Naan Flat Bread

I love flat bread. Something to dip into a curry, or to wrap around meats and salad, souvlaki style...yum! Here's a recipe I came up with to satisfy those cravings in a low carb kind of way. Enjoy :)

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

2 tbs cream cheese

1/2 cup almond meal

1/4 cup psyllium husks

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

Melt mozzarella and cream cheese in microwave for one minute. Stir well. 

Melt for another 30 seconds.

Stir well. (Careful, it's hot!) 

Add almond meal, psyllium husks and xanthan gum. Mix. Add beaten egg.

Stir until thoroughly combined. (I used my hands to mix through).

Divide dough into number of required pieces.

Use hand to fashion each piece into a "patty-like" flat bread. 

Warm 1tbs olive oil in frying pan. Fry each piece of bread on each side until golden. 

Creamy Cheesy Keto Dip

Keto Dip

This dip is a variation of the old Cobb loaf dip recipes. Very high fat and very delicious. For those who don't eat bacon, it can be subbed for smoked chicken, or left out entirely. You can also add finely chopped spinach. Serve with crudités, low carb crackers/bread or pork rinds.

200g diced bacon/smoked chicken 

2.5 cups grated cheese (I use tasty)

1/2 onion, diced

250g cream cheese (softened)

150ml cream

150ml sour cream

2tbsp chives, chopped (keep 1tsp aside for garnish)

I tbs French onion soup mix (optional)

Sauté bacon and onion in saucepan until golden. Add all other ingredients. Cook on a low heat, stirring together well. 

When melted and lightly bubbling, dip is done! 

Transfer to bowl and sprinkle with chives. 

Clafoutis

A low carb variation of the classic. I make a half batch of this recipe as it is quite rich and serves don't need to be big. 

Serves: 10

2 cups coconut milk

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1/2 cup almond flour

8 Tablespoon butter

1 cup erythritol

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Berries - blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, etc.

Directions

Mix together milk, coconut, eggs, vanilla, flour, butter and sweetener. 

Pour into a well greased pie plate. 

Decorate with berries. Sprinkle nutmeg on top.

Bake at 180c degrees for 45-50 minutes.  Use a deep pie pan or make two small pies.

When you take it out of the oven it will still be very soft in the middle.  It will get firmer as it cools.  Serve hot or cold with cream.

Sujek Sausage

Serves: 3-4

500 gms minced beef

1 Teaspoon Ground Coriander

1 Teaspoon Ground AllSpice

1/4 Teaspoon Cumin

1 Teaspoon Chilli 

2 Cloves of Crushed Garlic (more to taste)

Salt

Ground black pepper
1 tbs finely chopped parsley

Lemon zest (from 1/2 lemon)

Splash of water (to help bind)

Ghee for frying

Mix all  ingredients thoroughly making sure spices are evenly distributed through meat. Let stand for 30 mins.

Pick up a portion from the meat mixture (approximately the size of a lime)and flatten and roll between your palms to make a fat sausage shape. Refrigerate for 30 mins.

Heat a large pan, add some ghee to cover the bottom and fry the Sujek 2 to 3 minutes on each side until brown and cooked through.

Do not under cook.

When cooked, squeeze lemon on Sujek. Serve with salad, pan fried haloumi and baba ganoush.

Pan Fried Haloumi

There's not much in the world better than this cheesy, lemony side dish. It truly is one of my favourite things to eat. Of course, it's perfect for the LCHF way of eating. Great by itself, or with Mediterranean-style lamb cutlets or Lebanese sausages (Sujek).

Serves: 2 - 4 

1 block Haloumi cut in half and then sliced through the middle of each piece  (I like the Lemnos brand)

Olive oil

Lemon

Ground pepper

Drain Haloumi.  Cut into four even pieces (as described). Heat a generous splash of olive oil gently in a frying pan. Place Haloumi in pan. Fry on a medium heat. When golden, turn over using an egg slide and cook on the other side until golden.

When cooked, place on plate. Squeeze with lemon juice and coat with a grind of black pepper. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil if desired.

Serve while hot.

Baba Ganoush

Serves: 4 or more!

