I’ll make an admission first off. This wasn’t meant to be a browned butter recipe. But I started the butter and oil in the pot, got the chicken cooking in a skillet, and then went outside to my garden to pick some raspberries and tomatoes and some sage for this recipe. When I got back, the butter was browned. Oops. But I figured it would be tasty, so I went with it. Sometimes in life you get a happy accident.

I love risotto. It’s one of my favorite things to order in Italian restaurants, mainly because I’ve been gluten free for so long that I can’t get most anything else. But still, risotto is delicious. And it’s really versatile, because you can throw almost anything you have in the fridge into it and it’ll still taste good. Is cauliflower risotto as good as regular risotto? Of course not. You’re not going to get that creamy starchy goodness that you get from the short-grain rice slowly cooking. But the cauliflower version is much easier to make, so it’s got that going for it, which is nice.

For a lot of recipes that call for riced cauliflower, I’ll use frozen, because it’s so much easier. For this one, though, you’ll need fresh, because it cooks for a while and it’ll turn into complete mush by the time everything is finished. My grocery store has recently started carrying 1-pound bags of pre-riced fresh cauliflower, which is awesome because I absolutely hate doing it myself. It makes a complete mess of my kitchen and gets everywhere no matter how hard you try to avoid it. So the base of this recipe is 2 pounds of riced fresh cauliflower. Buy it pre-riced if you can, otherwise godspeed.

You’ll need two separate pans for this recipe: a non-stick skillet and a large saucepot or Dutch oven. Use some cooking spray on the non-stick skillet–I use this avocado oil one that I get from Costco. For the pot, you’ll want to add two tablespoons of olive oil and two tablespoons of butter. Heat both the skillet and the pot over medium-high heat. While they’re heating, sprinkle two chicken breasts with salt and pepper and mince one shallot. Mince enough sage leaves to make 1/4 cup, then set those aside. Put the chicken in the skillet and get it started cooking. Wait for the butter in the pot to start to brown before you start cooking the shallots. Make sure the butter doesn’t smoke–if it does, you’ve cooked it too much. Cook the shallots for about three minutes, then add your cauliflower and toss it to distribute the butter.

Keep an eye on your chicken while you’re doing all this. Depending on thickness, it should take about 6-8 minutes per side to be cooked through. After the cauliflower is coated in the butter and oil mixture, pour in a cup of chicken broth and stir frequently until most of the broth has evaporated. By this point your chicken should be done, so remove it from the pan and let it rest on a cutting board. Add 8 ounces of sliced baby bella mushrooms to the pan in a single layer and sprinkle them with kosher salt to taste. I used two good pinches.

While the mushrooms cook, pour a half cup of cream into the cauliflower and add a cup of grated parmesan cheese. You want the real stuff for this, not the canned shelf-stable variety. Keep stirring and add the sage. When most of the liquid has evaporated and the cauliflower rice has a creamy texture, add a tablespoon of kosher salt (you read that right–cauliflower needs a lot of salt) and 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg. Turn the heat down to low, slice the chicken breasts, and stir them and the cooked mushrooms into the pot. Add black pepper to taste and serve, or put into meal prep containers. This reheats really well in the microwave.

Browned Butter Cauliflower Risotto with Chicken and Mushrooms

An elegant cauliflower risotto with browned butter, sage, parmesan, chicken, and mushrooms.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Course Main Course

Servings 6

Calories 330 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 large chicken breasts about 1 pound total
• 1 shallot minced
• 2 lbs riced fresh cauliflower
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 8 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh sage
• 1 tbsp kosher salt plus more to taste
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• black pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• Spray a non-stick skillet with cooking spray. Put the olive oil and butter into a large saucepot or Dutch oven. Heat both over medium-high heat.
• While the pans are heating up, salt and pepper the chicken breasts, chop the sage, and mince the shallot. Saute the chicken breasts in the skillet. Once the butter is browned but not smoking, saute the shallots for three minutes.
• Add the cauliflower to the pot and stir to coat with the butter and oil mixture. By this point, the chicken breasts should be ready to turn. Once you've turned them, add the chicken broth to the cauliflower and cook, stirring frequently, until most of the liquid has been evaporated.
• Remove the chicken from the pan once it's cooked through and add the mushrooms in a single layer, sprinkling with salt to taste. Add the heavy cream, parmesan, and sage to the cauliflower and cook until it's creamy and most of the liquid is gone, about five minutes. Turn the heat to low. By this point the mushrooms should be nicely browned.
• Slice the chicken and stir it and the mushrooms into the rice. Add a tablespoon of salt, the nutmeg, and black pepper to taste. Serve immediately or store in meal prep containers.
• Macros per serving: 330 calories, 6 grams net carbs, 28 grams protein, 18 grams fat.

