I decided to go the Ketogenic route four weeks ago at the encouragement of a friend of mine who now looks fabulous, by the way, 5 months after she’s started on it.
I was hesitant at first, not because I don’t think I can give up the carbs and sugar, but because I wasn’t sure I could afford it. You see, it would mean having to substitute many of our food products to keto-friendly versions. Later on, after reading up on it and studying my pro’s and con’s, I realized it doesn’t have to be complicated. Of course some substitutes are necessary, but overall, it’s okay. We’re still eating Adobo, Tinola and Bistek here.
Of course I had to get rid of rice, and after trying shiratake noodles to replace my carb cravings, I felt the need to find another that would satisfy me more. I’m not really much of a pasta and noodles eater so shiratake just didn’t suit.
Cauliflower is really expensive nowadays, unless you’re from Baguio where all the good, crunchy veggies are! So I just got a single floret at the supermarket to try the recipe that I found online and see if I’ll like it. I made a few alterations, basically because I forgot to get eggs yesterday and decided to cook it the way I would cook our fried rice.
I was expecting some weird crumbly thingy in my mouth, but no, that’s isn’t how it is at all. I think my husband will rejoice when he gets to taste this. (I’m forcing him to join the keto-wagon with me, haha!)
Ingredients:
1 medium floret of Cauliflower, washed and dried 2-3 pieces of garlic, chopped 1 small onion, chopped 1/4 cup of green peas 1/4 cup of carrots, chopped
Kikkoman sauce
How to cook:
1. Take out the stems of the cauliflower and put all the heads in a food processor. I used the “chop” button to process it.
2. Put oil in the pan. Saute onions until transparent in color, add garlic and carrots.
3. Add the green peas, stir fry all the ingredients.
4. Add the chopped cauliflower and pour a little kikkoman to taste.
5. Serve!
Watch out for the carrots and green peas!
From what I’ve learned about the Ketogenic diet, you are advised to eat more leafy green vegetables and to lay off the root crops because they are usually high in carbs.
In a chart I downloaded, it says carrots can be eaten in moderation and not often and for the green peas, which falls under “starchy foods,” some keto dieters advise that you check the carb content before eating them, but best to avoid them if you can.
Here’s the chart:
Source: Ketogenic PH
A short note on the Ketogenic diet
Just a quick note: Ketogenic isn’t just about what you can or cannot eat. It’s choosing healthier options, just a little more on the veggies and proteins and laying off the sugar which, by the way, feeds Cancer; and the carbs. It’s really about discipline, too, because you still need to count your calories and exercise. You can’t Keto, binge-eat, and be lazy. It doesn’t work that way.
And yes, you eat fats but not just any fat! Healthy fats! Like those from Avocados, grass-fed butter, and Almonds. It isn’t about pigging out on pork because that can bring your cholesterol up and cause you heart issues.
By rule, I try to stick to products that has 5 grams or less carbs. I used Jolly Green Peas which records carbs at 5 grams, so that’s not bad. Although to be honest, the carrots and the green peas are there for photo purposes, haha! They’re colors, so they make a dish look really great.
Cauliflower rice is pretty heavy on the stomach. It’s like eating rice. The good part is that it satisfies the cravings, too. Have you ever eaten so much but hated how you feel afterwards? This is certainly not one of them.
It tastes right on the mouth, texture-wise. It doesn’t feel or taste weird at all. One girl in my Facebook group even said hers tasted like the real thing and I just have to agree on mine. It does feel and taste like the real thing.
So how about you make a go for it in your kitchen. Let know how you fare and let me see your dish. You’re going to love it, I promise!