Keto Recipes

On first moving to a keto diet it was quite daunting. Lots of do’s and don’ts. Cutting out of some of my favourite foods eg rice , pasta, potatoes and most root veg, bread, cakes, chips and crisps. Ketone testing. Intermittent fasting.

But with time it became easier and the benefits of weight loss, reduction in hunger and mental health stability really helped.

I found various websites useful and generally searching on Google helped as there are lots of keto recipes and keto diet advice out there.

Below are some of my favourite recipes.

Vanilla Yoghurt Cake

This loaf cake is not overly sweet but moist and soft. The crust goes very brown so don’t worry if you are thinking it’s burning. Make sure it is cooked in the centre as it’s very easy to underbake so use the skewer test.

150g Ground almonds

40g Coconut Flour

80g Truvia (Stevia+Erythritol)

12g Baking Powder

12g Bicarbonate of Soda

1/2 tsp Salt

4 Eggs

80ml Mild Olive Oil or Coconut Oil

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

240g Full Fat Greek Yoghurt

Zest of 1 Unwaxed Lemon

Method

Put all dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Add all the wet ingredients and whisk/mix to a thick batter.

Pour mixture into a silicone loaf tin. Bake at 170 C for 55 mins. Do not worry if the crust turns a dark brown but you may want to cover with foil halfway through.

Coconut Cake

This light fluffy cake is very coconut-y and delicious with some berries and cream.

4 Eggs – Large

1 Cup Unsweetened Full Fat Coconut Milk

1 1/2 tsp Artificial Sweetener

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 cup Desiccated Coconut

1/2 cup Coconut Flour

2 tsp Baking Powder

Method

Preheat oven to 170 C

If using a tin of coconut milk, ensure the milk and cream are mixed well then measure out the required amount. Add the desiccated coconut and soak for at least an hour.

Whisk the eggs and add the coconut mixture and the remaining ingredients.

Whisk to a thick batter. Transfer to a silicone mould, either rectangular or ring.

Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

Cool on rack

You can also bake this with fresh blueberries or raspberries for a fruitier taste.

Cheese and Poppy Seed Crackers

These tasty crackers are very low carb and great with cheese, deli meats or pâté. Recipe makes 56 x 4cm crackers. Store in airtight containers. If they go soft you can crisp them up with a few minutes in a hot oven.

120g Ground Almonds

70g Coconut Flour

1 tsp Xantham Gum

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

190g Finely Grated Cheese (Cheddar or Gouda)

1/2 tsp Garlic Granules

1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika

1 tbsp Poppy Seeds

1 tbsp Chia Seeds

70g Melted Butter

1 egg

Method

Mix all the dry ingredients and the cheese in a bowl. Add the butter and egg and mix to a thick dough. You will probably need to add water to get the ingredients to form a workable dough.

Roll out between 2 sheets of baking parchment to about 2mm thick. Use a small cookie cutter to cut out round crackers.

Bake in oven at 160 C for 15 minutes or until lightly golden. Cool on rack.

Vanilla Cheesecake

This keto friendly cheesecake is delicious with a handful of keto diet berries and a small glug of double cream

For the base

500g of keto cookie crumbs

100ml melted butter

For the cheesecake filling

290g Soft Cream Cheese

300ml Sour Cream

3 large eggs

120g Truvia (fine)

1 tbsp Vanilla Extract

Method

Preheat the oven to 160 C. Line a 9 inch springform pan.

Make keto ginger cookies (see below)

Blend or smash the cookies till you have a fine crumb. Add the melted butter and mix well.

Press the cookie crumb mixture evenly and firmly into the base of the pan to create the cheesecake base. Refrigerate

In a food processor, combine the cream cheese, sour cream and Truvia. Blend. Add the eggs and the vanilla extract and blend again.

Add the cheesecake mixture to the pan and smooth the top.

Bake in the middle of the oven for approximately an hour until the centre is just set. Turn off the oven leaving the door slightly open and leave for a further hour.

