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

Carrot, ginger and cannellini bean soup
As a very new Mum, not having much time in the kitchen is a new experience for me and cooking has become frantic and hurried. So I thought I’d share one of my current favourite fast and nutritious meals. As there’s no sweating of onions or peeling of carrots, you really can throw this all in the pot without a worry. I’ve been making large batches of it and freezing portions so there’s always something to eat. Best of all, it’s a real dollar saving dinner at around $US1 a serving if you make it using stock powder or cubes!
Makes 10–12 serves

1.5 kg (3¼ lb) carrots, scrubbed or peeled, ends trimmed and cut into 5 cm (2 inch) pieces
10 cm (4 inch) piece ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
Chicken or vegetable stock, to cover (approx 600 ml)
2 x 400 g (14 oz) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
300 ml (10 fl oz) light crème fraiche, low fat or skim yoghurt or light sour cream
Freshly ground black pepper

• Put carrots, ginger and garlic into a large saucepan, cover with stock and and bring to the boil then reduce the heat and gently simmer until the carrots are tender.
• Blitz, leaving some texture, and stir through the beans and crème fraiche (or yoghurt or sour cream). Add extra stock for a thinner soup. Reheat, taste and season with freshly ground black pepper and serve.
• If freezing, allow to cool and ladle into 1-cup or 2-cup containers or zip-seal bags for easy use.

Per serve (based on 12 servings with skim yoghurt)
Energy: 392 kJ/93 cals; Protein 5 g; Fat 0.5 g (includes 0.2 g saturated fat and 1.3 mg cholesterol); Carbs 14 g; Fibre 7.6 g

Low GI fare from Johanna’s kitchen: In GI News American dietitian, Johanna Burani shares her recipes photographed by husband Sergio Burani. (Adapted with permission from Good Carbs, Bad Carbs, Da Capo Lifelong Books, New York.)

Johanna Burani

Chocolate applesauce cupcake
You just can’t imagine how light and moist and tasty these cupcakes are unless you try them! Any nutritionist would agree that eating one of these as an occasional treat is 781 kJ (186 calories) well spent.
Makes 12 large or 48 mini cupcakes

½ cup tub margarine or light butter
¾ cup sugar
1 egg plus 1 egg white or ¼ egg substitute
½ cup cocoa powder, unsweetened
1½ cups natural applesauce
1¾ cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt

• Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF. Grease and flour the cupcake tin.
• In a deep mixing bowl, cream the margarine or butter and sugar for about 1½ minutes at medium speed until smooth. Add in the egg, egg white or substitute and cocoa powder and mix for about 1 minute until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl frequently. Fold in the applesauce.
• In a small mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and mix by hand, about 60 or 70 strokes. Do not over mix.
• Fill the cupcake molds half to three-quarters full. Bake the large cupcakes for 22 minutes or the mini cupcakes for 15 minutes. Cool before removing from pan.

Per serve (1 large or 4 mini cupcakes)
Energy 781 kJ/186 cals; Protein 4 g; Fat 7 g (includes less than 0.5 g saturated fat and 18 milligrams cholesterol); Carbs 31 g; Fibre 4 g

Chocolate-pear smoothie
Thirty seconds to prepare, thirty seconds to mix, and then take your time to enjoy this luscious creamy treat.
Makes 2 serves

1 cup nonfat or 1% milk
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 medium pear (fresh, frozen or canned) peeled and cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon honey
Dash ground cardamom

• Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Blend at high speed for 30 seconds. Pour into two glasses and serve immediately.

Per serve (1 cup)
Energy 550 kJ/131 cals; Protein 6 g; Fat 2 g (includes less than 0.5 g saturated fat and 0 mg cholesterol;); Carbs 27 g; Fibre 3 g

Visit Johanna’s website: www.eatgoodcarbs.com.