Lebanese Spiced Lamb with Baba Ghanoush

Tags

Baba Ghanoush, Coconut Oil, Egg, Keto, Lamb, low carb, Mince, Spicy

Low Carb & Keto

Keeping it simple has been the way I’ve managed to commit to this way of eating. When you are eating fresh, real food it naturally involves preparing and cooking that food, and sometimes this can be time consuming. However I’m not adverse to taking short cuts as long the prepackaged food is of good quality, I have become adept at reading and deciphering labels.

When I first came across this Pete Evans recipe my thoughts were “Yum”, “Oh Lots of Ingredients”, Looks Time Consuming”……. “Hang On But”. I have a good quality organic Chicken Stock in the pantry, so I wouldn’t have to make that from scratch and then wondered if I could find a good low carb Baba Ghanoush, which I did, so, it was just a matter of frying up an egg and some mince really!

I have made both the stock and Baba Ghanoush from scratch before and no doubt will again, and if they are in my fridge when I next think to make this I’ll use them….the point being you don’t have too. If you look around there are many recipes that you can adapt to keto or make a suitable shortcut that doesn’t compromise your healthy eating.

I eat a lot of eggs, however this was the first time I have cooked an egg in coconut oil, I was surprised at how well it bubbled and became lacy and crisp around the edges so I will definitely use this method more often.

I’m not a carb counter as such, I just mentally track the ingredients and get a ball park figure and if it’s low enough I go for it. No carbs in mince, 1 in egg, 3 and a bit in the serve of Baba Ghanoush Etc, Perfect.

I used two fry pans, a larger one for the mince and smaller to brown the Pine Nuts, then fry the egg.  The original recipe uses onion which I cannot eat so do not include.

I work afternoon/evenings, I usually skip breakfast, and either have a large lunch and smaller dinner or vice-versa, depending on what I am making the family for dinner. I made this for lunch today and will have the leftovers for lunch another day. I have stored the mince and baba ghanoush and will fry a fresh egg. The following is for two servings.

Keto Lebanese Spiced Lamb with Baba Ghanoush

(Adapted from Pete Evans )

Ingredients

MINCE
150 gms good quality Baba Ghanoush
1 tbsp Coconut Oil
2 cloves Garlic
400 gms Lamb Mince
1 tsp ground Cumin
1 tsp ground Coriander
1 tsp Paprika
1 tsp dried Mint (I used chopped fresh as that’s what I had)
1 tsp ground Allspice
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
1 Bay Leaf
1/2 cup good quality Chicken Broth
1 long red Chilli, deseeded and finely chopped (save a bit to serve)
1 tbsp pine nuts

2 Eggs
1 tbsp Coconut Oil
Chopped Parsley
Chopped Mint Leaves
2 Radishes halved
Chilli Flakes
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Method

Heat the oil in a large fry pan over medium-high heat. Saute garlic for a minute being careful not to burn, add Mince and break up any large chunks, continue cooking till mince is brown.
Reduce heat to low and add the rest of the Mince ingredients except for the pine nuts, cook for a further 15 mins until most of the liquid has evaporated then set aside keeping it warm.

Whilst the mince is simmering,  in a smaller pan, gently brown pine nuts over med-high heat…..do not leave the pan as they will burn quickly. Stir or shake pan till nuts are lightly browned then stir through mince.

Add coconut oil to this pan, when oil is hot carefully crack eggs and cook cook till whites are set. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

To serve, divide baba ghanoush and mince (removing the bay leaf) between plates, top each with an egg.
Scatter over the parsley, mint, chopped chilli, and chilli flakes, add the radish and drizzle with olive oil.

Keto Fish Tacos

Tags

Fish, Keto, Tacos, Tortilla

It’s been quite a while since I’ve published anything, partly because life got busy – new job, grandchildren and a bit of travel – but mostly because for a few years now I have changed my way of eating. Like many I’ve adopted the Keto way of eating. Low Carb and with Paleo principals, lots of fresh vegetables and good quality fats and proteins. I feel this way of eating has resolved a few health issues and works well for me

Initially I found it difficult, as you can see from previous posts, baked sugary goods and pasta were a mainstay of my diet and I began by trying to find low carb recipes to replace a lot of those foods, I soon found that I was eating just as unhealthily – not getting nearly enough fresh, real food and often eating packaged so called low carb snacks that were full of unpronounceable nasty ingredients.

I still bake keto cookies, snacks and desserts but they are very much treats and often the snacks are super healthy, like sugar free gummies, though I try to focus on eating fresh, real foods as much as possible. However, as I’m the only one in my family eating this way I still bake treats for them so you never know what might pop up on here.

I fell in love with Fish Tacos on a trip to Hawaii. I ate them on our first night at a restaurant in the Main Street of Waikiki, I was hooked and looked for them on every menu after that. They were fresh and light and suited the beach and sunshine life. Tacos are such an easy dish to adapt to keto once you get a good tortilla substitute.

I had been using the same recipe for over a year now…that is till I found the holy grail of tortilla recipes from gnom-gnom . I love them, they taste like the real thing, easy to make, pliable and with no coconut aftertaste. I had one for breakfast this morning in an egg, bacon and avocado burrito. I use many recipes from gnom-gnom as they always work perfectly and I’m sure more will show up on this site.

I use flathead fillets in my tacos as their flavour and size suit tacos well. I like recipes that are quick and easy as well as tasty, so I just dust my fillets in Cajun seasoning (you could use Mexican). You can find many low carb recipes where the fillets are cooked in either batter or crumbed if you prefer but I don’t find the need to.

Apart from the salad ingredients the only thing left is a dressing….to simplify this you could just use a low carb store bought aioli but I have made a very simple dressing with ingredients I always have on hand. Enjoy!

P.s. As I’ve mentioned I’m the only one in my family eating keto so I often cook for one and my recipes will usual be for 1 or 2 people.

FISH TACOS

(Serves 2)

1 batch Tortillas you will use 4 of 8

400gms Flathead fillets
Cajun Seasoning

1/8th white Cabbage shredded finely
2 finely sliced Radishes
1 finely chopped Tomato
1/4 Avocado chopped
Coriander

3 Tbsp good quality egg Mayonnaise
1 lime halved
tiny amount of minced garlic (optional)
salt and pepper

Mix the mayonnaise with juice of half the lime, garlic, salt and pepper and set aside

Season fish and fry, I use ghee or olive oil. Drain on paper towel.

Fill tortillas with cabbage and radish then fish. Top with tomato and avocado then drizzle on the dressing and top with coriander.

Serve with a squeeze of lime juice

Seafood and Chorizo Stew

Tags

chorizo, Seafood, stew

Up front this is my favourite way to eat seafood, I’ve ordered it many times at restaurants and thought I’d have a go at making it a home, which I’ve done several times now and have got it just the way we like it.  It’s really a matter of getting the two main components right… a good mix of fresh seafood and a tasty tomato base.   This dish looks impressive but its quite easy to make. It can be made simpler by buying a ready made seafood mix, which I have done before, and it was okay, but I prefer to buy the individual pieces and prepare them myself as I like my fish pieces a little bigger than they usually are in a pre prepared mix.

 

Chorizo, garlic and paprika flavour the broth, but not so that it overpowers the seafood.  Use the best quality tin tomatoes you can get.  Don’t be afraid of the anchovies they dissolve into the broth and add a seafood saltiness to the dish.