Refrigerate for at least 4 hours to set firmly.

Ginger cookies

These cookies are nice by themselves, with a cup of tea or smashed up to make a cheesecake base.

50g melted butter

50g Truvia Brown for Baking

1 large egg

250g Almond Flour

2 tsp Ground Ginger

1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

Pinch of Ground Cloves

Method

Preheat your oven to 180 C. Line a baking tray or use a silicone mat.

In a large mixing bowl combine the melted butter, Truvia and the egg. Add all the remaining ingredients and mix to a soft dough.

Take tablespoon amounts of the dough and roll into a ball in your hands. If you wish you can coat these with extra Truvia for an even crispier texture.

Put the dough balls onto your baking tray and press down to form discs. Make sure you leave room around each cookie as they will spread.

Bake for 18-25 minutes till the cookies are quite brown but still slightly soft to touch.

Cool on a baking rack.

Keto friendly Turnip Cake (Lo bak go)

This is like the classic Dim Sum but it is normally made with rice flour and wheat starch which are substituted with coconut flour here. I also like to make this Lo Bak Go in XO sauce, by adding fried beansprouts, red chilli, spring onions and the XO sauce. To keep things keto friendly limit to small portions as the mouli is starchy.

600g mouli turnip
10g dried scallops
30g dried shrimps
60g Chinese sausage
30g dried Chinese mushrooms

Paste mix

1.5 teaspoons of salt
30g sugar
40g coconut flour
2 teaspoons of Xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
2 teaspoons of sesame oil
Water to make a thick paste

Method

Prepare the ingredients:

Soak the dried scallop, dried mushroom, and dry shrimps until adequately hydrated.
Shred the hydrated dried scallops into small threads. Remove the stem and cut the mushrooms into small cubes. Chop the dry shrimps coarsely into small pieces.
Soak the sausage in hot water for ten minutes. Remove the casing. Dice the Chinese sausage into small dices.
Pan-fry the Chinese sausage in a pan until fragrant. Add the dried scallops, dried shrimps and mushrooms. Combine and set aside.

Cook the turnip:

Grate the turnip with a coarse grater.
Cook over low heat in a pan until the turnip turns slightly off white and translucent.
Add the stir-fried seafood, mushroom, and sausage and combine with the turnip.
Mix all the ingredients in Paste mix to form a thick paste, add it to the turnip and combine well.

Steaming:

Brush some oil on the surface of the container.
Spoon the turnip mix into the container and level the top.
Cover with aluminum foil.
Steam the turnip mixture over medium heat for fifty minutes.
Let it cool down and keep in the refrigerator for a few hours to let it firm up.

Pan-frying

Cut it into slices or any shape that you like.
Pan-frying both sides until it changes color, arrange on the plate and sprinkle some chopped spring onions and fried shallot as the topping. Serve.

Courgetti Bolognaise

This is a staple easy every day meal

2 large courgettes

500g mince beef

1 large onion

3 cloves of garlic

1 beef stock cube

1 tin of chopped tomatoes

1 tbsp mixed herbs

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Making the bolognaise sauce. Finely chop the onion and garlic. Fry in a little oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Once translucent add the stock cube and herbs and combine. Turn up to a high heat and add the mince, stirring and frying till the mince has all browned. Add the tin of tomatoes and bring back to a simmer. Cook very gently for at least 2 hours. Leave to cool. This sauce can be made in advance and kept in the fridge for a few days if needed.

Making the courgetti. Use a spiraliser to make coarse courgetti from the 2 courgettes. If possible leave in the fridge for 24 hours to dry out.

Finishing the dish. Use a large frying pan and add a large knob of butter plus a small glug of oil. Fry the courgetti over a high heat for about 5 minutes till the courgetti is al dente. Drain off any excess water. Add the bolognaise to the courgetti and heat through.

Serve with grated Parmesan.

