlic, add to zucchini

Add in your ricotta, sour cream, egg, italian seasoning, salt, pepper and half the parmesan and stir well.

Scoop out the mixture and fill shells. Sprinkle with more parmesan and bake on 400 for about 20 minutes or until the parmesan on top is brown. Let set for a few minutes and serve.

Dig in! These things are delicious.

Of course use full fat, whole milk cheese and sour cream. I also tried these with some mozzarella and it was equally as yummy. Also, don't be afraid to add a little more ricotta or sour cream if it doesn't seem to be cheesy enough.

[ZoEd]

Recipe #2 Cabbage lasagna

Small head of cabbage
Typical Lasagna ingredients utilizing lower carb sauce and cheese

Boil water

Split cabbage in half, drop in water and roll around with tongs pulling off leaves. Let cabbage boil until leaves start to wilt pretty good. Set aside.

Brown meat, add sauce and seasoning. Simmer

Once leaves have cooled a bit layer lasagna as you would typically replacing noodles with cabbage leaves.

Bake like normal lasagna.

My wife loves this stuff and she's not even on Keto. Kids like it too.

[ZoEd]

Low carb dressing.

Found a dressing at the commisary here on base and it is freaking awesome. Made a fresh spinach salad for dinner with, eggs, feta, cucumber, red onion, and grilled chicken. Topped it off with Organic Ville Olive Oil Balsamic vinagrette dressing. 1 g per serving and there's only 8 servings in the bottle so pile it on. It also has 11g of fat per serving. My wife isn't a big salad person and she was damn near lapping this stuff out of the bottom of the bowl. Best thing, it's not that expensive. Less than two dollars on base.

[ZoEd]

Recipe #3 PIZZA! Yea, that's right PIZZA!

So I made this recipe last night and it was freaking awesome to say the least.

8oz cream cheese
4 eggs
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1/4 cup grated or shredded Romano, Asiago or any other hard cheeses
1/4 cup mozzarella
Classico Spicy Red Pepper Spaghetti sauce 7g of carbs per serving
Italian seasoning
salt
pepper
garlic powder
Pizza toppings; I used hamburger, mushrooms, pepperoni and mozzarella

Pre heat oven to 350

Let cream cheese set out at room temp until soft, put in mixer and start mixing, slowly add eggs until smooth, add garlic powder, salt, pepper and italian seasoning, give it a whirl. This stuff will look extremely runny but it's the way it's supposed to look.

The original recipie called for a buttered 9X13 baking dish but I used two disposable pie pans and buttered the hell out of them so the wifey and I could make our own. So use whatever but butter it and cover the bottom of the pan with the dry cheeses. I say a 1/4 cup but you can add a little more of the parmesan and romano if you like, there's little to no carbs right? Add away.

Once you've covered the bottom of the pans with the dry cheese mix pour the wet egg/cream cheese mixture over top of it making sure it's all covered. I'd say you want at least a 1/4 inch of the wet mixture in the bottom of your pans, this stuff does rise. Pop your pan/pans in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until they start to brown. Remove from oven and let set for a minute or two.

Spread spaghetti sauce over browned crust, it doesn't take much so I wouldn't worry about the carbs too much. Add pizza toppings and return to oven for 15 minutes. Once cheese everything starts to melt together I turned on the broiler for about three minutes to brown everything.

You will be amazed at how well this dish tastes. Is it pizza? Not quite, the crust is like a quiche but since you pre bake it, it does get firm and a little crispy.

[ZoEd]

Just returned from the gym and I was a little disappointed when I got on the scales. I didn't lose a freaking ounce! However, I was feeling more thin today than usual. My love handles appear to be shrinking in the mirror but maybe that's just my rose colored glasses.

So, I went into my closet and pulled out a pair of jeans I haven't worn in 6 years. I've been so big for so long I've sentenced myself to loose fit jeans and XXL shirts to hide my love handles. Problem is I look like I should be collecting cans on the side of the road. The pants I wear make it look like I have the dreaded disease "no-ass-at-all". Anyway, I tried these non-loose fit jeans on and the sumbitches fit, a little tight but they actually buttoned. Screw the scale, my old skinny jeans actually fit over my ass! I feel a ton better now.

I've read the posts where people say not to worry about the scale and I just kind of roll my eyes and mumble something like "easy for you to say". Well, now I'm a believer. I'm digging the Keto and I'm definitely motivated to keep on keeping on.

[ZoEd]

Going in for surgery tomorrow so I'll have to shelve Keto for a few days. Getting a septoplasty done to hopefully help me breathe better. Gonna have jello and gatorade stuffed down my throat so I'm going to get back to the keto in a few days. Hopefully all goes well. Wish me luck

Dave

[ruman87]

Nice recipe's, what would you recommend snacking on? at the moment I just get my self cheese stick or those mini babybel's aren't bad either, but if your in a supermarket where you would normally pick up a sandwich what substitutes can you pick up? any ideas

thanks

[austrasian]

Almonds are the perfect snack, not sure whats made of those cheese sticks but id imagine there'd be carbs if it's the really processed ones.