Chapter 13
Enjoying the Main Event
In This Chapter
Preparing delicious chicken dishes
Choosing and cooking meat and seafood
Going vegetarian
Recipes in This Chapter
Chicken Quinotto with Mushrooms
Spiced Moroccan Chicken with Quinoa
Asian-Inspired Baked Chicken
Steak and Peanut Pepper Noodles
Titus Chan’s Beef Tomato Stir-fry
Beef Marinade
Lamb and Eggplant Tagine
Pork, Bok Choy and Noodle Stir-fry
Easy Quiche
Simple Salmon and Quinoa Loaf
Szechwan Scallops with Orange Peel
Salmon Steaks with Basil
Vegetarian Lasagne
Chickpea Curry in a Hurry
Fresh Harvest Penne
H ome-cooked dinners are one of life’s great pleasures. But these days, many people are so busy that finding the time for cooking is a real challenge; top that with the idea of working within the boundaries of a gluten-free diet and you can easily fall into the trap of throwing together the same three or four meals each week.
On the plus side, however, avoiding gluten isn’t really difficult when it comes to main dishes. Many of the main dishes you cooked in the past contain no gluten anyway and they probably featured large in your repertoire. By making some simple substitutions (you can get ideas for these in Chapter 9), you can make almost anything gluten-free. The traditional roast dinner you may have grown up on poses only minor problems — the gravy and the stuffing, if needed. These can be made using alternative gluten-free flours and grains. In the past, pasta has been a problem, but with so many good gluten-free products on the market, it’s no longer an issue.
We’ve tried to keep it simple, avoiding recipes with too many ingredients or a list of instructions so long that halfway down your eyes glaze over and you default to the usual stir-fry or grill. This is a For Dummies book, after all.
In this chapter, you find a useful collection of recipes to keep you and your family contentedly tucking in at dinner time.
Choosing Chicken
Chicken is a great source of protein, as well as niacin, vitamins B6 and B12, vitamin D, iron and zinc. Gram for gram, skinless chicken is one of the lowest-fat meats around. Although breast meat definitely has the lowest fat content, even skinless dark meat is comparatively low in fat and most of the fat it does have is unsaturated — the good kind.
Dark meat is dark because birds use their leg and wing muscles more, so those muscles require more oxygen. Myoglobin is an iron-containing protein that transfers oxygen from the blood to the muscles, changing the colour of the meat — and providing you with more iron.
Chicken Quinotto with Mushrooms
Never heard of quinotto? That’s not surprising, because Margaret just invented it. But you have heard of risotto, right? This dish is a risotto made from quinoa, making it quinotto! This is a new kind of comfort food for a cold night, but substituting quinoa for arborio rice means the meal is packed with goodness.
Prep time: 30 minutes • Cooking time: 40 minutes • Servings: 4–5
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
500 g chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 teaspoon finely grated ginger
1½ teaspoon ground coriander
1½ teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
1½ teaspoon black mustard seeds
1 cup button or chopped mushrooms
1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock, or water
1 tablespoon fresh coriander leaves, chopped
Extra coriander leaves for serving
Directions
1 Fry half the chicken pieces in oil until brown on all sides. Remove from heat and repeat with the rest of the chicken. Set aside.
2 Add more oil if necessary and fry onion until lightly brown. Add garlic, ginger and other spices and stir for 1 minute. Add mushrooms and stir quickly.
3 Add quinoa and gluten-free stock and bring to the boil.
4 Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring to avoid sticking, until liquid is absorbed. The quinoa should be soft and moist, but not runny. Add chicken pieces and cook for 5 minutes.
5 Remove from heat and stir in coriander leaves. Allow to stand for 2 to 3 minutes, covered.
6 Serve topped with yoghurt and additional coriander leaves.
Per serving: Kilojoules 1,661; Fat 11.4 g (Saturated 2.5 g); Sodium 283 mg; Carbohydrate 35.4 g (Dietary Fibre 3.9 g); Protein 34.6 g.
