Smoked serrano chili pig's tongue

 I'll take whatever I'm offered, and couldn't resist these pig tongues at $1ea

Seasoned with 2tbsp smoked serrano chili pepper powder, 1tbsp cumin, 1tsp mexican oregano, 2cloves garlic minced and 1 tbsp sea salt

Place in vacuum bag with 2 tbsp kerrygold butter and seal. Submerge into sous vide water bath at 195deg for 24hrs

Remove from bag and shred. I pan fried to get a crispy exterior.

A potter as well

I began making pottery in 2008. Mainly planters, but about 6 month ago I wanted to try making functional pieces. Started off with a simple hand-built rustic plate

Next was bowl on the pottery wheel

Then I wanted a rustic bowl

and larger platter.

                                                                          Crock for bacon fat

                                                     

A squat mug

                             Random images

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Keto Curried Beef Liver

150g raw beef liver sliced 1/4" thick
1" piece ginger chopped
6 cloves garlic chopped
3 serrano peppers sliced thin
1c cilantro chopped
1tsp turmeric
1tsp chili powder
1tsp kosher salt
1tsp ground coriander seed
1tsp garam marsala
3 small tomatoes quartered
2tbsp coconut oil

Combine liver, 3 cloves garlic, half chopped ginger. chili powder, turmeric, 1 serrano pepper and salt. Mix thoroughly. Marinate for at least 30min

Heat 2tbsp coconut oil over medium high heat. Stir fry remaining garlic and ginger till fragrant. Add garam marsal, coriander powder, remaining serrano pepper, fry quickly. Add liver and marinade to pan, increase heat to high. Quickly cook liver (no longer than 4min), add tomatoes. Remove from heat and add cilantro.

Serve with garlic/cilantro cauli-rice

Macros
Fat 81g
Pro 80g
Carbs 24gr

Macros include cauli-rice

Keto Abondigas

I've made this a few times in the past. A very hearty meat due to the rice and potatoes. Time revisit this classic Mexican soup with a few changes

3tbsp lard

1lb ground beef

1/4c cilantro chopped

1tsp cumin

1.5tsp mexican oregano

1tsp kosher salt

1/4c dehydrated onion

Mix all above ingredient together and for 10 meatballs. Melt lard in cast iron skillet then brown balls on all surfaces. Remove from pan. Reserve fat

1c chopped onion

3 cloves garlic chopped

3 small or 1 large tomato chopped

4c chicken bone broth

2tbsp fish sauce
2tsp New Mexico chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Add onion and garlic to hot fat. Cook till caramelized. Add tomato cook till broken down. Pour in broth and remaining ingredients. Simmer to meld spices.

2 small zucchini quartered

1/4c cilantro chopped

When soup flavor is to your liking return meatballs to the pan and add zucchini When zucchini is hot and remaining cilantro.

Macros 2 servings

Calories 876 

Fat 44

Carbs 15

Protein 75

Avocado Ice Cream

       Some may think of this a treat and most recipes online are. I've made a couple of tweaks so it's a       guilt free indulgence. By leaving out the sugar, honey, maple syrup, sugar substitutes and artificial sweeteners. Then adding homemade fermented creme fraiche for a probiotic boost. Calamansi (sweet lime flavor) was added to give a fruity note. 

2 avocados

1 c creme fraiche or heavy cream

3 tbsp calamansi or lime juice 

       Place all ingredients into vitamix, blender or food processor. Puree till smooth. You can enjoy at         this point or freeze. 

I placed in the freezer and stirred ever 15min till frozen. 

This would be luscious with an ice cream maker!

Macros 3 servings

Calories 432

Fat 47

Pro 2

Carbs 10

Keto gobo

Typically this dish is made with burdock root and sugar. To keep carbs down I subbed mung bean sprouts and omitted sugar

200g leftover chicken or turkey dark meat

100g mung bean sprouts

20g red bell pepper julienned 

20g mushroom julienned

1tbsp sake

1tbs marin

1tbs black vinegar

1tbs seasame seeds

1 fried egg

5tbsp coconut oil

Salt and hot chili to taste

Chop darkmeat into bite size pieces. Prepare veg. Heat 4tbs oil in cast iron. When hot add meat to pan. Let sear for 3-4min. Heat another skillet with 1tbs oil. Add bell pepper, mushroom and salt, let sear. Stir darkmeat and veg. Add seasonings to veg pan. let come to a boil to reduce. Remove meat and veg from heat. Combine the two. Add bean sprouts and seasame seeds. Toss to mix, taste for salt and chili, Now plate. Top with fry egg and eat!

Ginataang Manok (Chicken in coconut milk)

1 coconut*

2 cups water

1 whole chicken

6" piece ginger

1 head garlic

1 tbsp hawaiian or course kosher salt

1tsp black pepper

200g spinach or other greens

5 serrano chilies (optional)

Crack coconut and remove meat (reserve water for processing). Place in high power blender or food processor. Add water. Blend for 5min or until smooth. Increase water by 1/4c increments if needed to thin. Strain though 2 layers muslin and reserve milk. Save pulp for later use. *Can use 2 cans coconut milk but flavor will be less and result in thinner broth. Simmer longer to thicken.

Cut chicken into pieces. Slice ginger into 1/8 thick pieces. Peel and crush garlic.

Combine coconut milk, chicken, ginger, garlic and salt into large stock pot. Simmer for 45min or until chicken is no longer pink. (I remove skin and bones at this point).

Taste for salt. Add black pepper, serrano and greens. Cook till greens are wilted.

Keto Breakfast sushi

These amounts are enough for 1 roll or 8 pieces
1.5c steamed cauli rice
1/4c thick homemade mayonnaise
sriracha to taste
1sheet nori
1egg fried sliced into strips
2 slices thick bacon cooked
1/2 avocado sliced thin

bamboo sushi roller

How to roll sushi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfNhqawvSr8

Combine cauli rice, mayo and sriracha, mix thoroughly. Set aside.

Place nori on the roller. Spread cauli mixture over seaweed, about 1/4" (5mm) or less thickness.

Place bacon, egg and avocado at the bottom of cauli mixture.

Roll as in video.

Helpfull hints; The mayo acts as a binder to hold everything together, similar to tradiational sushi. Let roll stand for 10min for nori to absorb moisture and firm up. It will be easier to slice. Use a very sharp knife, if dull it will small roll instead of cutting. Keep blade clean, wipe with damp cloth after each cut.

If you don't have access to a bamboo roller use this technique
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZvtvJK8Lfk

Adobo Beef Cheeks

I took the left over marrow bones from my last post. Placed them into the crockpot, along with bay leaves, garlic, vinegar, black pepper and fish sauce. After 24hrs I removed bones and added 2lbs of beef cheeks. Cooked on low for 4hrs. The last hour I adjusted seasonings.

I then removed cheeks and reduced the broth by 1/2. Served over garlic cauli-rice

Next day I came across this recipe for low carb tortillas and gave them a try. I replaced the almond flour with ground sprouted pumpkin seeds.

Treated the cold cheeks like carnitas, shredded and fried. 

Marrow Bones with adobo sauce

This is a Filipino sauce, not to be confused with a Mexican Adobo. There are as many adobo recipes as there are Filipino families. Each unique to the cooks taste

1.5c cane vinegar
1/4c fish sauce
1 head garlic peeled and crushed
2tbsp whole peppercorns
8bay leaves
sea salt

Simmer all ingredients till reduced by 3/4.

3 marrow bone
Sea salt and pepper
Scallions chopped (greens only)


Season marrow bone with salt and pepper, roast at 450deg for 20-30 min

Let rest 15min. drizzle sauce over bones, top with scallions

Save the bones.....but that's another dish

Sour Lemon Bombs

I'm not big on sugar replacements as they make me crave more sweet/carb laden foods. There are many fat bomb recipes floating around that use sweeteners or have some sort of tree nuts (which I can't have), so I create my own. If you've seen my other treat recipes there's little to no sweet added. I prefer salty, spicy and sour.

4oz cacao butter melted
4oz coconut butter softened
1c unsweetened shredded coconut
Lemon zest from 2 lemons
1/2c lemon juice
1/2tsp sea salt

Combine all ingredients, mix thoroughly. Place in the fridge to let cool. mix about every 15min or so as it will want to separate. Once cool enough the cacao stays incorporated. When mixture holds it's shape roll out and slice into 1 inch squares or form into balls. Store at room temp or in the fridge.

I like them cold!

Porky snack

A little experimentation. I've seen mushrooms breaded with panko but never pork rinds.

1egg well beaten 

1oz fatty pork rinds chopped finely in processor

7 crimini mushroom

Preheat oven to 350deg. Dip mushroom in egg then pork rinds, make sure tops are covered and place on cast iron griddle. Bake 25min or until crisp

Pinoy Spaghetti

1lb ground meat

1small onion finely chopped

2gloves garlic minced

2tbsp dry parsley

1tbsp oregano

1tbsp salt

1/2tbsp pepper

Preheat oven to 450deg. Mix all ingredients thoroughly and form into heaping 1tbsp sized balls. Arrange on parchment paper and bake for 10min. Remove from oven and set aside

16oz crushed tomatoes

4oz tomato paste

1/2 banana ketchup

1-2cups beef bone broth (depending on how thick you like)

1 bay leaf

5 hot dogs sliced diagonally

2cloves garlic chopped

1 onion diced

1tbsp lard

salt/pepper to taste

Over medium high heat add lard, onion, garlic, sauté till translucent Add hot dogs and cook till browned. Add meatballs, bay leaf, crushed tomato, tomato paste, ketchup and 1cup broth. Simmer till thickened, add more broth if needed, Taste for salt and pepper

Myeolchi-bokkeum, with a twist

 This traditional Korean dish is made with dried anchovies. I put my take on this recipe by using insects!

1cup dried mealworms

1 tsp lard

1 tsp hot pepper paste, sriracha or sambal

1 tsp coconut aminos

1 tsp cane vinegar

1 tsp honey

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

1tsp toasted sesame oil

salt to taste

Dry fry worms over medium high heat for 90secs and reserve. Combine the next 6 ingredients, cook till bubbling. Remove from heat. Add worms and sesame seed, mix thoughly. Drizzle sesame oil over the top and taste for salt. Serve over cauli-fried rice, steam rice or as a side dish

Sour Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies

A friend gave me a bag of Meyer lemons and have always wanted to try lemon curd so this was my chance to give it a try. The curd was easy, challenging part was the cookie! Majority of gluten free recipes are made with nut flours which I can not have. Decided to coconut butter batter.

Took The nourishing gourmet's recipe and made a couple of changes to suit my tastes. Reduced the honey to 1tbsp and increased the amount of zest and juice. Just typing this me salivate. 

3 eggs

1 tbsp honey

zest from 2 lemons

2/3c lemon juice

6 tbsp butter cut into 24 pieces

Whisk eggs, honey and zest till well combined in a sauce pan. Add remaining ingredients. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly. When it comes to a boil remove from heat and pour into Mason type jar. Mixture will thicken as it cools. Makes 1.5-2cups. Let me tell this is more than tangy, it's down right sour! and the way I like it!!

1c coconut butter softened

1 egg

1tsp baking powder

1/4tsp salt

Preheat oven to 325deg. Combine all ingredients, mix thoroughly. Using a tablespoon form balls then make your thumbprint on a parchment line pan. Bake for 10-12min or until golden. Let cool completely before removing from parchment. Once cool fill with curd.

Cabidela: Braised chicken with blood rice

When the wife's away I get to play...in the kitchen. She does not like the smell of some things I prepare. Going through the freezer and pulled out 2qts of pig blood. Now what to make...

Cabidela! A traditional Portuguese recipe using chicken blood and rice.

