Zero-Carb Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus & Orange Butter. An amazing KETO side dish.
I’m so excited to present today’s recipe! This kind of dish is quite a rare find, because the zero-carbs content doesn’t come at the expense of optimal nutrition. Asparagus is a powerhouse of nutrients and healthy fibre. Bacon is – well – bacon. And butter from the milk of pasture-raised cattle is simply superior. Zero carbs, on this occasion, is the icing on the keto cake. Although it isn’t something I tend to seek out specifically.
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So, even though I am super happy to publish this incredible recipe, I don’t want anyone to get the wrong idea about zero carbs.
Let me make it clear. Eating only zero-carb foods in order to speed up weight loss and improved ketosis is NOT something I would ever advocate. Firstly, because too many ketones can be a bad thing and you don’t want to lose weight too fast – unless you’re a fan of excess loose skin caused by fast and extreme weight loss. Â Secondly, because cutting out all carbs doesn’t achieve either of those things anyway. Thirdly, and most importantly, because taking such an extreme measure involves the exclusion of foods that are dense in antioxidants, minerals and phytonutrients. Lastly, because limiting food choices to such an extent would make life very boring indeed.
Eating high-fat and low-carb is absolutely the healthiest diet, but only if the right foods are incorporated, including plant-based options. I will always be a vociferous proponent of eating a varied diet that includes plenty of fibrous vegetables. As an omnivorous species, we NEED a range of nutrients in order to stay healthy, not just now, but also as we age. ’nuff said.
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Asparagus. One of the Best Vegetables to Eat on The Keto Diet.
It’s definitely one of my favourite veggies. High in fibre – which is great for gut health, and chock-full of vitamin K – which is great for bone health. Perfect for my needs. But this tasty vegetable has lots of other healthy properties, too. It seems to benefit every single part of that fine-tuned machine we call our body. Check out its numerous benefits in THIS ASPARAGUS ARTICLE.
My Zero-Carb Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus & Orange Butter is dead simple to make and utterly delicious. All you do is wrap the bacon or pancetta rashers around each spear and then pop it in the oven. You’ll barely have time to prepare the orange butter that the asparagus will be ready. A lightening-speed side dish that is nutritious, tasty and exciting. Helloooo Keto!
Enjoy!
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- Yield: 2
- Serving: ½
- Calories: 219
- Fat: 20g
- Net Carbs: 0g
- Protein: 8g
- 200g fresh asparagus spears (12 spears - net weight after fibrous part removed)
- 65g thin bacon or pancetta rashers (12)
- 20g unsalted butter
- ¼ tsp orange extract (U.S. option HERE)
- ⅛ tsp orange zest (about half a small orange)
- remove the fibrous lower part of the asparagus by bending the stalk 1-2 inches from the bottom until it snaps naturally.
- wind 1 bacon or pancetta rasher around each asparagus spear, starting from the bottom and working up towards the tip.
- place on a rack on top of an oven tray to catch any dripping fat.
- bake at 180C fan or 200C static (no need to pre-heat) for about 30 mins or until bacon/pancetta is crispy.
- for the orange butter, soften butter until it has a cream cheese consistency and stir in grated orange zest (rind only, no pith) and orange extract.
- serve piping hot with orange butter melting over the spears.
Metric kitchen scales are an inexpensive yet invaluable gadget to enable accurate measurement of ingredients. Store them upright in a cupboard or over your worktop and they'll only take up a tiny bit of space. Click HERE for the ones I use. For U.S. option click HERE.
Enjoyed this post? Your feedback matters to me! Please leave me a comment. If you try this recipe, make my day and share a photo on social media with the hashtag #queenketo. Thank you! 🙂
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