Book Review: The KetoDiet Cookbook by Martina Slajerová

I am so excited to announce the publication of The KetoDiet Cookbook by my good friend Martina Slajerová. You may know Martina from her very popular KetoDiet website, where she blogs about low-carb, keto-, and other nutrition-related topics and shares creative, delicious recipes to support low-carb lifestyles. Martina is an extremely talented chef -- definitely one of the top culinary wizards in the low-carb community. Yes, I'm a huge fan of her work and always encourage my readers and clients to check out her website or purchase the KetoDiet App for her complete collection of recipes, calorie and macronutrient tracking, and help staying on plan.

​And I'm happy to say that the KetoDiet Cookbook is equally impressive. To start with, it's a beautiful book, well organized, and contains high-quality photos of most of the recipes. 

After a brief discussion of keto diets -- including macronutrient ratios, lists of foods to include vs. avoid, and some great advice for getting started -- Martina gets right to the heart of the matter: fantastic, easy-to-prepare recipes that present beautifully, taste delicious, and are healthy to boot. Although some of the 150 enticing recipes can be found on her website, she has created dozens more for this cookbook, including Chocolate and Orange Spiced Granola, Slow-Roast Pork Belly with Quick "Potato" Salad, and Turkey Leg with Tarragon. I'm really enjoying looking at the pictures and reading the descriptions, along with the tips sprinkled throughout the book.

Each recipe contains nourishing ingredients that Martina masterfully combines to create luxurious, satisfying meals to help you achieve your weight, blood glucose management, and other health-related goals. She not only provides complete nutrition information (protein, carbs, fat, fiber, and calories per serving) but also the macronutrient ratio for each recipe. For instance, Danish Meatballs with Tomato Sauce contains 6% carbohydrate, 22% protein, and 72% fat as a percentage of calories.

All of the recipes in The KetoDiet Cookbook are grain free and sugar free. In order to address food sensitivities and preferences, Martina provides dairy free and nut free options as well. As a companion to the book, she has created six meal plans and an allergy table that are available to download for free from the KetoDiet website. 
                
One of the best things about the recipes is that most are very family-friendly, even for members of your household who are not following a low carb or ketogenic diet.  My own husband, who will freely admit to being a picky eater and preferring traditional comfort foods, chose Paleo Chicken Nuggets as the first recipe to try from the cookbook. I'm happy to say that he smiled after trying it and told me I could make it again anytime. Trust me, that's high food praise from him as far as food goes! I loved it as well, and I couldn't wait to share with everyone.

​Recipe: Paleo Chicken Nuggets

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Number of Servings: 4
Ingredients:
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1.5 lb (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 Tablespoon (15 ml) almond milk or coconut milk
1 cup (100 grams) almond flour
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/3 cup (30 g) grated Parmesan cheese (or 1/3 cup additional almond flour)
2 Tablespoons (30 g) melted coconut oil or ghee

Preparation: 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit/200 degrees Celsius. Using a paper towel, dab any excess moisture from the chicken. Dice the chicken breasts into medium-sized pieces and season with half of the salt.

Mix the egg with the almond milk and season with the rest of the salt. Pllace the chicken pieces into the egg mixture.

Mix the spices, almond flour, and grated Parmesan cheese together. Pour mixture onto a large baking sheet.

Lift up each piece of chicken, letting some of the egg mixture drip off, then transfer to the baking sheet containing the almond flour mixture. (Avoid letting any excess egg mixture dribble in or else it will clump up the dry ingredients). Cover all sides of the chicken pieces with the dry mixture. Do this in batches and do not overfill the baking sheet.

Move the coated chicken nuggets to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, drizzle with ghee, and transfer to the oven. Cook for about 15 minutes, until lightly golden.

Remove the tray from the oven and let cool for a few minutes. Serve with Spicy Chocolate BBQ Sauce (pictured), mayonnaise, ketchup, or Dijon mustard.

Nutrition Facts per Serving:

Calories: 463
Total Carbohydrates: 6.3 grams
Fiber: 2.8 grams
Net Carbs: 3.5 grams
Protein: 46 grams
Fat: 28.3 grams

Macronutrient Ratios: 3% carb, 41% protein, 56% fat

I honestly have nothing but praise for this cookbook, from beginning to end. I highly recommend it for all low carb and keto enthusiasts who want to prepare delicious, simple, nourishing meals. The book is definitely well worth its cost, and I would encourage everyone who enjoys Martina's recipes, meal plans, and blog posts to purchase this book in support of all that she offers free of charge. 

Click here to purchase The KetoDiet Cookbook.
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(Just for the record, although I occasionally use affiliate links for Amazon products, I decided not to for this cookbook. My only interest in writing this review is making sure that people are aware of it and Martina's other work.)

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