Keto appetizers focus on eliminating carbs while losing none of the flavor; in fact, this recipe and increases the “deliciousness factor” to the greatest extent possible. If the food you make is boring, that’s a failure on your part, not a reflection of the ingredients available to you within the keto diet plan.
Many traditional appetizers rely on small amounts of carbs: They’re not really crucial to the food, but people have come to think of them as such. For example, when was the last time you were at a party and someone was eating guacamole, and then just stopped, looked around, and exclaimed in a loud voice: “Oh my gosh, these chips are amazing!” If you’re hearing a compliment about chips and guacamole, it almost always centers on how delicious the dip itself is — the chip is just a delivery system for an explosion of flavor.
The chips in this receipt for Cheese Chips and Guacamole do double duty—they have a whole lot of flavor on their own and deliver that burst from the guacamole.
You’ll find that many appetizers are like this: If you want chicken wings, the focus is on the wings and the taste, which can be produced using either low-carb or high-carb methods and ingredients.
Low-carb appetizers and keto diet snacks are a great way to introduce non-keto-ers to the lifestyle. Also try Crispy Baked Onion Rings.
Photograph courtesy of Tasteaholics, Inc.
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 12 minutes
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Pinch cayenne
1 medium avocado, chopped
1/2 small tomato, diced
1 tablespoon minced white onion
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment.
Sprinkle the shredded cheese in circles on the baking sheet, using about 1 tablespoon per circle, spacing them 1 inch apart.
Top the cheese with a pinch of garlic powder and cayenne.
Bake for 6 to 10 minutes, checking often, until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
Remove from the baking sheet and let cool until crisp.
In a bowl, mash the avocado and then stir in the tomato, onion, lime juice, cilantro, and cumin.
Season with salt and pepper.
Serve the guacamole with the cheddar cheese chips for dipping.
Per serving: Calories 250 (From Fat 187); Fat 21g (Saturated 7g); Cholesterol 30mg; Sodium 469mg; Carbohydrate 10g (Dietary Fiber 3g); Net Carbohydrate 7g; Protein 10g.
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