1 large eggplant, around 300gms

1/4 cup tahini

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, plus more as needed

1 pinch ground cumin

salt, to taste

1 -2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Prick the eggplant with a fork in several places. Place directly on gas stove flame, or under flame grill.

Turn frequently, until the skin blackens and blisters and the flesh just begins to feel soft, 10 to 15 minutes.

Transfer the eggplant to a baking sheet and bake in 180c oven until very soft, 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven, let cool slightly, and peel off and discard the skin.

Place the eggplant flesh in a bowl. Using a fork, mash the eggplant to a paste.

Add the 1/4 cup tahini, the garlic, the 1/4 cup lemon juice and the cumin and mix well.

Season with salt, then taste and add more tahini and/or lemon juice, if needed.

Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl and spread with the back of a spoon to form a shallow well.

Drizzle the olive oil over the top and sprinkle with Chilli powder.

Batch:  Carbs 12gms, Fat 74 gms, Protein 16gms,  Fibre 16 gms, Calories 805  

Choc Coconut Fudge Cake

A treat for those moments you need something 'more'.

Serves: 5

1 can coconut milk (280ml)

1/4 -1/2 cup of erythritol (depending on how sweet you like it)

40 gms dark choc (85%) (omit if you want fewer carbs. Sub with more cocoa)

3 tbs  low carb, unsweetened cocoa (or more if you like it chocolatey)

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon xantham gum

1tbs vanilla extract

2tbs coconut

60ml cream

2tbs cream cheese

2 tbs coconut flour

Combine coconut milk with erythritol in saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add xantham gum,  quickly whisking it in. Add chocolate pieces and let melt. Add vanilla and mix well. Let cool.

When mix is cool, add the rest of the ingredients.

Mix thoroughly until all ingredients are well combined.

Pour into well greased small cake pan. (I used a 10cm springform pan).

Bake at 175c for 25-30 minutes or until firm to touch.

Batch:  Carbs 29 gms, protein 28 gms, fat 137 gms, fibre 7 gms , 1459 calories.

Net carbs 22 gms

Lemon Cheesecake Bars

Serves: 16

Crust:

1 1/4 cups almond flour 

1/4 cup butter, chilled 

1/4 cup powdered erythritol 

1/2 tsp xanthan gum 

1/4 tsp salt 

Cheesecake Filling:

350 gm cream cheese, softened 

1/2cup powdered erythritol (or to taste)

1 large egg 

2 tbsp cream 

zest of one lemon 

juice of half a lemon (about 2 tbsp)

For the crust, preheat the oven to 180c. Combine almond flour, butter, erythritol, xanthan gum and salt in a food processor. 

Pulse until mixture resembles fine crumbs. 

Press mixture evenly into the bottom of a lined 8-inch square pan and bake 10 minutes (it won't look cooked through). Set aside and let cool. 

Reduce oven temperature to 160c.

For the filling, beat cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth. Beat in erythritol, egg, cream, lemon zest, lemon juice until  well combined. Spread filling over cooled crust and bake 30 minutes, or until filling is just set. 

Let cool 30 minutes, then chill for around two hours. 

Each serving has 3.5 g of carbs and 1 g of fibre. Total NET CARBS = 2.5 g. 

Recipe adapted from Everday I Dream About Food.

Donut Holes

I bought a cake pop maker. What I really wanted to buy was a donut maker but, after searching high and low at the local shopping centre, a cake pop maker was the closest thing I could find. And, honestly, I just couldn’t wait the months it could take for donut makers to come back in vogue and hit the shelves again.

See, after pancakes, donuts are one of my favourite things to eat. Yes, they are carbage with little to no nutritional value, but I like them. A lot. (Which probably goes some way to explain how I got so overweight to begin with!). Anyway, when I came across some low carb recipes for donuts using no grains or sugar, I knew I just HAD to try them. Immediately.

So cake pop maker it had to be.

I tried my first batch of these grain free/sugar free babies last night. Turns out my cake pop maker makes great donut holes! I didn’t ice or glaze them, instead rolling them in a little bit of cinnamon and some powdered erythritol. Next time I will try icing.

