If I really don’t miss something on my low carb diet, it is, for many perhaps surprisingly, bread. I baked bread maybe three times since I have been low carb and one of that was because of the blog. What I prefer a lot more are seeds crackers. I did already more variants, but one of them you can find here (https://www.mylowcarbmeals.com/low-carb-seed-crackers/). They are also more popular at my non-low carb visits. But for crackers you need some nice spreading. The possibilities are endless. But I am pretty sure you will fall in love with this carrot spinach spread I prepared for our Sunday’s brunch last week.
I love brunch. Though it is a pretty time-consuming thing to prepare it, but then the eating part is definitely worth it. I enjoy good food, so often I can’t decide what I want to eat first and then I just cook everything. If you are wondering if the beautiful yellow color comes from carrots – it doesn’t. In the last time, I became a big fan of turmeric and put it almost everywhere. Its taste is very soft it creates a lovely natural food color and last but not least it is damn healthy!
Research from Monash University, for example, suggests that 1 gram of turmeric a day could improve working memory and have a positive impact on the early stages of diabetes. The study was conducted in Taiwan with people over the age of 60. Turmeric versus placebo was said to have worked not only “in general” but improved working memory several hours after ingestion. A study published in the Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition recommends using turmeric directly to prevent dementia. My mom works on a private eye clinic in Prague, and the owner, very respected professor, keeps lecture about health benefits of turmeric for our eyes. And as I have an eye defect, I put it even in my yogurt.
Some extra tips for the Carrot Spinach Spread
Baked garlic cloves are way better than fresh ones. The spicy, strong taste disappears, but the garlic taste it owns remains and is a lot more intensive in a kind of creamy, soft way. You probably don’t want to preheat oven to bake two garlic cloves. So what I recommend, that is how I did it, I pre-baked the garlic when I was making oven lunch. And if you decide to make the carrot spinach spread too late, you can always cook the garlic in a skillet with a little bit of olive oil. Around ten minutes should be sufficient. I also highly recommend cool down prepared spread in the fridge at least for 1-2 hours (the longer, the better), the taste will be much better after the ingredients settle down.
Ingredients
250g / 9 oz carrots
2 garlic cloves baked
1 cup baby spinach
3 tbsp pumpkin seeds
100 g / 3,5 oz cream cheese
100 g / 3,5 quark
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp grated cheese (I used parmesan)
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tsp turmeric
Salt, pepper
Instructions
- Peel the carrots and grate them on your kitchen grater using the finest side.
- Wash the baby spinach and cut into small pieces.
- Shred the pumpkin seeds in a blender. (Pulse twice, the pumpkin seeds shouldn't turn out to a flour).
- In a medium bowl mix first carrots and spinach.
- Add roasted garlic cloves and mash them to a paste with a fork.
- Add all the other ingredients except for cream cheese and quark.
- When all nice compacted, add cream cheese and quark and stir in the mixture.
- Before serving let the carrot spinach spread cool down in the fridge.
