Low Carb Smoked Salmon Quiche

Sunday Dinner

- Low Carb Smoked Salmon Quiche
- Sauerkraut
- Hollandaise sauce

Low Carb Smoked Salmon Quiche Recipe (Serves 4)

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 50g sour cream
• 1 cup milk or water
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• fresh coriander, finely chopped
• spring onion, green parts, finely sliced
• 1/4 head broccoli, roughly chopped
• 2 mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 50g smoked salmon, roughly chopped
• 200g Okara
• 1tsp baking powder

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180˚C
2. Mix everything except Okara and baking powder until well combined
3. Add Okara and baking powder in the end
4. Mix quickly, pour in a baking dish, place in the oven immediately
5. Bake for 30~45mins until risen

Low Carb Okonomiyaki

Tuesday Dinner

- Low Carb Okonomiyaki

- Leftover Chicken

Okonomiyaki, sometimes called as Japanese savoury pancake is a popular Japanese dish in Australia.  I made a low carb version using soy pulp (Okara) and tin tuna.  It was light and fluffy but I will make it with bacon next time.  Sweet and savoury sauce is always a winner for hubby.


Low Carb Okonomiyaki (Japanese savoury pancake) Recipe (Serves 4)

Ingredients

• 200g Okara
• 100g water or Dashi
• 2tsp psyllium husk
• 4 eggs
• 200g tin tuna
• 1Tbsp mayonnaise
• 200g cauliflower leaves or cabbage, finely chopped
• 1tsp fish(bonito) powder
• 1/2~1tsp salt
• 1/2tsp baking powder (can be omitted)

Method

1. In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together
2. Heat a frypan with a small amount of oil, pour the mixture in and spread evenly
3. Once the edges are browned, transfer it to an oven
4. Cook in the 180˚C oven until browned and cooked through for about 20mins
5. Serve with bonito flakes, Aonori seaweed, Okonomi sauce* and red ginger.

*Okonomi sauce is a thick sweet and savoury sauce for Okonomiyaki or Takoyaki.  It can be made by mixing oyster sauce, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and honey.

Sautéed Pacific Saury in Butter

Monday Dinner

- Sautéed Pacific Saury in Butter

- Okara salad

- Chawanmushi (Steamed Savoury Egg Custard)

Hubby gets really excited when the dinner is fish even though there are bones to go through.  He is much better at eating a whole fish than I am.  I just sautéed gutted and salted pacific sauries in butter.  Very simple and tastes great.  You will need chopsticks for this.  I can't imagine eating a whole fish with a knife and fork.

For the sides, I made Okara salad by mixing Okara (soy pulp), tin tuna, onion, corn, red capsicum, celery, olives and seasoned with 4Tbsp mayo, 2Tbsp yoghurt, 1Tbsp wholegrain mustard, 1tsp soy sauce.  It is like a low-carb version of a potato salad, very similar texture and flavour and it is one of the few Okara dishes hubby likes.

Chawanmushi is a steamed savoury egg custard and a typical Japanese appetiser.  It has rich Dashi flavour and it is almost like a soup.  It was much easier to make than I always thought.  No doubt I will be making it more regularly.

Chawanmushi (Steamed Savoury Egg Custard) Recipe (Makes 2)

Ingredients

• 2 Eggs
• 1tsp Mentsuyu or soy sauce
• 300ml Dashi stock
• pinch of salt
• 2 dried Shiitake mushrooms, soaked in Dashi, sliced

Method

1. Whisk eggs in a bowl, add Mentsuyu, Dashi stock and salt, Mix well
2. Divide reconstituted and sliced Shiitake mushrooms into 2 small heat resistant cups
3. Pour egg mixture to the cups passing through a tea strainer
4. Steam for 10mins (reduce heat to simmer when water is boiling)

Tips

• Add a bite-size prawns, chicken or fish cake/ball
• No need for a steamer, just steam in a pot with 2-3cm hot water

Prawn Bisque

Monday Dinner

- Prawn Bisque

- Okara Biscotti

If you throw away prawn heads and shells, I bet you have never tasted prawn bisque before.  It is amazing to think this intense prawny flavoured creamy soup is made with only prawn heads and shells.  You don't really need prawn meat but I added them this time for extra proteins and texture.  Prawn bisque can also be used as a pasta sauce.