Chicken Coconut Curry with Fried Okra and Cauliflower Rice

This is a staple dinner for my family and me. Those not on a keto diet can add rice, naan breads and even samosas. You can use chicken breasts rather than thighs but I find the thighs more tender.

8 Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs

1 Large Onion

3 Large Cloves of Garlic

1 inch of Grated Ginger

1 Red Pepper

1 Large glug of Oil

2 Large knobs of Butter

3 tbsp Curry Paste (I use Pataks)

1 Can of Coconut Milk (Full Fat)

500g Okra

1 Small Cauliflower

Method

Finely dice the onion and red pepper. Put a large saucepan on a medium heat and add the oil and 1 knob of butter. Once the butter has melted add the onion to gently fry. Add minced garlic and ginger and red pepper and continue to fry till the onions are translucent. Add the curry paste and fry for a minute. Chop the chicken into large pieces and add to the pan. Fry until the chicken is sealed on all sides. Add the can of coconut milk. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook for a minimum of 2 hours without the lid on the pan. If the curry is too watery after this you can thicken the sauce with a little cornflour in water.

Chop the okra into 1cm long pieces. Add some oil to a large sauté pan. Fry over a high heat while constantly moving to prevent the okra burning. Once the okra has slightly browned it’s cooked. Season well with salt and pepper.

Coarsely grate the cauliflower. Put a large knob of butter and a small glug of oil into a large sauté pan and bring to a medium heat. Add the cauliflower and fry for 5 minutes while continuously stirring. Add a bit of water and bring up to heat till steam is being made. Cover and turn down to a low heat. Steam the cauliflower for 5 minutes till tender but with a little bite. Season with salt.

Serve the curry with a sprinkling of chopped fresh coriander and spring onions. Add the cauliflower and okra on the side.

You can play around with the curry and add various other vegetables to your preference e.g. chopped tomatoes, cauliflower, chopped spinach

Pavlova

Although pavlova is almost the antithesis of keto, this recipe substitutes the sugar for artificial sweetener.

3 large egg whites

125g Artificial Sweetener (Erythritol and Stevia)

1 tsp Cornflour

1/2 tsp White Vinegar

1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

150 ml Double Cream

1 tbsp Artificial Sweetener (Erythritol and Stevia)

Berries to decorate

Method

Whip the egg whites till they form stiff peaks. Slowly add the sweetener, 1 tablespoon at a time, while continuing whisking till the meringue is glossy and thick. Finally add the vinegar, cornflour and vanilla extract and beat till combined.

Line a baking sheet with parchment and gently transfer the meringue. Shape into a circle keeping the edges higher. Bake in a preheated oven set at 120 C for 90 minutes or until the edges are just golden. Turn off the oven, leaving the meringue in with the door slightly ajar. Leave to cool completely.

Once the pavlova is cool, beat the cream and sweetener till thick and smooth. Gently spread the cream over the meringue base. Decorate with berries (I like a mixture of strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and redcurrants. Leave in the fridge for an hour or more to set. Serve.

Chilli Cheeseburgers with salad

250g Minced Beef

30g Grated Mozzarella

30g Grated Cheddar Cheese

1 Finely Chopped Small Red Chilli

1/2 tsp Garlic Granules

1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika

1/2 tsp Mixed Herbs

Salt and Pepper

1 Egg

Method

Put all ingredients into a large bowl. Mix thoroughly. This is easiest done by scrunching the ingredients together with your hands. Divide into 4 portions and roll between your palms into balls. Flatten these into burger shaped patties and put aside.

Heat a large sauté nonstick pan to a medium heat. Place the burgers into the dry preheated pan. You want the burgers to cook with a gentle sizzle. Press down the burgers using a spatula to make them flattened on the top and bottom. This will help them cook evenly. Cook for approximately 8 minutes on each side till they are golden brown.

Allow to rest for 5 minutes in the pan.

Serve with a side salad.

You can also make your burgers using minced chicken or turkey