Creative KETO
THE KETO CHEF’S KITCHEN is an all-round introduction to a low carb lifestyle, full of wholesome, tasty recipes that are: keto, lowcarb, sugar-free, gluten-free, diabetes-friendly, calorie conscious.
Keto doesn’t have to be hard. These nourishing, quality recipes are easy-tofollow and easy-tocook, and won’t leave you feeling guilty or suffering!
Author Nerys Whelan started working in kitchens when she was 16 years old. Her background is in fine dining restaurants, working for some of the best chefs in the country. She competed and won several culinary competitions early in her career. This led to her being part of Team New Zealand in 2016 for the esteemed Bocuse D’or — Asia Pacific Continental Selection.
Nerys thinks outside of the box and thrives on the challenge of creating and adapting recipes. She started keto early 2019 and found a lack of quality, easy to follow ketogenic recipes. She started creating her own and sharing them to help others on their journey.
Following is one of her recipes:
SPINACH & RICOTTA RAVIOLI
1 recipe Keto pasta dough (see below)
1 Tbsp Butter
120g Baby spinach
150g Ricotta
50g Parmesan, grated
1 Lemon, zest
1 tsp Salt
1⁄2 tsp White pepper
Canola oil and butter, for cooking
1x90mm Ring cutter (or cup to cut around)
Method
Make the pasta dough up to step 4 and let it rest at room temperature while you make the filling.
Heat a pan with the butter, add the spinach and use tongs to move it around until wilted.
Chop the spinach and add it to a bowl with the ricotta, Parmesan, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Mix well, taste and adjust seasoning.
Roll a quarter of the pasta dough between two sheets of baking paper until about 1mm thick. Try to make it a long sheet as wide as your ring cutter.
Shape tablespoon-sized balls of filling and place in a line on the pasta with enough space for your cutter and a little extra around each.
Roll another quarter of the dough the same size or a little bigger and lay over the top loosely.
Starting on one side, gently press around the filling to seal it, while trying to get out as much air as possible.
Use the ring cutter to cut out the ravioli. Dust lightly with coconut flour and squeeze the edges to make sure it is sealed properly.
Repeat rolling the rest of the pasta and offcuts until all of the ravioli are made.
Heat a pan with 2 Tbsp of canola oil on a medium heat. Add the ravioli in small batches and baste the hot oil over them. Gently turn them over with a spoon and add a knob of butter. Cook each side for 3-4 minutes.
The pasta will lighten in colour when it is cooked.
Gluten-free vegetarian, nutritional information per portion: net carbs 5.3g fibre 7.5g fat 34.3g protein 17.5g net calories 417; makes 4 portions
Keto Pasta Dough Ingredients
100g Ground almonds
20g Coconut flour, plus extra for dusting 2 tsp Xanthan gum
1 tsp Salt
1 Tbsp Apple cider vinegar
3 Egg yolks
2 tsp Water
Canola oil and butter, for cooking
Method
Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl, then mix in the apple cider vinegar.
Add the egg yolks and water, and mix well to form a dough. It should be firm but slightly sticky.
Wrap in plastic wrap and rest for 10 minutes at room temperature.
Knead the dough lightly for a couple of minutes, rewrap and rest again for 30 minutes at room temperature. Or, you can leave it in the fridge for up to two days but let it warm up to room temperature before rolling.
Divide the dough in half so it is easier to work with and roll out between two sheets of baking paper. You want it so you can almost see through it, about 2mm thick.
Dust both sides lightly in coconut flour and lightly roll the dough up to cut it into strips, or whatever shape you are after. (If using this for filled pasta, see the ravioli recipe on page 119 or tortellini on page
129 for guidance.)
Cooking: This is probably the most important part of this recipe. You cannot boil it; it will just be mushy and gross.
Heat 2 Tbsp of canola oil in a pan and add one portion of pasta. Toss it through the oil and cook for 2-4 minutes. Add a knob of butter to the pasta and toss again. Then you can add a sauce. (Note: The cooking process is the same for ravioli or filled pasta, but it will need an extra couple of minutes cooking.)
Gluten-free, vegetarian, dairy-free; nutritional information per portion: net carbs 3.3g fibre 6.7g fat 16g protein 7.8g net calories 205; makes 4 portions