Keyword cauliflower rice, chicken, high protein, keto, low carb, low-calorie, meal prep

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Any embedded link to a product earns me a portion of the purchase price if you click and buy it.

Please follow and like us:

I think one of the most common questions I see on the various keto Facebook groups is something along the lines of “What do I get when I go out for Mexican food?” The general response is usually something along the lines of “Get a plate of fajitas, don’t eat the tortillas, beans, or rice, and maybe get some guacamole to put on it.” I do this all the time when I’m at a Mexican place. But chorizo is my first love. Most places have a dish that’s a mixture of chicken, chorizo, and queso or ranchero sauce, and it’s delicious, but I like having the fajita veggies too. This meal combines those two things, and I think it turned out great.

First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. You’ll need two skillets for this one, an enameled cast iron skillet for the chicken, and a non-stick one for the chorizo and veggies. Start by chopping your vegetables. You’ll need half of a red bell pepper, half of a green bell pepper, half of a yellow bell pepper, and half of an onion, all sliced into strips, and two jalapeños, finely minced. Put those in a bowl and set them aside for now. For your chicken breasts, you’ll want four medium-sized ones, about a pound and a quarter or so. Season those with two teaspoons of Mexican seasoning and an extra half-teaspoon to a teaspoon of salt.

Put both skillets on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add a tablespoon of avocado oil to the cast iron skillet. When they reach the proper temperature, put a pound of chorizo in the non-stick skillet and the seasoned chicken breasts into the cast iron. Once the chicken breasts are in there, start breaking up your chorizo into chunks with a spatula, then add the vegetables to the pan. By this point, the chicken should be close to flipping.

While the other side of the chicken is cooking, add 6 ounces of cubed cream cheese to the pan with the chorizo, stirring it until it melts, then add a quarter cup of heavy cream. Stir it until it creates a creamy sauce with a uniform texture. Turn off the two skillets, and pour the chorizo sauce over the chicken breasts in the cast-iron skillet. Top it with a cup of shredded cheese of your choice. I used 3 ounces of chihuahua cheese and an ounce of cheddar, because that’s what I had in open bags in my fridge. Queso blanco or pepper jack would also be awesome. Pop the skillet into the preheated oven for 10 minutes to allow the cheese to melt and the chicken to finish cooking. I served this over cauliflower rice, but honestly, it didn’t really need it. It would have been fine on its own.

Chorizo Smothered Chicken

A Mexican keto dish with sauteed chicken breasts covered in a creamy, cheesy chorizo sauce.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 4

Calories 701 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 4 medium chicken breasts about 1.25 pounds
• 2 tsp Mexican spice blend see notes above
• 1/2 to 1 tsp Kosher salt
• 1 tbsp avocado oil
• 1 lb Mexican chorizo
• 1/2 medium green bell pepper sliced into strips
• 1/2 medium yellow bell pepper sliced into strips
• 1/2 medium red bell pepper sliced into strips
• 1/2 medium yellow onion sliced into strips
• 2 jalapeño peppers
  
  minced
• 6 ounces cream cheese cubed
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup shredded cheese see notes above

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Heat a nonstick skillet and an enameled cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken breasts with the Mexican spice blend and the salt to taste. Put the oil in the cast iron skillet. Add the chorizo to the nonstick skillet and the chicken to the cast iron skillet.
• Break the chorizo up with a spatula as it cooks, then add the peppers and onions. Flip the chicken after five minutes and set a timer for another five minutes. After flipping the chicken, add the cream cheese to the chorizo mixture and stir until it melts, then stir in the cream.
• When the chicken has cooked for five minutes on both sides, turn off the heat on both skillets and pour the chorizo sauce over the chicken. Top with the cheese and bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve.
• Macros per serving: 701 calories, 7 grams net carbs, 57 grams protein, 48 grams fat.

Keyword chicken, chorizo, easy, high protein, keto, lchf, low carb, Mexican

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Any embedded link to a product earns me a portion of the purchase price if you click and buy it.

