THE GOOD CARBS KITCHEN

GRILLED VEGETABLE and RICOTTA STACK
0:30 Prep • 4 Serves • Main • Every day 

INGREDIENTS
200g reduced-fat fresh ricotta
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
1 teaspoon lemon zest
150g store-bought roasted red capsicum, diced
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 small eggplant, thinly sliced
1 x 400g can no-added-salt brown lentils, rinsed, drained
2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
450g sweet potato, peeled, thinly sliced
4 tablespoons balsamic glaze, to serve 

METHOD
Combine ricotta, chives and lemon zest in a bowl. Season with cracked black pepper. Set aside. Combine the capsicum, the parsley, balsamic vinegar and 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a bowl; set the mixture aside. 

Preheat a large chargrill pan or barbecue hotplate over high heat. Spray all of the vegetables lightly with olive oil. Grill vegies for 3–4 minutes each side, or until lightly charred and tender, then set aside to cool. 

To serve, divide the eggplant among four serving plates. Spread each with a spoon of ricotta mixture and spoon over some of the lentils. Top with zucchini, another layer of the ricotta, some more lentils and finally the sweet potato. Finish with a large spoonful of the capsicum mixture and drizzle with balsamic glaze. Serve 

NUTRITION
Per serve 1262kJ/302 calories; 12.1g protein; 6.6g fat (includes 0.9g saturated fat; saturated : unsaturated fat ratio 0.2); 42.7g available carbohydrate (includes 18.6g sugars and 24.1g starch); 10.2g fibre; 35mg sodium

RECIPE AND IMAGE
Recipe by: Chrissy Freer, Courtesy of Australian Healthy Food Guide magazine.

For more healthy recipe inspiration and expert advice, visit healthyfoodguide.com.au

HOT AND SOUR SOUP
0:05 Prep • 0:15 Cook • 4 Servings • Soup 

INGREDIENTS
¼ Cup dried wood ear mushrooms (black fungus)
1/3 Cup dried shiitake mushrooms
4 Cups water
1 Cup enoki mushrooms
1 medium carrot
½ block (250g) firm tofu, cubed
½ Tablespoon soy sauce (salt-reduced or dark soy sauce is preferred)
2 Tablespoons Chinese black vinegar 

METHOD
Preparation
Gently rinse wood ear mushrooms and dried shiitake mushrooms with water. Soak each of them with 2 cups of warm water in two big bowls. Rehydrate for 30 minutes or until tender. 

Next, peel the carrot and chop into cubes. Slice shiitake mushrooms into strips. Remove tough ends of wood ear mushrooms, then chop into bite-sized pieces. 

Reserve the marinating water from the shiitake mushrooms, 2 cups in total. 

Cooking
Add water plus the 2 cups of marinating water (from above) into a pot. Heat over medium-high heat. Add all mushrooms, carrot and tofu to the pot. Cook until the water is simmering. 

Add soy sauce and turn down to medium-low heat. Remove the pot from the stove. Add the vinegar and stir to mix well. Serve hot. 

Decorate with sliced Chinese shallots. 

TIPS 

• Use gluten free soy sauce for a gluten free dish. 
• For more protein, add whisked egg or shrimps (prawns) into the soup. 

DID YOU KNOW? 

Dark soy sauce is less salty than regular soy sauce. Dark soy sauce is darker, thicker and sweeter due to the added molasses. It is often used for seasoning and dipping. You can use dark soy sauce to replace regular soy sauce in stir-fries, stews and casseroles. 

This soup is one of the Chinese restaurant favourites at all times. 

Did you know about the mushrooms used in this recipe? 

– Wood ear mushrooms are named as such because they look like ears. When they are fresh or rehydrated, they have a great spongy texture. They are often sold dry in all local Asian stores. 

– Dried shiitake mushrooms are much more flavoursome than the fresh variety. Fresh shiitake mushrooms can be replaced in this recipe, but you may need a full cup of them to get a similar flavour. They are also available in all local Asian stores. 

– Enoki mushrooms are also called winter mushrooms or golden needle mushrooms with thin white stalks topped with little white buttons at the end. They are often available fresh in local Asian stores. 

NUTRITION 

Per serve 683 kJ/163 calories; 13g protein; 5g fat (includes 0.7g saturated fat; saturated : unsaturated fat ratio 0.16); 13g available carbohydrate; 4g fibre; 123mg sodium; 348mg potassium; sodium : potassium ratio 0.35

RECIPE

Shannon Shanshan Lin is an is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and Credentialled Diabetes Educator with a particular research interest in culturally and linguistically and indigenous populations. She has been actively involved in the various committees both national and internationally, including the Australian Diabetes Educators Association, Global Chinese Diabetes Association and Beijing Key Laboratory of Nutrition Intervention for Chronic Disease. Contact: You can follow her on Wechat (ID= shannon033).