Seafood and Chorizo Stew

Ingredients:

Olive Oil
1 Chorizio, skin removed, sliced in the middle and chopped finely
2 or 3 eschallots peeled and finely chopped
4 Cloves Garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, lightly crushed
2 anchovies
1 Tablespoon Paprika
2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
1/2 cup White Wine
2 Cans good quality Tin Tomatoes 
250-500ml Fish Stock
1 tablespoon Soy Sauce or Tamari
Chopped fresh Parsley
Bay leaf
Piece of Lemon Peel
1 Teaspoon sugar
Chilli flakes (optional)
Black pepper
1kg mixed Seafood, (I used Salmon & Burramundi fillets, prawns, mussels, calamari, squid)
Crusty bread to serve

Method:

Heat oil in heavy based saucepan, add chorizo and cook till browned, add the garlic and eschallots, stir till softened.
Add the anchovies, paprika and fennel seeds and stir till anchovies have broken up.
Add the tomato paste and stir for a minute.
Add the wine, reduce a little then add the rest of the ingredients, except for the seafood, and simmer for 15-20 mins till reduced a little.
Add the seafood and cook for a few minutes till prawns are cooked and mussels are open.
Serve in bowls with a little extra chopped parsley and crusty bread.

Dark Chocolate Beetroot Cake with Ganache

Tags

Almond Flour, Beetroot, chocolate, Coconut Oil, Maple Syrup

Healthy without compromise

Though I haven’t had time to post in a while I have been baking, quite a lot, the most recent being a Strawberry And Cream Sponge Cake I made for a Pink Ribbon Breast Cancer Afternoon Tea which I adapted from my Passionfruit Sponge Cake

Whilst it was beautiful and devoured by all, healthy isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you look at it and it probably doesn’t come to mind when you look at the chocolate cake either, but you might be mistaken.  Up until recently “healthy cakes” conjured up images of compromise, on taste and texture and an ingredient list full of things you’ve never heard of and would have to go on a hunt for.  Though this cake has some healthier ingredients, like almond meal and coconut oil, these days these items are staples in the cupboards of most cooks.  There are some very innovative cooks out there that are coming up with fantastic recipes that in many cases you would never guess were gluten free, or free from dairy or eggs or added sugars.  I had been wanting to try a Chocolate Beetroot Cake for a while……so why chocolate and beetroot, for one, antioxidants.  Raw cocao powder and beetroot are full of antioxidants, in addition beetroot is high in fibre, is said to help with blood pressure and heart health and is full of vitamins and minerals.  The original recipe uses raw beetroot, I bought my beetroot cooked, already peeled and vacuum sealed which makes this cake a breeze to make without the fiddly messy bits.

I have been cooking with almond meal for a while now, it’s high in protein, gluten free and makes for moist cakes and crispy biscotti and by now I’m sure you’ve heard of the many uses and benefits of coconut oil which is also used in this cake.  I came across this fantastic recipe by Hayley Abell at Yummy Goodness. You will most likely have all the ingredients in your pantry and if not, they are easily available at your local store.  The cake is moist, and its fudgy and decadent and lovely on its own though I chose to decorate this one with a cream ganache. I thought afterwards that it might have been a good time to try making one of the chocolate avocado frostings I have seen, maybe next time.

I often make half quantities of a cake recipe, firstly as there are only three of us and my daughter is a fussy eater, so its just enough for my husband and I to have a serve or two.  Also if I’m a little uncertain of the outcome of a new recipe making half reduces waste and is a nice way to test it, which is what I did here.  I made this cake in two 10 1/2 cm springform pans and they took somewhere from 25-30 mins to cook.  If you choose to make the ganache start it immediate after making the cake as it takes a little while to cool and whisk till fluffy.

I will certainly be making this cake again, my husband had no idea it contained beetroot or any of the other healthier ingredients, he just devoured it and asked for another piece.

Ingredients:
Adapted from Yummy Goodness
1 Whole Cake

230g of cooked vacuum packed or tinned beetroot or
raw beetroot, skin removed and cut into quarters (about 2 medium beetroot)
250g of almond meal
2 eggs
1/4 cup or 50g coconut oil, softened slightly if solid
1/2 cup or 170g 100% pure maple syrup
1/4 cup or 25g raw cacao powder (I have also since used Dutch Processed Cocoa)
2 teaspoons of gluten free baking powder
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 170°C and grease a 20cm pan, lining the bottom with paper.
Blitz the beetroot in a food processor till finely chopped, if using raw beetroot you may need to add a little water to get it to a paste like consistency. 
Place the beetroot into a large bowl and add the rest of the ingredients.
Whisk together until the batter is smooth.
Pour into tin levelling the top and cook for 45mins or until a skewer comes out clean.
Cool in tin for 10 Mins then turn out onto a wire rack till completely cooled.

Ganache:
1/2 Cup Cream
125gms 85% Cocoa Dark Chocolate

This quantity is enough to top one cake. Roughly chop chocolate and put in a heatproof bowl. Heat cream till just before boiling (I microwaved mine for 45 seconds). Pour over chocolate and whisk till smooth. Set aside and whisk every 10 mins or so till cooled, thick and fluffy.

Apple & Walnut Crumble Muffins

Tags

Apple, Buttermilk, Streusel, Walnut

Jumbo Muffins with Lots of Apple and Loads of Crumble

These remind me a little of the Italian biscuits “Brutti ma buoni” – Ugly but nice. What they lack in looks they more than make up in taste, actually they are really good, right to the very last crumb eaten two days later.  So feeling like a muffin and having a few extra apples about, I searched for apple muffins and couldn’t go past these at The crepes of wrath.  Think cinnanmon apple crumble in a large moist muffin.  They’re kept moist thanks to the addition of buttermilk and lots of apple and they’re topped with heaps of crunchy sweet cinnamon crumb.  I added some chopped walnuts to my crumble mix which added both flavour and crunch.

Being time poor I normally try and choose recipes that are quick and simple, and while these are not difficult to make, there are a few steps involved with lots of bowls and measuring cups, but they are so worth it. Apart from being the perfect partner to a cup of coffee they are equally good warm with ice cream.   

I strongly suggest that you head over to The Crepes of wrath, not only for this recipe, but to spend a while browsing through this gorgeous blog that I am thrilled to have stumbled on.  I know I will be trying more of Sydney’s recipes which are also beautifully photographed. 

I Want (Need) Chocolate Cake

Tags

cake, chocolate, Frosting

From Smitten Kitchen

“It’s Complicated” would best describe my relationship with my parents, though together with some very difficult times there have been many happy, joyfilled times as well.  Unfortunately they are both reaching an age where their health is deteriorating and this of course brings new challenges.  Being the oldest child and only daughter I do what I can to keep them comfortable.  Recently with three days notice I made the 27 hour trip to Malta to bring back mum. She had gone over with friends to spend a few extra weeks with her two sisters who live there and dad was to join her later, sadly dad’s health took a turn for the worse and he felt the trip would be too much for him, so I was sent to bring her back as she is unable to travel alone.

It was a trip full of contradictions, so much beauty and enjoyment entwined with a lot of sadness.  I was on the island of Gozo which is steeped in history and no matter where you are on the island, you are never more than 15 mins from a beach.  Both my parents and Aunts wanted me to enjoy my time there so when I wasn’t needed I did lots of exploring and swam every day.

But it was always tinged with sadness, dads ill health and the knowledge that mum would probably never get back to the land of her birth, see her sisters again or visit her parents grave, the day we left was difficult to say the least. 

So I have been home for a little while now and looking forward to getting back to baking.  Today though only chocolate cake would do.   I so often end up here at Smitten Kitchen when looking for a recipe,  Deb has one of the most beautiful blogs and you can almost always find a variation of any recipe you are looking for. 

This cake delivers on every front, it has a moist, rich chocolate cake base which is slathered in a thick fluffy layer of amazingly delicious frosting.  The original recipe has quite a large frosting to cake ratio which I am sure would be lovely, but today I wanted a little more cake so I made 1 1/2 times the cake batter and topped it with the same amount of frosting. I didn’t have buttermilk so I improvised with some left over yoghurt making up the difference with thin cream, adding a teaspoon of lemon juice and letting it sit for ten minutes.  I was a little concerned that there seemed to be a lot of sugar but go with it, it works.

