Before I get into the nitty gritty, I want to point out the obvious that the majority of the ketogenic diet is made up of fresh foods that you can find at any supermarket or grocery store: vegetables, meat & fish, seeds, select fruits. Dairy products like cream and butter are also readily available–the trick is to find the ideal ones with less chemicals or additives. As for the other more special or unique products that allow you to hack your way through a keto dessert recipe or experiment with flavors and textures, I’ve got you covered. This is a non exhaustive list of my favourite local Ottawa shops where gather all of my supplies, and a few others that I have yet to try. I would LOVE your input on other hidden gems!

While I am an omnivore, I have found that I am eating more and more meat-free meals these days because they are just so delicious and I am not in need of so much protein. This one in particular is a vegan low carb asparagus soup, which has all of the traits of an amazing keto-friendly meal, plus the added bonus of being nut-free AND vegan, which is a hard combination to come by. Enjoy!

If you haven’t already heard about my special project for this year, you’re missing out! Every day, for the entire year, no matter what, I will write about something that makes me happy: 365 DAYS OF HAPPY. I invite you to join me in creating the happiest year for yourself! It is never too late to start 🙂 #sdemontigny365daysofhappy2017

This low carb dish is the perfect combination of beef and veggies to feel super full, yet not bogged down. And oh my is it delicious! That being said, prepare yourself: it’s a glorified hamburger with mushroom sauce on cauliflower mash..not a steak. I’ve tweaked it a few times here and there to better reflect my taste buds, preferences, and allergies, but the original inspiration goes to Melissa from “I Breathe, I’m Hungry”.

This vegetarian dish is the perfect meal to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day due to its delectably green hue, and the Indian spices give it some well flavoured heat. Needless to say this is not the last time I will be scarfing down this amazing meal! Low Carb Palak Paneer is here to stay.

Following the ketogenic lifestyle means giving up a lot of store-bought mayonnaise options, salad dressings and sauces because of how much sugar they contain. That certainly doesn’t mean we can’t have any. This amazing avocado mayo is so versatile, I use it on almost anything! It goes great as a salad dressing, fantastic as a sauce for salmon or chicken, and is a perfect eggless vegan mayo. Heck, I eat it as-is with a spoon a lot too!

If you haven’t already heard about my special project for this year, you’re missing out! Every day, for the entire year, no matter what, I will write about something that makes me happy: 365 DAYS OF HAPPY. I invite you to join me in creating the happiest year for yourself! It is never too late to start 🙂 #sdemontigny365daysofhappy2017

The first time it was suggested to me to hire a personal chef for a date night in, my initial reaction was something alone the lines of “Right; cause I’m just made of money..!” and I didn’t give it a second thought. The thing is, now that I have experienced it first hand, it was one of the best date-night experiences I have had in a long time! Let me tell you why.

Valentine’s Day is supposed to be all about sharing the love, whether with your partner, spouse, besties, or your family. Singles typically loathe the glorified holiday since it is essentially designed to guilt-trip you into pondering why you are alone, and technically so do many couples since it has been socially twisted and marketed to get those in relationships to drop a ton of cash or be accused of not loving the other enough.

When I first started keto and they told me I couldn’t have fruit or pasta, knowing that I could still have my beloved alfredo and hollandaise sauce got me through the shock. I adapted the standard recipe to be even more keto, and it is devine!