Easy Keto Dinners product reviews

I feel that the Keto lifestyle is becoming more of 'thing' these days. Seems to all be a bit confusing when the other options include Paleo, Vegan, Plant based, Vegetarian, Pescatarians, and the list goes on. Each have their own slight variations and restrictions so you need to know what works for you.

For myself I suffer from PCOS (Poly Cystic Overy Syndrome) which is managed through diet, exercise and lifestyle choices. The types of food that cause symptoms vary from person to person so it can take a while to know which foods you are intolerable to or flare up your symptoms. I was looking for something that is low carb, non-processed, no white starchy foods like potato's and rice, no refined sugars, gluten and dairy free. Keto ticks a lot of these boxes so when I saw Pete Evans Easy Keto Dinners book I thought this ticked a lot of these boxes (and any un-compliant ingredients I can swap out).

He explains at the beginning of the book why and how keto works which I found interesting as he first started out as a Paleo guru (which has slightly different rules). The glossary is also very helpful for newbies which outlines what all the specialty ingredients are and where to get them from. All the recipes are easy to follow and what I enjoyed the most is when there are pictures for each recipe so you know what they should look like in the end.

The recipes are split into the different meat groups (chicken, fish, beef etc). You'll be cooking from scratch so you know that what you are eating is non-processed and you will be eating healthier. Each recipe also states how many it serves so you know if you need to halve or double the ingredients. The recipes that I've tried so far (mainly chicken and beef) are delicious and approved by my husband

So if your thinking about going Keto, or have some other dietary requirement and looking for some tasty recipes then I would recommend this book and other Pete Evans books. I also bought Easy Keto at the same time which follows the same look and feel of this book..

I discovered the keto lifestyle when trying to source suitable low-carb foods for diabetics. It is not always easy to find innovative recipes that not only taste and look good but also fulfil the requirements of a specific consumer group. Many keto recipes lack imagination, and are not suitable for a whole family. I eat out frequently and sometimes have to take a dish, so it was a pleasure to browse through this book and find several items that could be offered to a group of people and which I could eat as well.

Apart from the photography, which is most attractive and makes me feel hungry, I appreciated the additional information. This is not just a recipe book; it is a great introduction to keto-friendly food preparation and the benefits of eating this way. It unpacks the various types of ketogenic involvement, offering alternatives to suit the individual lifestyle. There are carb tables which provide a quick reference for everyday foods, a glossary of specialist ingredients, conversion charts for measuring, and a full index of recipes used.

One thing that impressed me as being of the utmost importance was the disclaimer at the start of the book. This advises the reader that the recipes in themselves are not a miracle cure, and that guidance from a medical professional is an important aspect of any diet. The other part I really liked was the BASICS section which included sauces and other meal enhancers like toppings and flavourings; the emphasis here was on creating from base ingredients rather than buying ready-made items.

So far, I have tried four of the recipes. The first was the Mexican Chicken with Roasted Pumpkin and Avocado and Tomato Salsa. I did not have any pumpkin, and we were staying with friends way out in the country, but we did have some big marrows so I used one of them instead. Apart from that, I followed the recipe faithfully. Avocados had been picked from our hosts' trees a couple of weeks earlier so they were just ripe. The tomatoes and coriander leaves were fresh from their garden, and the onions and garlic had been harvested some time before. I did not tell anyone that it was a keto-friendly dish, and quite honestly nobody would have noticed anyway. It was only after we had all finished eating that I produced the book and showed them the recipe as they wanted to make it again!

The Lamb Backstrap with Gremolata Sauce was a big hit with the teenagers as well as the older ones. My host and I prepared this together; he had the barbecue going so we chose to use that instead of cooking the meat in a frying pan. The smell of the food was so enticing that the boys began to set the table in the hope that it would speed up the process. There was not a scrap left when they finished; they even grabbed some bread rolls to make sure they did not miss out on any of the juice.

The Curried Beef Pies with Parsnip Mash were a winner too. Because the recipe is quite complicated, I waited till we were back home to prepare it so that there were just two of us to share it. The recipe allows for six portions, but I found it froze well so that was not a problem at all. Pies are one of the things I miss these days, so this fills the gap to perfection. I was missing one ingredient - the mustard seeds - so I used two teaspoons of wholegrain mustard instead and omitted the toasting process.

The last recipe I have tried so far is the Salmon Cutlets with Guacamole. Again, there were just two of us to try this - and it was such a simple recipe to put together that we were able to sit down to our meal within fifteen minutes of arriving back home from a long road trip. Much better than takeaway food, and a lot tastier! I am now looking forward to working my way through the rest of the recipes. I have the feeling that sooner or later I will be trying them all.