I WANT CHOCOLATE CAKE

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Cake
130 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
215 grams firmly packed dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 large egg
255 ml buttermilk (I improvised as above)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup (60 grams) Dutch cocoa powder
1 1/2 cup (185 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda (slightly less than 1/2)
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon table or fine sea salt

Frosting
2 ounces (55 grams) unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
1 1/2 cups (180 grams) icing sugar (sifted if lumpy)
1/2 cup (4 ounces or 115 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
Pinch of fine sea salt (optional)
1 tablespoons cream 
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Sugar confetti

Grease and line a 20cm square pan. Preheat oven to 175°c.

Beat the butter and sugars in a mixer till light and fluffy, add the eggs one at a time beating well. Add the vanilla and buttermilk and beat, at this point my batter was a beautiful caramel colour and aroma.  Combine the remaining ingredients and sift over batter, beat slowly for a few seconds till combined.  Pour into prepared pan and bake for approximately 55mins or till a skewer inserted in centre comes out clean.  Allow to cool in pan for 15 mins then turn out on to a wire rack till completely cooled.

To make the icing beat butter and icing sugar till light and fluffy, add vanilla and salt and beat again.  Add the melted chocolate and cream and beat again till combined and fluffy. Pile on top of cooled cake and swirl decorativel and sprinkle on confetti.

Chalkboard Cookies

Tags

Chalkboard Cookies, Fondant, Sugar Glue

(Psst we cheated a little)

I’ll get the confession out the way first – we didn’t bake our own cookies.  My youngest daughter and I had a few idle hours on Sunday afternoon and wanted to try our hand at making these.  I was fortunate enough to have a cutter the same size as some plain biscuits I had in the pantry, so to save time and get straight to the fun bit I used those.

My eldest daughter and I went to a Cake and Bake show recently where she took a short workshop on decorating Chalkboard Cookies, I thought they looked great and wanted to give them a try.  Over the next few days I collected the nesscessary ingredients;

Black Fondant (I have never worked with fondant before)
White Icing Paint
Fine Paint brushes 

I already had on hand the other things you need;

Two pastry brushes (one very soft)
Cornflour
Sugar Glue (basically just a simple sugar syrup made with 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water, combine in a saucepan, bring to the boil making sure sugar has dissolved, then simmer for five minutes till thicker, allow to cool completely)
Edible sugar hearts (Optional)

Now the fun bit, gently knead a little fondant in your hands to soften then roll out on a light dusting of cornflour, don’t worry if a little cornflour gets on top, you can brush it off with the soft pastry brush and it adds to the chalkboard look. Cut rounds, or other shapes, the same size and shape as your cookie.

Brush some sugar glue on one side of your cookie, we used the underneath, then place a piece of fondant on top.  Allow to dry.  As you can see ours looked far from perfect at this stage, just give them a light brush with the soft pastry brush to dust off any excess cornflour, they are meant to look like a chalkboard after all.

Now you are ready to decorate, pour a small amount of your icing paint into a small container or palette and paint on any design you wish.  I attached the hearts with a little dab of paint. Once completely dry and using your soft brush once again, dust a tiny amount of cornflour around parts of the edges to give it a chalkboard look.  If you look online you will find many different designs to try or just be original.  We were pretty happy with our first attempt. ❤️



Blueberry Tarts with Walnuts and Oats

Tags

Almond Flour, Blueberrys, Coconut Flour, cupcakes, Oats, Spelt flour, Walnuts

And Pink Swirl Cupcakes

I’m a dessert person …… back of the menu first, always leave room for dessert person.  If I’m out or entertaining, it’s hang the calories, whatever looks best on the menu would be my choice, but at home I do try and include healthier options.  I loved the idea of this crumble from Bakerita.  The original recipe calls for Almond flour which I didn’t have so I substituted with half Coconut Flour and half Wholemeal Spelt flour which seemed to work well and used Walnuts instead of Pecans. I used butter for the coconut oil, which I know probably isn’t quite as healthy but is a preference for the rest of the family.

