Zucchini pancakes with almond flour and Carrot pancakes with coconut flour recipes
No stress cooking with low-carb gluten-free flours for beginners
I am very, very, very new to low-carb no wheat cooking. I do not follow any specific diets and not planning to in the nearest future. I rather believe in healthy lifestyle more than in diets.
A friend of mine decided to follow ketogenic diet and introduced me to cooking/baking with almond flour and coconut flour. I tried to make Zucchini pancakes using almond flour (well, I called them pancakes, but I think it would be better to describe them as fritters) and Carrot pancakes using coconut flour.
I really enjoyed both, but encountered a challenge while cooking with non-gluten flour. The challenge was that I discovered that gluten-free flours do not bind ingredients as well as wheat and other gluten flours do. Thus my pancakes were not holding together as I anticipated. It was quite tricky to turn pancakes over as they tried their best to fall apart 🙂
It did not really ruin my experience nor stopped me from experimenting with low-carb cooking further. It actually forced me to do a very thorough research on gluten-free cooking and baking and some additives to use in order to achieve a better binding of all ingredients. You could read my extensive research by following this link.
Which oil is the best and healthiest for frying?
I try my best not to deep fry my food, but sometimes there are just those days when I crave comfort food and want something deep fried.
When it comes to cooking using high temperatures you want to use oils that have high cooking point, stable and do not oxidize.
Oxidation is a reaction of oil molecules with oxygen molecules. Air, heat and light speed up oxygenation (that is why it is advised to store most liquid oils in dark, air tight containers/bottles). The less stable oil is the faster it will react with oxygen under high temperatures. Oxidation leads to formation of free radicals which can cause damages to heart, blood vessels, cancer and other health problems.
The best cooking oil is coconut oil!
It contains over 90% of saturated fats that are resistant to heat. Based on new studies saturated fats are safe for consumption (Journal of clinical epidemiology. The questionable role of saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids on cardiovascular disease)
Olive oil and Avocado oil are also a good choice when it comes to cooking with high temperatures.
Both oils are high in monosaturated fats, contain some saturated fats and low amounts of polyunsaturated fats.
Palm oil is another oil of choice suitable for deep frying. Palm oil is derived from the fruit of oil palms. It is high in saturated and monosaturated fats which makes it a good choice.
I personally use olive oil simply because I love it and it is always in my house.
Zucchini pancakes with almond flour and parmesan cheese
Low-carb, keto-friendly
3 medium zucchinis
2-3 eggs
¼ cup of grated cheese (I used parmesan cheese grated with small size grater)
Pinch of salt and pepper
¼ cup of almond flour
Olive oil for frying (you could also use avocado oil, coconut oil or palm oil)
Garlic powder (optional)
1 tea spoon of lemon juice (optional)
Wash zucchinis and grate them with a medium size grater.
Add salt, mix with shredded zucchini and let them sit for about 10-15 minutes. You will see liquid coming out of shredded zucchini.
Place zucchinis in a sifter and squeeze as much juice out as possible.
Once squeezed, place zucchini back into the bowl. Add eggs, almond flour, pepper, cheese, and garlic powder and lemon juice (last two are optional, but I added them both). Mix thoroughly.
Heat about 2-3 table spoons of oil in a frying pan.
Drop spoonful of zucchini pancakes batter into hot oil. Fry each side until browned, flattening with spatula as you go.
When both sides are nice golden brown colour, remove from pan and place on a plate covered with paper towel to drain excess oil.
Carrot pancakes with coconut flour
Low-carb, keto-friendly
3 large carrots
3 eggs
2 table spoons of coconut flour
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil for frying (you could also use avocado oil, coconut oil or palm)
Garlic powder (optional)
Grated parmesan cheese (optional, I did not use it in mine)
Wash carrots and clean thoroughly the surface; you might chose to peel off the outer layer as it usually traps dirt easily.
Grate carrots using small size grater (I know it takes longer time than using the medium or large size, but I find that this way pancakes taste and look better)
Add flour, eggs, salt and pepper to carrots and mix well. If you are using cheese and garlic powder, add them now as well.
Coconut flour absorbs moisture very well, that is why it is not required in large quantities. Once you add coconut flour and mix with the batter, let mixture sit for few minutes and then decide if you need extra flour or not.
Heat about 2-3 table spoons of oil in a frying skillet.
Drop spoonful of carrot pancakes batter into hot oil. Fry each side until browned, flattening with spatula as you go.
When both sides are nice golden brown colour, remove from pan and place on a plate covered with paper towel to drain excess oil.