Serves: 28* (depending on the size of your donut/cake pop maker holes)

1 1/2 cups almond flour

1/4 cup powdered erythritol (or alternative sweetener)  

2 tbsp vanilla whey protein powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3 tbsp butter, melted

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/8 cup cream mixed with 1/8 cup water

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

In a large bowl, mix together almond flour, erythritol, protein powder, cinnamon, baking powder and salt.

Stir in melted butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla extract until well combined.

Fill donut/cake pop maker according to instructions and bake until donuts are lightly browned and set.

Repeat with any remaining batter.

Place extra powdered erythritol and cinnamon in a medium bowl and roll cooked donut holes in mixture to coat.

*How many donuts you get will depend on the size of your donut/cake pop maker

Batch: Carbs 16.3gms, Protein 68.4gms, Fat 120.9gms, Fibre 12.6gms, Calories 1,431gms Net carbs 3.7gms per batch!

Recipe adapted from All Day I Dream About Food

Spicy "Corn Chips"

Makes 30 chips.

 

¾ cup almond meal

¼ cup of flax seed

¼ cup of coconut flour

¼ cup of unsalted butter (can use salted but the chip will be more salty)

1 large egg

1½ tsp of chilli powder (use more if you like it extra spicy)

1 tsp of onion powder

½ tsp of cumin

½ tsp of paprika

½ tsp of salt

Heat oven to 180 c

Line a large flat baking pan with baking paper.

Mix all of the ingredients in a food processor.

Divide the dough into 2 balls.

Place one ball between two large sheets of baking paper. On a flat surface use a rolling pin to flatten the dough. Flatten the dough to the thickness of a thin cracker.

Lift off the top of the baking paper.

Using a knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into triangles.

Take off any dough leftover from cutting. Place it with the other ball.

Gently lift the parchment paper with the cut dough, and invert it onto the baking sheet with the baking paper.

Gently pull the baking paper off leaving the dough on the baking sheet.

Bake in the oven at 180 c for 7 ½-10 minutes. The chips are done when the dough is crispy and light brown.

Repeat for the second ball of dough.

1 Chip = Fat 1.58g, Net Carbs 0.62g, Protein 1.19g, Calories 42.93

 

Author: Carol Lovett

Asian Spiced Chicken Wings

2 tsp coconut aminos

1-2 cloves garlic finely chopped

1-2 teaspoons finely chopped/crushed Ginger (to taste)

1 -2 teaspoons chilli paste (make sure no added sugar)

1/2 - 1 teaspoon sesame oil

2 teaspoons sweetener (I used Norbu)

1 tbs Dry sherry (or wheat free Chinese Rice Wine if you can find it).

Squeeze of lemon

750 grams chicken wingettes/mini drumsticks, etc.

Mix all ingredients together. Coat chicken pieces well, ensuring all sides are covered. 

Leave to marinate for several hours or overnight.

Bake on oven tray covered in baking paper at 180c until fully cooked.

Keto Chocolate Mousse

This dessert is pretty indulgent at 704 calories a batch, but it's a great way to increase fat in your diet. Restraint is required!

Serves: 3

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup cream cheese

2-3 tablespoons low carb cocoa

1-2 tablespoons powdered erythritol (to taste)

Splash vanilla extract

Blend all ingredients together.

Batch: Net carbs 5.4 gms, fat 71gms, protein 10gms, calories 704

Choc Chip Granola Biscuits

Choc Chip Granola Biscuits

Serves: 20

1/4 cup almond flour

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons coconut flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon bicarb soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup coconut oil (or butter) melted

1/4 cup erythritol (or alternative sweetener)

2 eggs

40gms 85% chocolate (chopped)

3/4 cup Grain Free Granola ( use chopped mixed nuts/seeds as alternative)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup water

Mix dry ingredients. Add eggs, melted oil/butter, and water. Mix well until dough-like.

Roll into small balls. Place on greased baking paper. Flatten with fork.

Bake on 180c for 15-20 minutes.

Batch: 53 gms carbs, 176 gms fat, 44 gms protein, 32.5 gms fibre, 1975 calories.

Approximately 1 net carb per biscuit.