A Taste of Asia Keto Style

Now that we're all eating most, if not all, of our meals at home, Chinese take-out is more popular than ever, but it's not a great option for those of who follow the Keto diet. One reason is the very high amount of sugar used to sweeten and corn starch to thicken many sauces. There's even hidden carbs in most soups, including egg drop soup. Then there's the obvious high carb count found in rice, noodles, egg rolls and moo shoo wraps. Another reason is the sneaky ingredient, MSG (Monosodium Glutamate), added to so many Chinese recipes. MSG is the sodium salt of amino acids found in many Asian dishes. Ever wonder why you're always hungry again a few hours after a full Chinese meal? That's because of the MSG, added to increase flavor intensity, which actually makes your appetite increase. There are some choices that can be keto-friendly including steamed shrimp and broccoli, but you're still paying for the rice that you can't eat. So, why take out when you can make your own Asian dishes at home.

There are a few basic replacements to keep on hand.

1 - KBosh Cauliflower Crusts for Moo Shoo Wraps

2. Cauliflower Rice for White, Brown or Fried Rice

3. Shiritake Noodles for Pad Thai, Lo Mein and just about any recipe that calls for noodles.

Let's start with the appetizers. Undoubtedly, the most popular first-course is the quintessential Egg Roll. But did you know Chinese egg rolls have 140 calories and 22 carbs? Wow! That's more than a day's worth of carbs on a strict keto diet.

Egg Roll in a Bowl

Egg rolls in a bowl are everything you ever loved about these Chinese apps but were afraid to eat.

Each "Bowl" has less than 2 net carbs

Serving Size - 1/2 cup

Veggie Egg Roll in a Bowl

Once you've gotten this recipe down, add shrimp, ground beef, shredded pork or chicken

Ingredients
8 ounces Shredded Green Cabbage
1 carrot, shredded (using a vegetable peeler)
1/4 cup chopped scallions (separated into white and green parts)
1 TBS soy sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground ginger
2 TBS sesame oil
1 tsp sesame seeds
1 TBS bean sprouts

Optional: 1/2 cup small shrimp, shredded pork or chicken or ground pork

Directions
Chop Cabbage into thin strips and place in mixing bowl

Mince garlic and ginger
Shred the carrot and slice the scallions and add to cabbage

Add soy sauce, 1 TBS oil, ginger and garlic to the cabbage mixture; stir to coat

Add sesame seeds and mix into cabbage

Add 1 TBS oil to saute pan

Add veggies and cook on medium heat until cabbage just begins to wilt

Add bean sprouts and green scallions

Serve in a bowl

Nutrition per 1/2 cup serving
99 calories
1.5 net carbs
3.5g fat

2.5 g protein

Cauliflower Fried Rice

Riced Cauliflower is super easy to make and is an excellent replacement for anywhere rice is normally used in Asian recipes. Rice fresh cauliflower works the best, but Trader Joe's has freshly riced cauliflower in their refrigerated section.

Ingredients

2 cups riced cauliflower

1/2 cup sliced scallions (separate green from white - slice on a bias)

1/2 tsp fresh ginger, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tsp sesame seeds, divided

2 TBS sesame oil, divided

1 large egg, beaten

1/2 cup broccoli florettes

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms

1 TBS plus 1 tsp soy sauce

Directions

To rice your own cauliflower, just cut your head of cauliflower into florets, then place in a blender or food chopper until the cauliflower basically looks like rice.
Important step: squeeze out as much water that you can using a cheese cloth, or dry in microwave
Add 1 TBS sesame oil to a large saute pan

Cook garlic and ginger over a low heat

Add riced cauliflower and cook for 5 minutes

Stir in beaten egg and stir into rice

Add carrot, white scallions, 1 TBS soy sauce and broccoli and heat another 5 minutes

Add mushrooms, remaining soy sauce and 1/2 of the sesame seeds

Cover to steam for 5- 8 minutes

Add bean sprouts, the remaining sesame seeds and green scallion tops

Keto Moo Shoo

Keto Moo Shoo Chicken

The base recipe for Moo Shoo can be modified by

adding chicken, shrimp, beef, pork or tofu

Ingredients for the Base Recipe
4 Savory KBosh Crusts

1 Cup Shredded Green Cabbage
1 Cup Shredded Red Cabbage
1/4 Cup Shredded Carrot
1/2 Cup Sliced Scallions - separate white from green
2 Cloves Garlic (about 1 TBS minced)
1 tsp Ginger
3-4 Slices Jalapeno Pepper (removed before serving)
2 TBS Sesame Oil
2 TBS Soy Sauce
1 TBS Sesame Seeds
2 Eggs (Beaten)
1/2 cup Sliced Mushrooms

1/4 cup bean sprouts

Directions
Step 1
Shred Cabbage
Par Boil
Set Aside

Step 2
Using a Large Saute Pan or Dutch Oven, add Olive Oil, Garlic, Ginger and the White Sliced Scallions
Don't let garlic brown
Add the Red Cabbage, Carrot, Green Cabbage,
Jalapeno Pepper and stir until just tender

Step 3

Add Egg and scramble

Add Remaining Scallions, Soy, Sesame Seeds and Mushrooms

Step 4 (Optional)

At this point, you can add 1 cup of a protein of your choice

Shredded Chicken

Shredded Pork

Shrimp

Tofu

Sliced Flank, Skirt or Flat Iron Steak

Serve with Warm Kbosh Crusts

Simply place your favorite KBosh crust on a non-stick pan over a low0medium heat for 3 minutes. Turn it over and heat for another 3 minutes, Remove and place onto a serving plate or board. Add your Moo Shoo fillings. Fold over like a taco. Serve and enjoy!