So far the Friday issues have covered family and dining out. What if you want to have a party at home and you want to keep it keto-friendly without freaking out your friends and neighbors? Maybe they don’t need to know you’ve gone keto just yet. Here are some foods that fit the party without breaking your ketosis.
Casual party
Keto Pizza Crust to make actually delicious pizza (I recommend the “fathead” dough more than the cauliflower dough).
Cauliflower nachos – slice Cauli thin, cover in cheese + meat/pepper, Broil 5 min
Hot dogs and Hamburgers, cheese – sure!, Sauerkraut/Mustard/Ketchup (check carbs, but normally yes with better brands!)
Fresh berries with Whipped Cream (no sugar) for dessert if it’s a must
Wine/Cheese type fete
Creamed Mushroom shooters
Use the same Fathead dough above to make crackers to add to the cheese platter
Cheeses – hard to go wrong here
Meat nibbles – salumi, pepperoni, tenderloin strips
Bacon wrapped peppers
Liverwurst slices
Assorted pickled veggies: caper berries, cucumbers, onions, the only limit is your imagination
Champagne, Dry Wines (non-dessert Wines), Spirits
Formal Cocktails
Spirits are fine, it’s the mixers that get you into trouble. Tonic Water has a ton of sugar. Instead use Seltzer Water. Canned cherries, no! But fresh cherries – as a limited add to a drink, a-okay.
Want a Margarita? Straight Lime juice (fresh is best and less punchy in the facey) with a decent Tequila and you’ll get the tart + mellow, salt the rim and all is well.
Old Fashioned – drop the sugar but add a splash of citrus in addition to the rind.
Or tell your guests to take it straight. Hey, your party, your rules? Wow them with your Artizinal Eyece and charming conversation.
For more formal food, elevate the Wine and Cheese menu. Some of these seem messy, but really just need a toothpick to hold it together.
Roasted and pan fried mushroom with butter mousse
Parmesan Crisps with liverwurst and chive
Tapenade
Spiked Deviled Eggs
Butternut squash + tenderloin + feta kababs with creme fraise
Steak tartare
Smoked Salmon with avocado rolls
Formal Dinner
How formal do you want to go? The more formal you go, the closer you can stay to keto in my experience. Just ditch the potatoes. Think French Food. No limit on butter. Full fat meats, creams, sauces, but avoid adding (wheat) flour. So how to Roux??
Don’t roux the day, lean on Almond flour or Coconut flour. It will take A LOT of practice to get your roux where you want it. Fair warning, I find 1/2 as much coconut flour as almond flour and similar amounts of almond versus wheat flour will get you similar results. Get very fine ground versions for cooking. You’ll probably need to order online (WFM and hippy grocery stores carry a coarse ground). You won’t taste the Almond or coconut.
Butternut Squash Soup
Gin Ice Cube as palette cleanser (tiny bit of gin in an ice cube – special cube tray needed)
Antipasti (Formal Cocktail menu!)
Tenderloin Roast with butter braised cabbage
Finish with Gem Lettuce Salad with Capers and Olive Oil