Keto Dragon Eggs / Keto Scotch Eggs

Keto Dragon Eggs a.k.a. Keto Scotch Eggs

This is a great dish for any kind of fantasy-themed event and laid on a salad you can easily imagine a nest of eggs from some far-off land. The first time I saw this dish was actually at Harry Potter World. I knew there would be sugar and breadcrumbs in the mixture but they looked great and I’ve been wanting to make my own recipe of it ever since!

Seasoning: You’ll want to avoid regular pre-packed breakfast sausage for this recipe as they almost always have sugar in them, but it’s quite easy to make your own spiced breakfast sausage. The pork panko in this recipe lends the crispiness you’d normally get from caramelized sugar in the sausage,  although if you’re really craving some caramelized meat you could mix in some Brown Sugar Swerve into the pork with the spices. (However, I think it’s good to limit your sweetener, even keto ones.) There are onion flakes in this recipe, but a little goes a long way. Onions are fairly carby so if you decide to deviate from the recipe some don’t go too crazy with it. 

Eggs: If you’re looking to save some time and effort you can buy hardboiled eggs from the store instead of boiling and peeling them yourself. My local Costco sells them in large packs. Egg boiling time can vary based on the type of eggs, size, altitude, and various factors. Play with the time if you need to in order to get them as you like and then write down that type for yourself. A slotted spoon will help you remove the eggs safely from the hot water. I’ve found a pound of ground pork covers roughly 8 eggs, but if you have a dozen go ahead and make them all so you have some regular plain hard boiled eggs. They’re a great keto snack on their own and can be used to make devilled eggs or egg salad. It also helps if you end up peeling an egg a little too forcefully and it falls apart, you can save the nicer eggs for the scotch eggs.

If you’d like to find GREAT eggs and pork I highly recommend www.eatwild.com to find local farms with focus on humane practices, sustainability, and human health.

This recipe is also a great one for those of you doing carnivore, though you may wish to leave out the seasoning depending on strictness. It’s really just eggs wrapped in meat and cheese. And of course, you’ll probably want to skip out on the salad.

Keto Dragon Eggs a.k.a. Keto Scotch Eggs

Equipment:

Ingredients

  • 8 Eggs 
  • 1lb Ground Pork (Unseasoned)
  • 1 tablespoon Paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon Allspice
  • 1 teaspoon Salt (Recommend Redmond’s)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes (Black pepper would work too) (Or more to preference)
  • 1 teaspoon Onion flakes
  • 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning 
  • 1 tablespoon Brown Swerve (Optional)
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup Pork Panko

Hard boiling the Eggs

  1. Place the eggs into a saucepan or saute pan and fill with cold water until there’s about an inch of water above the top of the eggs.
  2. Place the pan on medium heat on the stove to bring it to a rolling boil (lots of big bubbles that come to the top). As soon as it comes to the boil cover it with a lid, turn off the stove but leave the pan there. Let it sit on the hot eye for 10-12 minutes. Remove eggs from hot water with a slotted spoon and put them into a bowl. Set the bowl in the sink and let cold water run over the eggs for a minute. This will make the eggs cool enough to peel.
  3. Peel the hardboiled eggs carefully and set them aside on a plate.

Turning them into Scotch Eggs

  1. Preheat the oven to 375F. 
  2. Line your cookie sheet with aluminum foil.
  3. Pour the parmesean cheese and panko pork rinds into a corner of the cookie sheet and mix them together. This will be the outside crust of the scotch eggs.
  4. In a large bowl mix the ground pork, paprika, allspice, salt, pepper, onion flakes, Italian seasoning, and (optionally) the brown swerve. Wash your hands thoroughly and use a hand to blend the meat with the spices until the spices are evenly distrubuted through the meat. 
  5. Flatten the meat in the bowl, then use your hand to draw a line down the middle. This will cut it in half. Do it again across to divide the meat into 4ths. Then again to divide it into 8ths. You’ll have a section of meat for each egg. 
  6. Take a piece of the divided meat and flatten it in your palm. Try to keep it evenly flattened. Then wrap it around a hard boiled egg. Carefully roll it between two hands to make a ball and evenly distrubute the pork around the egg. You can also use a pinching motion to pull the pork where it needs to go to cover the gaps. You shouldn’t be able to see any of the white hardboiled egg when you’re done, it will just look like a pork ball.
  7. Place the pork ball into the parmesean/pork panko blend and roll it around until it’s fully covered in the crumb mix. 
  8. If you’d like it to be a little more “egg” shaped instead of a ball you can roll it on it’s side a little to elongate the egg shape. (Not really necessary though, it’ll taste the same! I don’t bother.)
  9. Repeat for the rest of the eggs. If you have leftover crumb mixture you can try to roll the eggs in it with a little more pressure so it picks it up. And/or sprinkle it on top.
  10. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes. Time will vary based on your oven but you’re looking for a nice toasted brown to the crumb coating outside.
  11. Enjoy on a bed of fresh salad. I really like a 50/50 salad with either mustard on the side to dip the eggs into or a nice sweetish dressing on the salad like Primal Kitchen Balsamic Vinegarette, Primal Kitchen Island Teriyaki, or even Primal Kitchen Honey Mustard (careful with carbs on this one).