Spiced Moroccan Chicken with Quinoa
If you love spices, just reading this easy recipe sets your tastebuds dancing with delight. Although it’s tasty, it’s not too hot, so give it a try.
Prep time: 20 minutes • Cooking time: 30 minutes • Servings: 6
Ingredients
1 kg chicken fillets, either thigh or breast, cut into pieces
1½ teaspoons each ground cumin, paprika
1 teaspoon each cinnamon, ground ginger
½ teaspoon each ground coriander, saffron powder, salt flakes
¼ teaspoon each turmeric, cayenne pepper, ground cloves
1 garlic clove, crushed
Juice of 1 large lemon
65 ml (¼ cup) olive oil
100 ml (½ cup) gluten-free chicken stock
1 cup quinoa (lightly rinsed)
2 cups water or stock
Directions
1 Preheat oven to 200°C.
2 Place chicken pieces in a large ovenproof baking dish in a single layer.
3 In a small bowl combine all the spices, salt, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil to make a paste. Rub chicken all over with paste and add chicken stock to baking dish.
4 Bake for about 30 minutes, basting twice, or until cooked through.
5 While the chicken is baking, prepare quinoa. Place quinoa and water or stock in a saucepan and cook for 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, cover and allow to stand for 3 minutes, and then fluff up with a fork.
6 Serve chicken on a bed of quinoa with a bowl of yoghurt flavoured with chopped fresh mint leaves.
Tip: Moroccan chicken makes wonderful finger food for a party. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces before cooking and reduce the cooking time to avoid overcooking. Serve with minty yoghurt for dipping.
Per serving: Kilojoules 1,741; Fat 14.6 g (Saturated 2.8 g); Sodium 532 mg; Carbohydrate 23.2 g (Dietary Fibre 2.4 g); Protein 42.2 g.
Asian-Inspired Baked Chicken
This very simple chicken dish can be put together in a few minutes and has all the great flavours of Asia. You don’t need to brown the chicken before baking as the dark sauce colours the meat appealingly. The chicken pieces should be approximately the same size and dark meat on the bone is recommended. Serve with a lot of plain boiled rice to soak up the juices and a green vegetable or salad.
Prep time: 10 minutes • Cooking time: 45 minutes to 1 hour • Servings: 4
Ingredients
1 kg chicken thigh cutlets, thigh pieces or drumsticks, skinned (dark meat is best)
90 ml (⅓ cup) gluten-free soy sauce
60 ml (¼ cup) tomato sauce
125 ml (½ cup) pineapple juice
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger (or 1 teaspoon powdered ginger)
Directions
1 Preheat oven to 180°C.
2 Select a baking dish large enough to hold the chicken pieces in a single layer.
3 Mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl then pour over the chicken. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on how thick the pieces of chicken are. Turn the pieces over once or twice while cooking.
Per serving: Kilojoules 1,641; Fat 18.1 g (Saturated 5.5 g); Sodium 1,631 mg; Carbohydrate 8.6 g (Dietary Fibre <1 g); Protein 49.2 g.
Eating Meat
Yes, you can have your steak and eat it, too. And your pork and lamb and emu and croc and kangaroo, if that appeals. If you’re a newly diagnosed coeliac, you may be low in iron and red meat helps to get your iron levels back to normal. Red meat is important in the diet because it contributes crucial dietary nutrients such as iron, zinc, vitamin B12 and protein.
However, the word is out, loud and clear, about moderation in red meat consumption. Eating too much red meat slightly increases your chances of developing bowel cancer. The Cancer Council of Western Australia recommends small serves of red meat — 65 to 100 grams cooked, about the size of the palm of your hand — no more than three or four times a week. So when you’re eating red meat, don’t think of it as the main ingredient of the meal. Add a lot of delicious vegetables or salad, rice, pasta or potatoes.
Steak and Peanut Pepper Noodles
In this tasty dish, crunchy, colourful vegetables mixed with some of your favourite gluten-free noodles serve as a bed for thinly sliced steak covered in a spicy peanut sauce. Really delicious.
Prep time: 25 minutes • Marinating time: 2 hours • Cooking time: 15 minutes • Servings: 4
Ingredients
½ cup white vinegar
½ cup olive oil
4 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce
4 tablespoons peanut butter
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander leaves
1 teaspoon crushed garlic (about 2 cloves)
½ teaspoon crushed red chilli
500 g lean top sirloin steak
Gluten-free noodles or vermicelli
1½ cups finely sliced cabbage
1½ cups chopped bok choy
1 cup finely chopped spinach
1 cup grated carrot
½ cucumber, thinly sliced (for garnish)
½ yellow summer squash, halved and thinly sliced (for garnish)
¼ cup chopped peanuts
Directions
1 Combine the vinegar, oil, soy sauce, peanut butter, coriander, garlic and chilli in a blender. Cover and blend the dressing until it’s well mixed.
2 Trim the fat from the meat. Put the steak in a shallow, non-metallic dish and pour about one-third of the dressing from Step 1 over the meat. Cover and marinate the meat in the refrigerator for 2 hours, turning occasionally. Chill the remaining dressing.
3 Preheat the griller. Drain the meat, throwing away the dressing it was marinating in. Grill the steak until it’s cooked the way you like it, turning once halfway through. This should take about 8 to 12 minutes, depending on the thickness of the meat and how you like your steak cooked.
4 Cook the noodles according to the package directions, making sure they’re al dente (slightly firm and not overcooked). Drain them and set them aside (if you’re not ready to mix them with the vegetables yet, stir in a little oil to stop them from going gluggy and sticking together).
5 While the meat is cooking, combine the noodles, cabbage, bok choy, spinach and carrots in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add about half of the remaining dressing to the noodle-veggie mixture and stir until it’s well mixed.
6 When the meat is done, slice it into thin slices across the grain. To assemble this dish, serve the noodle-veggie mixture on each person’s plate. Put a few slices of meat on top of the noodle mixture. Garnish the dish with a few slices of cucumber and squash. Drizzle the remaining dressing mixture over each plate and top with peanuts.
Tip: You can try different vegetables or salad ingredients, as long as they’re grated or very thinly sliced.
Per serving: Kilojoules 2,397; Fat 37 g (Saturated 7 g); Sodium 1,229 mg; Carbohydrate 30 g (Dietary Fibre 4 g); Protein 33 g.
Titus Chan’s Beef Tomato Stir-fry
This recipe came from a charming Chinese cooking expert back in the 1970s — he called it his best stir-fry. You can find gluten-free oyster sauce as well as hoisin sauce in supermarkets and Asian stores and either will do in this recipe. The vegetables can be varied — try green beans, broccoli and carrot.
Prep time: 20 minutes • Marinating time: 30 minutes • Cooking time: 10–15 minutes • Servings: 4
Ingredients
250 g lean beef
Beef Marinade (see the following recipe)
1 tablespoon oil
½ green capsicum, cut into 2.5 cm squares
1 medium onion, cut into medium slivers
125 ml (½ cup) water or gluten-free chicken stock (approx.)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons tomato sauce or paste
2 tomatoes, cut into chunks
Directions
1 Thinly slice beef into stir-fry strips. Partially freezing the meat prior to slicing makes this step easy.
2 Combine the marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Add meat and marinate for at least 30 minutes.
3 Heat a large frying pan with 1 tablespoon oil until hot. Brown the meat, including marinade mixture, for 1 minute.
4 Add capsicum and onion and stir-fry for 3 minutes.
5 Add water or chicken stock, brown sugar and tomato sauce or paste. Stir-fry for 3 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add more liquid, if desired, for consistency.
6 Add tomatoes and stir through until just barely cooked. Serve immediately over steamed rice.
Beef Marinade
¼ teaspoon each bicarbonate soda, sugar, sesame oil and salt
1 teaspoon each maize cornflour, peanut oil, gluten-free soy sauce and gluten-free oyster sauce
2 teaspoons sherry
Per serving: Kilojoules 608; Fat 4.4 g (Saturated 1.5 g); Sodium 439 mg; Carbohydrate 9.3 g (Dietary Fibre 2.1 g); Protein 15.2 g.
Lamb and Eggplant Tagine
Rich and delicious, this Middle Eastern dish incorporates a traditional mix of spices and dried fruit. You can cook it in a beautiful tagine if you have one, or use a large, heavy pan and ladle the mixture into a casserole for serving. Don’t be put off by the number of ingredients — you have meat and vegetables all in one dish.
Prep Time: 25 minutes • Cooking Time: 1¼ hours • Servings: 6
Ingredients
1 eggplant, cut into 1 cm cubes
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 kg lean, boneless lamb (leg, rump or shoulder)
2 onions, chopped into large chunks
2 garlic cloves, chopped
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons harissa
2 cups water
400 g can chopped tomatoes (unthickened)
1 cinnamon stick
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
400 g sweet potato or pumpkin, peeled and cut into 2–3 cm cubes
1 carrot, cut into sticks
2 zucchinis, sliced thickly
⅓ cup raisins or chopped dates
Directions
1 Toss eggplant in 1 tablespoon oil and grill until golden. Set aside.
2 Cut lamb into 2 cm cubes. Heat the remaining oil in a heavy pan and cook lamb, onion and garlic until lamb has lost its pink colour.
3 Lower heat and add turmeric, cumin and harissa, stir for 1 minute, then add 2 cups water.
4 Add eggplant, tomatoes, cinnamon stick, pepper, salt and coriander. Bring gently to the boil, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
5 Add remaining vegetables, cover and cook a further 30 minutes or until lamb and vegetables are tender. Stir in raisins or dates and cook a further 5 minutes.
6 Serve with rice or freshly baked Quick Bread (see Chapter 14).
Per serving: Kilojoules 1,824; Fat 19.8 g (Saturated 6.2 g); Sodium 184 mg; Carbohydrate 22.3 g (Dietary Fibre 4.8 g); Protein 40.1 g.
Cooking with pork
Porky the Pig’s not so porky anymore. That’s because farmers these days have changed their breeding and production methods to make the pork much leaner and healthier. In fact, if you buy a lean piece of pork and cut all the fat off the edges, it’s about the same as chicken in terms of kilojoules, cholesterol and fat. Lean pork doesn’t have fat to keep it moist, so it’s especially important not to overcook it, or it’ll get tough and dry. Pork should be cooked to about 65 to 70°C to ensure that it is cooked through.
You should let meat stand for about 10 to 15 minutes before you carve it. This is called a resting period and it allows the juices to be redistributed so your meat turns out moister. But the meat’s temperature continues to rise about 5 to 10 degrees during this time, so you need to stop cooking a little early to allow for this rise in temperature.
Here are a few ways you can tell whether pork is done:
- Use a thermometer. Stick the thermometer into the thickest part of the cut. At 70°C, it’s medium-done and safe to eat.
- Prick it. If you prick it with a fork, the juice that comes out should be clear, not pink.
- Cut it open. When you cut into the meat, it should be white.
If you’re watching your fat intake, pork tenderloin is a good choice. Nearly as low in saturated fat as chicken breast meat, it’s one of the leanest meats available.
Pork, Bok Choy and Noodle Stir-fry
Sesame oil has a really distinctive flavour that’s perfect in this dish. You could easily substitute chicken or beef for the pork specified.
Prep time: 15 minutes • Cooking time: 15 minutes • Serves: 4
Ingredients
200 g vermicelli rice noodles
1 red chilli
500 g pork loin or neck fillet
1 bunch baby bok choy
1 tablespoon sesame oil
250 g mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced
3 spring onions, sliced diagonally into 1 cm pieces
1 small red capsicum, cut into thin strips
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Directions
1 Cook noodles as directed on the package until just tender. Drain.
2 Remove seeds from chilli and finely chop. Be careful not to touch your face or eyes. Some people wear disposable gloves for this job. Trim pork and slice thinly. Cut base from bok choy and separate leaves. Wash thoroughly, and then cut into bite-sized pieces.
3 Heat sesame oil in a wok or large heavy frying pan over medium–high heat. Cook chilli and pork until meat is browned. Push pork to the side and add mushrooms, spring onions and capsicum. Cook for 3 minutes.
4 Add bok choy and sesame seeds and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until bok choy is wilted but still crisp.
5 Add noodles to pan and cook until heated through.
Per serving: Kilojoules 1,677 Fat 9.1 g (Saturated 1.8 g); Sodium 180 mg; Carbohydrate 44.4 g (Dietary Fibre 3.5 g); Protein 32.7 g.
Easy Quiche
For a quick and easy recipe that’s sure to please, you can’t go past this one. Baked in a square or rectangular pan and cut into little squares, this is great for party snacks too. The bacon or ham can be left out to make it vegetarian.
Prep time: 20 minutes • Cooking time: 40–45 minutes • Servings: 6
Ingredients
1 cup gluten-free self-raising flour
1 cup tasty cheese, grated
1 carrot, grated (medium size)
1 zucchini, grated (medium size)
1 onion, finely chopped (medium size)
1 small can corn kernels
½ cup oil
5 eggs, lightly whisked
Salt and pepper
4 rashers gluten-free bacon or ½ cup ham, chopped (optional)
Directions
1 Preheat oven to 180°C.
2 Combine all ingredients and pour into a pie dish or shallow baking tray.
3 Bake for approximately 40 to 45 minutes until the centre is cooked.
Per serving: Kilojoules 1,818; Fat 30.8 g (Saturated 8.1 g); Sodium 739 mg; Carbohydrate 25.6 g (Dietary Fibre 2.9 g); Protein 13.3 g.
Diving into seafood
Seafood has been an important source of protein and other nutrients in diets around the world since, well, since people started catching fish. Fish and shellfish usually contain significant amounts of zinc, which studies show is important for thinking and memory.
Although many recipes call for batters or crumbs, you can easily modify the recipes so they’re gluten-free but still delicious.
Simple Salmon and Quinoa Loaf
You’ll love this quick to prepare dish, especially with the addition of nourishing quinoa.
Prep time: 10 minutes • Cooking time: 30 minutes • Servings: 4
Ingredients
415 g can salmon
⅔ cup milk (approx.)
½ cup quinoa (lightly rinsed)
2 beaten eggs
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind
2 shallots (chopped)
1 tablespoons chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
1 Drain salmon and reserve the liquid.
2 Add sufficient milk to the salmon liquid to make one cup
3 Pour liquid into a saucepan, add quinoa and bring to the boil.
4 Simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until liquid has been absorbed.
5 Mix other ingredients thoroughly, and stir in cooked quinoa.
6 Spoon into a microwave-proof dish and smooth top.
7 Microwave on high for 7 to 10 minutes. Allow to stand for 5 minutes.
8 Serve hot with vegetables, or cold with salads.
Per serving: Kilojoules 1,305; Fat 10.0 g (Saturated 3.2 g); Sodium 423 mg; Carbohydrate 17.4 g (Dietary Fibre 1.6 g); Protein 31.4 g.
Szechwan Scallops with Orange Peel
This simple Szechwan dish can impress anyone. If you’re not a seafood lover, you can use chicken instead of scallops.
Prep time: 15 minutes • Marinating time: 1 hour • Cooking time: 15 minutes • Servings: 6
Ingredients
1 large orange
500 g large scallops
2 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce
2 tablespoons dry sherry
5 spring onions, cut into 3 cm pieces
½ cup sliced red capsicum
1 teaspoon grated ginger
2½ teaspoons maize cornflour
¾ teaspoon sugar
½ cup orange juice
¼ cup olive oil
½ teaspoon (or to taste) crushed chilli
Directions
1 Preheat the oven to 100°C.
2 Use a vegetable peeler or sharp knife to cut the peel from the orange in 2.5 cm wide pieces, being careful not to cut into the white part of the peel. Cut the pieces into thin strips about 5 cm long and put them on a small biscuit tray. Bake them for about 15 minutes to dry them out.
