Keto Pannacotta with Roasted Strawberry Rhubarb Topping

I've been a bad blogger of late, and offer heartfelt apologies for not sharing many recipes over the past while. I've been on a bit of a ...digestive journey?... for lack of a better way to put it! With the help of my naturopath, I feel like I am making some headway in my digestive health, but it has definitely changed the way I have been eating, as well as my creation of new recipes. 

It has been a journey...I've been off dairy, back on dairy, and now off  all soy, cane sugar, and potatoes, (which includes arrowroot and tapioca starch...for those that have followed my baking in the past...you will understand the lack of baking!!) But...I am feeling much better digestively, so I am more than willing to keep following this path! One major thing that I have noticed is my almost complete lack of sweet tooth now. The only sweetener I have used lately is the Lakanto Monkfruit sweetener , but very sparingly. I  find I am not missing sugar at all!!

So, here's were we enter the Keto craze! Being very similar to the way I've already been eating lately, I decided to give it a go, and see if I could budge some of the weight I have slowly and steadily put on over the past few years. After figuring out my Macros (thanks to my son...lol) and using a tracker to log my meals, I am making progress! But...you all know me well...my creative cook side has been dying to come up with some Keto friendly treats...which leads us here today! I love pannacotta, it is such an easy but elegant dessert for hot summer days. I used my regular pannacotta recipe from this blog as a guide, and created this one, that is both Keto friendly and delicious!! 

This is the very first Keto recipe I have posted, but if you follow me on Instagram, I have posted pic's of many meals over the past few weeks. If there is anything posted there you would like to see written out, let me know!! 

Keto Pannacotta (non dairy)

Makes 6 servings , approx 56 calories each, with 5g carbs, 4 g fat, 1 g protein per serving)

4 tsp gelatin

½ cup water

1 can evaporated coconut milk (see pic at the bottom of this post for the brands I used)

Sweetener of choice (completely optional…I didn’t include any as this coconut milk already has a bit of coconut sugar in it, and I find it perfectly sweet enough for me)

Measure your water into a small pot. Sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the water and let sit for about 8 minutes. After the 8 minutes, place over low heat and stir until gelatin is dissolved. Don’t boil!!

When it is completely dissolved, add the can of evaporated coconut milk and stir well. Add additional sweetener of choice here if using!) Stir well.

Pour into 6 small containers (I use small mason jars with lids. Great for storage and my lunch bag!, but small ramekins would work as well. )

Chill for a minimum of 2 hrs before serving to give it time to set well, especially if you are going to unmold it to plate!

To unmold: run a sharp NON SERRATED knife (a serrated blade will leave funky patterns on the edge of your pannacotta…not so pretty!!) around the edge of the jar or ramekin, turn upside down, and with a gentle shake, unmold your panna cotta onto serving plate.

Alternatively, place topping on top of panna cotta in serving container and serve as is! (see picture below of a regular panna cotta with a mango topping for inspiration!)

Top with topping of choice and serve!

Keto Roasted Strawberry Rhubarb Topping

(makes approx 2 cups, I use about 1.5 tbsp as a serving size...approx 17 calories, 3 net carbs, 1 g protein and 1 g fat)

200 g of rhubarb, cut in smallish pieces (I used approx 5 stalks that were about 12 inches long, they were about finger sized in diameter, for an easy reference)

½  lb strawberries (I used ½ of the clamshell container!)cut in ½ or ¼’s, depending on the size of your berries. You want the chunks to be smaller, just a bit bigger than the rhubarb.

2 tsp Lakanto Monkfruit sweetener (or sweetener of choice)

½ cup water

1 tbsp chia seeds

Preheat oven to 375F

In a glass 8x8 baking dish, place your chopped fruit. Pour in the water and sprinkle sweetener evenly over the fruit. Bake for approx 25 minutes, or until your rhubarb is softened up nicely. Remove from oven and set aside to cool slightly( 10-15 min). Stir in the chia seeds and let stand for approx 20 minutes, stirring often. This will thicken up the liquids and give a loose jam like consistency to your fruit.

When fruit is room temperature, transfer to serving dish or storage container for future use. (2 cup mason jar is perfect!) Keep refrigerated! (should last 4-5 days in the fridge)

used these in the recipe!

this is a regular pannacotta that I made a while back,
with a pureed mango topping, but it gives you an idea
for presentation...I used stemless wine glasses...pretty!!

