Low GI Recipes of the Month

American dietitian, Johanna Burani invites GI News readers to try recipes from her Italian kitchen (photographed by Sergio Burani).

Johanna Burani

Vanda’s baked frittata
Vanda is my good friend and a fabulous cook. She lives in Friuli, northern Italy, in a small town very close to mine. She espouses to the freshest ingredients in her cooking. Her dishes are simple, wholesome and usually picked directly from her vegetable garden. This recipe is a great example of her delicious home cooking.
Serves 4

2 medium zucchini (approx. 10 oz/300 g)
4 eggs
2 tablespoons sundried tomatoes, minced
55 g (2 oz) part skim ricotta
¼ cup (60 ml) fat free milk
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon grated cheese
1 tablespoon plain breadcrumbs

• Preheat oven to 180C (350ºF). Cover the bottom of a 22 cm (9 in) square baking pan with parchment paper or non-stick vegetable spray.
• Wash the zucchini, trim the ends and cut them into thin horizontal slices. Cook 5–6 minutes in a non-stick pan stirring frequently.
• Whisk the eggs in a medium bowl. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, ricotta, milk and salt and continue to whisk until ingredients are well combined. Gently fold in the cooked zucchini. Pour the mixture into the baking pan. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs and cheese over the top. Bake for 20 minutes or until the top turns golden brown. Allow to cool slightly. Cut into four diagonal pieces.

Per serve
Energy: 370 kJ/ 88 cals; Protein 9 g; Fat 8 g (includes 2 g saturated fat and 218 mg cholesterol); Carbs 5 g; Fibre 1 g

Dietitian Dr Joanna McMillan-Price shares this deliciously low GI recipe from her new book Inner Health, Outer Beauty. It’s available from bookshops in Australia and New Zealand and online from www.greatideas.net.au

Joanna McMillan-Price

Quinoa, mackerel and spinach kedgeree
Smoked and canned fish are a convenient way to boost your omega-3 intake. Smoking fish and meat is one of the oldest methods of food preservation but you won’t find the Heart Foundation Tick on these foods because of the large amount of salt used in the smoking process. Despite this, I still recommend using it, in the context of a wholesome natural food diet. If you don’t eat many processed foods then your overall salt intake will be within healthy limits despite having smoked fish once a week or so. Read the ingredients list to be sure the product has only fish and salt, and no other additives. This recipe is quite high in fat, but it is mostly unsaturated fats from oily fish including omega-3 fats beneficial to health.
Serves 4 to 6

50 g olive oil
2 teaspoons brown mustard seeds
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
1 cinnamon stick
1 large onion (200 g) sliced thinly
1½ teaspoons garam masala
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
1½ cups (270 g) quinoa
2 cups (500 ml) water
1 teaspoon sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
400 g (14 oz) smoked mackerel
3 free-range or organic eggs, hard-boiled and peeled
100 g (3 ½ oz) baby spinach leaves
¼ cup coarsely chopped parsley

• Heat the oil in large heavy-based frying pan with a lid. Add the mustard seeds, cumin and cinnamon and cook 1–2 minutes or until mustard seeds pop.
• Add the onion and ground spices, cook until onion has softened and started to lightly brown.
• Add the quinoa, water and season with salt and pepper. Cover with the lid and cook for 10–15 minutes or until the quinoa is tender.
• Meanwhile, flake the fish into large chunks and cut the eggs in half. Stir the fish, spinach and parsley into the quinoa and mix gently until the spinach wilts. Serve topped with eggs and some Worcestershire or sweet chilli sauce.

Per serve (based on 6 serves)
Energy: 2166 kJ/ 516 cals; Protein 23 g; Fat 34 g (includes 7 g saturated fat l); Carbs 30 g; Fibre 4 g