3 In a non-metallic medium bowl, mix the scallops, soy sauce, sherry, spring onions, capsicum and ginger. Cover and refrigerate the mixture for an hour or so.
4 In a small bowl, mix the cornflour, sugar and orange juice. Cover and refrigerate this mixture for about an hour.
5 When you’re almost ready to serve the meal, heat half the oil in a large frying pan or wok over medium heat. Stir-fry the orange peels until they’re crisp, about 2 minutes. Drain the peels on paper towels.
6 Turn the heat to high. Use the remaining oil to stir-fry the scallop mixture until the scallops are just cooked through, about 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Stir the orange-juice mixture and then add it to the scallops. Stir-fry the mixture until the sauce is slightly thick and it coats the scallops.
7 Spoon the scallop mixture onto a serving platter and sprinkle it with the orange peels. Add as much chilli as you like to spice it up.
Per serving: Kilojoules 799; Fat 10 g (Saturated 1 g); Sodium 513 mg; Carbohydrate 7 g (Dietary Fibre1 g); Protein 16 g.
Salmon Steaks with Basil
Australia produces great salmon and the supply is available virtually all year. Boiled potatoes and a green salad or steamed asparagus perfectly complement this simple dish. If salmon is too expensive, substitute another fish.
Prep time: 10 minutes • Marinating time: 1–2 hours • Cooking time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
60 ml (¼ cup) olive oil
60 ml (¼ cup) fresh lemon juice
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
1½ cups fresh basil leaves
4 salmon steaks
Directions
1 Put the ingredients (except for the salmon steaks) into a blender or food processor and puree just until the basil leaves are minced.
2 Put half the marinade and the salmon steaks into a heavy plastic bag or glass bowl. Seal or cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours. Save remaining marinade for basting.
3 Preheat the grill. Put steaks on a lightly oiled rack. Grill 10 to 15 cm from the heat, turning once and brushing with reserved marinade several times. Steaks are done when the thickest part is barely opaque when tested with a fork.
Per serving: Kilojoules 1,579; Fat 26.2 g (Saturated 4.7 g); Sodium 79 mg; Carbohydrate <1 g (Dietary Fibre <1 g); Protein 34.5 g.
Enjoying Vegetarian Dishes
Typically, the vegetarian diet relies heavily on pasta, breads, pilafs, various forms of wheat, and meat replacements — all of which are usually loaded with gluten. But plenty of vegetarian dishes are naturally gluten-free and you can easily convert a lot more. Plenty of evidence now shows that reducing meat intake is good for your body — and good for the planet too. Many absolutely mouth-watering dishes also use lentils, chickpeas and other pulses, and when you get into the habit of getting your protein from yummy vegetarian dishes, you may not miss meat at all.
Vegetarian Lasagne
This dish is easy to make and a hit with guests, who may never have a clue that what they’re eating is gluten-free. Be sure to double the recipe and freeze a pan of lasagne for later. When you’re ready, take it straight from the freezer to a 180°C oven and heat it for an hour and a half, uncovering it 15 minutes before it’s done. This lasagne is even better the next day as leftovers!
Prep time: 25 minutes • Cooking time: 1 hour, 30 minutes • Servings: 10
Ingredients
½ cup grated tasty cheese
½ cup grated mozzarella cheese
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
2 large jars pasta sauce
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon white pepper
Sea salt to taste
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ cup diced zucchini
¼ cup sliced black olives
¼ cup sliced mushrooms
¼ cup chopped onions
½ cup chopped spinach
Non-stick spray
250 g packet of gluten-free lasagne sheets, uncooked
Directions
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C degrees.
2 In a large mixing bowl, combine the cheeses. In a medium bowl, mix together the pasta sauce, basil, onion powder, pepper and salt. Set aside both mixtures.
3 Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium–high heat. Gently fry the zucchini, olives, mushroom and onion for 4 minutes or until the onion begins to soften. Toss through the spinach and cook until just wilted. Don’t overcook the vegetables (remember, they still cook when the lasagne bakes). Set this mixture aside.
4 Spray a shallow 23 × 32 cm baking dish with non-stick spray. In the baking dish, layer the lasagne as follows:
Place one-third of the sauce mix on the bottom of the dish, followed by a layer of uncooked pasta (just enough to cover the sauce), half the cheese mixture and half the vegetable mixture.
Repeat this layering process with another third of the sauce, another layer of pasta, most of the remaining cheese and the rest of the vegetables. Finish with the last third of sauce on the top.
5 Top the lasagne with the remaining cheese.
6 Cover the lasagne with aluminium foil and bake it for 1 hour. Remove the foil and bake for a further 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Cool the lasagne for at least 15 minutes before cutting into it.
Vary It! Be creative and use whatever veggies you prefer.
Tip: For extra flavour, try adding a teaspoon of crushed garlic.
Per serving: Kilojoules 812; Fat 7.4 g (Saturated 3.4 g); Sodium 562 mg; Carbohydrate 23.7 g (Dietary Fibre 2.2 g); Protein 8 g.
Chickpea Curry in a Hurry
Chickpeas are low fat, low GI, a great source of protein and have a nice nutty flavour. This easy recipe will become a favourite. The sweet potato can be replaced with pumpkin or potato for variety.
Prep time: 15 minutes • Cooking time: 20–25 minutes • Servings: 4
Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon turmeric
250 g sweet potato, peeled and chopped into 2 cm cubes
250 g frozen spinach, thawed but not drained
400 g can tomatoes (unthickened)
240 g can chickpeas
½ cup water
Coriander leaves, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
1 Heat oil in a large pan and fry onion until softened. Add garlic and fry gently.
2 Add curry powder, cumin and turmeric and cook for 1 minute.
3 Mix in the chopped sweet potato and fry for 3 to 4 minutes.
4 Add spinach with its juice, tomatoes and chickpeas. Break up tomatoes and mix well.
5 Add water, cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until sweet potato is cooked through.
6 Sprinkle coriander on top and serve with rice.
Per serving: Kilojoules 1,005; Fat 11.2 g (Saturated 1.4 g); Sodium 284 mg; Carbohydrate 22.4 g (Dietary Fibre 8.9 g); Protein 8.5 g.
Fresh Harvest Penne
This easy-to-prepare vegetarian meal is a great way to use fresh veggies you’ve grown or bought from a farmers’ market. If you can’t find gluten-free penne, use another type of gluten-free pasta. Several varieties are now available.
Prep time: 30 minutes • Cooking time: 20 minutes • Servings: 6
Ingredients
500 g pack gluten-free penne (or any type) pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ medium red onion, diced
1 cup thickly sliced zucchini
1 cup thickly sliced yellow squash
1 tablespoon crushed garlic (about 6 cloves)
1 cup 1½ cm eggplant cubes
2 medium tomatoes, diced
⅓ cup chopped fresh basil
⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese
Directions
1 Cook the pasta as directed, being careful not to overcook it.
2 In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, zucchini and squash to the frying pan and sauté, stirring often, for about 5 minutes.
3 Add the garlic and eggplant to the pan and continue stirring frequently.
4 When the eggplant begins to get soft, after about 5 minutes, reduce the heat to low and add the tomato. Continue stirring the mixture for 3 to 4 minutes.
5 Drain the pasta. In a large serving bowl, combine the pasta, vegetables, basil and parmesan cheese.
Per serving: Kilojoules 1,054; Fat 6 g (Saturated 1 g); Sodium 64 mg; Carbohydrate 46 g (Dietary Fibre 8 g); Protein 6 g.