Eat guilt-free thanks to these keto comfort food recipes
Chef Rocco DiSpirito shows "The View" how to make delicious keto-friendly meals.
Chef Rocco DiSpirito's delicious dishes will actually make you want to take part in the popular keto diet!
The author of "Rocco's Keto Comfort Food Diet" joined "The View" on Friday to share some of his favorite dishes with the co-hosts.
DiSpirito's keto-friendly recipes, like "Macaroni" and Cheese, Hot Crispy Keto Fried Chicken and Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie had the co-hosts eating up every last bite!
Check out Rocco DiSpirito's classic keto comfort food recipes, which taste just as good — or even better than — the real thing.
Excerpted (or adapted) from "ROCCO’S KETO COMFORT FOOD DIET" by Rocco DiSpirito. Copyright © 2020 by Rocco DiSpirito. Excerpted by permission of Rodale Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved.
Buffalo Chicken Salad
Serves 6 | Prep Time: 20 mins. Cook time: 15 mins.
"To me, there’s nothing more appetizing than Buffalo chicken wings," Di Spirito said in his book. "I decided to 'wing' it by creating a salad that would impart all the great flavors of this dish."
"It features chicken tenders rather than wings coated in a taste-bud-tantalizing Buffalo sauce. And what is Buffalo chicken without ranch dressing? It’s all here -- enjoy!"
Ingredients for Buffalo Chicken
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• Celtic sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups pork rinds, pulsed in a food processor to resemble panko (about ½ cup ground)
• ½ pound chicken tenders
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons unsalted grass- fed butter, melted
• ¼ cup hot sauce
Ingredients for Creamy Ranch Dressing
• ¼ cup sour cream
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• ¹⁄₃ cup full-fat buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1½ teaspoons coconut aminos
• ½ teaspoon celery salt 1 clove garlic, grated
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• Celtic sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
Ingredients for Salad
• 8 cups chopped romaine lettuce (1½ to 2 heads)
• 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced on the diagonal
• 2 scallions, white and light- green parts only, thinly sliced
• ½ cup crumbled blue cheese
Directions
1. MAKE THE BUFFALO CHICKEN: Set up a dredging station: Place the eggs in a large bowl or shallow baking dish and season with salt and pepper. Place the ground pork rinds in a separate bowl or shallow baking dish. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Dip the chicken in the eggs and then in the ground pork rinds, shaking off any excess.
2. In a cast-iron skillet or heavy-bottomed pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in batches, if necessary, add the chicken tenders to the pan without crowding and cook until golden brown and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels. When cool enough to handle, cut the chicken into 1-inch pieces.
3. In a large bowl, stir together the melted butter and hot sauce. Toss the fried chicken tenders lightly in the butter mixture.
4. MAKE THE CREAMY RANCH DRESSING: In a large bowl, whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, buttermilk, lemon juice, coconut aminos, celery salt, garlic, chives and parsley until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. ASSEMBLE THE SALAD: Divide the romaine among 6 plates and top with celery, scallions, and blue cheese. Serve the creamy ranch dressing on the side. (Alternatively, toss the romaine, celery, scallions, blue cheese, and ranch dressing in a large bowl until evenly coated.) Place the chicken on top of the salad and serve.
MaMa's Keto Meatballs with Zucchini Noodles
Serves 6 | Prep Time: 30 mins. Cook time: 1½ hours
"This dish is a keto comfort food version of my mother’s signature dish, fondly known as Mama’s Meatballs," DiSpirito said in his book. "While you won’t find them on a mound of begging-to-be-twirled spaghetti, you’ll still be wowed by their full-on flavor atop zoodles."
Ingredients for Marinara Sauce
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, crushed through a press
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped yellow onion
• ¾ teaspoon tomato paste
• Red pepper flakes
• Celtic sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (16-ounce) can tomato puree
• ½ (16-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• ¼ cup chicken stock, 1½ cups water
• ¹⁄₈ teaspoon liquid stevia (optional)
Ingredients for Meatballs
• Olive oil or avocado oil cooking spray
• ¹⁄₃ cup chicken stock
•¼ yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 1 clove garlic, peeled but whole
• ½ pound ground beef
• ½ pound ground pork
• ½ pound ground veal
• ¹⁄₃ cup crushed herbed parmesan crisps (page 189) or store-bought parmesan crisps
• 2 large eggs
• ¼ cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ¼ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
Ingredients for Meatballs
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound store-bought zucchini noodles
• Celtic sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
1. MAKE THE MARINARA SAUCE: In a saucepot, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook until the garlic is tender and the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for 30 seconds. Season with pepper flakes, salt and black pepper to taste.
2. Add the tomato puree, crushed tomatoes, chicken stock and water to the pot along with the liquid stevia (if using) and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, season with salt to taste, cover, and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes. If the sauce is too thin, simmer uncovered for 2 to 3 minutes. If the sauce is too thick, add a little water. The sauce should be fairly thin and very smooth, but not watery.
TIP: To shave over an hour off the cooking time, buy and use a good-quality low-carb store-bought marinara such as Rao’s instead of the homemade.
3. MEANWHILE, MAKE THE MEATBALLS: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat a sheet pan with cooking spray.
4. In a food processor or blender, combine the chicken stock, onion and garlic, and puree. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add the meats, crisps, eggs, parmigiano, pepper flakes, parsley and salt. Mix with your hands until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
5. Grease your hands with olive oil and form the mixture into 12 balls a little smaller than golf balls.
6. Arrange the meatballs on the sheet pan and bake until browned, at least 18 and up to 20 minutes.
7. Transfer the finished meatballs to the marinara sauce and allow to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
8. PREPARE THE ZUCCHINI NOODLES: In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the zoodles and cook until just cooked but still a little crunchy, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
9. Serve the meatballs and sauce over the zucchini noodles sprinkled with the parmigiano.
Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie
Serves 12 | Prep Time: 10 mins. Cook Time: 25 mins.
"What could be a more comforting sweet treat than a large cookie — like the ones you see at the mall?" DiSpirito said in his book. "Here it is... my version of those iconic cookies craved by cookie lovers everywhere. And yes, you can eat it and stay in fat-burning ketosis!"
Ingredients
• 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted grass-fed butter, at room temperature, plus 1 tablespoon for the skillet
• ¼ cup brown sugar erythritol
• ¼ cup granulated erythritol
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon Celtic sea salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1½ cups almond flour
• 1 cup stevia-sweetened dark chocolate baking chips
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 10-inch cast-iron skillet with the 1 tablespoon butter.
2. In a bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar erythritol, and granulated erythritol until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and salt and mix to combine.
3. Add the baking soda and almond flour and mix until just incorporated. Add the chocolate chips and stir to combine using a rubber spatula.
4. Pat the cookie dough into the skillet and bake until golden brown and the middle is almost set, about 25 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes, cut into wedges, and serve.
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