One of the meal's I posted on Instagram, soooo yummy!!

Gluten Free Rhubarb Crisp

I love rhubarb. It has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. My Grandma Pringle had a large lovely row of rhubarb growing in her garden every spring (along with a cherry tree that grew two kinds of cherries, gooseberries, and the most wonderful black raspberries ever!!) Their house in the summer was the best place to visit… my brother and I spent many an hour pilfering whatever was ripe and in season at the time.  My love of both food and gardening definitely had its start in that lovely backyard of delights, and for that, I am thankful.  

This crisp is delicious. The topping has a delightfully crisp texture, and if you decide to add the pecans, they add a lovely crunch. (my eldest son prefers the version without…but he isn’t much of a nuts-in-baked-goods fan. If you like pecans, throw them in…they won’t disappoint!) Made with maple syrup, it is refined sugar free as well as gluten free!

The strawberry version is every bit as good as the straight rhubarb version. Try them both out…let me know which your favourite is!  We served ours with a nice scoop of good quality vanilla ice cream (look for one with ingredients you can pronounce!!)

Gluten Free Rhubarb Crisp

Fruit base:

8 Cups washed and chopped rhubarb (or 6 cups rhubarb and 2 cups sliced organic strawberries)

3 Tbsp arrowroot flour

¼ cup maple syrup

Topping:

½ cup rice flour

1 ½ cup large flake oats

¼ cup arrowroot flour

½ tsp salt (if your butter is unsalted increase to 1 tsp)

½ cup butter (1 stick, cold!)

½ cup maple syrup

Optional: 1 cup chopped pecans (really good addition!)     

 

Preheat oven to 350F

Toss rhubarb (and strawberries if using) with the maple syrup and arrowroot (the first measurement) in a large 9X13 glass baking dish. Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, stir together all of the dry topping ingredients. 

Using a box grater, grate the stick of cold butter into the bowl, and then rub into the dry ingredients with your fingertips until it is well combined. 

Stir in maple syrup and mix again until it makes a nice thick batter. Drop by spoonful evenly across the top of the prepared fruit. 

Bake in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until fruit is bubbly and topping is starting to brown and get crispy.

Remove from oven and cool slightly before serving.

Store leftovers, covered, at room temperature for a day or two, if they last that long!

When the temperatures outside soar, I love to use
my bbq as a second oven, to keep the heat
out of my kitchen!  Bricks help to
keep the heat more even,and The oven
thermometer is great for keeping an eye
on the temperature. 

Grain Free Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Some tastes are a very nostalgic thing for me, and Rhubarb pie is at the top of the list. I know I have waxed poetic about my Grandma's Rhubarb pie before (this Rhubarb custard post was one such occasion) but it really was that awesome. When I perfected my grain free pastry recipe, and my rhubarb was at that perfect spring readiness, I figured it was time to honour my grandma and her pie, pastry and all.

My favourite pie plate is quite large, if yours is smaller, use the extra crust and filling to make some lovely little tarts!


Grain Free Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

1 prepared Grain Free Pie Crust,(baked for 8 minutes as per directions in recipe)

3 cups chopped rhubarb (I used fresh but frozen would work too!)

2 cups sliced strawberries (hulls removed) (or sub 2 additional cups chopped rhubarb and omit strawberries)

4 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 cup coconut sugar

4 Tbsp arrowroot starch

Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350F

Mix fruit together in a large bowl and set aside.

Measure the remaining ingredients into a medium mixing bowl and mix thoroughly with an immersion blender. Pour over the prepared fruit and mix gently to coat.

Pour into prepared pie shell.

Bake in preheated oven for 50-55 minutes or until the pie is set in the middle. Check 1/2 way thru and place a foil shield around the edge if it is already starting to brown. 

