Low-fat recipe for a low G.I. diet
This dish always reminds me of summer evenings in the garden, although our great British weather sometimes dictates that these evenings are few and far between. Luckily, these kebabs are just as good cooked on a griddle or under the grill inside. They are delicious served with a quickly made yoghurt sauce, chilli sauce or some harissa. The basmati rice is a good low G.I. option for a training diet and the dried fruit, nuts and spices not only add vital nutrients but also a taste of the exotic. You can use brown or white basmati rice for this dish, and if you do not have time to soak the rice, make sure you rinse it well until the water is clear and cook it for a little longer.
Method
1. Sauté the pancetta gently in a little oil for five minutes until cooked. Add the garlic, white butter beans (dried butter beans are even better, soaked overnight and cooked according to pack instructions), tomatoes (use fresh tomatoes as an alternative), lemon juice and half of the parsley and heat through. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Make the dressing by mixing together the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, the preserved lemon the rest of the parsley, salt, pepper and the preserved lemon brine (1 tsp) to taste. Arrange the rocket and/or spinach on four plates (it looks good in really large flat-bottomed pasta bowls) and spoon a little on the white bean mixture.
3. Lightly brush the tuna with oil and heat the griddle pan or frying pan. When it is really hot, fry the steaks for a couple of minutes on each side. Don't overcook them. They should be pink inside and they will continue to cook slightly after you have removed them from the pan.
4. Place a steak on top of each bed of white beans and generously drizzle over the dressing.
For the lamb kebabs:
1. Place the cubes of lamb into a mixing bowl and add the marinade ingredients (you can use normal paprika if you can't get the sweet smoked variety). Leave overnight or as long as you can for the flavours to infuse.
2. Thread the meat onto your kebab sticks. Keep the marinade for basting. Heat the griddle or grill so that it is nice and hot and cook the kebabs for about 10-15 minutes, turning and basting with the marinade every few minutes, until nice and brown on the outside and slightly pink on the inside.
For the saffron rice:
1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan and add the cinnamon, cardamom pods, bay leaf and crushed black pepper. Gently sauté over a low heat for a few minutes until the spice aromas start to be released.
2. Add the rice (soaked for 2-3 hours, then rinsed and drained) and stir to coat it in the butter.
3. Add the pistachios, cranberries (use raisins or chopped apricots as alternatives) and saffron (soaked in a few tbsp of boiling water and left for 10 minutes to infuse) then pour enough water to cover the rice by about 1cm. Add some salt at this stage. Bring to the boil, cover tightly and simmer very gently for 10 minutes, or until the rice is cooked. If you use brown basmati rice, check the packet instructions, as it will require a longer cooking time.
You need to be logged to comment. Click here to continue.