For the recipe, just google prawn bisque.  I used 500g prawns, 400g tin tomato, 800ml water, garlic, onion, carrot and celery.

Low-Carb Pulled Beef Croquette

Wednesday Dinner

- Low-Carb Pulled Beef Croquette
- Sautéed Sauerkraut, Carrot and Celery
- Blaised Mushrooms
- Miso Soup (Tofu/Wakame)

Croquettes are one of the most popular dish in Japanese home cooking.  Many people grow up eating mother's homemade croquettes or the ones we buy hot from a butcher.  I am the latter and am not a big fan of croquettes but I remember the warmth of croquettes (deep-fried on order) in my hand on the way home.

My low-carb croquettes are made with Okara (soy pulp) instead of potatoes because I don't buy potatoes (Recipe below).  Okara by itself is dry and boring but it transforms into to something magical with a touch of psyllium husk.  I think of Okara as almond flour substitute with a lot of moisture.


Low-Carb Pulled Beef Croquette (Makes 6, Serves3-4)

Ingredients

• 135g Okara (soy pulp)
• 300g Leftover pulled beef
• 1tsp Psyllium husk
• 2 handfuls of coconut fine

Method

1. Dry roast coconut fine in a frypan until golden brown
2. Mix all the other ingredients (add water if too dry)
3. Shape into 6 balls
4. Roll in the toasted coconut fine to coat
5. Bake in the oven until warm

Meatballs and Mashed Okara

Monday Dinner

- Beef Meatballs

- Mashed Okara

- Stir-fried Water Spinach (Kang Kong)

- Stir-fried Tomatoes and Eggs  

I always keep homemade meatballs in freezer for emergency backups when I don't have any protein in fridge or when I don't feel like cooking anything.  Yesterday was former.  Throw frozen meatballs in 180˚C oven with veggies (green beans, mushroom and broccoli) and cook for 20mins while preparing side dishes.  I seasoned water spinach with fish sauce and used oyster sauce for tomatoes and eggs.

I made way too much food for 2 people and probably didn't need mashed Okara, but it turned out pretty good (recipe below).  This is a low-carb version of mashed potatoes but could also be rice or noodle substitute for people on low-carb diet.  I also think this has a potential to be made into a low-carb white sauce with more milk or water.  I will definitely be trying that in the near future.


Mashed Okara Recipe (Serves 6)

Ingredients

• 200g Okara
• 200ml Milk
• 50~150ml Water (depending on how wet Okara is)
• 2 Tbsp Psyllium Husk
• 50g Cheese
• 10g Butter
• Salt to taste

Method

1. Add milk and cheese in a pan
2. When cheese is melted, add Okara and psyllium husk and mix well
3. Add water till it achieves consistency of your liking
4. Add butter and salt to taste

Homemade Chicken Nuggets

Monday Dinner

- Homemade chicken nuggets (BBQ sauce, mustard sauce)
- Lettuce
- Boiled broccoli
- Consomme soup (carrot, celery)

I made chicken nuggets last night.  This is my third attempt.  I make them with Okara (soy pulp, by-products of Tofu making) since I always have them around.  The nuggets turned out dry even with an egg, mayo, psyllium husk.  I will come back with recipe when I am happy with it.  Is chicken mince made of chicken breast?

I made BBQ dipping sauce by mixing oyster sauce, Worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce, soy sauce, honey and cayenne pepper.  Also made mustard dipping sauce by mixing mayonnaise, honey, whole grain mustard, hot english mustard and vinegar.

Tips
* Boil broccoli florets in consomme soup for 1min only!!