IN THE GI NEWS KITCHEN

KATE HEMPHILL’S EASTER EGGS

Pass on the chocolate eggs and opt for the free-range, organic real deal on Easter morning (or any morning). Kate uses Herbie’s spice mixes, but of course you can substitute with your favourites. Note these recipes use a regular 15ml tablespoon.

Turkish Poached Eggs

There are many variations of this Turkish breakfast dish, Cilbir, that dates back to the fifteenth century, but essentially thick cool yoghurt is topped with soft poached eggs and spiced butter or oil. Herbie’s Turkish spice mix – parsley, sumac, Aleppo pepper, tomato powder, cumin, spearmint, bay leaves – enhances lamb, chicken, kebabs, pide and vegetarian dishes.

½ tsp Spanish mild paprika

2 tbsp olive oil

300g (10oz) thick plain yoghurt

1 tbsp Herbie’s Turkish spice mix

4 free-range medium eggs, at room temperature

1 tsp sumac, to serve

Toasted Turkish bread, to serve

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Serves: 2

For paprika oil, mix paprika and olive oil in a small dish until well combined then leave to settle. • Combine yoghurt with Turkish spice mix and a salt to taste. Spoon into two shallow serving dishes. • Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and carefully crack eggs into water (or crack into a small cup then pour into pan). Simmer for 3 minutes and remove with a slotted spoon onto kitchen towel to remove excess moisture, then place two eggs in each dish of yoghurt. • Drizzle the paprika oil over eggs, sprinkle with sumac and a little salt, and serve with toasted Turkish bread. Can also be served with extra Aleppo pepper and fresh mint and/or parsley.

Per serve (excluding Turkish bread)

1705kJ/ 410 calories; 19g protein; 32g fat (includes 9g saturated fat; saturated : unsaturated fat ratio 0.39); 10g available carbs (includes 8g sugars and 2g starch); 2g fibre; 350mg sodium; 520mg potassium; sodium : potassium ratio 0.68

Brazilian Breakfast Mushrooms

Try adding chorizo, spinach or avocado t this South American take on mushrooms and eggs, or make a large batch in a roasting tray and bake the eggs on top when feeding a crowd, serving with soft tortillas. Sprinkle Herbie’s Brazilian spice blend – paprika, ginger, salt, garlic, onion, cumin, coriander seed, coriander leaf, allspice, cinnamon, pepper, and chilli – on mushrooms when sautéeing or barbecueing.

600g (1lb 5oz) large portobello mushrooms, halved and thickly sliced

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

1½ tbsp Herbie’s Brazilian spice blend

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

½ tsp salt

2 large eggs

micro coriander, to serve (optional)

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Serves: 2 as a meal

Melt butter with olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add spice blend and mushrooms and saute for 5–8 minutes until tender. Stir through red wine vinegar and salt and cook for a further minute. Mushrooms can be kept warm at this stage. • Poach or fry (in a non-stick frying pan) the eggs until they are cooked to your liking. Place on top of mushrooms and garnish with micro coriander and a pinch of Brazilian spice blend and serve immediately.

Per serve (poached eggs)

1325 kJ/ 315 calories; 14g protein; 24g fat (includes 9g saturated fat; saturated : unsaturated fat ratio 0.6); 4g available carbs (includes 3g sugars and 1g starch); 7g fibre; 750mg sodium; 1270mg potassium; sodium : potassium ratio 0.59

STICKS, SEEDS, PODS & LEAVES

Kate Hemphill’s light and easy everyday fare with culinary spices and herbs. She is a trained chef who has worked as a recipe writer and cookery teacher. She contributed the recipes to Ian Hemphill’s best-selling Spice and Herb Bible and you will find more of her wonderful recipes on the Herbies spices website.

Juniper Roasted Trout with Fennel & Orange Salad

Enjoy the pine-like aroma of juniper with seafood, which also goes well with the fruit in this quick and easy salad. Use lower GI Carisma potatoes if available.

2 trout fillets (120g/4½ oz each)

1 tsp juniper berries, lightly crushed

2 handfuls of mixed leaves

1 large (or two small) orange, peeled and sliced into rounds

1 large (or two small) bulb fennel, very finely sliced

4 small new potatoes, skin on, cooked until tender and halved

10 mint leaves

2 tbsp pomegranate arils

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Serves: 2

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. • Rub juniper berries onto fillets and season with salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Wrap lightly in foil and place on a baking tray. Cook for 12–15 minutes until flaking easily. • Combine salad ingredients and dress with a little olive oil. Arrange on a plate or plates and top with trout.

Per serve

Energy: 995 kJ/238 cals; protein: 17g; fat: 5.5g; saturated fat: 1.5g (saturated : unsaturated fat ratio 0.38); available carbohydrate 30g; fibre: 8g; 110mg sodium; 1210mg potassium (sodium : potassium ratio 0.1)