Positively Posh

I am a lasagna and spaghetti maniac, so living la vida low carb would be extremely difficult for me if I wasn’t allowed to have those things. Of course we can’t have the pasta, but we found other ways to enjoy those dishes! When we first started keto, I’d make lasagna with sliced zucchini or eggplant, which is delicious! However, zucchini tends to release a lot of moisture which tends to make the lasagna too watery, and eggplant is higher in carbs. Then, one magical day, a local keto Mom friend of mine posted her hack for keto lasagna….SLICED LUNCH MEAT! Total game changer, friends!! I believe she used ham, but I prefer turkey! I promise you can’t tell the difference! I’ve made it several times for keto and non-keto peeps and it is always a huge hit! My Dad was telling us we couldn’t eat it because it wasn’t keto and I told him I made it and how and he was seriously shocked at how tasty it was. No joke he talked about it the rest of the week, mind you, he is a total foodie, himself! I’ll take that as a major compliment!

Ingredients:

1 lb 80/20 ground beef

1 lb italian sausage (I use Jimmy Dean)

1/2 yellow onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 jar Raos Marinara

1/2 cup water

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

salt and pepper to taste

14-20 slices turkey or ham (I buy Boar’s Head and ask them to slice it not too thick and not too thin.

15 oz ricotta cheese, full fat (optional)

3 cups shredded mozzarella

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400*
2. Heat a dutch oven or large saucepan over medium high heat and add sausage and ground beef. Break up the meat with a wooden spoon and add a pinch of salt and pepper.
3. Once browned, add onions, garlic and seasonings and stir for 2-3 minutes or until the onions are translucent.
4. Pour in marinara sauce, fill jar with about 1/2 cup water, replace lid, shake, and pour in the pot. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Turn heat to low and let simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. In a 9×13 pan, spoon a little bit of the meat sauce on bottom, then put down a layer of turkey. Usually 6 slices per layer. Spoon sauce over the turkey, then dollop ricotta over the sauce and spread with a spoon. Sprinkle with mozzarella, then top with another layer of turkey.
7. Continue adding layers until you run out of sauce. I usually get 3 layers, the top being just sauce and cheese on top of the turkey slices.
8. Bake in oven for 30-40 minutes or until cheese is melted and the top is browned.
9. Let cool for 10 minutes! Enjoy!!

xo

Who here loves cake in crab form? ME!! These were a favorite over the holidays! I think we made them at least 10 times. I buy the super lumb crab meat from Costco so it’s super fast, easy, and delicious! I use cheese in my recipe, which I know for some people might sound weird using seafood and cheese. I’m not a fan myself, but you don’t taste it or even notice it in there when it’s cooked. It works great as a binder since we aren’t adding breadcrumbs to the mixture!

Ingredients:

Crab Cakes:

• 16 oz super lump crab meat
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup shredded cheese
• 1 egg
• 1/4 mayonnaise
• 1 Tbsp Old Bay seasoning (or you can use a mixture of paprika, celery salt, and salt and pepper
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 Tbsp EVOO

Spicy Sriracha Mayo

• 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp Sriracha
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Instructions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, gently mix all of the ingredients for the crab cakes together being careful not to shred the meat if you want to keep the lump texture.

2. Form mixture into 2 inch balls and gently press into patties and place on a plate.

3. Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add EVOO.

4. Once the oil is hot, gently place patties into pan and cook until golden brown, usually takes about 3 minutes. Cook the other side until golden brown.

*To make the Spicy Mayo, mix all the ingredients in a small bowl. You can use more or less Sriracha depending on how spicy you like it!

We enjoy our Crab Cakes on Caesar Salad with Avocado and sliced grape tomatoes, or with Keto Spaghetti, or just by themselves! They also make a great appetizer!!

Enjoy!

xo

Ingredients:

• 2 lb bag cauliflower florets, cut into 1/2″ pieces
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 tsp ground mustard
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 1/2 cups shredded cheese, divided (I use a mix of cheddar and Monterey jack)
• 1/2 tsp xantham gum
• 1/2 paprika
• salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400*
2. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and add butter. Once melted, add chopped cauliflower and cook for about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, stir, and take off heat. Set aside.
3. In a medium-size saucepan over medium heat, add heavy cream, ground mustard, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper and whisk. Continue whisking slowly until the edges start to bubble.
4. Add 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese and whisk until the cheese melts and reduce heat to low.
5. Add xantham gum and whisk again until combined. Remove from heat and pour over thee cauliflower.
6. Stir the sauce with the cauliflower, top with remaining cheese and sprinkle with paprika and bake in the oven until cheese is melted, browned, and the cauliflower is tender. About 15 minutes.

ENJOY!

