By Kath Gannaway
PEOPLE with both coeliac disease and diabetes are increasing among Australia’s population. Sufferers rely on diet for their effective management and combining the two diets can seem overwhelming at first.
Dr Sue Shepherd, an internationally recognised advanced accredited practising dietitian has cut through the maze of balancing dietary requirements with a new book which provides tasty alternatives for some great food.
Wheat and Gluten Free Diabetes contains 90 recipes including soups, salads, entrée’s, main meals, desserts and baked goods, with enticing colour photographs and nutritional information.
It is available at newsagents and bookstores.
The recipes below are sure to whet the appetite for more healthy eating alternatives.
Sweet Potato Rice Cakes
Ingredients
½ cup (110g) doongara or basmati rice
1 medium (350g) sweet potato, peeled and chopped
100g frozen chopped spinach
¼ cup (30g) gluten-free breadcrumbs
¼ cup (60g) tahini
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 egg, lightly whisked
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil cooking spray
Salad greens and reduced-fat feta cheese to serve.
What to do:
Fill a medium-sized saucepan with water and heat over medium to high heat until boiling.
Add the rice and cook, stirring regularly until tender.
Drain and rinse well under warm water.
Add the sweet potato to a large saucepan of boiling water, and cook over medium to high heat for 10 minutes or until tender.
Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Mash with a potato masher until the consistency is smooth.
Allow to cool to room temperature.
Add the chopped spinach, rice, breadcrumbs, tahini, cumin, turmeric, garlic, egg and parsley to the sweet potato mash, then stir well to combine. Season with pepper.
Divide the mixture into 12 equal portions, shaping into patties (about 6cm in diameter).
Heat cooking spray in a large non-stick frypan over medium heat.
Place six patties into the pan, and cook for three to four minutes each side or until golden brown and heated through.
Remove from heat, transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm while cooking the remaining patties.
Transfer all the cooked patties to a plate lined with a paper towel.
Serve with salad greens and reduced-fat feta cheese, if desired.
Nutritional analysis per serve rice cakes only: energy 1278kJ (305 cal), protein 10.4g, fat 11.6g, saturated fat 1.7g, carbohydrate 37.2g, sugars 5.9g, fibre 6.1g, sodium 103.4mg, GI low.
Serves four.
Poached Fruit in Green Tea with Sweetened Ricotta
Ingredients:
3 green tea bags
2 cups (500ml hot (not boiling) water
1 tablespoon sugar (or ‘spoon for spoon’ sugar replacer)
2 medium granny smith apples (360g), peeled and diced
2 medium (400g) pears, peeled and diced
200g strawberries, hulled and cut in half
200g fresh cherries (or canned cherries, drained)
¼ cup (60g) dried cranberries
2/3 cup (150g) fresh low-fat ricotta
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
2 ½ tablespoons pure icing sugar sifted (or ‘spoon for spoon’ sugar replacer).
What to do:
In a 500ml jug, infuse the tea bags in hot water.
Add the sugar (or replacer) and allow to infuse for three to five minutes.
Remove the tea bags and pour the infused water into a large saucepan.
Add the fruit to the saucepan and heat over medium to high heat with the lid on until the tea is boiling.
Turn the heat down to medium to low and simmer for five minutes, or until the fruit is tender.
In a small bowl combine the ricotta, vanilla beam paste and sifted icing sugar (or sugar replacer) mixing well with a metal spoon.
Divide among six bowls and serve with a dollop of sweetened ricotta.
Nutritional analysis (per serve, using sugar) energy 715kJ (170 Cal), protein 4.2g, fat 2.5g, saturated fat 1.4g, carbohydrate 32.1g, sugars 26.7g, fibre 4g, sodium 53.4mg, GI low.
Nutritional analysis (per serve, using sugar replacer) energy 615kJ (146 Cal), protein 4.2g, fat 2.5g, saturated fat 1.4g, carbohydrate 25.8g, sugars 21.4g, fibre 4g, sodium 53.7mg, GI low.
