Low GI Recipes of the Month

Vietnamese pork stir-fry
This gluten-free recipe comes from dietitian Sue Shepherd’s new book, Two Irresistible for the Irritable. The recipes aren’t specifically designed to be low GI, but many will be, so there’s plenty to tempt anyone on a gluten-free diet with in this book where every recipe is photographed. Sue is an Accredited Practising Dietitian who also has coeliac disease. She has taken a leading role in Australia in the dietary management of coeliac disease and irritable bowel syndrome and is in demand as a speaker internationally. She is completing her PhD in the dietary management of coeliac disease, irritable bowel syndrome and fructose malabsorption. Check out Sue’s website for more information or to order her books: www.coeliac.com.au

Serves 4
Marinating time: 3 hours
Cooking time: 10 minutes

500 g pork leg strips
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1½ tablespoons grated fresh ginger
2 fresh chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
1 clove garlic crushed
3 tablespoons sesame oil
1 red capsicum (pepper), deseeded and cut into strips
2 cups snowpeas (mangetout), trimmed
2 sticks celery, sliced
1 tablespoon gluten-free cornflour
1 cup (250 ml) gluten-free vegetable stock
2 tablespoons finely chopped Vietnamese mint
½ cup chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)

To serve
Steamed rice noodles or low GI rice

1. Place pork strips, fish sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, ginger, chillies and garlic in a bowl. Toss well to combine and set aside, covered, in the refrigerator to marinate for 3 hours.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large wok or frypan over high heat. Add half the pork strips and stir fry for 2 minutes until browned and just cooked through. Remove the pork from the pan, set aside on a plate. Repeat cooking the remaining pork in 1 tablespoon of oil.
3. Heat the remaining tablespoon oil in the wok, add the capsicum, snow peas and celery and stir fry over high heat for 2 minutes.
4. In a small bowl, mix the cornflour together with a little vegetable stock to form a paste. Gradually add the remaining vegetable stock until well blended. Pour over the vegetables, heating on high until thickened.
5. Add the pork strips, coriander and mint, stir for 30 seconds until heated through and serve with steamed rice or rice noodles.

Nutritional analysis per serving (pork stir fry only)
Energy 1407 kJ/335 Cal; 17 g fat (includes saturated fat 3 g); 4 g fibre; 31 g protein; 9 g carbohydrate

GI Solo: Gold & green fruit salad
This fresh fruit salad with its gingery tang is literally made in minutes. It is a great way to start the day with zing, or end a meal with a clean, fruity finish. The GI is likely to just fall over the line from low to moderate even though both the ginger and kiwi fruit have low GI values. If you are a ginger lover, check out September 2006 GI News, as we reported on the GI values of a number of Buderim Ginger products. To order online or find your nearest stockist (they export to 17 countries) here’s the link: www.buderimginger.com

Serves 4 (small portions)

6 kiwi fruit, peeled and cut into chunks
50 g (1¾ oz) Buderim Ginger Sucrose-free ginger, sliced thickly
1 cup fresh pineapple chunks, juice reserved
2 passionfruit
1 tablespoon Buderim Ginger Refresher or honey
sprigs of mint to garnish

• Put the prepared fruit into a bowl. Sweeten the pineapple juice with the Ginger Refresher or honey and pour over the fruit. Serve in individual tall glasses garnished with mint sprigs.

Nutritional analysis per serving
Energy 684 kJ/163 Cal; negligible fat; 6 g fibre; 2 g protein; 34 g carbohydrate

GI Solo: Middle East roll up
A great way to add to your vegetable intake – and delicious as is or very lightly toasted in a sandwich press. When made the traditional Mexican way, tortillas have low GI values and a corn tortilla is a good alternative to bread if you are gluten intolerant. Even using pita bread or a flat or mountain bread wrap, this recipe is likely to have a low GI because of the hummus (GI 6). Recipe reproduced from The Pea & Lentil Cookbook with permission from the USA Dry Pea and Lentil Council.

Serves 1

• Spread ¼ cup hummus to within 2.5 cm (1 inch) of the edge of a 30 cm (10 inch) tortilla. Scatter over the hummus, off centre of the tortilla, ½ cup finely chopped broccoli, 1/3 cup shredded red cabbage, and 1/3 cup sliced mushrooms. Fold the edge of the tortilla over the vegetables, then turn in envelope style and roll up.

Tortillas

Nutritional analysis per serving
Energy 1515 kJ/361 Cal; 11 g fat (includes saturated fat 1 g); 8 g fibre; 13 g protein; 53 g carbohydrate