8 minute read
BBQ magic
You’ll appreciate a summer barbecue even more when you know it’s packed with healthful goodness. Rose Miller and Johanna Knox offer tips and recipes.
As the days get longer, more and more of us are firing up the barbecue to enjoy summer sunshine and smoky flavours with friends and family. Barbecued meals sometimes (justifiably!) get a bad rap as unhealthy. But there are plenty of delicious ways you can change this.
TIPS FOR YOUR BARBECUE
• Choose lean meat, such as chicken tenderloin, or trim fat off and remove skin.
• Add plenty of veges to the grill. Sliced onion, sliced capsicum, sliced eggplant, whole tomatoes, field mushrooms, whole zucchinis, and corn on the cob are all delicious. (See our grilled corn recipe opposite.) Spray them with olive oil spray before you throw them on.
• Fruit can be grilled, too. Try banana, pineapple, peach, or melon. Use fruits that are firm and not too ripe.
• Serve low-sugar drinks.
• Serve high-fibre bread.
• Look for low-salt, low-fat, and low-sugar sauces to have on the side – or make your own. (See our two sauce recipes on page 23.)
• When you’re out at someone else’s barbecue, stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water and watch your portion size. Set yourself a challenge to build yourself a plate that meets, as closely as possible, the ‘Diabetes Plate’.
POTATO SALAD
SERVES 4 AS A SIDE
Swapping out mayo for a yogurt dressing makes this a tangy, creamy potato salad everyone will love. Use whatever salad herbs you have at hand for extra zing.
INGREDIENTS:
500g new potatoes, chopped into chunks
½ cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp dijon or wholegrain mustard
2 tsp red wine vinegar
¼ cup spring onion, sliced thinly
1 tsp capers, chopped (optional)
¼ cup chopped fresh salad herbs such as mint, dill, parsley, chervil
A pinch of salt, and a grind of pepper to season
METHOD:
Wash your potatoes, leaving the skin on (extra fibre!).
Bring a pot of water to the boil, then add your chopped potatoes. Bring back to the boil and cook for 10 minutes, or until soft (don't let them cook too long or they will get mushy). Drain.
While your potatoes are cooking, whisk together the yogurt, olive oil, mustard, vinegar, and salt and pepper. Mix with your cooked potatoes while they are still warm – this will help the potatoes absorb the flavours of the dressing.
Once cooled, stir through the spring onion, capers (if using), and the fresh herbs.
Variations: Add some chopped celery and/ or cucumber for some crunch!
DIETITIAN NOTE: New potatoes are lower in carbohydrate than older potatoes. If you make a potato salad with old potatoes, there will be roughly twice the carbs.
PER SERVE | CALORIES: 575kJ (140kcal) | PROTEIN 5.6g | FAT 3.7g (SAT FAT 0.6g) | CARBS 18.4g (SUGAR 2.9g) | SODIUM 54mg
Don't throw your corn husks away – they make a great natural holder for hot corn!
GRILLED CORN TWO WAYS
SERVES 4 AS A SIDE
Which way should you barbecue your corn? It depends what effect you’re after.
INGREDIENTS:
4 fresh cobs of sweetcorn
Olive oil spray if needed
METHOD 1: CORN GRILLED IN HUSKS
This method produces very juicy, tender corn, without charring. Peel away the outer layers of husk, leaving a couple of inner layers on. Soak the corn in water for at least 15 minutes. Throw the damp corn on a medium barbecue and cook for about 15 minutes on each side. To serve, remove the husks, or let people remove their own, or fold back the husks as they eat – a useful handle!
METHOD 2: CORN GRILLED WITHOUT HUSKS
This will produce dryer cobs of corn with rich, smoky flavours. Spray the corn with olive oil, throw it on a medium barbecue, and cook for about 15 minutes on each side.
TO SERVE
Serve corn with a squeeze of lemon or lime juice – and an optional sprinkling of chilli powder or smoked paprika. It’s also delicious with a thin coating of the yoghurt and wasabi sauce on page 23.
DIETITIAN NOTE: A corn cob has around 15g carbohydrate per 100g, so weigh your corn if you are calculating carbs. However, the carbohydrate in corn varies hugely depending on the variety, the freshness, and what part of the season it is, so this is an estimate.
How much carbohydrate we actually absorb from corn varies widely, so if you are new to diabetes and have a blood glucose meter, check how much it raises your blood glucose.
Grilled corn and black bean salad
GRILLED CORN AND BLACK BEAN SALAD
SERVES 6 AS A SIDE
A tasty Mexi-inspired corn salad.
SALAD INGREDIENTS:
The kernels sliced from 2 cobs of grilled corn
1 red onion finely sliced
A large handful of basil leaves
250g cherry tomatoes, halved
1 x 400g can black beans, drained and well rinsed
DRESSING INGREDIENTS:
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon olive oil
Juice of 1 large lemon or 2 small ones
1 tsp dried or finely chopped fresh oregano
METHOD:
Mix all salad ingredients together.
Whisk together all dressing ingredients.
When ready to serve, toss salad and dressing together.
PER SERVE | CALORIES: 635kJ (152kcal) | PROTEIN 6.6g | FAT 3.1g (SAT FAT 0.5g) | CARBS 19.9g (SUGAR 5.3g) | SODIUM 216mg
GRILLED CORN SLAW
SERVES 4 AS A SIDE
Even more more-ish than regular coleslaw!
