As we welcome the spring season, we are filled with hope and a sense of renewal after a long cold winter. Keeping our healthy habits such as eating a healthy diet composed of plants and whole natural foods and regular exercise will help energize us for the summer season. Plus, looking fit in a bathing suit is not a bad side effect of staying on track with your healthy lifestyle.
Many of us will be celebrating Easter or Passover this week and will be gathering with loved ones to celebrate with special meals. Keeping sugar intake low is a great strategy to maintain a healthy weight despite celebrating these holy holidays. Aside from avoiding sneaking candy out of the kids’ Easter baskets and saying no to the extra serving of dessert, you can make a low carb recipe for your family to enjoy that is so tasty, no one will realize it is good for their metabolism and their waistline.
Bring a healthy low carbohydrate dish or dessert for your family dinner so you have something to enjoy without compromising your diet. Here are a couple of keto-friendly options for Easter and Passover to enjoy with family and friends:
Low Carb Keto Friendly Matzo Ball Soup
Cook time: 2 h 15 min
Ingredients:
- 3 Chicken wings
- 3 Chicken thighs
- 2 Medium raw eggs
- 2 Tbs Olive Oil
- 1 Medium stalk of Celery
- 2 Tbs Parley
- 1.25 cups raw ground Almonds
- 1 cup raw Rutabaga
- 1 tsp Lemon juice
- ½ tsp Garlic powder
- ½ tsp Sea salt
- ½ small red onion
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
Instructions:
1. Add the chicken thighs and wings to a large stockpot/Dutch oven. Cover the chicken with water by three inches. Bring the water up to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and loosely cover. Simmer for an hour and a half while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
2. While the chicken is simmering, add the ground almonds to a bowl. Add a good pinch of salt and pepper, the baking soda, garlic powder and lemon juice. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl. Pour the beaten egg into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix well to combine.
3. Add a tablespoon of the olive oil to the almond and egg mixture. Mix well to combine. The mixture should be a thick paste-like consistency. Cover the mixture and refrigerate until the broth is ready.
4. Once the chicken has finished simmering, carefully remove the thighs and wings from the pan. Set to one side. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Pick the cooked chicken meat from the bones. Discard the bones and skin. Set the meat aside with the broth. Dice the rutabaga into half-inch chunks, roughly dice the celery and finely dice the onion. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the stockpot. Add the celery, rutabaga and onion. Sweat over a medium heat for 4-5 minutes.
5. Return the broth to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove the dumpling mixture from the fridge. Divide into four even-sized portions and roll each portion into a ball. Carefully lower the dumplings into the saucepan and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes until the dumplings are plump.
6. Return the cooked chicken pieces to the saucepan and simmer for five minutes more until hot through. Divide the soup between individual serving bowls. Top each bowl with chopped fresh parsley to serve.
Easter Instant Pot Low Carb Easter Pork Roast
- 1lb pork shoulder roast · 2 tablespoons butter · 1 cup bone broth (chicken or beef stock) · 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 4 cloves garlic (roughly chopped)
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 stalks celery (roughly chopped)
- 3/4 cups baby carrots
- 1lb radishes (sliced in half)
- garlic powder (optional*)
- onion powder (optional*)
Instructions:
1. Turn Instant Pot ON and set to SAUTE function +10 minutes. Add butter to the bottom of the pot and let heat for 1 minute. Sear roast on both sides until caramelized and browned.
2. Add broth, apple cider vinegar, garlic, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Turn Instant Pot OFF, then back ON, set to MANUAL +60 minutes. Return lid and close valve.
3. When timer goes off, release pressure manually and remove lid. Add baby carrots, radishes, and celery. Replace lid, close valve, and set to MANUAL +25 minutes. When timer goes off, release pressure manually. Roast should be fork tender. If it is not, add an additional 10-20 minutes cooking (MANUAL setting). Adjust seasoning (salt/pepper) to taste if needed.
Notes
If you don’t own an Instant Pot, you can use a slow cooker. Just sauté the roast in a pan then add the roast to the slow cooker along with the remainder of the ingredients on a low temperature for 8 hours.
Nutrition
· Serving Size: 1 serving
· Calories: 232 calories
· Fat: 9g
· Carbohydrates: 2g
· Protein: 34g