1c jasmine rice

1.25c water

1c blood

1-2tbsp vinegar

1tbsp lard

1 onion chopped

2cloves garlic chopped

2 chicken hind quarters

1c white wine

salt to taste

hot sauce to taste ( I used habanero)

Cilantro for garnish

Cook rice (add more water if you like softer rice) 15-20min. Turn off heat then add blood and vinegar. Mix and set aside.

Saute onions and garlic in lard till softened. Add chicken, brown well then pour in wine and hot sauce. Cover and simmer for 30min or until juices run clear. When chicken is done add rice/blood mixture, cook till heated through (5min). Taste for salt, add more hot sauce (I did) if needed.

Typically the the chicken is mixed into the blood and rice.

Mango Coconut Balls

In the mood for a little treat. Rummaging through the cabinets to see what I have and find shredded coconut and dried mango. Put the 2 ingredients in the food processor and pulse. The unsweetened mango is too dry for the mix to bind together.

Next attempt, soak mango for 15min in water to rehydrate. Pulse till mixed thoroughly, form into balls and let rest for an hour to firm up (if you can wait that long).

1cup unsweetened dehydrated mango

1cup shredded coconut

1/2cup water to rehydrate

Persimmon Coconut Cookies

In the mood for some cookies but wanted to get away from the typical seed and coconut flour based recipes. Can't do tree nuts due to allergies.

Out comes the coconut butter, 1 cup to be exact. Add to that 1/2c chopped dried persimmons, 1 egg, 1tbsp honey, 1tsp baking powder, 1/4tsp sea salt. 

Mix thoroughly

Compress into a ball and place silicone mat or parchment

Smash to 1/2in thickness

Bake at 350deg for 8min. Let cool completely before moving, crumbly while still warm but firms up nicely at room temperature

Flavor and texture is surprisingly like shortbread

Persimmon bread, grain fee, nut free, sweetener free

A friend gave me a grocery bag of hachiya persimmons and I have been experimenting. Have been wanting to try a grain/nut free bread but I can not eat almonds. I tried sunflower flour but the was hint of that flavor. This time I tried pumpkin seeds. Ran them through my Vitamix

With the persimmons I prefer crushing so there is some texture

Also mixing by hand 

1.5c persimmon pulp

3 eggs

1/4c lard melted

2c pumpkin seed flower

1tsp cinnamon

1/2tsp ground nutmeg

1/2tsp powdered ginger

1tsp baking powder

3/4tsp sea salt 

Mix wet ingredients and set aside, mix dry ingredients. The combine thoroughly using a spatula. Pour into your favorite bread pan.

After 65min in a 350deg oven the bread moist and delicious...especially with butter!

Chicken Heads and Feet

Tara Firma Farms has lessor wanted parts for a reasonable price. Heads, feet, gizzards and hearts for $3 a bag. Brought home a few of each to try them out. Extremities 1st and innards another time.

First up was bone broth. Tossed the frozen parts in a pot of water. 

Added an onion, a 1tbsp cider vinegar and a tablespoon of salt. Then simmered for 24hrs. Let cool and strained out the solids. Made a solid gelled broth.

Next day I made Sotanghan, a Filipino chicken sabaw (soup). A lime and ginger based broth with carrots, onions, your favorite dark green leafy veg and noodles, kelp used here.

Had a bag of feet and heads left and decided to give Zenbelly's Better than take-out stir fry sauce a try. Made the sauce the nigh before

You need to remove the nails, those babies are sharp

Then simmer for 90min or until tender. Next time I'll got longer, the knuckle cartilage was a but tough. Remove from broth and set a side to cool and dry for about 2hrs. Preheat oven to 450deg. Once dry slather each foot and head in lard and place on baking stone. Roast for about 20min and turn pieces over, continue cooking for another 20min.

        

In a wok heat sauce over high heat. Continue stirring until sauce is reduced and thick

Serve on bed of shredded cabbage. Sauce was great! but I did increase the  Red Boat to 2tbsp

See the brain? Tasted like fatty dark meat. Eyes were a bit chewy