SALAD INGREDIENTS:
The kernels sliced from 4 cobs of grilled corn
¾ cup grated carrot
1 cup finely chopped cabbage
1 cup finely chopped capsicum
¼ cup finely chopped spring onion
DRESSING INGREDIENTS:
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon olive oil
Juice of 1 large lemon or 2 small ones
A few pinches of chili powder (optional)
METHOD:
Mix all salad ingredients together.
Whisk together all dressing ingredients.
When ready to serve, toss salad and dressing together.
PER SERVE | CALORIES: 579kJ (140kcal) | PROTEIN 3.9g | FAT 4.5g (SAT FAT 0.6g) | CARBS 17.3g (SUGAR 6.5g) | SODIUM 30mg
Ika Mata is a fresh and zesty summer dish – and easy to make!
IKA MATA
SERVES 4 AS A MAIN OR 8 AS A SIDE
Fish ‘cooked’ by marinating in citrus juice is a dish enjoyed in many parts of the world, especially around the Pacific and in South America. The citric acid coagulates the proteins in the fish, just as cooking does, so the flesh turns white.
Use a firm fish that won't flake – for example, monkfish, ling, alfonsino, grouper, kingfish, or tuna.
INGREDIENTS:
500g fish, chopped into cubes
½ cup squeezed lemon or lime juice
¼ cup spring onions, finely chopped
1 cup chopped tomato or capsicum
1 whole cucumber, sliced into half circles
½ cup light coconut milk
METHOD:
Mix the fish and lemon or lime juice together so all the fish is well coated.
Leave it to sit covered in the fridge in a non-reactive bowl (ie, not aluminium, copper, or cast iron) for about three hours.
Mix in the chopped vegetables and the coconut milk when ready to serve.
PER SERVE | CALORIES: 608kJ (145kcal) | PROTEIN 23.6g | FAT 3.3g (SAT FAT 2.1g) | CARBS 4.1g (SUGAR 4g) | SODIUM 45mg
For even cooking, keep your ingredient "chunks" a similar size.
CHICKEN AND VEGE KEBABS
SERVES 4
A flavourful yogurt marinade tenderises the chicken in these healthy colourful kebabs.
KEBAB INGREDIENTS:
4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 large red capsicum
1 large yellow capsicum
1 small zucchini
½ red onion
oil spray
MARINADE INGREDIENTS:
½ cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt
1 tbsp olive oil
Juice of ½ lime or lemon
½ tsp chili powder
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp salt
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
SAUCE INGREDIENTS:
½ cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt
Juice of ½ lime or lemon
1 tbsp olive oil
½ cup fresh chopped coriander
METHOD:
Whisk together the marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Cut the chicken thighs into bite-size pieces, then add to the yogurt mixture and mix together to coat the chicken. Leave to marinate in the fridge for at least three hours (or overnight).
When ready to cook, soak the wooden kebab skewers in water for up to 30 minutes – this stops charring or burning.
Combine the sauce ingredients in a blender or food processor, if you have one, or mix by hand. Set aside until ready to serve.
To make the kebabs, cut the peppers and red onion into 3cm chunks. Slice the zucchini crosswise into about 2cm rounds. Remove the chicken from the fridge and fill the skewers, alternating chicken with veges.
Preheat the BBQ grill to medium heat (or the grill in your oven). Spray kebabs lightly with oil to avoid sticking. Grill the kebabs for 3–4 minutes on each side, rotating in quarter turns until fully cooked. (The chicken juices should run clear when fully cooked.)
To serve, drizzle over the sauce and garnish with some fresh coriander. Serve immediately.
PER SERVE | CALORIES: 1500kJ (360kcal) | PROTEIN 35.9g | FAT 18.1g (SAT FAT 4.4g) | CARBS 9.8g (SUGAR 9.1g) | SODIUM 252mg
GET saucy!
Bought sauces have lots of hidden sugars, salt, and fats. Making your own sauces and dressings means you know what's in them, and saves you money.
WASABI YOGHURT SAUCE
SERVES 4
This is delicious with grilled vegetables or meats.
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup plain low-fat yoghurt
Juice of one large lemon or two small lemons
1 tsp wasabi powder
1 tsp water
METHOD:
Mix wasabi powder to a paste with water. Mix paste and all ingredients together. Serve in a bowl or jar with a spoon or in a squeezy bottle.
DIETITIAN NOTE: You can use premade wasabi paste instead of powder, but the powder is tastier and lower in sodium.
PER SERVE | CALORIES: 187kJ (45kcal) | PROTEIN 4.6g | FAT 0.2g (SAT FAT 0.1g) | CARBS 4.9g (SUGAR 4.9g) | SODIUM 54mg
SMOKY BBQ SAUCE
SERVES 4
This sauce goes particularly well with meats.
INGREDIENTS:
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp cider vinegar
½ tin (200g) crushed tomatoes
1 tsp tomato paste
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp brown sugar
METHOD:
Mix all ingredients together and serve in a bowl or jar with a spoon.
PER SERVE | CALORIES: 79.8kJ (19kcal) | PROTEIN 0.6g | FAT 0.2g (SAT FAT 0g) | CARBS 3.2g (SUGAR 3.1g) | SODIUM 41mg