I decided to switch it up for Taco Tuesday and make a pie instead of our usual Taco Salad (which we love). I use a very similar crust that I make for my Keto Pumpkin Pie, but I cut back on the coconut flour and added some taco seasonings into the dough to make it a little more savory, and it turned out great!! The pie itself is pretty basic, but the magic really happens when you start adding all of the toppings!

Ingredients:

CRUST:

• 1 stick butter, melted
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1 tsp Himalayan salt
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp taco seasoning

1. Mix dry ingredients with the melted butter in a medium size bowl.
2. Add 1 egg and mix into a dough ball.
3. Spread dough into a pie pan with your hands, making sure you press dough up the edge.
4. Pre bake pie crust before adding the filling in the oven at 375* for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.
5. Set aside.

FILLING:

• 1 lb 80/20 ground beef
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 tbsp taco seasoning
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 cup shredded cheese
• 1 cup pico, or salsa, or a can of diced tomatoes
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1. Add olive oil to a large, nonstick or cast iron skillet and heat over medium high heat.
2. Add ground beef and break it up with a wooden spoon, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and taco seasoning.
3. Then, add garlic and onion to the pan and continue to brown the meat. Then add the salsa and stir.
4. Once the meat is fully cooked, turn the heat down to medium-low and add cream cheese, stir until melted.
5. Remove from heat and add to the pie crust.
6. Top with shredded cheese and put the pie in the oven until cheese melts, about 15 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before slicing and adding optional toppings below.

OPTIONAL TOPPINGS:

• shredded iceberg lettuce
• pico de gallo
• sour cream
• jalapenos
• avocado
• guacamole
• olives
• green onion
• shredded cheese

These fried chicken strips need no introduction, so I will just skip straight to the recipe…..

*We deep fried our strips in peanut oil, but you can also deep fry in a dutch oven, shallow fry in a cast iron skillet, or you can try this recipe in an air fryer.

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch strips

peanut, avocado, or coconut oil

Wet dredge:

2 eggs

1/4 heavy cream

1 cup dill pickle juice

2 tbsp Frank’s Red Hot Sauce (optional)

Dry dredge:

2.5 cups almond flour

1/2 cup grated parmesan

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp dried basil

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp celery powder

Instructions:

1. Heat oil to 350-375 degrees
2. In 2 medium sized bowls or 2 shallow pans, combine all ingredients for the dry dredge in one, and all of the ingredients for the wet dredge in the other.
3. After cutting chicken into 1″ strips, begin dredging strips into wet ingredients first, then coat it with the dry dredge. Let strips rest on a cooling rack for at least 10 minutes so the coating sticks during the fry process.
4. Once oil has come to temp, carefully add strips to pot. Be sure to add slowly as the temperature will drop each time you put a new strip in. (I did mine in 2 batches)
5. Clean cooling rack and place on top of a cookie sheet. Putting the fried chicken on a cooling rack will keep it from steaming and will ensure your strips remain crunchy!
6. Remove chicken once it’s golden brown and the middle has reached a temperature of 165 degrees and place on cooling rack to keep crispy. Sprinkle with salt. (You can also heat your oven to 200* and place chicken in the oven to keep warm while you finish cooking the remaining strips).

We enjoyed our chicken strips with a dipping sauce made with 2 tbsp mayo, 1 tsp dijon mustard, and a dash of hot sauce. We also doused them with Crystal Hot Sauce! We have leftovers and I’m totally thinking about making my keto waffles to go alongside them for dinner. YUM!!

If you love Pumpkin Cheesecake or Pumpkin Pie and you’re living the keto lifestyle, then you must make this pie! It tastes EXACTLY like a regular pie, if not better! You can make a regular pumpkin pie by just omitting the cream cheese in the mix!

Ingredients:

CRUST:

• 1 stick butter, melted
• 1 cup coconut flour
• 1 cup almond flour
• 1 tsp Himalayan salt
• 1 egg

FILLING:

• 15 oz Pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup powdered monkfruit
• 3 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 8 oz full fat cream cheese, softened (optional)

Instructions:

CRUST:

1. Mix dry ingredients with the melted butter in a medium size bowl.
2. Add 1 egg and mix into a dough ball.
3. Spread dough into a pie pan with your hands, making sure you press dough up the edge.
4. Pre bake pie crust before adding the filling in the oven at 375* for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.
5. Set aside to cool.

FILLING:

1. Reduce oven to 325*.
2. Beat all ingredients together in a large bowl at medium-low speed, until smooth. (Do not overmix.)
3. Pour filling into the crust and gently tap on the counter to release any air bubbles.
4. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the pie is set but still a little jiggly, like a custard. (Check on the pie after 20 minutes to ensure the crust is not burning. If it’s starting to darken, cover the crust with aluminum foil for the remainder of the baking time.
5. Cool completely on the counter and then refrigerate at least an hour before slicing!

ENJOY!