Carolyn Ketchum - Easy Keto Dinners

First Published in 2018 by Victory Belt Publishing Inc.

Copyright 2018 Carolyn Ketchum

All rights reserved

No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior written permission from the publisher.

ISBN-13: 978-1-628602-77-7

The author is not a licensed practitioner, physician, or medical professional and offers no medical diagnoses, treatments, suggestions, or counseling. The information presented herein has not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and it is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Full medical clearance from a licensed physician should be obtained before beginning or modifying any diet, exercise, or lifestyle program, and physicians should be informed of all nutritional changes.

The author/owner claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Front and back cover photos by Hayley Mason and Bill Staley

Interior design by Yordan Terziev and Boryana Yordanova

Printed in Canada

TC 0118

CONTENTS

Committing to the keto lifestyle is hard enough sometimes. Why make it harder with complicated dinner recipes that require difficult-to-find ingredients?

You have better things to do than to spend all your time in the kitchen prepping low-carb, high-fat meals. This cookbook is all about making your life easier so you can enjoy everything the ketogenic diet has to offer without becoming a slave to your stove. Here you will find dinner recipes that put a premium on simplicityminimal prep time and straightforward cooking techniques that bring out the best flavors, all without wasting your precious time.

I have to tell you that Easy Keto Dinners was an absolute joy to write. Because I too need help cutting down on time in the kitchen. I too have those moments of looking around at the end of the day, wondering how time slipped away from me. Or those days when I really dont want to think about dinner at all. And with a hungry, growing family, those can be moments of pure panic. What the heck am I going to feed these ravenous people? Why do they demand dinner every single day? How quickly can I get a solid, healthy meal on the table that will please every palate?

As followers of this wonderful keto way of life, we dont have the luxury of relying on convenient prepackaged meals. Thats a good thing, of course, for both our bodies and our minds. But while intricate, multistep recipes can be fun sometimes, they dont fit in well with our busy day-to-day lives. Having reliable and easy keto recipes at our fingertips is a key factor in sticking with, and loving, this low-carb, high-fat lifestyle.

Whats the number-one reason people succumb to temptation and fall off the wagon? A lack of delicious and healthy keto meals ready when they need them. Been there, done that. Havent we all? The aim of this cookbook is to give you more weapons in your dinnertime arsenal so that you never have to feel deprived.

Healthy eating has never been so easy... or so delicious!

Before we jump into the recipes, lets define what constitutes an easy recipe.

Easy doesnt always mean fast. While quick recipes are always useful, they might actually require more hands-on work than a slow-cooked meal that has virtually no prep time. Sometimes its about getting things into your oven or slow cooker quickly so you can enjoy some downtime. I am a huge fan of slower recipes that practically cook themselves. That way, I have more time to help my kids with their homework or get them to soccer practice. Or, you know, actually talk to my husband once in a while. Now theres a novel idea.

This cookbook contains both easy-quick and easy-slow keto dinner recipes. We can all use some of both, depending on the day, the time, and the circumstances. If you plan ahead, popping some ingredients into your slow cooker early in the day enables you to come home to a fully cooked meal. But on those crazy days when life gets away from you, its wonderful to have recipes that come together in thirty minutes or less. And on a lazy Sunday afternoon, its ideal to pop an easy roast or stew into the oven and let its aroma fill the house while you enjoy some time with friends or family.

Also, dont be intimidated by longer ingredient lists. Often, many of those ingredients are just spices and seasonings that intensify the flavor of your dish. Adding them is simple.

The goal of all these recipes is to keep effort and prep time to a minimum while maximizing flavor. Thats what Easy Keto Dinners is all about.

Oh, where on earth do I start? I have so many tips and tricks that will make your life easier and your dinner prep simpler. Remember, Ive been doing this for seven long years, so Ive become a deft hand at keto dinnertime. As much as I love to cook, saving time and energy in the kitchen is paramount to me. Three hungry kids with a myriad of after-school activities leave me short on time most weeknights. Dont even get me started on soccer season!

Plan Ahead

Planning ahead is without question the biggest time-saving tactic. We all know we should do it, but busy schedules mean that sometimes we dont. Sometimes even our best-laid plans get away from usunless you happen to be one of those ultra-organized people who always has everything under control (in which case, Im sorry, but we cant be friends). I am not one of those ultra-organized people and I never will be. So I will skip the lecture on the virtues of meal planning except to say that its a great idea if you can manage it.

If you cant plan ahead or if your plans go awry, dont panic. There are plenty of shortcuts that can help you get a healthy keto dinner on the table.

Dont Reinvent the Wheel

Most keto cookbooks suggest that you should make everything from scratch. Bone broth! Cauliflower rice! Mayonnaise! Seasoning blends! Dont get me wrong, I love making these things at home. But if I did it all from scratch, I would never have any time for cooking anything else. Not to mention how much freezer and fridge space these things can take up.

So I am giving you permission, right here and right now, to use the store-bought versions of some staple ingredients. As long as you choose wisely, neither your recipes nor your health will suffer. And the good news is that with the increasing popularity of low-carb and Paleo diets, many brands are getting in on the action. There are so many healthy keto options, you never have to feel guilty about not making them yourself.

It is, however, important to be a label reader. Check those carb counts and look for sources of added sugar and starch. Here are a few items I recommend keeping on hand: