Low-Carb Flax Seed Crackers

From La Carihuela we rented a car and drove to my dear cousin Lucy and Larry’s place in San José, about 3.5 hours from La Carihuela. We spent the next three weeks in their beautifully renovated flat overlooking the Mediterranean. They were kind enough to create a beautiful kitchen for us, including my favourite, an induction stovetop. Induction is definitely the way to go in Europe, in fact, it outnumbers gas and electric by more than 70% in the stores. It is far more efficient, and apparently not nearly as bad for the environment as gas. Have you ever cooked on Induction?

Here are a few pics of the flat:

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We were still trying to maintain a low-carb diet, during our stay in Spain in February-March, but it was a lot more difficult than at home. Ingredients that I have come to rely on like Lupin Flour, vital wheat gluten, and oat fibre were impossible to find so I had to improvise. Flax seeds were readily available so I created a flax seed cracker. It’s similar to the almond flour cracker but not nearly as heavy so you could have a few more without filling up.

A Kitcheninspirations original recipe

Makes about 2 x 20 cm x 30 cm sheet (2 x 8 inch x 12 inch sheet)

Ingredients:

• 150 g flax seeds, ground but some left whole
• 1 egg, beaten
• 5 g olive oil
• 30 g hard cheese, grated
• 2 g granulated onion, finely ground
• 2 g ground pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
2. Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and process until thoroughly combined. 
3. Spill out the mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Using a second piece of parchment, roll the dough out until it is approximately 20 cm x 30 cm sheet (8 inch x 12 inch sheet). Remove the top parchment and bake until it is lightly golden (the crackers will stiffen up as they cool).
4. When cool, break the crackers into bite-sized pieces.

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Low-Carb Crêpes

La Carihuela is a cute beachside neighbourhood in Torremolinos where we spent our first six days in Spain. We decided to begin wintering there because we have friends there and it is slightly warmer than San José. It also has a lovely pedestrian promenade surrounded by many of restaurants and shops. Although it is rather touristy, you can find good, reasonably priced grocery stores and some cute local shops not far from the promenade. We had a marvellous time with our friends Andy and Mark touring their favourite spots, often walking more than 20,000 steps! 

A little reprieve from walking and walking

Lunch in Torremolinos

Our Spanish Gang

Our Spanish Gang

Spain does not have the variety of ethnic restaurants as Toronto does, so some of our ethnic fav’s had to be put on hold, like crêpes. Crêpes are one of my all-time favourites! They are so versatile from sweet to savoury, but to be perfectly honest, I prefer savoury. And the Croque Madame Crêpes surely hit the spot. These low-carb crêpes are the closest to the real thing I have found. You should not make the batter too far in advance like the traditional crêpe as the lupin flour absorbs too much of the liquid ingredients, ten minutes is just about perfect. These crêpes are a bit more delicate than standard crêpes, you’ll want to use a good non-stick pan lightly oiled on medium to low heat.

Makes 2 crêpes, to make more just multiply the ingredients by the number of crêpes you require.

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 45 mL soda water (or more)
• 2 tbsp oat fibre
• 2 tbsp lupin flour
• 2 tbsp vital wheat gluten
• Salt

Directions:

1. Combine all of the ingredients in the jar of your blender (I used an immersion blender) and blend until smooth. Allow to sit at room temperature for a maximum of 10 minutes. The batter should coat the back of a spoor lightly, if it’s too thick, add a bit more soda water and blend again. Use immediately.
2. Use a good non-stick pan lightly oiled on medium to low heat to cook these crêpes. Cook them until the edges shrink away from the pan, and flip and cook another minute longer.  Cover cooked crêpes with a clean tea towel until you are ready to serve them (they dry out rather quickly so if you want to keep them warm, cover with a damp tea towel).

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Low-Carb Japanese Cheesecake

Some of you may have noticed that I haven’t been as present in the blogging sphere in February and March, and that is because we spent the month of February and some of March, wintering in Spain this year, and then we enjoyed some adventure. The first part of our trip was in La Carihuela in the Torremolinos neighbourhood of Malaga. We met up with friends for 6 days and soaked in the sunshine. Then, we rented a car and zipped off to my Cousin Lucy’s flat in San José where we spent three weeks, enjoying the sunshine. We had booked a couple of days in Alicante and then we zipped back to Malaga for 11 days, this time we rented a flat in the old centre of Malaga and visited with our friends and their friends, in La Carihuela. From Malaga, we flew to Istanbul, Turkey for a Viking Cruise to Greece. I will do a more detailed post on our Viking experience in the coming weeks. This was our first cruise in 38 years (our honeymoon was a cruise) ! After we landed in Athens, the culmination of our cruise, we flew to London for 4 days and then to Dublin for 3 days and arrived home for the last of winter weather on March 27. It was definitely a whirlwind trip with old friends and new friends and we hope to recreate it again in the coming year.

Unfortunately for us, Basque Cheesecake is from the Basque region in Spain, in the far north. Of course, you can find cheesecake everywhere in Spain, but is it authentic Basque Cheesecake? Basque Cheesecake is a slightly burnt, crustless cheesecake. Who needs crust on a cheesecake? I first made the crustless Basque Cheesecake in December 2022 and to be honest, I didn’t miss the crust. Yes, it does add texture but honestly, who needs (or wants) the extra calories? Plus, graham cracker crumbs of late are absolutely awful, they have a strong chemical odour which is definitely a downer for me. Next comes the Japanese Cheesecake. Japanese Cheesecake is also a crustless cheesecake but it is also a lot less dense than the Basque Cheesecake which for me is a plus. You could put a fruit couli on top for colour, but it doesn’t really need it. It’s quite lovely on its own.

For the original recipe, please click here.

Makes 1 20 cm pan

Ingredients:

• unsalted butter (for greasing the pan and parchment paper)
• 150 g cream cheese
• 30 g unsalted butter
• 150 ml heavy (whipping) cream (¾ cup + 4 tsp, to be precise)
• 100 g Erythritol (for the cream cheese mixture)
• 3 large eggs
• 40 g cake flour (I used 20 g lupin flour 20 g vital wheat gluten)
• 1/4 lemon (for the zest)
• 15 ml lemon juice (from ½ large lemon)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Prepare your springform pan by lining the bottom with parchment and then rubbing butter on the bottom and the sides. Line the bottom of the exterior with 2 layers of foil (to prevent water leaking into the cake because it will bake in a bain marie). Take a larger pan than the springform pan and fill it halfway with water. Place in the oven to warm.
2. In the top bowl of a double boiler (or make-shift bain marie) place the cream cheese, butter, heavy cream, and sugar into the bowl and simmer over low heat until everything melts and is cohesive. Separate the eggs and set the egg whites aside in the refrigerator.
3. Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the three egg yolks, one at a time until fully combined.
4. Sift the flour into the cheese mixture and whisk until fully combined. Pour the mixture through a fine sieve pressing through as much as possible, discarding the larger bits. Set aside.
5. Beat the egg whites into stiff but not dry peaks. Fold the beaten egg whites into the cheese mixture.
6. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Turn the heat down to 325° F. Set the cheesecake mixture into the ban marie and bake for 70-75 minutes. Lower the temperature to 300° F for an additional 10 minutes to give the top a beautiful golden colour. Turn the heat off and open the door slightly. Allow the cheesecake to cool completely in the oven. The cheesecake will shrink and become denser as it cools.

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Classic Low-Carb Mac ‘n Cheese

When one is on a low-carb diet, one misses the old favourites like Mac ‘n Cheese. We particularly LOVE the way the cheese caramelizes on the noodles at the edge of the baking dish so they become crispy and slightly chewy. Most low-carb bread crumbs end up being almond flour which really makes the dish very heavy, I solved that problem by using my low-carb bread, toasted and pulsed into breadcrumbs. If you didn’t know this was low-carb, you wouldn’t have had a clue.

The noodles really maintain their shape and the sauce sticks to it nicely.

Classic Low-Carb Mac ‘n Cheese

A Kitcheninspirations original recipe

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 100 mL milk, chicken stock, or water
• 60 g cream cheese
• 60 g Cheddar, grated
• 30 g Gruyère, grated
• 30 g Mozzarella, grated
• 1 slice of bacon, cooked until crispy
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced
• 92 g low-carb Garganelli, uncooked and dry
• 30 g Parmesan Cheese, grated, divided
• 30 g low-carb bread crumbs
• 10 g butter, also a little to coat the pan

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Prepare an oven-safe dish by buttering the inside all-over and sprinkling about half the Parmesan cheese all over the bottom.
2. Begin to heat the milk very slowly over low heat.  Add the cream cheese, cheddar and gruyère and continue to heat until totally melted and incorporated smoothly into the milk. Take it off the heat and fold in the Mozzarella, bacon, and scallions.
3. Add the warm cheese sauce to the uncooked pasta and stir it so the sauce penetrates all of the hollows of the Garganelli. Pour the coated pasta into the prepared oven-safe dish.
4. Combine the remaining Parmesan cheese with the bread crumbs and butter and mix until crumbly. Top the pasta with the grated cheese mixture.
5. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until the pasta has cooked through and has begun to caramelize on the bakeware.

 

Fresh out of the oven, the cheese was still bubbling!

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Low-Carb Flatbread

Stop right now! You have to make this if you are doing a low-carb diet. This is literally the best low-carb flatbread I have ever created. They’re fabulously chewy and springy. They fold perfectly to cradle the kebab and resist cracking or breaking apart. 

This flatbread has been a long and difficult journey. JT has had to endure some pretty bad flat bread samples. True, it’s pretty easy to make a flatbread that is thin and holds your kebab, but the difficulty lies in the chewy and springy texture that the original flatbread has. It’s mandatory for flatbread. This recipe has it all. 

Low-Carb Flatbread

A Kitcheninspirations original recipe

Makes 8 flatbreads

Ingredients:

• 320 g water, about 60° F
• 2 g sugar
• 8 g instant yeast
• 80  g Lupin Flour
• 170 g Vital Wheat Gluten
• 38 g Oat Fibre
• 30 g psyllium husk, ground
• 48 g Erythritol
• 8 g Sea Salt
• 20 g baking powder

Directions:

1. Combine the water, and yeast and set aside to allow the yeast to bloom.
2. In the large bowl of your stand mixer, combine the erythritol with vital wheat gluten, oat fibre, lupin flour, psyllium husk, and salt, and stir to mix well.
3. Once the yeast has become foamy, add it to the flour mixture and knead with the cookie dough paddle until the dough has come together. Allow to rest for 5 minutes. Sprinkle the salt and baking powder onto the dough and continue to knead for 15 minutes. Form the dough into a ball with your hands and cover to rest for 30 minutes.
4. Once rested, divide the dough into 8 equal portions, roll out each piece into an oval, rub with EVOO and allow to rest for 10 minutes covered with a clean kitchen towel.
5. Preheat a cast iron pan on medium heat. Cook each flatbread until golden, flip and continue until all have been cooked. Freeze in an airtight container/bag. Defrost in the refrigerator and reheat, slightly dampened with water on each side.

The kebabs fit into this flatbread perfectly.

 

Low-Carb Flat Bread Nutrition for 1 flatbread

Notes:

1. The sugar gets completely eaten by the yeast, although I have included it in the nutitional ingredients.

They are quite foldable, they won’t crack.

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Low-Carb Cauliflour, Vital Wheat Gluten and Lupin Flour Gnocchi

Well, our journey through low-carb cuisine has not been bad, as attested by JT. I have been slowly converting many of our high-carb recipes to low-carb versions and it’s been rather fun. My latest creation is low-carb gnocchi. It has the chewiness and puffiness that regular flour gnocchi have without the carb-load. JT was impressed.

They are predicting our first really heavy snowstorm for this afternoon. Glad I made a few of these tasty morsels.

A Kitcheninspirations original recipe

This recipe makes 246 g of gnocchi dough about 50 gnocchi. 2-4 servings

Ingredients:

• 115 g cauliflower mash (see notes)
• 57.5 g Vital Wheat Gluten
• 57.5 Lupin Flour
• 10 g Parmesan Cheese, finely grated
• 11.5 g egg, beaten

To fry:

• 15 mL EVOO or butter

Directions:

1. Combine everything in the large bowl of your food processor and process with the plastic blade until entirely combined (the dough may not come together in a ball, but you will be able to form it into a ball).
2. Pour it onto a lightly floured* surface and form it into a ball. then divide it into smaller pieces to make into a roll. I weighed mine so they would be more accurate but you don’t have to.
3. Cook into boiling water immediately or freeze on a baking tray so they don’t touch each other.
4. Cooking is similar to regular gnocchi, they sink when they are raw and float when they are done.
5. If you’ve cooked them and wish to crisp them, heat a frying pan with the EVOO or butter and fry each gnocchi so they are golden and crisp on each side.

Low-Carb Gnocchi in a creamy Gorgonzola Sauce sprinkled with lemon zest to freshen it up.

This is a dinner I made with Cod wrapped in Serrano Ham and had gnocchi as a side.

Notes:

• Cauliflower mash is simply roasted cauliflower with a little EVOO until soft and blended with an immersion blender until smooth, I usually have leftovers so I made gnocchi with the leftovers.
• *Use Lupin flour or vital wheat gluten to dust your work surface.
• These are best fresh but do freeze well. I detected a slight change in texture while JT did not.

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Low-Carb Brioche Bread

When we do a low-carb diet, one of the major food groups we miss incredibly is bread. Not that we eat a lot of bread (our favourite German seedy loaf lasts over a month) but we do like the occasional grilled cheese, and specialty sandwich. This low-carb brioche hits the spot; it’s slightly chewy and very springy and it’s fantastic toasted. The Lupin flour gives it a slightly nutty flavour and because there’s a lot of fibre, it has a little bit of a whole wheat texture that’s not too much, perfectly acceptable for the lower carb count. I usually bake it in a regular loaf pan but I can hardly wait to make this recipe in a Pullman pan (on my birthday list😉)

Low-Carb Brioche Bread

Makes 1 Brioche Loaf

Ingredients:

• 236 g water, about 60° F
• 7 g instant yeast
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 80 g Lupin Flour
• 170 g Vital Wheat Gluten
• 38 g Oat Fibre
• 48 g Erythritol
• 3.5 g Sea Salt
• 30 g unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 egg, beaten for egg wash

Directions:

1. Combine the water, and yeast and set aside to allow the yeast to bloom.
2. In the large bowl of your stand mixer, combine the erythritol with vital wheat gluten, oat fibre, lupin flour and salt and stir to mix well.
3. Once the yeast has become foamy, add the eggs and whisk to combine. Add it to the flour mixture with the butter and knead to combine, then continue kneading for 5 minutes. Form the dough into a ball with your hands and cover to rest for 30 minutes.
4. Once rested, form the dough into a loaf and set inside a buttered loaf pan. Allow to rise covered with a clean cloth for 30-60 minutes or until doubled in bulk.
5. Preheat the oven 350° F, convection or fan setting. Once the dough has risen, brush with the egg washbake and bake for 20-30 minutes or until the internal temperature is 200° F.

Ah, the gorgeous winter darkness.

 

This is a grilled cheese I made with the bread. It was delicious.

 

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Low-Carb, Gluten-Free Crunchy Peanut Butter Cookies

Still on our quest to lose a few nasty pounds but we (ahem, JT🤣) needed a bit of a treat so I converted this old favourite into a low-carb cookie. The flavours are bang on and they really satisfied our cravings for a treat.

Low-Carb, Gluten-Free Crunchy Peanut Butter Cookies

Makes about 17 cookies

Ingredients:

• 260 g crunchy, natural peanut butter
• 100 g erythritol
• 1 egg
• 5 mL vanilla
• 3 g salt
• 20 g salted peanuts

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl except the salted peanuts. Mix with a hand mixer so that everything is well combined.
3. Portion out 25 g of the cookie dough and press into your palm to form a circle about 5 cm or 2.5 inches in diameter. Lay each cookie on the parchment-lined baking tray about 5 cm or 2.5 inches apart. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet.

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Low-Carb Okonomiyaki (Savoury Japanese Pancake)

I first began making these delectable dishes in 2019 after seeing them on my friend’s blog (in hiatus at the moment).  But now that we are doing a low-carb diet I still wanted to make them so I came up with this alternate recipe. The flavours are still there but the carb quotient is far less. We enjoy a variety of ethnic foods so this version will be on our menu plan.

Low-Carb Okonomiyaki (Savoury Japanese Pancake)

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 15 g butter, room temperature
• 15 g cream cheese, room temperature
• 30 g lupin flour
• 15 g flaxmeal
• 2.5 g baking powder
• 1 g salt
• 1 large egg
• 15 mL water
• 15 mL soy sauce
• 10 g monk fruit/ Erythritol
• 200 g cabbage, finely shredded
• 30 g Parmesan cheese, shredded
• 100 g shrimp, peeled and deveined

Directions:

1. Combine all of the ingredients but the shredded cabbage and Parmesan cheese and mix well.
2. Add the shredded cabbage to the cheese mixture, and mix well to coat evenly.
3. Preheat a cast iron or nonstick skillet to medium heat. Line the bottom of the pan with a parchment circle that is larger than the pancake. Sprinkle the cheese on the parchment and allow it to melt and begin to render. Then evenly distribute the cabbage mixture over the cheese, nestle the shrimp into the cabbage evenly. Cook, covered for 5-7 minutes.
4. Flip and cook and additional 5-7 minutes or until the shrimp are cooked. You may need to flip one more time to crisp up the cheese on the bottom.
5. Serve hot with a drizzle of mayo, a sprinkle of bonito flakes, toasted sesame seeds and julienned nori.

Notes:

1. I used the cheese to help crisp up the bottom crust and it worked out well.
2. To make it easier to flip, place a piece of parchment under the pancake so you can easily lift and flip it.

The winter light has finally hit us and it ain’t pretty.

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Low-Carb Hoisin Sauce

Firstly, I must apologize to my regular followers as I haven’t been able to comment on their blogs in the last week, I was taken down by the stomach flu that is going around and it was brutal! I could barely get out of bed for five days. I’m recovering but it takes time to reintroduce foods into your diet that won’t shock the system.

We are planning an epic adventure in 2024 and for that we need to get in shape so we are cutting back the carbs, cutting out the alcohol and bumping up the exercise. I will adapt as many of our favourite recipes on our journey and I started with this beloved sauce. This recipe isn’t as sweet as traditional hoisin sauce but it definitely has a good punch of umami and the best part is that 15 mL has 2 g net carbs, compared to 44 g! That’s a win-win for me.

It’s super salty but not as sweet as traditional Hoisin Sauce.

A Kitcheninspirations original recipe

Makes about 150 mL sauce

Ingredients:

• 200 mL low sodium soy sauce
• 30 g erythritol
• 20 g roasted garlic purée
• 12 g molasses
• 5 g white miso paste
• 10 g tahini

Directions:

1. Combine everything but the tahini in a small saucepan and mix well. Bring to a boil and reduce to about 150 mL.
2. Using an immersion blender, blend in the tahini. Pour through a fine sieve into a sterilized jar.

Notes:

• The sauce will thicken when cool.
• Use as a marinade for chicken or pork or as garnish for phõ as you would regular hoisin sauce.

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Crusty Cheese Omelette

This is one of my Go-To omelettes. It’s not nearly as fussy as a traditional French omelette so it’s easy and relatively quick to put together. And did I mention that it’s delicious? The cheese caramelizes on the bottom of the omelette so that it becomes this incredibly delicious crust, like the end of a fondu! Also, there isn’t much technique involved so it’s super easy to execute.

This is one of those crusty videos that the kids are doing these days. It turned out fantastic!

Serves 1 or 2, depending on how hungry you are!

Ingredients:

• 60 g cheese, grated (see notes)
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 30 g Greek yogurt
• Salt and Pepper

Directions:

1. Sprinkle the cheese in a small non-stick pan and set the heat to medium. Melt the cheese slowly (do not allow it to caramelize at this point).
2. Combine the eggs, yogurt, salt and pepper and whisk until smooth. Once the cheese has begun to render and bubbling a little, carefully pour the egg mixture over the cheese so that it sits on top of the cheese. Cover and cook until the top of the omelette has set at the top. Remove the pan from the heat (turn it off) and allow it to sit covered for a few minutes (the omelette should come away from the pan at the edges and easily slide out).
3. Serve warm on warm plates.

 

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Lupin Flour Low-Carb Brioche Buns

We’ve struggled with a low-carb diet, particularly the lack of bread. I’ve tried the almond buns, made with almond flour but they tend to be so heavy, that I find it difficult to eat it like normal bread, you become way too full. The discovery of Lupin flour paired with Vital Wheat Gluten has changed my life. We have gone back to enjoying the foods we’ve loved before low-carb and feeling rather good about it. These dinner rolls are 2 g net carb compared to a regular brioche bun which is 34 g of carbs! 

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, Lupin Flour is related to soy and peanuts so if you have an allergy to either or both, you will probably be allergic to Lupin Flour.

Makes 8 hamburger-size buns or 12 slightly smaller buns or one 24 cm loaf

Ingredients:

• 236 g Filtered water, slightly warm
• 4 g Sugar
• 6 g Instant yeast
• 3 Large Eggs, room temperature, divided
• 55 g Butter, softened
• 45 g Erythritol
• 80 g Lupin flour
• 38 g Oat fiber
• 170 g Vital wheat gluten
• 3.5 g Sea salt

  
  

• 10 g Sesame seeds, toasted

Directions:

1. Combine the water, sugar, and yeast in a container and allow it to bloom for about 10 minutes.
2. In a bowl, combine two eggs and Erythritol and whisk until the Erythritol has dissolved.
3. In the large bowl of your stand mixer, whisk the lupin flour, vital wheat gluten, oat flour and sea salt together. Combine the egg/Erythritol with the bloomed yeast and mix well, add it to the flour mixture and using the scraper paddle, mix until well combined.
4. Once incorporated, add the softened butter to the dough and mix with the scraper paddle until the butter has been fully incorporated into the dough.
5. Rest the dough for ten minutes. Then knead it with the kneader hook in the stand mixer for 10-15 minutes to activate the gluten (do not skip this step, it is vital).
6. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper. Weigh the dough and divide the total weight by 8. Cut the dough into eight equal weights and roll into a nice bun and place it onto the baking sheet. These buns will roughly double in size. Repeat with the remainder of the dough. Cover the buns with a clean cloth and allow them to proof until doubled in size (mine took just shy of 2 hours).
7. Preheat the oven to 375° F. Whisk the remaining egg and brush the bun tops generously with it, Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if using. Bake the buns for 18-20 minutes or until the internal temperature is 200° F and the tops are golden. Cool completely on a wire rack.
   

Notes:

• If the tops of the buns get too dark while baking, cover lightly with foil to complete baking.
• The sugar with the yeast gets totally eaten by the yeast, not affecting the carbohydrates.
• You can make this into a loaf and get about 18 slices of bread, lowering the carb count even more!
• This dough is easily divided in half, you’ll just need 2 eggs instead of 3!
• If you’re like me, you’ll want to eliminate the Erythritol or reduce it and I suggest that you don’t. Lupin flour does not taste like wheat flour so the sweetness helps bridge the gap a bit. I have made this recipe without the Erythritol and although the texture is not affected, the taste is and it’s definitely better with the Erythritol.

Just look at that crumb, it really has a lot of spring to it.

Just look at that gorgeous crust.

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Almond Sesame Crackers (Gluten Free)

This is my ‘”GO-TO” gluten-free cracker, not just because they are so tasty, but because they are super-easy to make and require very little equipment! This recipe is half of my usual recipe because I didn’t want leftovers but because the measurements are metric, it’s super-easy to double or triple. The only thing I would caution you about is that they burn very quickly because of the natural oils in ground almonds and the grapeseed oil but hopefully it won’t deter you from making them, they are worth it.

Almond Sesame Crackers (Gluten Free)

Makes 40 crackers but it depends on how thick you roll them and how large you cut them. This recipe was first posted in 2011 in Imperial measures.

Ingredients:

• 150 g unblanched ground almonds
• 5 g sea salt
• 60 g sesame seeds, I like black and white versions, toasted lightly.
• 1 egg
• 15 mL grapeseed oil

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325° F with the rack set in the middle.
2. Mix the first three ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk the egg with the grapeseed oil together.
3. Combine the egg mixture with the dry ingredients and stir until well coated and clearly mixed well.
4. Roll between two sheets of parchment paper to just less than 1 mm thick. Cut into 4-centimetre squares leaving the crackers on the parchment (no need to separate). 
5. Cut off the parchment that is on top and slide the cut crackers onto a baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 checking often near the end as it burns quickly. Remove the baking sheet and slide the parchment off it onto a cooling rack. Cool slightly and snap the crackers apart. Cool completely to store.

These crackers have excellent flavour and texture.

Notes:

• Add various nuts (although they should be small) to the batter for a slightly different texture.
• The thicker you roll your crackers the sturdier they will be, but just less than 1 mm is sturdy enough for a good thick dip.
• These crackers are quite moreish but be careful as they are also very filling so you don’t need as many to satisfy you!
• I reduced the baking temperature to 325° F from 350° F because I burnt the first batch!

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Lupin Flour Pasta (low-carb pasta)

Since the beginning of January, we’ve been trying to do a low-carb diet to shed some Covid pounds. It’s a pretty easy diet to follow but of all the food groups that are restricted, carbs are my favourite so it’s been challenging mentally and in cooking! Until I discovered Lupin Flour and Vital Wheat Gluten. These two ingredients are an absolute game changer! We’re talking real bread, real pasta, real baking! Lupin flour is made from the Lupin bean which, unfortunately, is related to Soy and Peanuts so if you have an allergy or a sensitivity, chances are you will be the same with Lupin flour. It is also super high in protein and fibre making its net carb content quite low and easily added to a low-carb diet. There is only one small thing you have to pay close attention to when dealing with any bean-based flour, is that it is super absorbent so you can’t just substitute it for regular flour. The other revelation is Vital Wheat Gluten, this amazing ‘flour’ brings all the elasticity and bread-like behavior to the bean-four. I based this recipe on one that I found on Google, Black Tie Kitchen’s keto pasta noodles, and like any first recipe, I tried the smallest portion possible in case it bombed. I am super pleased to tell you it didn’t bomb, it exceeded my expectations!

You will notice that the pasta is quite yellow and that is due to the colour of Lupin Flour and the eggs I use which have golden yolks. The cooked pasta in the soup, I used an egg with a lighter colour yoke, but the yellow-ness dissipates when cooked.

Lupin Flour Low-Carb Garganelli

Lupin Flour Low-Carb Soup Noodles

Lupin Flour Low-Carb Ramen Noodles

Extruded Cooked Ramen Noodles. These noodles really lose the orangy colour when cooked.

This is the leftover pasta dough from the extruder. I rolled it out to the 6th thickness and cut them using the spaghetti cutter. Probably the 5th thickness would be better so that the noodles separate better.

Lupin Flour Pasta

Makes 4 servings of 236 g of raw pasta

Ingredients:

• 80 g Vital Wheat Gluten
• 80 g White Lupin Flour
• 2 large egg, whisked well
• 4 g salt
• 30 mL water, if necessary

Directions:

1. Add the wheat gluten and lupin flower in the small bowl of your stand mixer and whisk until combined. Change the attachment to the scraping paddle. Add the egg and allow the paddle to pull the dough together, if you find the dough too dry, add a few drops of water (I ended up adding about 15 mL, making it stretchy and not too sticky. Make the dough into a ball and cover it with plastic wrap and allow it to rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
2. Divide the dough into four equal parts and roll it out into a disk (I usually weigh the ball and divide it by four to get four equal pieces).
3. Using the thickest setting on your pasta machine, roll out the dough progressing to the thinnest you can get it without it falling apart (mine was at 6 on my KitchenAid pasta attachment).
4. Cut your dough to your desired shapes (Garganelli requires little squares that are 4 cm x 4 cm).
5. Use the shaped pasta immediately or allow to entirely dry out on the counter on parchment paper for longer-term storage.
6. To cook, just do as regular pasta, in a well-salted water for a maximum of 3 minutes, but it will depend on the thickness of your pasta.

To make Ramen Noodles:

• To make low-carb Ramen noodles, add 2.7 g of sodium carbonate (baked baking soda see notes here) to the dry ingredients and follow the instructions above. To cook, enough water to cover with an additional 4 cm more water on top (the ramen noodles will expand). do not add salt to the water. Cook the noodles for 1.5 to 2 minutes for a chewier texture. The three minutes will result as a softer noodle but it will hold its shape.
• I used an after-market pasta extruder I purchased on Amazon to fit on my KitchenAid Stand Mixer. The most efficient way to push the raw dough through this extruder is to roll small amounts of dough into a pencil-thickness noodle and that way the mixer’s motor is not taxed as it is forced through the auger.
• You can also use a KitchenAid pasta roller attachment, it’s always best to roll the dough by hand so it is no thicker than 3 mm before putting it through the pasta roller attachment, your motor will thank you for it. I found 5 was the perfect thickness as these noodles do swell with cooking.

Updated January 17, 2024

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Instant Pot Greek Chicken

One of the reasons I had wanted an Instant Pot was to get rid of a few of my small appliances like the slow cooker, air fryer, and rice maker! This recipe uses the instant pot for the rice as well as the chicken. To cook the rice, please see the notes below.

A KitchenInspirations Original Recipe

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1 200 g chicken Breast, skinless, boneless
• 30 g Greek yogurt, divided
• 15 mL roasted garlic purée
• 2 g oregano
• 5 g flour
• Zest of 1/2 a lemon
• 15 mL olive oil
• 15 g butter
• 50 g sweet onion, finely diced
• 125 mL water
• 30 mL cooking Sherry
• 1/2 a sun-dried tomato, cut into small pieces
• 5 black olives, sliced
• 1 artichoke heart, chopped
• Parsley, for garnish
• Rice for serving, see notes for IP cooking Rice

Directions:

1. Combine the yogurt, the roasted garlic, oregano and salt and mix well. Spread half of the marinade over the chicken reserving the extra and refrigerate while prepping.
2. Heat the olive oil & butter on the “Sauté” setting and cook the onions until translucent. Brown the chicken on both sides. Turn off the “Sauté” setting and add the chicken stock with the cooking sherry and the sun-dried tomatoes to release the fond. Put on the Pressure Cooking lid and set the vent to sealing, set the time to 5 minutes. Mix the flour and the lemon zest, into the remaining yogurt mixture. After five minutes, de-pressurize the Instant Pot and add the remaining yogurt mixture with all of the ingredients and mix well.
3. Secure the pressure lid and vent to sealing, set to Pressure Cook for 5 additional minutes. De-pressurize carefully.
4. After allowing the chicken to rest, slice it and lay it on a plate over rice. Drizzle the sauce over the chicken serve.

Notes:

• Rinse 100 g (heaping 1/2 cup) of rice in cold water until it runs clear. Add to the Instant Pot. Add 100 g (about 1/2 cup) of cold water or broth to the Instant Pot, add salt and 15 g (1 tbsp) melted butter, and stir well. Secure the pressure cooker lid and turn the pressure knob to the sealing setting. Use the Pressure cook setting on high for 3 minutes, then allow the steam to release naturally (about 10 minutes). Open by pressing the knob to release any extra steam to allow the lid to easily come off. Remove from the IP and set it aside.
• Adding the sun-dried tomatoes for the initial cook allows the tomatoes to totally soften into the sauce.

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Turk-ish Eggs

I saw this Nigella Lawson recipe on my friend Mimi’s socials and in reading Nigella Lawson’s description of it made me want to try it. I was able to source the Aleppo pepper flakes at my favourite spice store in Kensington Market, Carlos’ House of Spice. I called it Turk-ish because I altered the recipe somewhat but you can click on the original here.

Creamy and tangy against the rich Aleppo butter sauce.

The Aleppo pepper flakes are not burning hot, there is mild heat but even I can take it so it’s pretty mild. It has a lovely fruity taste that comes through in the nutty brown butter. The tangy yogurt is beautifully mellowed by the brown butter sauce. It’s a lovely dish that is totally guest-worthy.

Turk-ish Eggs

Please click here for the original recipe

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 200 mL Plain Greek yogurt
• 10 g roasted garlic purée
• 2-4 g Sea salt flakes or kosher salt
• 30 g unsalted butter
• 15 mL extra virgin olive oil
• 2-5 g Aleppo pepper/Turkish red pepper flakes
• 2 large eggs, cold
• 10 mL lemon juice, divided
• 1/2 avocado, mashed with a fork
• Toasted bread

Directions:

1. Whisk the yogurt and roasted garlic in a bowl over a bain-marie and gently warm the yogurt, set aside.
2. Warm two bistro bowls.
3. Melt the butter and gently cook until the milk solids turn golden brown, remove from the heat and stir in the olive oil, Aleppo pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt. Set aside.
4. Gently bring a low-sided pan, filled with water to a light boil and turn it down so there are no visible bubbles. Meanwhile, crack each egg into a fine-mesh sieve and allow the loose whites to drain away, slide into a ramekin. Add 5 mL lemon juice into each ramekin with the drained egg. Gently lower each egg into the simmering water and cook until desired consistency (we love runny yolks 3-5 minutes).
5. To serve, divide the yogurt into the two bowls evenly spoon the mashed avocado into the centre. Place a poached egg on top and drizzle with the Aleppo butter sauce. Serve with lots of toast.

Notes:

• The addition of avocado is not authentic in this recipe, I had a half that needed using. It was a beautiful creamy texture against the yogurt.
• If you think two slices of toast will do, make two more, you’ll need it to soak up the yogurt-butter-egg sauce!

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Celery, Zucchini and Avocado Cream Soup

My brother loaned us his cottage for the last week of January. Yes, it is a lot colder up there but it is extremely beautiful with the pristine, sparkling snow and the occasional visit from wildlife. I needed to clean out the fridge before we left and created this tasty and satisfying soup. Pair it with a scone or grilled cheese and you have the perfect winter-time lunch. The measurements are not important here because I was just using up some less-than-perfect produce, it’s just an inspiration for future soups.

JT bought me the KitchenAid Vegetable Sheet Cutter to help me cut down our carbs so I had a lot of zucchini cores leftover which played right into this delicately flavoured soup. I was going to add cream but then I had a very ripe avocado that would meld perfectly into this winter meal.

Celery, Zucchini, and Avocado Cream Soup

A KitchenInspirations Original Recipe

Makes 1.45 L soup

Ingredients:

• 15 mL EVOO
• ~ 1/2 a bunch of celery, roughly chopped
• ~ 1 zucchini, roughly chopped
• ~ 1 small Vidalia onion, roughly chopped
• 5-10 sprigs of parsley
• 1 L chicken stock
• 1 small Avocado, peeled and pitted
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a large pot, heat the EVOO, add the celery, zucchini, onion, and parsley, and cook until softened. Add the stock and simmer for 30 minutes or until all of the vegetables are very soft. Add the avocado.
2. Blitz with your immersion blender or allow to cool and purée with a Nutri Bullet or VitaMix for a smooth and creamy soup. Strain through a fine sieve to remove the celery ‘hairs’.
3. Serve hot.

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Low Carb Icy Squares

At the beginning of December, we had close friends come over for a lunch outside, it was still pretty warm with the heater and electric blankets plus we lucked into a super warm December afternoon. JT made his famous Bœuf Bourguignon and I made these Low Carb Icy Squares; they literally melt in your mouth. My friend recently lost 50 lbs on a keto diet and she wanted a little treat but didn’t want to overindulge and these fit the bill perfectly.

The paper cups are necessary because without them these little flavour bombs will melt all over your hands

Low Carb Icy Squares

For the original recipe, please click here.

Makes 36 little squares (each square is about 5 grams of net carbs)

Ingredients:

• 480 ml heavy whipping cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 90 g butter
• 1 tbsp espresso powder
• 2 tbsp erythritol
• 90 g dark chocolate with a minimum of 70% cocoa solids, chopped
• 25 g milk chocolate, chopped
• Gold sea salt

Directions:

1. Boil the whipping cream and vanilla in a heavy-bottomed saucepan for one minute and then reduce the temperature to a simmer until the cream is reduced to about half of the amount (about 20-30 minutes). Stir occasionally.
2. Reduce the heat even further and add the espresso powder, erythritol and butter and stir until smooth (make sure the erythritol melts completely).
3. Place both chocolates into a bowl and pour the reduced cream over it and stir until melted.
4. Pour the chocolate cream into a parchment-lined 20 cm square (8 inch square) baking pan (squared-off sides is preferred) and allow to cool in the refrigerator for a few hours. When ready to serve, sprinkle with gold sea salt and cut into 36 equal squares. Serve in tiny paper muffin cups.
5. Store in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for 2-3 weeks.

Notes:

• The original recipe did not call for the erythritol but because I added the espresso powder, it made it a bit bitter so I had to add it along with the milk chocolate, you could try omitting them both for a  2 g net carb dessert.
• The better quality ingredients you use, the better the taste and in this recipe, it is worth it to splurge.

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Smoked Salmon Mousse with Dijon Sesame Bark no no mo

We frequent a French bistro in the city, Le Select, in fact, it’s probably our favourite restaurant in the city! JT alternates from the menu items, but I like my favourites (French Onion Soup, Steak Tartare) and seldom stray from them. We tend to share an appetizer and the last time we were there, the table next to us could not say enough about the Terrine de Poisson Fumé, an airy terrine of smoked Georgian Bay whitefish served with grilled home-baked Foccacia so we had to have it. It was wonderful. Smooth, creamy, full of smoky flavour, we loved it so much, I had to make something like it for a dinner party. 

This is Le Select’s version, our inspiration.

Smoked Salmon Mousse with Dijon Sesame Bark

A KitchenInspirations Original Recipe

Makes about 265 mL mousse

Ingredients for the Salmon Mousse:

• 65 g smoked salmon, roughly chopped
• 100 g cream cheese, cubed
• 2 g anchovy paste
• 2 g tomato paste
• 1 g paprika
• Pinch of smoked paprika
• 100 mL whole milk
• 120 mL water (see notes)
• 2 g agar-agar (see notes)

Directions for the Salmon Mousse:

1. Dissolve agar-agar in the water and slowly bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes or until the agar-agar is completely dissolved. Set aside to cool slightly.
2. Meanwhile, add the salmon, cream cheese, anchovy paste and whole milk to a food processor (choose one that will emulsify the salmon to a smooth, creamy consistency (my Magic Bullet did a great job).
3. Once the agar-agar has cooled somewhat, whisk into the salmon mixture until smooth.
4. Prepare silicon your mould by spraying it lightly with water. Pour the salmon mousse into each mold evenly. Allow to set in the refrigerator.
5. Serve with gourmet crackers or toasted baguette.

