IN THE GI NEWS KITCHEN

IN THE GI NEWS KITCHEN 
Lamb Shanks with Garden Peas and Mint from The Good Carbs Cookbook • Tomato, Mozzarella and Olive Quinoa Pizzas from Reversing Diabetes • Peanut Butter and Chickpea Energy Balls from Veggie-licious.

LAMB SHANKS WITH GARDEN PEAS AND MINT 
Lamb and pearl barley are a natural pairing and 1 large shank is enough for two people generally, though it depends how hungry they are. This is a one-pot meal you can prepare quickly and leave to gently cook. Add tiny whole carrots, peeled garlic cloves and extra onions with the barley if you like. Prep: 15 minutes • Cook 2 hours • Serves 6

1 tablespoon (20ml) olive oil.
4 large lamb shanks.
1 brown onion, chopped.
About 4 cups (1 litre) chicken stock.
1½ cups pearl barley.
1½ cups garden peas.
1 handful mint leaves, fresh.
1 large orange, zest and juice.
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF (fan 160ºC/315ºF). • Place a large casserole dish on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Pour in the oil and, when hot, add the shanks to brown all over, turning occasionally, for about 8 minutes. Push the shanks to the side of the dish slightly and reduce the heat. Add the onion and cook for about 8 minutes, or until golden. Pour in the stock, bring to a lively simmer, cover and place in the oven for about 1½ hours, or until the shanks are tender. • Rinse the barley, drain and add it to the casserole dish, making sure it is covered in liquid. If not, add a little more stock. Cover and cook for about 25–30 minutes, or until barley is al dente, adding the peas in the last 5 minutes of cooking. Roughly chop half the mint and stir it in with the orange zest and juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Using forks, pull the meat from the bone and serve with the barley and pea mixture, garnished with the remaining mint leaves.

Per serve 
1665kJ/400 calories; 27g protein; 13.5g fat (includes 5g saturated fat; saturated : unsaturated fat ratio 0.56); 37.5g available carbs (includes 4g sugars and 33.5g starches); 8g fibre; 560mg sodium; 630mg potassium; sodium : potassium ratio 0.89

Recipe sourced from The Good Carbs Cookbook by Dr Alan Barclay, Kate McGhie and Philippa Sandall (Murdoch Books). Photography by Alan Benson.

TOMATO, MOZZARELLA AND OLIVE QUINOA PIZZAS 
Quinoa has a light, nutty texture with a slight crunch and will give the pizza bases a lovely crisp texture. Serves 4 • Preparation 20 minutes + 1 hour resting • Cooking 1 hour

¼ cup quinoa, rinsed
2 teaspoons instant dried yeast
1 cup wholemeal plain flour
½ cup stone-ground plain flour semolina, for sprinkling
140g (5oz) artichoke hearts in brine, rinsed and halved
100g (3½oz) reduced-fat grated mozzarella cheese
⅓ cup black olives, halved
1 handful basil leaves
200g (7oz) baby English spinach leaves
250g (9oz) baby Roma tomatoes, halved
1 small Lebanese (short) cucumber, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Tomato sauce 
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 brown onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
500g (1lb 2oz) ripe tomatoes, finely chopped

Put the quinoa and ½ cup water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 10–12 minutes or until all the liquid has evaporated. Transfer to a bowl to cool. • Stir the yeast into 185ml (6fl oz/¾ cup) tepid water until the yeast has dissolved. Combine the quinoa and flours in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre, add the yeast mixture and mix to a soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Return the dough to the lightly oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel (dish towel) and rest in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

To make the sauce, heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion, stirring, for 4 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Remove the lid and cook for 5 minutes or until reduced by two-thirds. Set aside to cool, then purée using a stick blender.

Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Sprinkle two large baking trays with semolina. Divide the dough into four portions and roll each on a lightly floured surface into a 20cm (8inch) round, about 5mm (¼inch) thick. Place on the prepared trays. • Spread the tomato sauce over the bases, then top with the artichokes, mozzarella and olives. Bake the pizzas for 18–20 minutes or until crisp and golden. Top with the basil leaves and cut into wedges. • Drizzle the spinach, tomatoes and cucumber with the vinegar and serve with the pizzas

Per serve 
1790kJ/ 426 calories; 21g protein; 9.5g fat (includes 3g saturated fat; saturated : unsaturated fat ratio 0.46); 58g available carbs (includes 10g sugars and 48g starches); 11g fibre; 270mg sodium; 1150mg potassium; sodium : potassium ratio 0.23

Recipe sourced from Reversing Diabetes by Dr Alan Barclay (Murdoch Books). Photography by Chris Chen.

PEANUT BUTTER AND CHICKPEA ENERGY BALLS 
Dietitian Caroline Trickey says one of the most common requests she gets from clients is for healthy snack suggestions. These energy balls from her new cookbook, Veggie-licious, are speedy to make and require no cooking. You can use choc chips or cranberries instead of apricots if you prefer. For a vegan version, use maple syrup instead of honey. • Makes about 30 • Prep time 10 minutes.

400g (14oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
½ cup natural peanut butter
¼ cup honey
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup whole rolled oats
⅓ cup chopped dried apricots (optional)
¼ cup shredded coconut, for rolling

Place the chickpeas, peanut butter, honey, cinnamon and oats in a food processor and blend until well combined. • Carefully mix through the chopped apricots by hand if using. • Place the shredded coconut on a dinner plate. Scoop out teaspoons of the mix and roll between your palms to form a ball then roll in the coconut. • Place in an airtight container and store in the fridge.

Per serve (1 energy ball)
246kJ/58 calories; 2g protein; 3g fat (includes less than 1g saturated fat; 6g available carbs; 1g fibre

Recipe sourced from Veggie-licious by Caroline Trickey (www.healthyhomecafe.com) and reproduced with permission.