Cluttered Kitchen Keto

My husband and I got married in Jamaica, and even before that, I had a soft spot for Jamaican food. I love the blend of spices, and the heat doesn’t drown out the flavor, it enhances it. When we were down there, I ate jerk chicken or pork almost every day, and eventually when I feel like making it again, I’ll also post my jerk pork recipe. But today is something different.

This recipe is inspired by one I found on a sadly now-defunct recipe website called Jamaican It Paleo several years ago. It was a delightfully spicy chicken curry stew with greens and sweet potatoes, and while it took forever to make, I ate it frequently. Obviously, once I switched over to keto, that stew became off-limits because of the sweet potato. I always meant to try to recreate it without the sweet potato, but I haven’t gotten around to it until now.

There are several keys to this recipe that I’ll mention in here. The first is the Jamaican curry spice. This is not the same as regular curry powder, so don’t substitute that. I am lucky to have a local spice market that carries it, so I just use that. If you buy yours, just make sure the mix doesn’t contain added sugar! If you can’t find it, there are multiple recipes online. This one seems to be pretty standard. All of the ingredients except for the fenugreek can usually be found in your local grocery store. The fenugreek can easily be found in an Indian grocery, as it’s frequently used in Indian food as well. You’ll need 1/4 cup of the spice blend for this recipe. The other key is what you do with it. Most recipes just call for adding the spices in after the meat cooks. You’ll want to coat the meat with it and let it sit and marinate for at least a couple of hours. The longer you let it sit, the more flavorful your end product will be.

So now that you know the crucial deets, let’s get started on the actual recipe. Cube 3 pounds of chicken breasts into bite-sized chunks, then put it in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag and toss in 1/4 cup of Jamaican curry powder. Make sure all the pieces are coated, and put it in the fridge for at least 2 hours. When you’re ready to cook it, set your Instant Pot to saute and add 2 tablespoons of avocado or coconut oil. You’ll want to cook the chicken in two or three batches. They don’t need to get brown and crusty, they just need to cook part-way and toast the spices. Stir them frequently, as the batches might be large enough that not every piece touches the bottom of the Instant Pot very well. Each batch should take about 6-7 minutes max.

While the first batch is cooking, chop half a medium onion, and, using gloves, remove the stem and seeds of one Scotch bonnet or habanero pepper and mince it finely. If you have ventilation in your kitchen, turn it on, and if not, open a window. Remove the first batch of chicken, add two more tablespoons of oil, and put in the second batch of chicken along with the onion and pepper. When it’s close to done, add a tablespoon of garlic and saute for another minute, then stir in a cup of chicken broth and scrape up all the lovely brown spices from the bottom of the pot. Add a can of coconut milk and set the pot for the Soup setting, or for about 30 minutes if your pressure cooker doesn’t have that particular setting. Allow for ten minutes of natural release, then use the quick release after that.

During the ten minutes of natural release, tear a bunch of collard greens into bite size pieces, making sure to remove the thick stems, then wash them in a salad spinner. If you can find callaloo, use it instead of the collard greens, as it’s much more authentic. I didn’t feel like hunting it down, so collard greens it was. Once the Instant Pot is able to be opened, add the collard greens to the chicken, stir them to wilt, then put the lid back on and pressure cook for another 5 minutes. Use the quick release, add up to two teaspoons of salt, and you have your stew. Serve it on its own or over cauliflower rice. Be careful dishing it up, especially if you have white countertops like I do, because the turmeric in the curry powder can stain. For the non-keto folks in your life, this would be great over mashed sweet potatoes or with some fried ripe plantains. This is one of those meals that ends up better after it sits overnight, so it’s perfect for meal-prep.

Instant Pot Jamaican Chicken Curry

A keto Jamaican stew made in the Instant Pot, with healthy leafy greens.

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Prep Time 30 mins

Cook Time 1 hr

Marinating Time 2 hrs

Total Time 3 hrs 30 mins

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine Jamaican

Servings 8

Calories 463 kcal

Equipment

• Instant Pot or other pressure cooker

Ingredients

  

• 1/4 cup avocado or coconut oil divided
• 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1/4 cup Jamaican curry powder see notes above
• 1/2 medium onion chopped
• 1 Scotch bonnet or habanero pepper stemmed, seeded, and minced
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 can full-fat coconut milk
• 1 bunch collard greens or callaloo
• 2 tsp salt

Instructions

 

• Cut up the chicken thighs and put the pieces in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag. Add the curry powder and toss the chicken to make sure all the pieces are coated. Put the chicken in the fridge for at least two hours to marinate.
• Set your Instant Pot to saute and add two tablespoons of avocado or coconut oil. Put 1/3 to 1/2 of the chicken in the pot and saute, turning frequently, for about 6-7 minutes. Remove from pot and add two more tablespoons of oil, then add the remaining chicken along with the chopped onion and pepper. Repeat, then add the garlic and saute for about a minute.
• When the final batch of chicken is done, return the first batch to the pot, then add the chicken broth. Stir to scrape up the toasted spices from the bottom of the pot. When that's complete, stir in a can of coconut milk. Set the Instant Pot on the Soup setting, or for 30 minutes on high pressure. When the timer is finished, wait ten minutes, then use the quick release method.
• During the ten minutes of natural release, remove the collard green leaves from the thick center stem and tear them into tiny pieces. Rinse them in a salad spinner. Once you've opened the Instant Pot, put in the collard greens, stir them a bit so they begin to wilt, and then put the lid back on and pressure cook for another five minutes. Use quick release to open the cooker again and add the salt, being careful to taste after the first teaspoon to see if you need more. Serve by itself or over cauliflower rice.
• Macros per serving: 463 calories, 7 grams net carbs, 33 grams protein, 33 grams fat.

Keyword chicken, high protein, keto, lchf, low carb, meal prep, soup, spicy, stew

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First off, I apologize for how awful this recipe looks. It’s damn near impossible to photograph. But because I really wanted to share this recipe, I just gave up trying to make it look presentable and took a quick snapshot of it directly from my lunch container. I’m sure if I took the time to stage it properly, I might have been able to improve it slightly, but the weather was gorgeous on Sunday and my neighbor invited us over to his pool, and well, priorities.

I should warn you that this soup’s flavor is based on a Cincinnati chili, not the traditional coney sauce, although they’re fairly close. For those of you who have never heard of Cincinnati chili, the first thing I should probably tell you is that it bears only the slightest resemblance to any sort of chili you might be used to. It’s more of a meat sauce than anything else. They serve it over spaghetti, usually, or on hot dogs. If you put cheddar cheese on top, it’s called a 3-way. Add beans or onions, it’s a 4-way. Add all of the above, and it’s a 5-way. Since we don’t eat beans, we’re having this soup as a 4-way with a cheese and onion garnish.

Start off by putting your Instant Pot on the Saute setting and adding 2 tablespoons of avocado oil. Finely mince half an onion, and chop a package of 8 hot dogs into bite-sized chunks. I used Nathan’s hot dogs for this, because they’re what’s used in the classic Coney dog, and also they’re the only hot dogs my kids will eat, so they’re all I keep around. You might be able to find a lower-carb dog, and feel free to use those if you do. The Nathan’s have 1 gram of carbs per dog. Put the dogs and onions into the pot and saute until the onions turn translucent.

While that’s cooking, put together your spice blend. In a small bowl, mix together 4 tablespoons of chili powder, a tablespoon and a half of ground cumin, a rounded teaspoon of oregano, a rounded teaspoon of cinnamon, a half teaspoon of ground allspice, and a quarter teaspoon of ground cloves. Finally, stir in the “secret ingredient”, 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder. The brand I linked to, Guittard, is a very good low-carb variety, with only 1 gram of net carbs per tablespoon. Don’t put any salt and pepper in this, because you’ll want to adjust for that later. Some hot dog varieties are saltier than others, so you’ll want to taste it and season once it’s cooked.

When the onions are soft and translucent, add a tablespoon of minced garlic and saute for about a minute, then add the seasoning and toss it around to toast it for a minute or two. After that, pour in a can of tomato sauce and 4 cups of beef broth. I love these resealable containers, because if you’re making a recipe that calls for a smaller amount, you can just pop the cap back on and store it in the fridge for later. For this recipe, though, you’ll use a whole one. Stir until the spices aren’t all clumped up anymore, then bring it to a boil. Once it’s boiling, crumble in a pound and a half of 85/15 ground beef. That’s right, you don’t cook it first. It ends up with a softer texture and smaller pieces if you put it in directly. Stir it constantly to break up the chunks, and once there are no big chunks of beef left, put the lid on and switch to the Soup setting on your Instant Pot. If you’re using a different brand that doesn’t have a soup setting, set yours for 30 minutes. Once it’s done, do a manual release, then remove the lid once you can safely do so. Turn it to saute and stir in 3/4 cup of shredded cheddar until it’s melted. This should thicken the soup a bit. Add salt and pepper to taste, then serve with a garnish of chopped onion, cheddar cheese, and if you’d like, about a teaspoon of mustard. Yellow is fine, but I really like to use the classic Stadium Mustard if I have it. My macros for this recipe don’t count garnishes, so make sure you count yours separately if you’re tracking.

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The first time I heard about the existence of the Monte Cristo sandwich, I was 21 years old. My boyfriend at the time was on a business trip to Minneapolis, and they put him up in a nice hotel with some fancy room service. He found the description of this sandwich on the menu and we had a good laugh about it. A turkey, ham and swiss sandwich dipped in egg batter and served with powdered sugar and jelly? Basically a french toast grilled cheese? It sounded really gross to me, but also kind of intriguing. I mean, people wouldn’t do this if it weren’t good, right? Otherwise you’re putting something on a menu that people are only going to eat on a dare. I had a chance to try one a couple years later, and I felt bad that he hadn’t gotten one when he had a chance. That thing was AMAZING.

They’ve sort of fallen out of favor recently. I haven’t seen one on a menu in a while. Which is kind of a bummer, but hey, I can make them at home. I didn’t tell the kids what I was making. I just walked up to them and asked a simple question: Would you like powdered sugar on your sandwich? My stepson immediately said “Sure,” which I found a bit surprising. My daughter looked at me like I’d grown a second head, thought about it for five seconds or so, and said “…I guess?” When they looked down and saw the sandwich, sprinkled with powdered sugar and with jelly on the side, the look of confusion on their faces was hysterical. And then they took a bite, and both of them started laughing, and then the table was dead silent until there wasn’t a single speck of food left on either of their plates. I got a hug from my stepson afterwards, which is basically his version of Paul’s handshake on the Great British Baking Show.

When it comes to keto breads, I prefer not to reinvent the wheel. I’m a huge fan of the classic 90-second bread. Diet Doctor has a good recipe for french toast using a modified version of the 90-second bread that I used as my base. Be careful to adjust the recipe to reflect 1 serving, as I did not notice that it was for two servings and my sandwich was super thick and much higher in calories than I thought it was. Oops. I also added a bit of sweetener to the batter, but that depends on your personal preference. Make the bread in that recipe according to the instructions, and slice it in half to make two even slices. Then, before the step that involves dipping the bread in the egg mixture, assemble your sandwich. Use two slices of deli ham and two slices of deli turkey, making sure to avoid brands that have added sugar. Top it with a slice of Swiss cheese, then with the remaining piece of bread. Dip the entire sandwich in the egg mixture, turning multiple times to soak up as much egg mixture as possible. Then fry it in the butter like you would a grilled cheese, about 3 minutes a side on medium-low heat. You may need to put a lid on the pan for a minute or two toward the end to ensure that the cheese melts nicely.

I ended up topping mine with leftover blueberry compote I had after making my Sous Vide Cheesecakes, but low-carb maple syrup or this low-carb jelly with added fiber might be good options as well. I chose not to sprinkle mine with powdered Swerve, but if you do, let me know how it goes!

Keto Monte Cristo Sandwich

Ham, turkey, and Swiss between two slices of the Diet Doctor's french toast. Sounds strange but is good eats!

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 6 mins

Course sandwich

Servings 1

Calories 601 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the Bread

• butter or cooking spray for greasing container
• 1 tbsp almond flour
• 1 tbsp coconut flour
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 small pinch salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 tbsp whipping cream

For the French Toast

• 1 large egg
• 1 tbsp whipping cream
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 small pinch salt
• 1/2 tsp Sukrin Gold fiber syrup or sugar-free maple syrup optional
• 1 tbsp butter for frying

For the Fillings

• 2 slices deli ham
• 2 slices deli turkey
• 1 slice Swiss Cheese
• 1-2 tbsp low-carb jelly or sugar-free maple syrup On the side for dipping

Instructions

 

• Grease a small square container with butter or cooking spray. Add the almond and coconut flours, baking powder, and salt, and stir with a fork. Add the egg and whipping cream and whisk well, until there are no more lumps. Tap the container on the counter to get rid of bubbles, and microwave for 90 seconds to 2 minutes, until it's cooked through. Slice down the center to create two thinner slices of bread.
• Put two slices of ham and two slices of turkey on the bottom slice of bread, add the cheese, then top with the other slice of bread.
• Melt the butter in a non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. In a container larger than the sandwich, whisk together the remaining egg, cream, cinnamon, salt, and sweetener if you'd like it. Dip the sandwich in the batter, turning multiple times to soak in as much of it as possible. Fry the sandwich in the butter, about 3 minutes per side, until golden brown. If needed, put a lid on the pan for the last minute or so to ensure the cheese melts.
• Cut on the diagonal and serve with your low-carb jelly or syrup of choice on the side for dipping.
• Macros per serving, not counting dipping sauces: 601 calories, 32 grams protein, 50 grams fat.

Keyword french toast, ham, keto, lchf, low carb, sandwich, swiss, turkey

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