Keto mushroom quiche with zucchini blossoms {low carb}

• 

When I decided to switch to a ketogenic, low carb diet to control my type 2 diabetes, one of the things I thought I would never be able to eat again was quiche. "Crustless" didn't appeal to me as a genre. How to make a keto quiche without that traditional flaky crust? Could it be done?

After a year of experimenting, I'm here to tell you that low carb quiche made with this almond flour crust is really, really good.

The crust is so easy: You mix almond flour, grated parmesan cheese, an egg, salt and pepper, and some olive oil with a fork until it comes together. Then you press it into your pie pan or tart pan, fill it, and bake.

For quiche, I look for leftovers. Any chopped cooked vegetables will do. This quiche includes sauteed mushrooms, caramelized onions and zucchini flowers. Delicate yellow zucchini blossoms are readily available at the farmers market during the summer; farmers pick the male flowers (the ones that don't turn into zucchini) to keep the plants productive.

Most restaurants serve zucchini blossoms stuffed, battered and deep-fried, but I like to chop them and use them in zucchini flower quesadillas, pasta or scrambled eggs. In the quiche they have a very faint zucchini flavor with a tiny peppery bite. And they're gorgeous!

print recipe

Keto low carb mushroom quiche with zucchini blossoms

by Erika Kerekes August-8-2017

In this ketogenic quiche, a low carb crust made with almond flour cradles a rich savory custard dotted with mushrooms, caramelized onions and zucchini blossoms. Serve for breakfast, lunch or a light supper.

Ingredients

• 2 cups almond flour (fine)
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 7 eggs, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
• 1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 cups mushrooms, sliced or chopped
• 1 cup onions, chopped
• 3/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 10 zucchini blossoms, stems removed, roughly chopped
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Instructions

Make the crust: Using a fork, mix together the almond flour, grated parmesan cheese, 1 egg, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 cup olive oil in a large bowl. When the mixture comes together, turn it into a large pie plate or square baking dish, making sure the dough covers the bottom of the baking dish evenly and goes up the sides at least an inch. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.Cook the vegetables: Put remaining 2 Tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and onions and cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms have released all their liquid and both the mushrooms and onions are softened and starting to turn brown around the edges. Remove from the heat and let cool 5 minutes.Scatter the grated cheddar cheese over the bottom of the crust. Top with the cooked mushrooms and onions, then the chopped zucchini blossoms.In a bowl, whisk together the remaining 6 eggs, heavy cream, remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and mustard until smooth. Pour the cream mixture over the vegetables.Place the baking dish on top of a baking sheet lined with foil (just in case anything bubbles over). Slide the baking sheet into the oven. Bake about 45 minutes, until the center is just set - you'll be able to tell when you shake the pan and the center no longer wiggles - and the quiche is starting to brown around the edges.Remove the quiche from the oven and let cool. Do not cut into the quiche until it has reached room temperature - you want the custard to set fully.Serve at room temperature for best flavor.

Details

Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 45 mins Total time: 1 hour 5 mins Yield: 8-10 servings

A Very Blueberry Thanksgiving: Blueberry butternut squash salad

• 

A colorful autumn salad for your Thanksgiving table (photo: Karen Ard)

Last weekend I hosted a group of food bloggers for A Very Blueberry Thanksgiving, a pre-holiday celebration sponsored by the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council and Wines from Rioja. I made a huge traditional Thanksgiving feast with one big twist: Every dish on this Thanksgiving menu included fresh, frozen, or dried blueberries.

If you've only thought about blueberries as dessert, it's time to consider their savory side. I particularly love the combination of blueberries with balsamic vinegar, as in this autumn salad. I layered roasted cubes of butternut squash, caramelized red onions, toasted pumpkin seeds, fresh blueberries, and crisp green lettuce in a large bowl, then poured over a thick vinaigrette made with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and dried blueberries.

Turkey, schmurkey: Say it's because we're Californians, but this salad was one of the bloggers' favorite dishes at our Thanksgiving celebration.

Here's some good news: Fresh blueberries are getting easier to find in the fall and winter due to thousands of acres of cultivated blueberries recently planted in Chile, Argentina and Mexico. The blueberries we had at A Very Blueberry Thanksgiving were plump, juicy, and sweet. Look for fresh blueberries from the southern hemisphere to add to your Thanksgiving menu - you'll be glad you did.

print recipe

Blueberry Butternut Squash Salad

by Erika Kerekes November-15-2013

A layered green salad with roasted butternut squash, caramelized red onions, fresh blueberries, and toasted pumpkin seeds with a blueberry balsamic vinaigrette. Serve this colorful, healthy salad at Thanksgiving for a twist on tradition.

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried blueberries
• 1 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup plus 1 Tablespoon olive oil, divided
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/2 large butternut squash
• 1 large red onion
• 1 large head green leaf lettuce, washed, torn into small pieces
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1/2 cup roasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
• freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions

First, make the blueberry balsamic vinaigrette. (This step can be done several days ahead.) Put the dried blueberries and balsamic vinegar into a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, turn down the heat, and simmer about 30 minutes, until the vinegar is reduced by about a third and the blueberries are plump and rehydrated. Let the mixture cool a bit, then put it in a blender with 1 cup of olive oil and ½ teaspoon salt. Blend until very smooth. If working ahead, store in the refrigerator until you begin the rest of the steps below.Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.Peel the butternut squash with a vegetable peeler and cut the flesh into 1-inch chunks. Peel the onion and cut it into wedges. Put the vegetables on a baking sheet and drizzle with the remaining 1 Tablespoon olive oil and ¼ teaspoon salt. Roast in the oven until brown around the edges and very tender, 30-45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool to just warm.Make a bed of lettuce in a serving bowl or on a large serving platter. Mound the squash and onions in the middle. Sprinkle the blueberries and pumpkin seeds on top. Drizzle the entire salad generously with the blueberry balsamic vinaigrette in a zig-zag pattern. Serve immediately.

Details

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 45 mins Total time: 1 hour Yield: 10-12 servings