Sides

Aubergine & Feta, Cauliflower Pilaf

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I tend to eat a fair few vegetarian meals, and previously I’d have made something like this pilaf, with a bunch of lentils or chickpeas and rice. The lentils will have to wait until I can switch over to maintenance keto with a slightly higher carb limit, but for now, this version is a really good alternative, packed with pine nuts and spinach, and works just as well cold for lunch the next day. It could also be easily paired with lamb or fish for a non-veggie eater (like my husband!).

ingredients

  • 200 g Aubergine (cut into chunks)
  • 25 g White Onion (diced)
  • 160 g Baby Spinach
  • 80 g Pine Nuts
  • 300 g Cauliflower Rice
  • 1 Vegetable Stock Cube
  • 1 clove Garlic (minced)
  • 1 tsp Zahtar Spice mix
  • 1 tsp Ras-el-Hanout Spice mix
  • 4 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 90 g Feta Cheese
  • Greek Yogurt (optional – remember to add carb count if used!)
  • Lemon and Coriander to serve

Servings: 3

9 g carbs/serving *
13 g protein/serving *

* always remember to calculate based on your own values / ingredient brands where possible!

instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees.
  2. Mix the aubergine in 2 tbsp of Olive oil and roast for 15 minutes.
  3. Microwave the cauliflower rice until just cooked – 3-4 minutes, and set to one side.
  4. In a large frying pan or wok, gently cook the pine nuts over a medium heat until toasted and golden. Set to one side.
  5. Add the remaining olive oil to the pan and fry the onion until soft and golden. Add the spice mixes, garlic and cauliflower rice, stirring well to combine.
  6. Crumble the stock cube into the pan, adding enough water to dissolve it.
  7. Add the spinach a handful at a time, stirring through until just wilted.
  8. Add the pine nuts and stir them through with salt and pepper to taste.
  9. Serve into bowls, crumbling the feta cheese on top.
  10. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and a little fresh lemon, and serve with a spoonful of Greek Yogurt (optional).

Mushroom Stroganoff & ‘Egg’ Noodles

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Not going to lie, I got through a couple of eggs before getting the noodles right and it was a perfect example of a time when I should really have looked up a recipe instead of winging it and being lazy by trying to do dinner in a single frying pan!

I was so frustrated by the time I came to eat and was fully expecting the noodles to have been a complete waste of time, but to my surprise, they’re actually taste REALLY good and have a beautiful stretchy texture, so I’ve spent a bit more time refining them. Requires a little more washing up but they’re worth it and you could easily make extra and freeze them for a later date (which I will likely do at some point during the weekend).

Stroganoff; I like mine simple. Whilst I’m equally a fan of a beef and mushroom version (and might add beef to this in the future), for a quick dinner when you need to manage your protein (I’d had a rather meaty fry up for lunch), straight mushrooms work well. I use mini Portabello mushrooms, but chestnut or white ones would work as well. With a leeetle bit of finely chopped onion for the flavour, beef stock cube, soured cream, salt and pepper, they’re lovely over the noodles and can also double up as a great sauce for steak or burgers!

‘Egg Noodles’

ingredients

  • 4 Eggs
  • 50g Cream Cheese
  • 2 tbsp Psyllium Husks

Servings: 2

6 g carbs/serving *
13 g protein/serving *

* always remember to calculate based on your own values / ingredient brands where possible!

instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 160 degrees and line a large baking sheet with baking parchment.
  2. Whisk the eggs, cream cheese and a good pinch of salt and pepper together in a bowl.
  3. GRADUALLY sprinkle over the psyllium husks and wisk in a little at a time (don’t do what I did and add it all together and make a big blobby mess).
  4. Pour enough mixture onto the baking sheet to cover the paper and spread until even and at desired thickness. Use a second baking tray if necessary (or just repeat steps 4 and 5 as required).
  5. Bake for 10-12 minutes in the middle of the oven until fully set. Allow to cool and carefully remove the paper.
  6. When cool, stack your egg sheets on top of each other and roll them up into a long sausage shape. Using a sharp knife, cut the roll into your desired widths.
  7. When you’re ready to serve, either give them a quick stir fry in a frying pan with a little butter or about 30s in the microwave.

Mushroom Stroganoff

ingredients

  • 250g Mushrooms (Sliced)
  • 30g Onion (Finely diced)
  • 100ml Soured Cream
  • 30g Butter
  • 1 Beef Stock Cube

Servings: 4

6g carbs/serving *
5g protein/serving *

* always remember to calculate based on your own values / ingredient brands where possible!

instructions

  1. Melt the butter in a frying pan and fry the onions until soft. Add the mushrooms and fry until they just start to go brown.
  2. Crumble over the stock cube and add a couple of tablespoons of water. Stir to dissolve the stock.
  3. Add the soured cream, stirring through to combine thoroughly and bring to a simmer. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Yaki Shirataki Noodles

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I love Asian food. I believe that being half Chinese and spending time growing up in Japan, gave my sister and I a real appreciation of different food cultures which have continued to this day.

Many east-Asian recipes can be very easily adapted for low-carb eating, but the rice and noodles are usually the sticking point as (in my opinion), whilst cauli rice is great, it’s just not quite the same.

Enter Shirataki Noodles noodles. These are traditional Japanese noodles made from the konjac yam, and are almost entirely composed of dietary fibre. Whilst they are not exactly the same as wheat or rice noodles, they do help bridge the gap SO LONG AS you do not expect them to taste or ‘feel’ the same; they don’t. And they have a completely different texture which some people compare to ‘eating rubber bands’. Personally I love the firmer texture and because of it, they hold up really well when stir fried, but do pay attention to their preparation so they lose their ‘distinct’ smell!

Regular yaki soba noodles are usually made with an assortment of stir-fried, finely sliced vegetables such as cabbage, and perhaps some minced meat like pork, coated in a tangy, fruity, salty sauce. My quick recipe below uses soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, sugar-free tomato ketchup and a bit of stevia to create a similar taste without the carb load.

You can either add some minced meat to your fry, or do as I prefer and just serve with your favourite seared meat or fish.

Seared tuna with Yaki Shirataki Noodles

ingredients

  • 1 pack (170g drained weight) Shirataki noodles
  • 1 tbsp Coconut Oil
  • 80g White Cabbage (finely sliced)
  • 0.5 clove Garlic (minced)
  • Tamari Soy Sauce
  • 1 tsp Sugar-free Ketchup
  • 2 tsp Rice Vinegar
  • 0.5 tsp Sweetener
  • 1 tsp Sriracha Chilli Sauce (optional)

Servings: 1

8g carbs/serving *
3g protein/serving *

* always remember to calculate based on your own values / ingredient brands where possible!

instructions

  1. Open your noodles, drain in a sieve and rinse well in cold water.
  2. Tip the rinsed noodles into a saucepan of salted water, bring to the boil for 2-3 minutes, drain and rinse again in cold water. Set to one side in the sieve.
  3. Mix together the soy sauce, ketchup, vinegar, sweetener (and chilli sauce, if using), and set to one side.
  4. In a wok or large frying pan, stir-fry the garlic in the coconut oil for 2-3 minutes, add the cabbage and cook for a further 4-5 minutes until just tender.
  5. Add the drained noodles and stir-fry for a further 2-3 minutes over a medium heat.
  6. Stir through the sauce, turning everything to coat evenly and cook for a further minute.
  7. Serve immediately with your choice of meat, fish or other veg.
Pan-fried duck breast with honey-soy sauce & Yaki Shirataki noodles