Low GI Recipes of the Month

Our chef Kate Hemphill develops deliciously simple recipes for GI News that showcase seasonal ingredients and make it easy for you to cook healthy, low GI meals and snacks. For more of Kate’s fabulous fare, check out her website: www.lovetocook.co.uk. For now, prepare and share good food with family and friends.


Kate Hemphill

Chakchouka
Try this tangy Middle-Eastern dish for a special brunch or an easy-to-prepare light meal with a green salad on the side. You can make individual ones. Spoon the tomato mixture into four ovenproof dishes, add an egg to each and bake at 180C (350F) for about 15 or 20 minutes or until set. Sprinkle with chopped chives and serve.
Serves 4

1 tbsp olive oil
2 small red capsicum (pepper), seeded and thinly sliced
2 small green capsicum (pepper), seeded and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1–2 small chillies, seeded and finely chopped
400 g (14 oz) can peeled chopped tomatoes
1 tsp harissa paste
¼ tsp salt (optional)
1 tsp caraway seeds, ground
½ tsp sweet paprika
½ tsp ground cumin seeds
4 large free-range organic eggs
4 slices grainy bread

• Heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the sliced capsicum for 10 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic and chilli and cook for a further 1–2 minutes, stirring to combine. Add the tomatoes, harissa, salt and spices. Leave to simmer gently for 10–15 minutes, it should be reasonably thick.
• Make four indentations in the mixture using the back of a spoon and break one egg into each. Cover and leave to simmer for about 5 minutes or until whites are cooked and yolks are soft. Serve immediately with grainy bread.

Per serving
1145 kJ/ 265 calories; 13 g protein; 12 g fat (includes 2 g saturated fat and 244mg cholesterol); 24 g carbohydrate; 4 g fibre



Smoked chicken, chickpeas & carrot
Smoked chicken is available from supermarkets, delis and butchers pre-cooked and vacuum packed. It is a great addition to salads, and if serving hot, just requires a little heating through. If you can't get smoked chicken, use a grilled or poached chicken breast. This dish can be made into a salad by cutting the chicken into smaller pieces and serving at room temperature or chilled.
Serves 4–6

1 large garlic clove, crushed
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
2 x 400 g (14 oz) cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 7 cm (2-inch) pieces, then into thin matchsticks
1 cup (250ml) chicken stock
juice of 1 lemon
large handful of roughly chopped parsley
2 smoked chicken breasts, sliced

• Cook the garlic in a little olive oil in a frypan over low heat for 2 minutes. Add the spices and cook for another 2 minutes, then add chickpeas, carrots and stock. Bring to a simmer and stir occasionally until carrots are just tender (around 10 minutes). Stir in the parsley, season to taste and turn off heat.
• In another pan, add sliced chicken pieces and some olive oil and toss over high heat until heated through. Serve chicken pieces on top of chickpeas.

Per serving (6 serves)

1400 kJ/ 330 calories; 36 g protein; 11 g fat (includes 2.5 g saturated fat and 80 mg cholesterol); 20 g carbohydrate; 7 g fibre