In the GI News Kitchen

Family Baking.
Anneka Manning, founder of Sydney’s BakeClub, shares her delicious ‘better-for-you’ recipes for snacks, desserts and treats the whole family will love. Through both her writing and cooking school, Anneka teaches home cooks to bake in practical and approachable yet inspiring ways that assure success in the kitchen.

 
 
Broccoli, feta and mint frittata. 
Simple, tasty and packed with goodness this frittata makes a perfect lunch or light dinner accompanied by a leafy salad. It is best served either warm or at room temperature

• Serves 6 
• Preparation time: 25 minutes (+5 minutes standing time) 
• Baking time: 18-20 minutes 

1½ tbsp olive oil
1 leek, pale section only, washed and thinly sliced
300g (10oz) small broccoli florets (see Baker’s Tips)
1 garlic clove, finely grated ¼ tsp chilli flakes
10 eggs
½ cup finely shredded Parmesan
2 tbsp finely chopped mint
½ teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
50g (2oz) Persian or soft feta, crumbled



Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F (180°C/350°F fan-forced).
Put 1 tablespoon of the oil, broccoli and leek in a 20–22 cm (base measurement) oven-proof frying pan. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until softened slightly and starting to brown. Add the garlic and chilli and cook, uncovered, for 1 minute or until aromatic. Transfer the broccoli mixture to a bowl and wipe out the pan with paper towel.
Use a fork to whisk together the eggs, parmesan, mint and lemon rind until evenly combined. Season well with pepper.
Add the remaining ½ tablespoon oil to the frying pan and heat over medium heat. Spread the broccoli mixture evenly over the base, pour the egg mixture evenly over the top, shaking the pan slightly to allow the egg to settle around the broccoli, and then sprinkle with the feta. Transfer the frying pan to the centre of the preheated oven and bake for 18–20 minutes or until the egg is just set in the center.
Remove from the oven and set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly before cutting into wedges and serving warm or at room temperature.

Baker’s Tips 

• You will need 2 medium heads broccoli (about 250g/8oz each) to get 300g/10oz broccoli florets. 
• This frittata will keep covered in the fridge for up to 2 days. 

Per serve (one piece)
985 kJ/ 235 calories; 17.5 g protein; 17.5 g fat (includes 6 g saturated fat; saturated:unsaturated fat ratio 0.52); 1.3 g available carbs (includes 1 g sugars and 0.3 g starch); 3 g fibre; sodium:potassium ratio 0.96

What’s for dinner? A taste of Jerusalem. 
In Jerusalem Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi describe some typical elements that are found in this city of countless cultures and sub-cultures with its correspondingly immense tapestry of cuisines. “Everybody, absolutely everybody, uses chopped cucumber and tomatoes to create an Arab salad or an Israeli salad depending on point of view. Stuffed vegetables with rice or rice and meat appear on almost every dinner table, as does an array of pickled vegetables. Extensive use of olive oil, lemon juice and olives is also commonplace. Baked pastries stuffed with cheese in all sorts of guises are found in most cultures ... Jerusalemites tend to eat seasonally and cook with what grows in the area. The list is endless ... dozens of vegetables ... fruit ... herbs, nuts, dairy products, grains and pulses, lamb and chicken ... Jerusalem artichokes are well loved in the city but have actually got nothing to do with it; not officially anyway. The name is a distortion of the Italian name of this sunflower tuber, which has an artichoke like flavour. From girasole articiocco to Jerusalem artichoke.” 

Roasted chicken with Jerusalem artichoke and lemon. 
The combination of saffron and whole lemon slices does not only make for a beautiful-looking dish, it goes exceptionally well with the nutty earthiness of the artichokes. This is easy to prepare. You just need to plan ahead and leave it to marinate properly. Serves 6

450g (about 1lb) Jerusalem artichokes, peeled and cut into six lengthways (1.5cm/½ in thick wedges)
3 tbsp lemon juice
8 chicken thighs, on the bone with the skin on, or a medium whole chicken, divided into four
12 banana shallots, peeled and halved lengthways
12 large garlic cloves, sliced
1 medium lemon, cut in half lengthways and then into very thin slices
1 tsp saffron threads
3 tbsp olive oil
2/3 cup (160ml) cold water
1½ tbsp pink peppercorns, slightly crushed
10g (1/3oz) fresh thyme leaves
40g (1½oz) tarragon leaves, chopped
2 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper

 

Put the Jerusalem artichokes in a medium saucepan, cover with plenty of water and add half the lemon juice. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 10–20 minutes, until tender but not soft. Drain and leave to cool.
Place the Jerusalem artichokes and all the remaining ingredients, excluding the remaining lemon juice and half of the tarragon, in a large mixing bowl and use your hands to mix everything together well. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge overnight, or for at least 2 hours. Preheat the oven to 240°C/220°C (400°F) Fan/Gas Mark 9.
Arrange the chicken pieces, skin-side up, in the centre of a roasting tin and spread the remaining ingredients around the chicken. Roast for 30 minutes. Cover the tin with foil and cook for a further 15 minutes. At this point, the chicken should be completely cooked.
Remove from the oven and add the reserved tarragon and lemon juice. Stir well, taste and add more salt if needed. Serve at once.

Per serve (one chicken thigh)
3375 kJ/ 805 calories; 61 g protein; 59.5 g fat (includes 18 g saturated fat; saturated:unsaturated fat ratio 0.43); 10 g available carbs (includes 3.5 g sugars and 6.5 g starch); 5 g fibre; sodium:potassium ratio 0.7

Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi’s Jerusalem (Random House) is available from good bookshops and online. “I have to say this cookbook is like having a bible of nutrient-dense, low GI recipes. It makes eating the healthy, low GI way deliciously easy.” – Prof Jennie Brand-Miller. Recipe reproduced with permission. 

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

 
Uovo con broccoli (Egg with broccoli). 
Italians are, for the most part, indiscriminate vegetable lovers. And most Italians know how to s-t-r-e-t-c-h their food dollars, oops, I mean EURO. This recipe is a perfect example of a nutritious, low-cost Italian dish. Adjusting the ingredient quantities, it could be your breakfast, lunch or dinner entrée. Use whatever vegetables you have on hand. Servings: 1 breakfast entrée.

Cooking spray
1 tsp olive oil
 1 small clove garlic, minced (optional)
½ anchovy (optional)
3oz (90g) fresh broccoli, washed, dried and cut into small pieces
1oz (30g) green onions, washed, dried and thinly sliced
1 free range organic egg
1 tsp parmigiano reggiano grated cheese



Coat a small non-stick frying pan with the cooking spray.
Add the oil, the garlic and anchovy, if using. Saute for 1 minute. Add the broccoli; cook on medium-high for 2 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid burning. Add the green onions; cook 2 more minutes and continue to stir frequently. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan; cook for an additional 2 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Uncover the pan. Crack the egg over the broccoli mixture. Cover and continue to cook on low heat for 5-6 minutes.
Remove the cover and slip the pan contents onto a warmed plate. Sprinkle on the cheese and serve immediately.

Per serve 
715kJ/171 calories; 11g protein; 11g fat (includes 2g saturated fat; saturated:unsaturated fat ratio 0.22); 7g available carbs; 3g fibre