Carefully remove from oven and let cool thoroughly before serving. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Grain Free Rhubarb Pecan-Coconut Streusel Muffins

My rhubarb is doing really well this year. While it is a reasonably easy plant to grow, you need patience for the first few years after planting your initial crowns. The plants need the first year to establish a good strong root system, and it is recommended not to pull any stalks during this initial growth time. The second year, you can harvest a small amount, but only at the beginning of the season. Herein lies the issue with my rhubarb. When I planted my first plant, in what I thought would be its forever home, I vastly underestimated the size of it in comparison to the space it would take up in the end of my herb garden. Season two saw it move to a second home, which, in hindsight was no better than the first. Two years ago, I found the perfect spot for it in my yard, and finally gave it a(nother) forever home (I say that now, lol!) Last year, the second year in its happy home, it came up sparsely, and did not have a great season overall. I was afraid, by the end of the year, that I was going to be buying a new plant and starting all over this spring. 

This tenacious plant proved me wrong though, and came up beautifully this spring, and has graced me with a beautiful crop of nice tart rhubarb. I am thinking I need to work on a grain free pie crust and attempt a strawberry rhubarb pie in the near future, just to celebrate the bountiful harvest!

When you chop your rhubarb, make sure the pieces are fairly small, so they don’t overwhelm the muffin. I cut my stalks in half lengthwise and then diced. If your stalks are very thick you may need to cut into thirds or quarters. My test kitchen at work gave these muffins 2 thumbs up, I hope you enjoy them too!

Grain Free Rhubarb Pecan-Coconut Streusel Muffins

Muffin Batter:

½ cup coconut flour

¼ cup arrowroot flour

2 Tbsp Chickpea flour

1 tsp baking soda

¾ tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup honey

4 eggs

1 Tsp vanilla

½ c kefir or yogurt, (plain, not sweetened, preferably full fat!)

1/3 cup coconut oil

-------------

2 cups diced rhubarb (make pieces fairly small)

-------------

Streusel topping :

½ cup chopped pecans

½ cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)

2 Tbsp Honey

2 Tbsp coconut oil

2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375F

Line muffin tin with 12 papers, or grease really well. Set aside.

Measure batter ingredients into a large mixing bowl, and mix well with an immersion blender. Scrape sides of bowl if necessary to ensure everything is well incorporated and there are no lumps.

Mix in chopped rhubarb and mix well to combine.

Fill muffin liners ¾ full and set aside.

Quickly rinse your mixing bowl (or get a clean one, but hey…who wants more dishes??) and measure in the streusel ingredients. Mix well to combine.

Sprinkle evenly over the muffin batter and place in preheated oven.

Bake for 22-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven to a heat safe surface.

Let stand for 5 minutes, remove from pan and let cool on wire rack. Store leftovers in fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze for longer storage.

 I love my handy chopper from Epicure for chopping nuts!

Grain Free Dairy Free Rhubarb Coconut Bread Pudding

After perfecting my Lovely Grain Free Bread Recipe, using it in a bread pudding was a priority. With being gluten/almost grain free for close to 2 years, desserts like this, as well as the bread that would typically make this, have not been a part of our diet. When my bread turned out so amazingly well, I knew it would make a lovely bread pudding too. 

Our wonderful friends Ken and Ally were coming over for dinner, and I always try and create a decadent dairy free dessert for them. This was definitely a winner. The recipe makes a lot, feel free to half it if you wish. But, as Ally said the next day, it makes a wonderful breakfast, so you may want to make it as is, and share the extras with friends!

I used some nice flaky Maldon salt on the top of the puddings. If you don’t happen to have any, just add sea salt in with the liquids instead.

You won't use the entire loaf of bread with this recipe, the extra slices make nice croutons for a Ceasar Salad ;)

Grain Free Dairy Free Rhubarb Coconut Bread Pudding

3 cups chopped fresh rhubarb (approx 6-8 stalks, depending on size)

½ cup coconut sugar

--------

2 -400ml cans full fat coconut milk

8 eggs

1 tsp vanilla powder or 2 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup coconut sugar

2 T Grand Marnier (optional, you can substitute 2 T fresh orange juice and the zest of an organic orange)

1 tsp sea salt (omit if using the salt flakes at the end)

----------

¾ of a loaf of my Grain Free Bread (Get Recipe Here!) you should end up with about 6 cups of bread cubes)

----------

½ cup shredded coconut, unsweetened

----------

Maldon salt flakes (optional, alternately add 1 tsp of sea salt to the coconut milk mixture when mixing)

-------------

METHOD: 

Preheat oven to 350F. Set 14 ramekins (mine hold approx 2/3 cup each, adjust accordingly if yours hold more or less) in baking dishes that will serve as a water bath, and set aside.  (9x13 glass baking dishes work well!) 

