Go Keto with Chicken Salad Collard Wraps and Keto Chicken Tenders

Try these recipes for a quick start to the Keto diet

HOUSTON – Interested in trying the keto diet?

New York Times Bestselling Author Diane Sanfilippo explains how you can still enjoy real foods and follow the low carb, high-fat ketogenic diet. 

She features a beginner's guide in her new cookbook called, "Keto Quick Start."

“I love to give people really well-rounded balanced meals that are food that you want to eat,” Sanfilippo said. 

For more information, visit www.dianesanfilippo.com.

CHICKEN SALAD COLLARD WRAPS 

By Diane Sanfilippo, "Keto Quick Start"

Prep time: 20 minutes | Yield: 8 wraps (2 per serving)

1 cup finely chopped celery

½ cup finely chopped red onions

½ cup mayonnaise, homemade or store-bought

1 tablespoon Super Garlic Spice Blend

2 pounds cooked chicken breast, shredded or finely chopped (see Tips)

Sea salt and ground black pepper

8 to 16 large leaves collard greens

2 cups microgreens, or 1 cup broccoli sprouts, radish sprouts, or other sprouts

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the celery, red onions, mayo and spice blend. Add the shredded chicken and mix to combine. Taste to check the seasoning and add salt and pepper if desired.

Lay the collard greens flat on a cutting board and remove the stems. Cut away the thick stem most of the way through the leaf, but stop before the top, so the leaf stays connected (you don’t want to cut the leaf in half).

After cutting away the stem, there will be a small gap between the sides of the leaf. Overlap these sides so there is no space between them. On each leaf, lay ½ cup of the chicken salad mixture and ¼ cup of the microgreens. If you have smaller leaves or you don’t think 1 leaf will be sturdy enough, you can use 2 leaves layered on top of the other.

Wrap each collard leaf like a burrito, folding the bottom up first, then the sides, then continuing to roll until all the contents are tucked inside. Eat whole or slice in half before serving.

CALORIES: 627 | FAT: 33  g | PROTEIN: 70 g | CARBS: 9 g | FIBER: 5 g | NET CARBS: 4 g

 

KETO CHICKEN TENDERS

By Diane Sanfilippo, "Keto Quick Start"

Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 40 minutes | Yield: 24 tenders (4 per serving)

¼ cup cooking fat of choice

1 ½ cups unsweetened shredded coconut

2 tablespoons coconut flour

1 tablespoon Trifecta Spice Blend (recipe attached)

2 teaspoons paprika

2 large eggs

2 pounds chicken tenders (see Note)

Prepared yellow mustard, for serving

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, then place a wire baking rack on top of it and set aside.

Place a large, heavy-bottomed sauté pan over medium-high heat. Using just enough fat to coat the bottom of the pan, melt the cooking fat and allow it to become hot (but not smoking), about 5 minutes. While the fat is heating up, bread the chicken.

Create a breading station for the chicken: In a large shallow bowl or dish, whisk the coconut, coconut flour, and spices until well combined. In a second large shallow bowl or dish, whisk the eggs until well beaten.

Dip a piece of chicken into the egg to coat it completely, allowing the excess egg to drip off. Next, dredge the chicken in the flour mixture to coat it completely, gently shaking off any excess. Repeat this process for all the tenders.

Working in batches, place the chicken tenders in the hot pan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until the breading has turned golden brown, adding more cooking fat to the pan as needed. Transfer the browed tenders to the wire rack on the baking sheet and space them out evenly.

Once all of the chicken has been browned, place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165ºF. Serve with mustard on the side.

CALORIES: 463 | FAT: 26 g | PROTEIN: 40 g | CARBS: 12 g | FIBER: 6 g | NET CARBS: 6 g