Dijon Sesame Bark

Ingredients:

• 20 g sugar
• 5 mL honey
• 5 mL water
• 30 g sesame seeds (black and white)
• 5 g butter
• 5 mL Dijon mustard

Directions:

• Mix the sugar with the honey and the water and cook over medium heat until everything has dissolved. Allow to come to a boil and slightly darken.
• Stir in the sesame seeds and continue to cook until it is about 300° F. Remove from heat and add the butter and Dijon mustard and stir well to incorporate.
• Pour the content onto a Silpat sheet or buttered baking sheet and spread out thinly. You may wish to cover with parchment and roll with a rolling pin.
• Allow to cool, break into smallish bits or shards to sprinkle over the salmon mousse.

Assembly of the Smoke Salmon Mousse Plate:

1. Carefully unmould the salmon mousse and place in the centre of a plate. Sprinkle with the dijon sesame bark (or serve bark in shards as below) and serve with toasted baguette slices or crackers.

This is how I served the mousse for a recent dinner party.

Notes:

• You may use the traditional smoked salmon that is thinly sliced but I used a Wild Pacific Salmon Side we hot smoked on the Big Green Egg. 
• Any smoked fish would work, as long as you can purée it smoothly.
• To replace the agar-agar with gelatine, omit the water. Use one sheet softened in in the mousse liquid, in a saucepan then put on low heat and stir until the gelatine sheet dissolves into the mousse, do not boil. One sheet is good enough for a loose set of 265 mL.

 

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Dry-Seared Mushroom Soup

Renovations have begun so we have had to move out of our bedroom and bathroom upstairs. The guys have hoarded off the affected areas but construction dust is relentless. We moved into the basement guest suite, it feels like we are staying in a hotel, sort of, except for the dust. The majority of the mess has been limited to the second floor but soon the electricians will descend and all hell will break loose. We have decided to update our electrical so the entire house will finally be up-to-date. Fortunately, these renos have not affected the kitchen, so I’m still able to play!

This is a creamy, intensely flavoured soup. If you are a fence-sitter about mushrooms, this soup is not for you. But if you like the earthy goodness of mushrooms, then run to the kitchen and make this soup, it’s that good. By the way, it’s still soup-weather in these parts.

We are getting early afternoon sun in the kitchen these days, it’s so nice to be out of that winter light!

A KitchenInspirations Original Recipe

Makes about 1 L soup

Ingredients:

• 500 g variety of dark mushrooms (I used portabello, cremini and shiitake)
• 40 g sweet onion, sliced thinly
• 15 g unsalted butter
• 500 mL beef stock, or more to taste
• 15 mL dark soy sauce
• 15 mL puréed roasted garlic
• 30 g almond flour
• Pinch of tarragon, to taste
• Pinch of smoked paprika
• 15 mL white truffle olive oil

Directions:

1. Clean the mushrooms and slice about 2mm thick. Heat a non-stick, cast iron or ceramic pan until it is very hot (no oil, cooking spray or anything). Place sliced mushrooms in the pan, making sure not to overlap or crowd them. Sear each side until golden, remove and set aside and repeat until all of the mushrooms have been seared.
2. In a medium Dutch oven, melt the butter and sauté the onions until caramelized.
3. Add the almond flour and toast lightly.
4. Add the beef stock, dark soy sauce, roasted garlic and about 3/4 of the mushrooms (I reserve about 1/4 for texture for the soup), cook for about 45 minutes or until the stock is richly mushroom flavoured and the mushrooms are soft enough to purée.
5. Purée the soup until creamy and smooth with a high-speed immersion blender. Add the smoked paprika and white truffle oil and purée again. Press through a fine sieve to get a super creamy soup.

Notes:

• In trying to eat fewer carbs, I have used ground almonds as a thickener in this soup. Feel free to use your own thickener for preference but the almonds really create a creamy mouthfeel and add a lovely nuttiness to the soup.
• I specifically avoided white mushrooms because they don’t have the strong earthy flavour I was after.
• If you don’t like truffles, omit the white truffle oil.
• I used some interesting wild mushrooms as the garnish for the photo.
• If you have access to Mycroyo, you may wish to coat the mushrooms with it for the perfect sear.

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Low Carb Chicken Cutlets

We may have put on a few pounds during our holidays. It’s always so difficult to stay on track while on holiday, but the plus side is that we did walk a lot, the day we visited the Alhambra in Granada we walked 11 kilometres!

Now that we are back to reality, we wanted to get back into eating fewer carbs. This used to be one of JTs favourite meals but I was a little apprehensive in making chicken cutlets without breadcrumbs and this recipe definitely does not disappoint. The almond flour crisps up beautifully and provides a wonderfully flavoured coating. I served this cutlet with cauliflower purée and cucumber salad. JT loved it.

A tasty cutlet that doesn’t dry out.

Low Carb Chicken Cutlets

A KitchenInspirations Original Recipe

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 200 g chicken breast
• Pinch of dehydrated garlic powder
• Pinch of dehydrated onion powder
• 1 egg
• 5 g Parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 75 g almond flour
• Pinch of herbes en Provence
• Pinch of Salt
• 30 mL grapeseed oil for frying

Directions:

1. Portion two 100 g chicken breasts and pound thinly between sheets of plastic wrap.
2. Combine the Parmesan cheese and almond flour, set aside.
3. Lightly whisk the eggs with the herbs, onion, garlic and salt together and set aside.
4. Dip the chicken breast into the egg and coat it, allow excess to drip off. Then dip it into the almond flour mixture to coat both sides. Repeat with the second breast.
5. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Pan fry chicken both sides until the internal temperature is 171° C. Serve hot with lemon wedges.

Net carbs are only 2.8 g! Chicken Cutlets only, no sides.

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