Category: CHAPTER 9

Avocado Herb Compound Butter

Makes 2 cups / Prep time: 25 minutes, plus 4 hours chilling time

Avocado shows up a fair bit in keto recipes because it is a spectacular source of monounsaturated fats, oleic acid, and omega-3 fatty acids. This high-fat profile makes reaching your keto macros easier and can increase absorption of betacarotene in other ingredients by as much as 400 percent. Avocado is also high in fiber and lutein.

¼ cup butter, at room temperature
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and cut into quarters
Juice of ½ lemon
2 teaspoons chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Freshly ground black pepper
Sea salt

1. Place the butter, avocado, lemon juice, cilantro, basil, and garlic in a food processor and process until smooth.

2. Season the butter with salt and pepper.

3. Transfer the mixture to a sheet of parchment paper and shape it into a log.

4. Place the parchment butter log in the refrigerator until it is firm,
about 4 hours.

5. Serve slices of this butter with fish or chicken.

6. Store unused butter wrapped tightly in the freezer for up to 1 week.

PREP TIP 

The best avocados for this butter are ripe, soft fruit. Place unripe
avocados in a paper bag for a few days with an apple or banana to speed up the ripening process.

PER SERVING (1 TABLESPOON) 

Calories: 22; Fat: 2g; Protein: 0g; Carbs: 1g;
Fiber: 0g; Net Carbs: 1g; Fat 86%/Protein 3%/Carbs 11%

Strawberry Butter

Makes 3 cups / Prep time: 25 minutes

If you have ever picked your own strawberries, you will remember the heady sweet fragrance of ripe berries in the field and intense flavor of a berry warm from the sun. Strawberries are best picked organic or purchased organic because they top the Dirty Dozen list of pesticide-contaminated produce put out by the Environmental Working Group. If you cannot find organic berries, make sure you wash your fruit thoroughly to limit your exposure.

2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
1 tablespoon coconut oil
¾ cup fresh strawberries
½ tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon alcohol-free pure vanilla extract

1. Put the coconut in a food processor and purée it until it is buttery and
smooth, about 15 minutes.

2. Add the coconut oil, strawberries, lemon juice, and vanilla to the coconut butter and process until very smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl.

3. Pass the butter through a fine sieve to remove the strawberry seeds, using the back of a spoon to press the butter through.

4. Store the strawberry butter in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

5. Serve chicken or fish with a spoon of this butter on top.

PER SERVING (1 TABLESPOON) 

Calories: 23; Fat: 2g; Protein: 0g; Carbs: 1g;
Fiber: 0g; Net Carbs: 1g; Fat 80%/ Protein 5%/ Carbs 15%

Herbed Balsamic Dressing

Makes 1 cup / Prep time: 4 minutes

Having a foolproof salad dressing recipe you can whip up on a moment’s notice is a cook’s essential. Vinaigrettes are not complicated, but you do need the correct ratios to create emulsification between the acid and oil. Balsamic vinegar adds a pleasing sweetness to this dressing, and since a little goes a long way, you won’t be getting too many carbs from the vinegar.

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped
fresh oregano
1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Freshly ground black pepper
Sea salt

1. Whisk the olive oil and vinegar in a small bowl until emulsified,
about 3 minutes.

2. Whisk in the oregano, basil, and garlic until well combined, about 1 minute.

3. Season the dressing with salt and pepper.

4. Transfer the dressing to an airtight container, and store it in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Give the dressing a vigorous shake before using it.

PER SERVING (1 TABLESPOON) 

Calories: 83; Fat: 9g; Protein: 0g; Carbs: 0g;
Fiber: 0g; Net Carbs: 0g; Fat 100%/Protein 0%/Carbs 0%

Herb Kale Pesto

Makes 1%½ cups / Prep time: 15 minutes

Nutritional yeast adds a lovely, almost cheesy taste to this pesto as well as a hearty amount of protein and fiber. Nutritional yeast is also a fabulous source of vitamin B12, which is one of the most prevalent nutritional deficiencies in the world. Vitamin B12 is crucial for many metabolic functions and for help in maintaining both a healthy cardiovascular system and nervous system.

1 cup chopped kale
1 cup fresh basil leaves
3 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1. Place the kale, basil, garlic, and yeast in a food processor and pulse until the mixture is finely chopped, about 3 minutes.

2. With the food processor running, drizzle the olive oil into the pesto until a thick paste forms, scraping down the sides of the bowl at least once.

3. Add a little water if the pesto is too thick.

4. Store the pesto in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

SUBSTITUTION TIP 

Try spinach or any other dark leafy green in place of the kale
for interesting variations. You can also use any of an assortment of different herbs in the same quantity as the basil in this recipe.

PER SERVING (2 TABLESPOONS) 

Calories: 44; Fat: 4g; Protein: 1g; Carbs: 1g;
Fiber: 0g; Net Carbs: 1g; Fat 82%/ Protein 9%/ Carbs 9%

Hollandaise

Makes 2 cups / Prep time: 20 minutes /
Cook time: 10 minutes, plus 15 minutes cooling time

You might think this sauce looks like a great deal of work, and you wouldn’t be entirely wrong, but the luscious spoon-coating creation at the end of the process is more than worth the effort. Hollandaise does not keep longer than about 2 hours and only that long if the temperature in your kitchen is not too hot, so don’t make more than you can use in one meal. Try adding some chopped tarragon to the hollandaise if you want to make a béarnaise sauce instead.

1 & ½ cups unsalted butter
4 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons cold water
Juice of 1 small lemon, about 4 teaspoons
Pinch sea salt

1. Place a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over very low heat and melt the butter.

2. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the melted butter stand
for 5 minutes.

3. Carefully skim the foam from the top of the melted butter.

4. Very slowly pour the clarified part of the butter (it should be a clear
yellow color) into a container, leaving the milky solids in the bottom of
the saucepan.

5. Discard the milky solids and let the clarified butter cool in the container until it is just warm, about 15 minutes.

6. Put a medium saucepan with about 3 inches of water in it over medium heat until the water simmers gently.

7. In a large stainless steel bowl, add the egg yolks and 2 teaspoons of cold water and whisk them until they are foamy and light, about 3 minutes.

8. Add 3 or 4 drops of the lemon juice to the yolks and whisk for
about 1 minute.

9. Place the bowl onto the mouth of the saucepan, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the simmering water.

10. Whisk the yolks until they thicken a little, about 1 to 2 minutes, then remove the bowl from the simmering water.

11. In a very thin stream, add the clarified butter to the yolk mixture, whisking continuously, until you have used up all the butter and your sauce is thick and smooth. If you add the butter too quickly, the sauce will break.

12. Whisk in the remaining lemon juice and the salt.

13. This sauce should be used right away or held for only about 1 hour. Throw away any unused sauce.

PER SERVING (1 TABLESPOON) 

Calories: 173; Fat: 17g; Protein: 5g; Carbs: 1g;
Fiber: 0g; Net Carbs: 1g; Fat 86%/ Protein 11%/ Carbs 3%

Green Basil Dressing

Makes 1 cup / Prep time: 10 minutes

Basil has a unique licorice-like taste and delicate deep green leaves that create a wonderful dressing for a summer salad. This herb is a very effective antibacterial, which means bacteria growth is almost impossible in this dressing. Basil is very high in vitamin K, copper, flavonoids, and manganese. Grow your own in terra cotta pots on your patio or windowsill so that you always have fresh basil handy for your
cooking needs.

1 avocado, peeled and pitted
¼ cup sour cream
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Freshly ground black pepper
Sea salt

1. Place the avocado, sour cream, olive oil, basil, lime juice, and garlic in a food processor and pulse until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl once during processing.

2. Season the dressing with salt and pepper.

3. Keep the dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 weeks.

PER SERVING (1 TABLESPOON) 

Calories: 173; Fat: 17g; Protein: 5g; Carbs: 1g;
Fiber: 0g; Net Carbs: 1g; Fat 86%/Protein 11%/Carbs 3%

Creamy Mayonnaise

Makes 4 cups / Prep time: 10 minutes

Homemade mayonnaise is a truly decadent condiment, and you can control the ingredients that go into the recipe. It’s not difficult to make, especially with an immersion blender or food processor, but whisking up a batch by hand can be satisfying. It is fun to watch the ingredients emulsify before your eyes. Keep the mayonnaise in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

2 large eggs
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1&½ cups extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper
Sea salt

TO MAKE BY HAND

1. Whisk the eggs and mustard together in a heavy, large bowl until very well combined, about 2 minutes.

2. Add the oil in a continuous thin stream, whisking constantly, until the
mayonnaise is thick and completely emulsified.

3. Add the lemon juice and whisk until well blended.

4. Season with salt and pepper.

TO MAKE IN A FOOD PROCESSOR

1. Place the eggs and mustard in the processor bowl and blend until
very smooth.

2. While the processor is running, slowly add the oil in a thin stream until the mayonnaise is thick and completely emulsified.

3. Add the lemon juice and process until smooth.

4. Season with salt and pepper.

PER SERVING (2 TABLESPOONS) 

Calories: 61; Fat: 7g; Protein: 0g; Carbs: 0g;
Fiber: 0g; Net Carbs: 0g; Fat 97%/ Protein 2%/ Carbs 1%

Rich Beef Stock

Makes 8 to 10 cups / Prep time: 15 minutes / Cook time: 12%½ hours, plus 30 minutes cooling time

If you have never attempted beef stock before, you might be wondering where to find beef bones for this recipe. Beef bones are actually quite common in many grocery store meat sections, usually a little out of the way next to the tongues and kidneys, but they are often prepackaged and displayed. If your store does not have beef bones in the cooler or freezer, ask your butcher — there may be some in the back, or you can ask them to save the bones from the next meat order.

2 to 3 pounds beef bones (beef marrow, knuckle bones, ribs, and any other bones)
8 black peppercorns
5 thyme sprigs
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 bay leaves
1 carrot, washed and chopped into 2-inch pieces
1 celery stalk, chopped into big chunks
½ onion, peeled and quartered
1 gallon water
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Place the beef bones in a deep baking pan and roast them in the oven for about 30 minutes.

3. Transfer the roasted bones to a large stockpot and add the peppercorns, thyme, garlic, bay leaves, carrot, celery, and onion.

4. Add the water, making sure the bones are completely covered.

5. Place the pot on high heat and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low so that the stock gently simmers.

6. Check the stock every hour, at least for the first 3 hours, and skim off any foam that forms on the top.

7. Simmer for 12 hours in total and then remove the pot from the heat. Cool the stock for about 30 minutes.

8. Remove any large bones with tongs and strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve. Discard the leftover vegetables and bones.

9. Pour the stock into containers with tight-fitting lids and cool the stock
completely before storing it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the
freezer for up to 2 months.

PER SERVING (1 CUP) 

Calories: 65; Fat: 5g; Protein: 4g; Carbs: 1g; Fiber: 0g;
Net Carbs: 1g; Fat 70%/ Protein 25%/ Carbs 5%

Traditional Caesar Dressing

Makes 1%½ cups / Prep time: 10 minutes, plus 10 minutes cooling time /
Cook time: 5 minutes

Caesar dressing used to be a culinary production in high-caliber restaurants, with waiters in black ties mixing all the ingredients tableside in huge wooden bowls. This type of spectacle is no longer part of most dining experiences, but the dressing remains as one of the most popular choices. If you want an even more authentic Caesar dressing, add a tablespoon of anchovy paste along with the mustard and vinegar.

2 teaspoons minced garlic
4 large egg yolks
¼ cup wine vinegar
½ teaspoon dry mustard
Dash Worcestershire sauce
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper
Sea salt

1. To a small saucepan, add the garlic, egg yolks, vinegar, mustard, and
Worcestershire sauce and place over low heat.

2. Whisking constantly, cook the mixture until it thickens and is a little bubbly, about 5 minutes.

3. Remove from saucepan from the heat and let it stand for about 10 minutes to cool.

4. Transfer the egg mixture to a large stainless steel bowl. Whisking constantly, add the olive oil in a thin stream.

5. Whisk in the lemon juice and season the dressing with salt and pepper.

6. Transfer the dressing to an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

A CLOSER LOOK 

If you have concerns about raw egg yolks, you can purchase pasteurized eggs in most large supermarket chains. They are found alongside regular
and specialty eggs in the dairy section.

PER SERVING (2 TABLESPOONS) 

Calories: 180; Fat: 20g; Protein: 1g; Carbs: 1g;
Fiber: 0g; Net Carbs: 1g; Fat 96%/ Protein 2%/ Carbs 2%