Southern Keto
Page 6
5. Run a knife around the edge of the skillet before slicing. Garnish with more green onions, if desired, and serve immediately. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat just until warmed; be careful not to overheat or the eggs will become rubbery.
Cowboy Breakfast Skillet
yield: 8 servings
prep time: 20 minutes
cook time: 42 minutes
A cauliflower crust adds a nice touch to this hearty breakfast skillet. It’s sure to please the whole family, and they won’t even suspect that there’s cauliflower in it!
CRUST:
1 (12-ounce) bag frozen riced cauliflower
1 large egg
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon salt
FILLING:
8 ounces bulk breakfast sausage
6 slices bacon, chopped
½ cup diced bell peppers (any color)
2 tablespoons chopped green onions
6 large eggs
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
To make the crust:
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Grease a 12-inch cast-iron skillet or other ovenproof skillet with oil.
2. Cook the cauliflower according to the package directions. Allow to cool slightly, then use cheesecloth or paper towels to absorb any excess water.
3. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the cooked cauliflower, egg, Parmesan cheese, and salt. Press the mixture evenly across the bottom of the prepared skillet. Par-bake the crust for 12 minutes or until it starts to brown around the edges, then remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Leave the oven on. While the crust is baking, make the filling.
To make the filling:
1. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the sausage, bacon, bell peppers, and green onions, crumbling the sausage with a large spoon as it cooks, until the meats are fully cooked and the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the eggs, salt, and pepper. Add the meat mixture to the eggs and stir until well combined.
3. Pour the filling over the cooled, par-baked crust and spread evenly.
4. Return the skillet to the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the eggs are set and slightly firm to the touch. Run a knife around the edge of the skillet before slicing. Serve immediately. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat just until warmed; be careful not to overheat or the eggs will become rubbery.
Grain-Free Granola
yield: 3 cups (¼ cup per serving)
prep time: 5 minutes
cook time: 30 minutes
I’ve always loved snacking on granola, and back in the day I was one to enjoy the occasional bowl of cereal for breakfast. My grain-free granola fits the bill for both! When I eat it with unsweetened almond milk, it really satisfies my craving for cereal. The pecans and coconut chips add just the right Southern touch.
1 cup chopped raw pecans
1 cup roasted and salted shelled sunflower seeds
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
¼ cup finely ground blanched almond flour
1 large egg white
¼ cup granular erythritol
2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon liquid stevia
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the pecans, sunflower seeds, coconut flakes, and almond flour.
3. In a small bowl, whisk the egg white, then stir in the erythritol, melted butter, vanilla extract, and stevia. Pour over the pecan mixture and stir until the pecan mixture is completely coated with the egg white mixture.
4. Spread the granola evenly on the sheet pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until light golden brown. Allow to cool completely before serving. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Skillet Pancake Puff
yield: 4 servings
prep time: 5 minutes
cook time: 20 minutes
Pancakes are a popular Southern breakfast comfort food; in fact, there’s a pancake house on nearly every corner in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Since going keto, though, I can’t simply run down to the local pancake house to get my fill. And sometimes I want pancakes but I don’t want to go to the trouble to cook up batch after batch. This large skillet pancake is the answer—it’s both easy and delicious.
2 tablespoons salted butter
4 large eggs
¼ cup water
¼ cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons coconut flour
2 tablespoons granular erythritol
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
FOR GARNISH (optional):
Fresh blueberries
Confectioners’-style erythritol
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. Put the butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or other ovenproof skillet and place it in the oven to melt the butter. When the butter is melted, remove the skillet from the oven.
3. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the eggs. Using a spoon, mix in the water, cream, coconut flour, erythritol, vanilla extract, and salt. Continue stirring until the batter is well blended.
4. Pour the batter into the hot skillet and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the pancake is puffed and golden. Slice into quarters and garnish with blueberries and confectioners’-style erythritol, if desired.
Waffles
yield: 6 waffles (2 per serving)
prep time: 5 minutes
cook time: 30 minutes
Who says you have to give up waffles on a keto diet? These are so much better than those frozen boxed waffles I ate as a child. I didn’t even own a waffle maker before I went keto. I decided to get one because I wanted more breakfast choices. I have never regretted that purchase. These waffles are delicious and easy to make. You can make extras and eat them all week!
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, cubed
6 large eggs
2 tablespoons granular erythritol
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
SERVING SUGGESTIONS:
Sugar-free pancake syrup
Fresh blueberries
Butter
1. Preheat a waffle iron according to the manufacturer’s directions.
2. Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until very smooth. Allow the batter to rest for 10 minutes.
3. Grease the hot waffle iron with oil. Pour enough of the batter into the waffle iron to make one waffle. (Check the manufacturer’s instructions for the exact amount of batter to use.) Be careful to not overfill the waffle iron because these waffles will expand; if you overfill the iron, the batter will overflow. Cook the waffle until it’s golden brown.
4. Carefully remove the waffle and repeat the cooking process with the rest of the batter. Serve with syrup, blueberries, and/or butter, if desired. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in the toaster.
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: Waffle iron
Notes:
Omit the sweetener and vanilla extract to make savory waffles for sandwiches!
This batter can also be used to make pancakes, but we like it better as waffles.
Egg Muffins
yield: 10 muffins (1 per serving)
prep time: 5 minutes
cook time: 30 minutes
Egg muffins are popular everywhere now, including the South, because everyone needs a quick but wholesome breakfast option. They are so simple to make, and they reheat nicely, which makes them perfect for those busy weekday mornings!
8 ounces bulk breakfast sausage
2 teaspoons dried chives
6 large eggs
1 teaspoon dried ground oregano
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
¾ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease 10 wells of a standard-size 12-well muffin pan with oil.
2. In a medium-sized skillet over medium heat, cook the sausage with the chives, crumbling the meat with a large spoon as it cooks, until the sausage is well browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Drain the fat, if necessary, and set aside.
3. Whisk the eggs in a medium-sized bowl, then add the cream, oregano, salt, and pepper and whisk until well combined. Stir in the cooked sausage mixture and the cheese.
4. Pour the mixture into the prepared wells of the muffin pan, filling each well about three-quarters full.
5. Bake the muffins for 15 to 20 minutes, until the centers are set and the tops are lightly browned. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Reheat just until warmed; be careful not to overheat or the eggs will become rubbery.
Home-Fried Bacon Radishes
yield: 4 servings
prep time: 10 minutes
cook time: 25 minutes
Growing up, my mom frequently made me fried potatoes. These radishes remind me of fried potatoes! This versatile dish can be served with breakfast (for example, in place of hash browns) or dinner.
1 (16-ounce) bag radishes
6 slices bacon
Salt and ground black pepper
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish (optional)
1. Trim the tops off the radishes and chop the radishes into small pieces.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon from the skillet, leaving the drippings in the pan. Crumble the bacon and set aside.
3. Place the radishes in the skillet and cook over medium-high heat for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium. Add the cooked bacon and continue cooking for about 10 more minutes, stirring every couple of minutes, until the radishes are slightly crispy and caramelized around the edges.
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately. Garnish with parsley, if desired.
Sausage Gravy
yield: 6 servings (½ cup per serving)
prep time: 5 minutes
cook time: 20 minutes
This sausage gravy is the perfect accompaniment to my Drop Biscuits. I developed the two recipes to satisfy my urge for biscuits and gravy, a classic dish that you can find on just about every restaurant menu in the South. In my high-carb days, it was my favorite breakfast to order at a restaurant. This gravy also is great served over scrambled eggs, for those days when you don’t feel like making biscuits, or if you want a nut-free breakfast.