Keto Almost Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich

Crispy, buttery toast is topped with almond butter and strawberry puree for a keto twist on the standard peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I remember when I was young my mom had a sandwich press to make PB&J sandwiches that would seal in the filling and if you have one this is an awesome time to use it. If you’re like me and you can’t really justify yet another kitchen gadget then feel free to make it stovetop on a regular pan, just prepare to eat this one with a fork! Without the sugar of a traditional jam the strawberries won’t just stay in place–but they still taste great.

You can make this as an open-face sandwich (aka just 1 piece of bread) in order to cut back on the carbs. If you like the taste of bread on both sides like I do you can simply fold your 1 piece of bread diagonally into a triangle. While you may have fond memories as I do of a PB&J being a decent meal keep in mind with keto that this is a fair amount of carbs–so personally I treat this as a dessert. It’s a great dish for those of you doing the #unsweetketochallenge! 

Make sure you get almond butter with no sugar added. The best almond butters come in a glass jar and have only one ingredient: almonds. My favorite by far is the Once Again Natural Creamy almond butter. 

Want an even more delightfully sweet sandwich? Replace the strawberries with a bar of Choczero Milk Chocolate Hazelnut and let it melt into the almond butter.  You’ll have something very similar to a Nutella Sandwich with a bit of a crunch.

Keto Jam

I made this recipe before this product existed, but Choczero now carries Strawberry Jam! I quite like it, but I don’t always have it on hand and it’s not always in stock. Of course, plain strawberries are healthier than a product mixed with sweeteners, but it’s an option.

Keto Almost Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich

  1. Place your strawberries into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 30seconds-1minute until you can easily smash them with a spoon to create a puree. This will be your “jam”. (If you really need it sweeter you can add a tablespoon of erythritol or erythritol/monkfruit blend and stir).
  2. Turn the stove on to medium. Put the bread directly into the pan with no butter. Wait until the bottom just barely starts to turn brown before you flip it over. (If you’re like me and keep your bread stored in the freezer this can take a few minutes)
  3. As the other side is toasting, drop a knob of butter per each slice of bread into the pan. It’ll start to melt and you can use the spatula to drag the bread over the melted butter. Flip the toast to coat the other side in butter as well. 
  4. Add the almond butter and spoon out some strawberry puree onto the toast. You may wish to let this toast a little longer so the fillings can warm up slightly.

Air Fryer Ribeye

I usually use Costco Ribeye steaks because they are thick, fatty, and inexpensive. Thinner steaks or grassfed steaks will take less time to cook. I often eat these steaks with some cauliflower rice on the side. Overall this is the easiest way I’ve found to cook steak. Just be sure to clean the grease out of your air fryer regularly, anything that drips can be a fire hazard. 

Air Fryer Ribeye

0.) When I bring ribeye home from the market I like to put it into a ziplock bag so that it can be frozen without getting freezer burn. Freeze them 2 per bag next to each other so that they defrost faster. If you stack them they will take longer to defrost.

1.) If the ribeye is frozen it needs to be placed in the refrigerator to defrost. I suggest cooking 2 ribeyes at a time. You can sometimes fit 4 ribeyes in though. This can take a couple of days. I suggest putting it into a fridge drawer so that if the bag leaks it is easy to clean up and it doesn’t spill onto other foods.

2.) On the day of cooking the steak set the steak out on the counter so it can come to room temperature. This allows the steak to cook more evenly and it will be more tender. I like to set out my steak for 3 hrs. Set a timer so you don’t forget.

3.) Set the temperature on the air fryer to 400F and the timer to 5 minutes. This will allow the oven to preheat and cook the steak more evenly. 

4.) Set the air fying rack on top of the pan.

5.) Set the ribeyes on top of the air frying rack.

6.) Place the pan + air frying rack into the air fryer and set the timer for 10 minutes. 