I wanted to make individual tarts to see if they would turn out okay and I could possibly make them again for a dinner party.  They turned out beautifully with a crispy crust and just the right sweetness, We had them with ice cream but they would work equally well with cream.

My daughter was cooking beside me, she jazzed up a vanilla cupcake mix with pink swirls and I think they turned out beautifully so thought I would share those as well, not so healthy, but I don’t want to dampen her enthusiasm to bake.

So, now back to my tarts,  the other thing I like about these tarts is that they are just so simple, Rachel has come up with a great tasting recipe that can be whipped up in no time and if you follow her original Recipe it is Gluten Free and Vegan.

Passionfruit Sponge Cake

Tags

Cream, curd, Passionfruit, Sponge Cake

A quick update;   After making Passionfruit Curd recently, I couldn’t wait to try it out in some baking.  I came across a great Sponge Cake recipe with a beautiful story attached, you will find the story of Bill and his award winning sponge cake recipe here.

I only used half the quantities and made two 11 cm (4 1/2 in) cakes.  This one I filled with the passionfruit curd and some whipped cream with a little vanilla bean added, then topped it with icing as shown in Bills recipe.

Sponge cake has been my nemesis for many years…but not any more, I think I’ve got the hang of it, preparation and a gentle hand when folding in the dry ingredients seem to be the key.  Unlike some other sponge cake recipes this one has no butter,  however it was light and fluffy with a good crumb and was perfect with the curd and cream and as you can see the curd was thick and stayed in place.  Success! 

Passionfruit Curd

Tags

curd, Passionfruit

I love everything about passionfruit, they are easy to grow and have a gorgeous flower.  I like the black/purple skin and the bright yellow flesh, but my favourite thing is the beautiful smell of a freshly cut passionfruit that just screams sunny tropics.  

Of course I also very much love the taste, particularly in baked goods, like sandwiching between a sponge cake or in tarts.  There is a patisserie about an hour away that makes an amazing passionfruit brulee tart with a topping made from meringue mixed with creme patissiere folded through, worth the drive just to get one.

I’ve been looking to buy passionfruit curd but don’t seem to be able to find any, often thinking how good it would be to add to this or that that I have baked,  So when I was at a farmers market recently on a weekend away and spied baskets of the beautiful purple fruit I couldn’t resist.   I’m not a jam maker and always buy my lemon curd so I was a little concerned about making my own,  imagining a curdled egg mess.  Right up till the end I wasn’t sure that I would have a happy ending however I needn’t have worried as it turned out beautifully.

I don’t mind eating the pips and think they add aesthetic value,  you can choose to remove all or some of your pips but you will then need to use more passionfruit so as to end up with 1/2 cup of flesh. So as not to end up with scrambled egg the only tricky part of making curd is to whisk briskly when adding the eggs to the hot juice and continue doing so until it thickens…it may look a little frothy even at this stage but take it off the heat and stir gently for a few minutes, as it cools further and is refrigerated it thickens a little more and…. voilà!, you have a thick, smooth, just the right tang to sweet passionfruit curd.

Oh and if you happen to have extra fruit laying around might I suggest one of my favourite cocktails, a Passionfruit Martini

INGREDIENTS
Makes just over a cup
(can easily be doubled)

1/2 cup Passionfruit (about 6)
60 grams butter
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs

METHOD

Cut the passionfruit in half and scoop out flesh.
Place in a small heavy based saucepan together with butter and sugar.
Stir gently over medium high heat till just boiling, take off heat and allow to cool for about five minutes.
In the meantime whisk the eggs till light and frothy.
Put the passionfruit mixture back on the heat and whilst whisking slowly pour in the eggs, whisking continuously
until mixture thickens. Once it began to boil I took mine off the stove and stirred a few seconds more.
As it cools it thickens a little more, spoon into sterilised jars and refrigerate.