My Review of “Quick & Easy Ketogenic Cooking” cookbook

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This book is the first ketogenic cookbook I have purchased in hard cover.  I have googled and found different keto recipes online but never purchased a full cookbook before.  However I’m really glad I got this one and got it in hard copy form.  I am overweight (to the point of obesity) and a type 2 diabetic with metabolic issues.  I also have fibromyalgia and spinal disc degeneration and use a wheelchair most of the time. (so exercise is pretty much out except for swimming).

Before mid-December, 2016, I was injecting 182 units of insulin daily.  Then I began my adventure with Intermittent Fasting (IF).  Within 78 days of starting IF, I was down to injecting under 10 units of insulin a day and I had lost a lot of weight (from 260 to 227 pounds).  I mostly practiced alternate day fasting and a few longer fasts (5 days is the longest fast I’ve done).  Most of my fasts were from 24-48 hours with a few 72 hour ones.

On my eating days, I eat low carb high fat (LCHF).  I try to keep my diet to a pretty low-carb, ketogenic style of eating.  Here is a link to a nice article explaining the ketogenic way of eating.  This way of eating has really helped my health, I have much less pain, my blood pressure is lower, my coloresterol is better and my weight is down a lot.  See my previous post on my lab tests before and after I began IF.

TITLE:  “Quick & Easy Ketogenic Cooking”. Time-saving paleo recipes and meal plans to improve your health and help you lose weight.

Author:  Maria Emmerich.  Ms. Emmerich is am international Bestselling Author.

Publisher:  Victory Belt Publishing, Inc. Las Vegas

Where to Purchase: This book is available at many book stores and online.  I personally purchased it on Amazon at a price of over $20.  Its on sale today for $17.82.  That’s a good deal.  Check it out.

My Review Comments:  

This book is available in both hardback and kindle.  I wanted the hardback because I have trouble looking up recipes in my ebook cookbooks which I have a lot of.  There are 400 pages in the book and it is divided into 3 main sections.

I found the introduction portion very nice; she tells her story and follows it with good information on the ketogenic diet and how to become ketogenically adapted (your body that is).

Part 1:  The Ketogenic Kitchen has lots of great information about what you need in your kitchen to prepare ketogenic meals.  There is a chart of healthy fats and proteins and also a few paragraphs on bad fats to not keep around.  Maria talks about sweeteners she uses in her cooking (I do not use any sweeteners in my cooking since I’m working very hard to fix my insulin resistance problem).

There is a nice section on herbs and spices to keep around for seasoning.  She provides a cool chart how upgrading your pantry (from what is typically used to what is better and then what would be best. (such as Hellman’s mayo is typical, paleo mayo is better, but using homemade mayo is best – and she has a recipe to make homemade mayo and sends you to that page in the book. Maria shares her top 10 kitchen gadgets.  She has a list of quick and easy items to fix for when you have very little time to cook (desserts, meals, appetizers, sauces and some low cooker recipes.

Maria also includes some tips on eating out  and how to choose ketogenic foods in restaurants. Her 7-day weight loss and healing meal plans include a shopping list along with recipes.

Part 2: This section of the book is the recipe portion.  She starts out with basics like sauces, dressings and rubs.  I use her recipe for bone broth and it works fine for me on my fasting days to help curb any hunger pangs and get me through any cravings.  She has some shake recipes for those who drink shakes and good breakfast recipes.  I love the English Muffin and the Eggs in Purgatory one.  I’m looking foward to trying a few more like the Breakfast Patties and the Pizza Muffins.

The chapter on starters and snacks has some nice recipes to enjoy.  I love the Italian Poppers with jalapeno peppers and cream cheese (I could eat the entire batch). There are even recipes for dips and chips which are ketogenic.

The chapter on roll-ups and warps is good.  I love the Philly Cheesesteak Roll-Ups and the BBQ Pork Wraps.  Her Zucchini Tortillas can be stored in the frig or frozen for later use.

The chapter on soups and salads is a favorite because I love Broccoli Cheese Soup and Tomato Soup (she includes how to prepare her Grill Cheese Sandwiches to accompany the soup).  The chapter on fish items includes Fish Tacos which I really love and a ketogenic Shrimp and Grits recipe.  I can’t believe I grew up in the south without ever eating Shrimp and Grits until about 2 years ago, but it love it and this is a good ketogenic version.

The Chicken chapter has some slow-cooker recipes and a great Chicken Noodle Stir-Fry (using cabbage, which I like, or Miracle Noodles).

The Beef and Lamp chapter has plans on preparing casseroles, ribs, pizza,  lasagna, and even Open Face Burgers with a portobello bun.  I’m a meatloaf lover, so I enjoy the Mexica Meatloaf Cupcakes topped with sour cream or guacamole.

Maria’s pork preparation has items like Pigs in a Bacon Blanket (yum!), BLT with Pork belly and one I can’t pronounce called Schweinshaxen with only a 5 minute prep time and then simple oven roasting for 2 hours 50 minutes.

The chapter on Sides and Vegetarian Dishes has some delicious plans for a Mushroom Ragu, Cheesy Grits (there are my grits again!), more Pizza and Zoodles made two ways with zucchini. I love mushrooms so the Bordelaise Mushroom plan is perfect for me. For Kraut lovers (like my husband), there is a good recipe for Homemade Sauerkraut.

Maria has a big chapter on Desserts.  I am currently not eating desserts, but judging from the beautiful pictures in the book, I can’t wait till I can try the Frozen Orange Cream Bites, Frozen Snickerdoodle Cream Bites, a Cheesecake in a Jar, and the Key Lime Ice Cream (there are 4 great sounding ice cream recipes and one for Savory Pizza Gelato (I love Gelato, so I can’t wait to try this ketogenic version).

The Bonus Chapter has recipes for several Smoked items, like “Smoked Brisket”, Smoked Beef Long Ribs”, and Smoked Salmon.  I do not have a smoker yet but Maria offers some tips on choosing as a smoker and even has a video on her website about smoking foods.

Part 3:  In the back of the cookbook, is a helpful list of resources and links to find them on the web.  There is a regular index of recipes, plus a pictorial one with images (Warning – looking at that one can bring on hunger pains.  Finally, there is a cool chart of the recipes and whether they fit into a vegetarian, egg-free, nut-free or dairy-free diet.

Summary and Rating

All in all, I am very happy with my purchase of this book and I’m going to be looking at more of her cookbooks.  I give it a FIVE-STAR rating, the highest possible rating.

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