Combine the chopped rhubarb and the first amount of coconut sugar, and let it hang out and marinate for about ½ hour.  Stir the mixture a few times while you wait.

Combine coconut milk, eggs, vanilla, coconut sugar and optional Grand Marnier, (and optional salt if not using the Maldon salt flakes at the end), with an immersion blender until well blended.

Slice the grain free bread into 1 inch slices and then cut slices into cubes. 

Stir gently into the coconut mixture, and let hang out for about 5 minutes. Stir in the shredded coconut and the marinated rhubarb, and mix well.

Spoon this mixture into the waiting ramekins. Arrange the ramekins in the baking dishes. Sprinkle the tops of the bread puddings with the Maldon salt flakes if using.

Run your tap water until it is as hot as it will go. Fill a large measuring cup or other pour-able vessel with hot water.

Place the pans holding the ramekins into your preheated oven. Carefully pour the hot water into the pans, surrounding the ramekins and coming just over halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until the puddings are cooked thru. They will lose their liquidy look and firm up when cooked thru.

Let cool before serving. Can be chilled completely, but they are good warm too!

Serve with a dollop of whipped cream if desired. 

Strawberry Rhubarb Custard

My Grandma Pringle made the best rhubarb pie EVER. Seriously. Of anything I remember her cooking for us, that is the one thing that conjures up memories of her kitchen (there was also an unfortunate chicken liver incident, but we won’t talk about that one, ‘K?) Back to the pie. Whenever I asked for the recipe, her answer was always , and I think I quote, “oh, a little of this, and a bit of that” but never a full recipe to work with. At the time I always thought it was a closely guarded secret recipe, but I now have my suspicions that she, like me, wasn't much of a recipe follower. Sometimes great food just happens, and I think that was the case with the pie.  I tried to recreate that elusive pie over the years, and although some came close, nothing ever quite captured the essence of her pie.  Now that I am grain free, I have sadly  put thoughts of pies out to the proverbial pasture, as grain free pastry is proving to be a very tricky thing, and although I am trying, I have yet to perfect a blog worthy version.  Now perfected!! follow this link for my Grain Free Pie Pastry!

Fast forward to this past Saturday. I was out shopping and just could not resist buying a bag of beautiful organic rhubarb from the Scotscraig Farm Veggie stand that is at Fenwoods during  the vegetable garden season. I have rhubarb in my garden, but due to a last minute transplant, it has been too small to do anything with. Buying my first real rhubarb of the season made me sadly nostalgic for my grandmas pie all over again, and it was relegated to the fridge while I sulked. 

 Driving home from work tonight though, I had one of those kitchen epiphany moments. The best part of Grandma's pie was not the pastry. Although it was good, the creamy rhubarb studded custard was always the shining star of the pie. So, why not just recreate the filling?  Pastry is just a vehicle for the interior of the pie anyway. Home to the kitchen I flew, to rescue the rhubarb from my fridge.  I added some organic strawberries, which sometimes made an appearance in Grandmas’ pies, and I think I hit the nostalgia nail right on the head.  If I close my eyes and take myself back 30 years, I can almost imagine sitting at her big wooden dining room table, surrounded by family after a big dinner, sinking a fork into a piece of her pie. I think she would like my crust-less version, and I know she would be proud that her cooking techniques are alive and well in me.

Strawberry Rhubarb Custard

4 cups rhubarb, chopped

2 cups sliced strawberries

3 Tbsp arrowroot starch

6 eggs

1/3 cup coconut sugar

2 cups whole milk

1 tsp vanilla powder** or 2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375F

Place chopped fruit in a 9 x 13 glass baking dish. Sprinkle the arrowroot on top of the fruit, and stir to coat the fruit.

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, and add the coconut sugar, milk and vanilla. Mix well to incorporate.

Pour over fruit mixture and bake in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes or until the custard is set in the middle. Let cool slightly and serve warm, or chill thoroughly and serve cold.

**Organic Traditions has an organic vanilla bean powder that I love to use in baking. Substitute an organic vanilla extract if you wish!