7.) Once the timer goes off use tongs to carefully flip over the ribeyes. 

8.) Set the timer for another 10 minutes.

9.) Pull out the pan and set it on top of the oven. You can press into them with tongs to check for doneness or use a meat thermometer. This time should make them about medium.

10.) Salt alone is already a great seasoning. You can also add black pepper or use a steak seasoning that has no sugar in it. 

 

 

 

Keto Paleo Instant Pot Chili (No Beans) (No Soy)

Recipe Notes

This is a filling dish you can cook and even freeze ahead of time. This will just barely fit into an Instant Pot Duo Mini. If you don’t have an instant pot you can still cook this in a slow cooker or stovetop.

Ingredients

Primal Kitchen Steak Sauce (Optional) – A traditional chili calls for worcestershire sauce, which can often contain soy, sugar, and even vegetable oils. This paleo keto sauce is a much healthier alternative. Don’t sweat it though if you can’t get this ingredient. It adds some definite flavor, but the chili will still taste quite good without it.

Pair With:

  • This recipe goes great with a keto cornbread! Luckily Good Dee’s and High Key have corn-free keto cornbreads to make things easier. Slather it with butter for extra flavor and enjoy warm bread with a cozy bowl of chili.
  • Prefer crunch with your chili? Try the Cheddar Whisps on the side, they’re a great replacement for cheese crackers. Word of warning though: Don’t just dump these into the bowl, they’ll get soggy. Just have one after having a bite of chili for a delightful cheesy crunch.
  • For a more plain traditional cracker try the Fat Snax Almond Flour Keto Crackers. Keto isn’t always about the cheese! That said they do also have a cheddar flavor that I like to eat with this chili.


Keto Paleo Instant Pot Chili (No Beans) (No Soy)

Ingredients

  • 3lbs Ground Beef (I use 85% lean. 80% is also ok.)
  • 1/2 Cup diced frozen onion (I use frozen diced to save time. This is about 1 medium onion)
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 28oz can diced tomatoes
  • 1 6-oz can tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp Primal Kitchen Steak Sauce
  • 4 tablespoons chili powder
  • 2 tablespoons cumin
  • 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 cup beef bone broth with no sugar (Like Kettle and Fire) or 2 cups for a more soupy-chili
  • 1 bay leaf (optional)

Optional Toppings

  • Sour Cream
  • Chives
  • Shredded Cheese
  1. Place your instant pot on the counter and make sure it’s not under a cabinet because steam will come out the top.
  2. Select the “Sauté” setting on the instant pot. Don’t use the lid yet. Add the chopped onion and cook until the onions are see through and slightly brown (carmelized)(approx 15 min). Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
  3. Add the ground beef and break it apart with your spatula. Keep using a chopping motion to break it into smaller and smaller parts and mix in the onions and garlic. Stir and flip the meat until it’s all cooked through (browned). Making smaller pieces will give it a better texture so make sure you break up any clumps of meat.
  4. Add the rest of the ingredients except the bay leaf to the pot and stir until everything is combined. Place the bay leaf on top in the middle.
  5. Put the lid on and lock it into place. Press “Keep Warm/Cancel” to stop the saute cycle. Press the “Meat/Stew” button once and leave it. It will say “high pressure”. It will just say “On” while it comes up to pressure. Leave it at the default 35 minutes to cook. Keep in mind it will take time to come up to pressure and also to release pressure so overall it will take longer (about1.5hrs) for it to cook.
  6. You’ll hear a beep when the time is done and pressure will start releasing on it’s own (natural release). In about 30-40minutes you’ll see the knob on top has turned to the venting position and you can try to open the lid. If the lid feels “stuck” leave it alone, it’s still got pressure it needs to release. If you’re in a hurry you can do a quick release (use a long spatula to knock the knob into the venting position, but CAREFUL, a lot of steam will come out!) and it’ll be done in about 5 minutes. However, this will mean the flavors won’t get to mix together quite as well.

 

Stovetop Directions

After cooking the ground beef and mixing all the ingredients together, cover with a lid and turn the temperature to low. Let it simmer for 1hr. 

If you’re in a hurry after cooking the ground beef and mixing it all together you can cook it on medium instead for about 20 minutes, but keep an eye on it and stir it frequently to avoid burning. The flavors won’t come together quite as well, but personally, I don’t think it’s a huge difference. Not something I’d do in a chili cookoff but it’s fine for a nightly meal in a rush.

Slow Cooker Directions

The directions are mostly the same but you will want to cook it for 6-7 hours on low or 3-4hours on high to let the flavors meld together.