As a wheat, corn, citrus, seeds and nuts allergy sufferer (no, that's not the whole list!); getting enough fibre in my diet is a challenging and frustrating endeavour. Most people get enough fibre by eating cereal and high fibre bread. Unfortunately, most gluten intolerance or wheat allergy sufferers can't just run to the nearest supermarket and pick up a loaf of low GI bread, or add a cup of digestive bran to their cooking and baking. In addition most gluten free breads or products do not contain enough fibre and is usually not that nice to eat.
There are alternatives, however, and it doesn't necessarily have to be so difficult or expensive. One of my favourite ways to up the fibre content in my diet is to use legumes in my cooking and yes, my baking too! Today I will feature a simple, delicious and inexpensive recipe which, incidentally, we had for dinner last night.
Two high fibre ingredients in this recipe are chickpeas and lentils (Dahl). But the star of this show is the humble pea. Half a cup of peas contain about 9 grams of fibre. Compared to my rice cereal's 0.3 grams per serving (half a cup) - it's astronomical! Peas have soluble and insoluble fibre, so it helps lower bad cholesterol while cleaning the pipes. They also contain numerous vitamins, including Vitamin C - half a cup of peas have approximately 18% of the daily recommended allowance. That's an important fact for someone who is allergic to citrus! These little, round packages of delight are full of of essential antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. In addition; they have recently discovered that phytonutrients are key to help protect against stomach cancer, and these tasty green wonders are jam packed with them. Another added benefit of peas is that they're green. Before you say "duh!", let me rephrase - they're recognised as environmentally friendly. In a nutshell, or rather a pod; that means that it naturally needs less pesticides and other agricultural no-no's that are bad for us. So here it is; maybe you can try it for dinner tonight...
You'll need:
About 1 cup of rice - brown rice is better ;)
½ cup dry lentils (or ½ tin)
Vegetable oil, for frying (about two tablespoons)
1 large onion, sliced
About 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 or 2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 tin (410g) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
Gluten-free soya sauce to taste (I use about two tablespoons)
Optional: if you are a meat eater you can add chicken, beef or pork strips in step 3.
Optional: add a few drops of sesame oil to the vegetable oil for flavour
Optional: a pinch of nutmeg
This is how you do it:
Step 1.
If using tinned lentils, add it in step 4.
White rice: place the rice and lentils in a pot and cover with water; bring to a boil and cook on high for about 5 minutes; rinse, cover with fresh water (the water must just cover the rice) and simmer on medium heat until the lentils are tender.
Brown rice: rinse the lentils in a colander; place the lentils and rice in a pot and cover with water; bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the lentils are tender.
Step 2.
In an electric wok or large non-stick frying pan - fry the onions, garlic and ginger on medium to high heat, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon, for about 2 minutes.
Step 3.
Add the carrots and fry for a further 3 to 4 minutes - until tender, but not soft. Add the peas and fry for another minute or two. Stir continuously.
Step 4.
Add the chickpeas and soya sauce and just heat, stirring continuously.
Step 5.
Add the rice and lentils and heat through, stirring continuously. At this stage the stir-fry can burn if you don't keep an eye on it. Add more soya sauce (if you like salt) or a small amount of water if it dries out too quickly. It shouldn't be watery, however - all the flavour and moisture are locked into the rice in this step.
Voila! Enjoy!
Tip:
I usually cook a large amount of rice and lentils and then freeze portions for stir-fry. That way I have some at hand when I need to make a quick meal.
Sources:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/high-fiber-foods/NU00582
http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=55
http://www.wehealny.org/healthinfo/dietaryfiber/fibercontentchart.html
There are alternatives, however, and it doesn't necessarily have to be so difficult or expensive. One of my favourite ways to up the fibre content in my diet is to use legumes in my cooking and yes, my baking too! Today I will feature a simple, delicious and inexpensive recipe which, incidentally, we had for dinner last night.
Humble Legume Stir-fry
You'll need:
About 1 cup of rice - brown rice is better ;)
½ cup dry lentils (or ½ tin)
Vegetable oil, for frying (about two tablespoons)
1 large onion, sliced
About 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 or 2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 tin (410g) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
Gluten-free soya sauce to taste (I use about two tablespoons)
Optional: if you are a meat eater you can add chicken, beef or pork strips in step 3.
Optional: add a few drops of sesame oil to the vegetable oil for flavour
Optional: a pinch of nutmeg
This is how you do it:
Step 1.
If using tinned lentils, add it in step 4.
White rice: place the rice and lentils in a pot and cover with water; bring to a boil and cook on high for about 5 minutes; rinse, cover with fresh water (the water must just cover the rice) and simmer on medium heat until the lentils are tender.
Brown rice: rinse the lentils in a colander; place the lentils and rice in a pot and cover with water; bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the lentils are tender.
Step 2.
In an electric wok or large non-stick frying pan - fry the onions, garlic and ginger on medium to high heat, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon, for about 2 minutes.
Step 3.
Add the carrots and fry for a further 3 to 4 minutes - until tender, but not soft. Add the peas and fry for another minute or two. Stir continuously.
Step 4.
Add the chickpeas and soya sauce and just heat, stirring continuously.
Step 5.
Add the rice and lentils and heat through, stirring continuously. At this stage the stir-fry can burn if you don't keep an eye on it. Add more soya sauce (if you like salt) or a small amount of water if it dries out too quickly. It shouldn't be watery, however - all the flavour and moisture are locked into the rice in this step.
Voila! Enjoy!
Tip:
I usually cook a large amount of rice and lentils and then freeze portions for stir-fry. That way I have some at hand when I need to make a quick meal.
Sources:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/high-fiber-foods/NU00582
http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=55
http://www.wehealny.org/healthinfo/dietaryfiber/fibercontentchart.html
Great first post. I must say that the stir fry was yummy.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it! xox
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your first post. The recipe sounds good and I am guessing that you are using Gluten Free Soya sauce. Can't wait to read more!!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jodie! Yes, I am using gluten-free soya sauce - I've updated the post accordingly. If you ever try out the recipe, let me know how it turns out!
ReplyDelete