Low GI Recipe of the Month

Diane Temple’s Sweet Potato and Lentil Bake

Diane Temple

Freelance home economist and former dietitian Diane Temple created this colourful dish especially for GI News. It is quick to prepare, full of flavour, and an easy way to get some of the five serves of vegetables you need every day. Serve with a mixed lettuce salad dressed with olive oil and lemon juice. It’s all you’ll need. If you use fresh capsicum (pepper), add it to the pan with the onion and garlic. For professional recipe development or testing you can contact Diane on tel 612 9958 3165; email: diane.temple@bigpond.com

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Serves: 4

450 g (1 lb) sweet potato, peeled, halved lengthwise and sliced thinly
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
400 g (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
400 g (14 oz) can brown lentils, drained
¼ cup drained and chopped fire roasted marinated red pepper (capsicum) strips or ¼ fresh red capsicum (pepper) diced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/3 cup frozen peas
freshly ground black pepper
1 cup grated, reduced-fat pizza cheese

• Preheat oven to 180ºC (350ºF). Steam or microwave sweet potato until cooked. Set aside to cool.
• Meanwhile, in a large non-stick frying pan, heat the oil and cook onion, garlic and rosemary until soft, about 3–4 minutes. Add the tomatoes, bring to the boil and then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir through the lentils, red peppers, parsley and peas. Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper and cook for 2 minutes or until the mixture is just heated through.
• In a 1½ litre (6-cup) baking dish, spoon in half the lentil sauce, then layer with half the sweet potato and half the cheese. Add remaining lentil sauce, then the sweet potato. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top. Bake in the oven for 30–35 minutes or until cheese has melted and top is lightly golden.

Nutritional analysis per serving
We have included a nutritional analysis using standard pizza cheese and reduced fat pizza cheese. As you can see, there’s not a great deal of difference nutritionally in this recipe. So, if reduced fat pizza cheese is not on the supermarket shelf, use pizza cheese and you’ll still be enjoying a reasonably low fat meal with lots of delicious veggies.

Standard pizza cheese
Kj: 1110
Calories: 265
Fat: 10 g (sat fat 4.5 g)
Protein: 17 g
Fibre: 7 g

Reduced fat pizza cheese
Kj: 1053
Calories: 251
Fat: 8 g (sat fat 3 g)
Protein: 18 g
Fibre: 7 g