1 pound bulk breakfast sausage
1 cup heavy whipping cream
¾ cup water
½ teaspoon xanthan gum
Salt and ground black pepper
6 Drop Biscuits (here), for serving (optional)
1. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the sausage, crumbling the meat with a large spoon as it cooks, until it is well browned, about 10 minutes.
2. Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the cream, water, and xanthan gum. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the gravy starts to thicken, about 10 minutes. If it gets too thick, thin it with water, adding a tablespoon at a time.
3. Season the gravy to taste with salt and pepper. Serve over biscuits, if desired. The gravy is best served right away, but leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Drop Biscuits
yield: 10 biscuits (1 per serving)
prep time: 10 minutes
cook time: 12 minutes
When I was a little girl, I spent a lot of time with my Great-Aunt Nannie. Every morning, she made homemade biscuits, and she taught me how to make them. I’ve always loved homemade biscuits, and these keto drop biscuits are a good substitute. They are wonderful topped with a pat of butter or some Sausage Gravy (here). I’ve also included a variation that makes them taste a lot like those tasty little cheddar biscuits that Red Lobster serves!
1½ cups finely ground blanched almond flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup sour cream
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons salted butter, melted but not hot
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a baking sheet with oil or line it with parchment paper.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the almond flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, eggs, and melted butter. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until well combined. Allow the batter to sit for 5 minutes.
4. Drop the batter by the large spoonful onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between the biscuits. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the tops are golden brown. Allow to cool before removing from the pan. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. The biscuits can be reheated in the microwave for a few seconds; be careful not to overheat.
Variation:
Garlic Cheddar Biscuits. To the dry ingredients in Step 2, add 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, 1 teaspoon dried or fresh chives, and ½ teaspoon garlic powder.
Skillet Cornbread
yield: 10 servings
prep time: 10 minutes
cook time: 30 minutes
Cornbread was a staple in my Grandma Ida Mae’s house when I was growing up; I believe she made it every day. In the evenings, Papa would eat the leftovers as a snack crumbled up in a glass of cold buttermilk. It’s hard to measure up to Grandma’s cornbread, but this keto-friendly recipe is a great substitute for the high-carb version.
5 tablespoons salted butter, divided
3 large eggs
¼ cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons water
2 cups finely ground blanched almond flour
2 tablespoons golden flaxseed meal
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sweet corn extract (optional) (see Note)
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Put 2 tablespoons of the butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or other ovenproof skillet and place it in the oven to melt the butter. Either in the microwave or in a small saucepan on the stovetop, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter just until melted.
3. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, water, and 3 tablespoons of melted butter.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the almond flour, flaxseed meal, baking powder, and salt. Stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture until well combined. Stir in the corn extract, if using.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared skillet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until lightly browned on top and around the edges. Leftovers can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes:
The sweet corn extract is not required but is recommended for a fuller cornbread flavor.
Cinnamon Muffins
yield: 12 muffins (2 per serving)
prep time: 10 minutes
cook time: 14 minutes
In the South, we love any and all muffins, sweet and savory. These muffins remind me a bit of coffee cake. They are delicious and so easy to make. They are great for breakfast on the go and would even make a nice dessert with a fresh cup of coffee.
1½ cups finely ground blanched almond flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
2 large eggs
½ cup granular erythritol
2 tablespoons salted butter, softened
1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon liquid stevia
1. Preheat the oven to 35
0°F. Grease a standard-size 12-well muffin pan.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the almond flour, baking powder, and 1 tablespoon of the cinnamon; set aside.
3. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the eggs, then add the erythritol, butter, cream, vanilla extract, stevia, and remaining 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and stir until the ingredients are well combined. Slowly add the flour mixture, stirring with a spoon until the batter is smooth.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin pan, filling each well about three-quarters full. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until a toothpick or tester inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean.
5. Allow the muffins to cool completely before removing from the pan. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Notes:
Using silicone muffin cups is my favorite way to ensure that these muffins don't stick.