Review of The Ketogenic Kitchen - cookbook

In preparation for my live cookery demosI test hundreds of recipes each year.

Last year I bought The Ketogenic Kitchen cookbook by Domini Kemp and Patricia Daly. My intention was not to try the ketogenic diet but to test many of the recipes, trying a low carb diet.

Most recipes that I tried I really liked but some really stood out for me.

The top recipe that I would not hesitate to recommend to anyone is the Cracking crackers on p.31

This is the first time I have found a seed cracker recipe that works, the crackers are crispy and tasty and so good for you! So often I find they are soggy, do not last and do not taste great! I can certainly recommend this recipe! This recipe will feature in some of my cookery demos.

Ingredients
75g sunflower seeds
60g chia seeds
45g psyllium seed husks (health food shop)
45g flaxseeds
30g pumpkin seeds
20g sesame seeds
2 tsp fennel seeds
3/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp dried thyme
3 tbsp coconut oil
200ml boiling water.

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 170C.
2. Mix all dry ingredients together
3. mix coconut oil and water together and stir well.
4. Pour mixture onto a large baking tray, lined with a non stick mat/paper
5. Using a sheet of parchment paper on top spread out the mixture as thin as you can. It is too messy with a rolling pin so just spread from the centre outwards with your hands through the paper.
6. Bake for 30 mins, then turn over or flip onto another baking sheet and bake for a further 20 mins.
7. Allow to cool before breaking into pieces.
8. Store in an airtight container.

The other stand out dishes for me are as follows:

• Pistachio aioli p.92 served with lamb skewers but also amazing with crackers, on the side of salad or for dipping veggies in. Try it!
  
• Nut porridge p. 275 surprisingly tasty (I don't usually use a product like protein powder but it is needed here)
  
• Creamy chicken soup p.340 - tasty, easy to make and keeps well, ideal to batch cook!
  
• Fish Parcels, p.116
• Lime and mint chicken parcels p.61
• Asparagus quiche p.278

While trying out recipes from this book I have found I am eating more foods like smoked mackerel, chicken liver pate, lots of avocado and lots of greens.

There is a lot of debate on the merits of the keto diet, I am not a dietician nor nutritionist and I strongly recommend that if you wish to travel this journey that you consult with a nutritionist or dietician. I would be happy to put you in touch with someone.

It is important to count your macros (fat, protein and carbohydrate) at each meal. The Keto diet is based on the science that if you eat a high fat, moderate protein and low carb (less than 20%) then your body will burn fat rather than carbohydrate. Your body goes into a state of ketosis.

Two things to note about this book.

If you are prescribed a keto diet then I would strongly recommend the second part of the book by Patricia Daly (Nutritional therapist). She gives you a day by day meal plan with instructions, macro measurements etc. The recipes are easy to follow and offer a great variety.

If you are not following the diet then the first half of the book by Domini Kemp (Chef and food writer) has lots of low carb, high fat dishes that are tasty and quite easy to make.

Bottom line, its a good recipe book to buy and try out some recipes!