1 June 2007

Low GI Recipes of the Month

The low GI recipes this month are from Zest, Catherine Saxelby’s new cookbook written with Woman’s Day Food Director, Jennene Plummer and published by Hardie Grant. Each recipe has been analysed for calories/kilojoules, fat, fibre and sodium. Low GI recipes are highlighted.

Instant berry fool
Instead of berries you can use chopped mangoes, papaya, bananas or passionfruit says Jennene. And if you are wondering what to do with those leftover yolks, use them to bind patties or meat balls or to enrich sauces. They can also be frozen for up to a month.
Serves 4; Preparation time; 5 minutes

[BERRIES]

3 egg whites
¼ cup (55 g/2 oz)caster sugar
2 cups (500 ml) low fat pouring custard
2 cups (300 g/10 1/2 oz) mixed berries of choice
1 tablespoon chopped toasted almonds

  1. In a clean, dry bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric beater until soft peaks form. Take care not to over-beat them, though, or they will collapse and cannot be used.
  2. Gradually add then sugar, beating until it is thick and glossy.
  3. Gently fold in the custard and berries and spoon into serving glasses. Chill until required. Serve topped with almonds.
Nutrition analysis per serve
810 kJ/193 Cal; 3 g fat (includes saturated fat 1 g); 2 g fibre; 9 g protein; 33 g carbohydrate; 100 mg sodium

Chicken and sweetcorn soup
To serve, whisk an egg and stir through soup just before serving to make ‘egg flowers’ – shreds of cooked egg through the soup, says Jennene. For a change, add 120 g (4 oz) of thinly sliced button mushrooms and some sliced chilli.
Serves 4; Preparation time 10 minutes; Cooking time 10 minutes

[CORN SOUP]

2 cups (500 ml) chicken stock
2 cups (500 ml) water
¼ cup (60 ml) sherry
1 tablespoon grated ginger
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 skinless chicken breast fillet, thinly sliced
400 g (14 oz) creamed corn
50 g (1½ oz) baby corn, halved lengthwise
½ bunch choy sum, sliced
6 green onions (spring onions/shallots), sliced

To serve
soy sauce
grainy bread or bread rolls
  1. In a large saucepan combine the stock, water, sherry, ginger and garlic. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes.
  2. Stir in the thin chicken slices and corn and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the choy sum and green onions and simmer for another minute.
  3. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve immediately with a drizzle of soy sauce if desired. Accompany with grainy bread.
Nutrition analysis per serve (includes 1 slice of sourdough or grainy bread)
1215 kJ/289 Cal; 6 g fat (includes saturated fat 1 g); 6 g fibre; 21 g protein; 32 g carbohydrate; 815 mg sodium

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Can you please tell me what 'pouring custard' is - and/or provide a recipe for same? Thank you.

Anonymous said...

Pouring custard has the consistency of thickened cream as opposed to a baked custard which sets - rather like a jelly. You should be able to buy a carton of pouring custard from the refrigerated dairy section of your supermarket.

Anonymous said...

shouldn't a low GI recipe list the GI as well as the other information. Your site is wonderful.
Anne Wilson

Anonymous said...

Hi there Anne. The GI of a food can be altered by the way it is processed or cooked, so we do not believe it is possible to calculate a precise GI for recipes. That's why we now prefer to simply categorise foods/recipes as being low, medium or high. Our dietitians all report back to us that they have found that many people who simply substitute low for high GI foods in their everyday meals and snacks reduce the overall GI of their diet, gain better blood glucose control and lose weight. That's why we focus on using lots of low GI ingredients available to everybody in the the recipes we choose for GI News.
So glad you like the site and hope this helps.

Anonymous said...

Is there a substitute for pouring custard for those of us that live in the U.S.? Also, what is caster sugar?

Anonymous said...

Superfine sugar is the US equivalent of caster sugar. In Australia you can buy custard in the dairy cabinet of the supermarket. But it's easy to make. It may be called creme anglaise in your cookbook or custard sauce. Here's a link to some recipes: http://www.joyofbaking.com/CremeAnglaise.html
Alternatively, try making the dessert with a vanilla yoghurt.