In the GI News Kitchen

American dietitian and author of Good Carbs, Bad Carbs, Johanna Burani, shares favourite recipes with a low or moderate GI from her Italian kitchen. For more information, check out Johanna’s website. The photographs are by Sergio Burani. His food, travel and wine photography website is photosbysergio.com.

Winter vegetable mix. 
Leave it to the Italians to take the humdrum vegetables that everybody has been eating all winter long and ZAP! them with shout-in-your-mouth flavor. What a combination of well groomed flavors! Feel free to adjust the dressing seasonings to appease your personal palate. And, if you find a little excess dressing pooling in your plate, do what the Italians do soak up every last drop with a piece of fresh crusty Italian bread! I like to use organic vegetables for this and of course Australian readers should opt for low GI Carisma potatoes. Servings: 10 x 1-cup portions

1 lb/450g new potatoes (about 20 small)
1 lb/450g cauliflower (about 5 large florets)
1 lb/450g broccoli (about 4 x 6-inch/15cm stalks)
12 kalamata olives, halved
½ tsp chopped capers
1–2 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 tsp anchovy paste
juice 1 lemon, freshly squeezed (about ¼ cup)
1 tsp sea salt (optional)
½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Place a steamer basket in a large pot with 1–2 inches (3–5cm) of water. Cover and bring to a boil. Scrub unpeeled potatoes, cut in half widthwise and steam for 12 minutes. When cooked, spoon potatoes into a large, warmed serving bowl. Cover and set aside. In the meantime, wash cauliflower and broccoli, cut into 1-inch (2.5cm) pieces and set aside.
Bring water back to a boil. Add cauliflower to steamer basket. Cover and cook for 7 minutes, Then add to the serving bowl. Keep covered.
Bring water back to boil. Add broccoli to steamer basket. Cover and cook for 5 minutes then add to the serving bowl. Mix well. Gently add in olives.
Whisk together the remaining ingredients. Pour over the vegetables and mix thoroughly. Serve immediately.

Per serve 
800kJ/190 calories; 4g protein; 13g fat (includes 1.5g saturated fat); 17g available carbs; 3g fibre

Here’s how you can cut back on the food bills and enjoy fresh-tasting, easily prepared, seasonal, satisfying and delicious low or moderate GI meals that don’t compromise on quality and flavour one little bit with our Money Saving Meals including this easy salad from Blu Gourmet Pearl Couscous.

Pearl couscous salad with vegetables and cashew nuts and a sesame dressing. 
This recipe from Blu Gourmet Pearl Couscous was created by Gabriel Gaté and is a great way to use up leftover vegetables. You’ll find more recipes on their website. Serves 6.

250g (9oz) pearl couscous
juice of 1 lemon,
2 tbsp salt-reduced soy sauce,
½ teaspoon sesame oil,
½ a red chilli, finely sliced,
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil,
about 80g (3oz) roasted unsalted cashew nuts,
½ cup coriander leaves,
1 cup cooked corn kernels
200g (7oz) cooked green beans, cut into small pieces,
300g (10oz) cooked butternut pumpkin cubes

Bring a large volume of salted water to the boil. Stir in the couscous and cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Drain the couscous, place in cold water to cool, then drain again.
Mix together the lemon juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, red chilli, olive oil, cashew nuts and coriander leaves in a serving bowl. Add the cold drained couscous and toss gently. Add the vegetables and toss together very gently before serving.

Per serving 
Energy: 1640kJ/ 390 cals; protein 11g; fat 17g (includes 2.5g saturated fat and 0mg cholesterol); available carbs 46g; fibre 4g

Jamie’s 15 Minute Meals. 
The cover describes the recipes in this book as ‘delicious,’ ‘nutritious’ and ‘super-fast’. And they are. We particularly like the fact that many are also low. Check out www.jamieoliver.com for more information.

Falafel wraps/grilled veg & salsa.
Recipe © Jamie Oliver 2012. Serves 4.

Falafel
1 x 400g (14oz) tin of mixed beans
1 x 400g (14oz) tin of chickpeas
1 lemon
1 tbsp harissa
1 heaped tsp allspice
1 heaped tbsp plain flour
1 bunch of fresh coriander
olive oil
Sides
2 mixed-colour peppers
4 spring onions
8 small wholewheat tortillas
1 tbsp Lingham’s chilli sauce
250g (8oz) low-fat cottage cheese
optional: pickled red cabbage
 Salsa
1 big handful of mixed-colour ripe tomatoes
½–1 fresh red chilli
½ a clove of garlic
1 lime

Ingredients out • Food processor (bowl blade) • Large frying pan, medium heat • Griddle pan, high heat

Photography © David Loftus, 2012

Drain the beans and chickpeas and put them into the processor • Finely grate in the lemon zest, then add a pinch of salt and pepper, the harissa, allspice, flour and coriander stalks (reserving the leaves) • Blitz until smooth, scraping down the sides of the processor if needed • Scrape out the mixture and use clean, wet hands to quickly divide and shape it into 8 patties about 1.5cm (¾in) thick • Put 1 tablespoon of oil into the frying pan and add the falafels, turning when golden and crisp.
Rip the seeds and stalks out of the peppers, tear each one into bite-sized chunks and put on the griddle pan with the trimmed and halved spring onions and a pinch of salt and pepper, turning when charred • Put the tomatoes, chilli and half the coriander leaves into the processor • Squash in the unpeeled garlic through a garlic crusher, squeeze in the lime juice, whiz until fine, then season to taste and pour into a serving dish.
Pop the tortillas into the microwave (800W) for 45 seconds while you marble the chilli sauce into the cottage cheese • Squeeze the juice of half the zested lemon over the charred veggies, then take with the falafels to the table, scattering everything with the rest of the coriander • Let everyone assemble their own wraps, and serve with pickled red cabbage, if you like.

Per serve 
1740kJ/415 calories; 28g protein; 7g fat (includes 1.4g saturated fat); 50g available carbs; 15g fibre

Jamie’s 15 Minute Meals is published by Michael Joseph, Penguin and is available in good bookshops and online.