for dads

Dad’s Keto Chili

One way to make a long-term Keto diet go down easier is to Keto-ize your old favorite recipes. I mean, duh, right? Now that we are Keto veterans, in-it-to-win-it for the third time (!), I’m more interested than ever in making sure my old favs can still be enjoyed without guilty thoughts and can be modified for Keto and keep their greatness.

Dad’s Keto Chili

Chili has been a mainstay of DRB since the beginning. We started with a cookbook version, tweaked and tried variations over several years, tried our hand competing at a chili cookoff, and now are looking at Dad’s Chili with a fresh eye for its Keto potential. Lose the beer and hold the beans, and you’re most of the way there. Here’s the good news—there’s no need to sacrifice any flavor to make great Keto chili. Try out the recipe and see for yourself.

Note to Dads

This is a great family dish. There are ways the kids can help, or they can just enjoy the goodness and help you build your rep as a dad does wonders in the kitchen. There’s plenty of flavor and nutrition for non-Keto-istas, who can amp up their servings with tortilla chips or corn bread crumbled on top.

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Lime cream pie

I never make pie…well, hardly ever until now when we’re at home more. This take-off on key lime pie from a long-time friend, is an easy, fast, and fantastic diversion during a pandemic, or anytime. I have made this several times, trying out various store-bought Graham Cracker crusts. The one from the elves is best. I followed their (the elves) suggestion and brushed the crust with egg white, pre-baking it for five minutes. I sprinkled sparkling sugar for an extra kick and that really worked. I used regular old limes instead of key limes—not the easiest to get in Chicago—but was very happy with the result. The pie made it through three nights of binge-watching.

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The versatile frittata

As you get the hang of home cooking, you get better, or not, at improvisation—making up new recipes or adapting old ones, to your current pantry or today’s whim. I suspect that my grandmother’s claims that she couldn’t pass along her greatest recipes was more about not remembering exactly how to make that Irish stew or knowing that she never made it the same way twice. Lesson learned.

For some, or until you reach home cooking nirvana, executing a precise step-by-step routine is all you care about. And there’s nothing wrong with that! But joy and bliss await when you can cook on the fly—unless you really screw it up. 😉

I really love frittatas because like my chili or soups and stew and casseroles, they are ready, willing, and able to be modified, amplified, adapted, or short-changed as your ingredient supply changes.

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Dad’s scrambled eggs

Everyone (even the kids) say these are really good scrambled eggs. Tasty, fluffy, buttery…etc. So, they have become the gold standard around our house. The technique is the most important thing here.

Update 2019: Better eggs really do taste better. Better = organic, really free-range. Larger, darker-yellow yolks, no animal stuff in the feed, no antibiotics. I keep trying out different brands from the store. My current favorite is Pete & Gerry’s, noticeably better all around.

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