Please follow and like us:

I have a lot of different food influences. I’ve mentioned a couple of times on here that half of my family is Brazilian, so I enjoy South American food. The other half of my mom’s side of the family is very southern, so I also love a lot of the classic southern delicacies. Country ham with red-eye gravy? Yes, please. You’ve already seen me use sawmill gravy a few times in my breakfast foods. And this one…well, I’ve grown up eating fried green tomatoes almost every summer. When done properly, they’re a perfect blend of crispy but light breading, and juicy and tart tomato inside. I’m hungry just thinking about it.

Our garden finally started producing actual decent-sized tomatoes recently. We’re just waiting for them to turn. Two nights ago, I went out to check on them, and there were three big tomatoes just speaking to me, saying “Pick me now and make fried green tomatoes with me!” And who am I to argue with a talking plant? Plus, I needed a side dish to go with my grilled burger patty, so it worked out entirely too well.

Start with three green tomatoes. Make sure they’re big enough for you to get four slices out of each one. Put those on a plate. In a small bowl, beat one egg, and put that next to the plate of tomatoes. Finally, make your breading by mixing together 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup of pork rind crumbs, a teaspoon of salt, black pepper to taste, and two teaspoons of your favorite spice blend. I used a za’atar blend for a little Middle Eastern kick, but your possibilities are endless. I’d definitely consider using Old Bay if you want to keep them with a more Southern flavor, or even Cajun seasoning for a little spicier kick. Cut back the salt if the spice blend you use has salt in it. If you want to make them vegetarian, you can try omitting the pork rinds and using only parmesan, or substituting almond flour for the pork rinds. I haven’t tried this, but if you do, please leave a comment and let me know how it worked!

Heat up 6 tablespoons of avocado oil in an enameled cast iron skillet. I suggest cast iron here because it keeps a more even heat for frying than a non-stick skillet, but won’t have the potential for the breading to stick as much as a stainless steel skillet would. Plus, it’s just more southern to cook in cast-iron. So get the heat up to medium high and make sure the oil is nice and shiny, then start breading. Dip a slice of the tomato into the egg, then dredge in the breading to coat both sides. Carefully place it into the oil, then repeat. Depending on the size of the tomatoes, you’ll need to do these in 2-3 batches. By the time you get your last slice in, the first one will probably be ready to flip. Check to see if the bottom breading is golden brown, and if it is, flip the slice over. You’ll probably want to fry them for about 3 minutes per side. When both sides are brown, put them on a plate that’s lined with paper towels to drain. Put them in an oven set on warm if you need to keep them warm while the next batches cook.

When they’re all done, serve them immediately. These won’t reheat well. I sprinkled mine with goat cheese, but they’d also be excellent with ranch dressing or pimiento cheese. If you want to get super fancy, try making them into a great breakfast by topping them with a poached egg and some hollandaise to make a fun version of Eggs Benedict!

Keto Fried Green Tomatoes

A classic Southern side dish with a low-carb breading and a fun spicy twist!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 12 mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American, Southern

Servings 4

Calories 211 kcal

Equipment

• Cast-iron skillet

Ingredients

  

• 3 medium green tomatoes
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup pork rind crumbs
• 2 teaspoons za'atar or other spice blend see notes above
• 1 tsp salt
• black pepper to taste
• 6 tbsp avocado oil

Instructions

 

• Slice each tomato into 4 slices of even thickness. Beat the egg in a small bowl. Combine the parmesan, pork rind crumbs, spice blend, salt, and pepper with a fork, then place it on a plate.
• Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a cast-iron skillet. Once the oil begins to shimmer, dip a tomato slice into the egg, then coat with the crumbs. Gently place it into the oil and repeat with the remaining slices, placing them about an inch apart. Flip each slice with tongs when the bottom begins to turn golden brown, about 2-3 minutes, then cook for 2-3 minutes more. Remove from the pan and place on a plate or baking dish lined with paper towels. Place in the oven on warm if needed. Repeat in batches until all the tomatoes are fried.
• Macros per serving: 211 calories, 3 grams net carbs, 10 grams protein, 17 grams fat.

Keyword keto, lchf, low carb, side dish, Southern, tomatoes, vegetables

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Any embedded link to a product earns me a portion of the purchase price if you click and buy it.

Please follow and like us: