Tag Archive for: indice glicemico

Chicken and asparagus pie with Feta cheese

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Spring brings us wonderful and versatile ingredients like asparagus — grown in many regions of Italy and the star of this simple yet impressive recipe. This Chicken and asparagus pie is a complete meal that combines flavour, nutritional balance and practicality. It’s perfect for anyone following a gluten-free diet with a mindful eye on the recipe’s composition, particularly its carbohydrate content.

Asparagus is an excellent source of fibre, B vitamins (especially folate), vitamin K and natural antioxidants. Thanks to its asparagine content, it also supports kidney function and has a natural diuretic effect. Combined with chicken, a great source of lean protein, and brown rice flour, which adds fibre and complex carbohydrates, this dish offers all the essential macronutrients and is suitable for those with specific dietary needs.

The crisp gluten-free puff pastry topping adds a rustic and visually appealing touch, making it ideal even for a last-minute dinner with guests when you don’t want to give up on seasonal vegetables. If you’re looking for another all-in-one dish, try the Vegetarian Moussaka too!

ilaria-bertinelli-pie-di-pollo-e-asparagi-al-feta

Chicken and asparagus pie with Feta cheese

7.8g carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients for 6 servings

  • 1 pack of gluten-free puff pastry** (you will use about 200g)
  • 850g chicken breast
  • 420g asparagus
  • 120g Feta cheese
  • 70g leek
  • 30g brown rice flour*
  • 1 egg for brushing the surface
  • meat or vegetable stock*
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and papper

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

*Ingredients whose labels must read “gluten-free” (or, in Italy, present on  Prontuario AIC)

Preparation

  1. Slice the leek and let it soften in a non-stick pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Add the chicken breast cut into cubes and cook until it turns white on all sides.
  2. Trim the woody ends off the asparagus, then divide the stalks from the tips. Cut the stalks into small pieces and add them to the chicken. Pour in a few ladles of broth, season with salt and pepper, and cook.
  3. When the chicken is nearly done, add the asparagus tips. Sprinkle in the rice flour and, if needed, add another ladle of broth — it will thicken into a sauce similar to béchamel.
  4. Transfer the chicken and asparagus mixture into a baking dish, top with crumbled Feta cheese and cover the top with the puff pastry. Seal the edges well to create a lid, cut a few slits to allow steam to escape, and brush the surface with beaten egg.
  5. Bake in a preheated fan oven at 180°C for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, let rest for 10 minutes, then serve.
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Full speed ahead: Summer omelette roll

Full speed ahead: Stuffed omelette roll

How many times have you arrived home at dinner time without having any ideas of what to prepare? The Summer omelette roll is a solution to many situations.

In fact, all you need is fresh eggs and a little grated Parmesan cheese to prepare the magical and tasty omelette disc, then you can create the stuffing according to what you find in your fridge and pantry: each time you can serve a roll with a different flavour and colour.

My advice is to always try to use a good amount of vegetables for the stuffing in order to balance the protein- and fat-rich omelette with vitamins and fibre. You can then serve it with a nice slice of wholemeal bread to get the right amount of carbohydrates.

If you are a fan of omelettes, try this Stuffed Omelette.

rotolo-di-frittata-estivo

Summer omelette roll

 carbohydrates per 100g negligible

Ingredients for 4 servings

  • 7 eggs
  • 125g cow’s milk mozzarella
  • 40g Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
  • 1 tomato
  • a handful of lettuce
  • 1 tbsp olive pâté*
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

*Ingredients whose labels must read “gluten-free” (or, in Italy, present on  Prontuario AIC)

Preparation

  1. Beat the eggs well in a bowl with a fork, add the Parmesan cheese and a pinch of salt and pepper.
  2. Put a little oil in a 25-28cm diameter non-stick frying pan and pour in the egg mixture. Cook it over medium heat and, when it has set, turn it over with the help of a lid.
  3. Place the omelette disc on a board and stuff it: spread the lettuce, place the sliced tomato and  mozzarella on top, then the olive pâté evenly distributed.
  4. Roll the omelette tightly, then cut the cylinder in half to serve so that the colours of the ingredients inside can be seen.

Version with gluten of Summer Omelette Roll

The recipe contains only naturally gluten-free ingredients.

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August salad: Pinzimonio with pistachio and courgette hummus

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For the month of August, I thought of a salad ideal for sharing with friends: Pinzimonio with pistachio and courgette hummus.

Once you have prepared this delicious hummus, you can use it not only to accompany many seasonal vegetables, but also to top bruschettas or season a pasta dish: a recipe with a thousand possibilities!

Pinzimonio can be used throughout a meal, i.e. it can be an appetiser, a main course or a side dish, it all depends on your appetite and the other courses you have planned for the meal.

You could serve Pinzimonio with Meat mini-pizzas.

pinzimonio-hummus-di-ceci-e-zucchine

Pinzimonio with pistachio and courgette hummus

 5.7g carbohydrates per 100g hummus

Ingredients for 6-8 servings

  • vegetables to taste (courgettes, carrots, celery, cherry tomatoes, etc.)
  • 200g courgettes
  • 150g cooked chickpeas
  • 40g pistachio nuts
  • lemon juice
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • water
  • salt and pepper

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

*Ingredients whose labels must read “gluten-free” (or, in Italy, present on  Prontuario AIC)

Preparation

  1. Place courgettes, chickpeas, pistachios and lemon juice in a blender and start blending. While continuing to blend, gradually add water and oil to obtain a creamy texture, then season with salt and pepper.
  2. Cut the vegetables into sticks, while leaving the cherry tomatoes whole and arrange everything in a serving dish with the hummus in a bowl in the centre or put the hummus in small single-serving bowls for each of the diners.

pinzimonio-hummus-di-ceci-e-zucchine

Version with gluten of Pinzimonio with pistachio and courgette hummus

The recipe contains only naturally gluten-free ingredients.

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Raw and cooked salads

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My journey to find tasty and quick salad recipes continues to serve dishes that are always new and today my proposal is two Raw and cooked salads.

Remember that the principle we shoul follow when choosing our salad ingredients is their being in season. So, opening the fruit and vegetable calendar is a must before going to the greengrocer’s because stores are more an more thriving with all sorts of produce even if coming from any other part of the world.

Our star ingredients today are fennels and barilla plants. Fennel is rich of fibre and water, it helps digestion and prevents bloating; it can be eaten in many different ways. It is excellent raw at the beginning of the meal to slow down the absorption of carbohydrates eaten afterwards thanks to the presence fo water and fibre that will also contribute to reduce hunger.

Barilla plants are a shrub that grows between March and May. They are rich in vitamins and antixodants, but especially fibre and water, whereas they are very low in fat, which makes them perfect for low calorie diets and to quench hunger. Unlike fennels, they must be boiled or steamed before eating.

Find out how I used our hero vegetables in two fantastic raw and cooked salads. And if you missed my previous salads, check the recipes of Three 5-minute salads.

Fennel and orange salad with light dressing

carbohydrate 9g for 1 serving

insalata-di-finocchi-e-arance

Ingredients for 1 serving

  • 1/2 fennel
  • 50g orange
  • slivers of Piave chees or Emmentaler
  • pomegranate seeds
  • 30g soy milk*
  • 10g rice or extra virgin olive oil
  • orange juice
  • salt and pepper

**Ingredienti specifici per celiaci

*Ingredienti per i quali verificare l’assenza di glutine in etichetta o sul Prontuario AIC

Preparation

  1. Slice the fennel very thinly with a mandoline.
  2. Peel half an orange and cut it into segments and keep the second half to squeeze its juice.
  3. Prepare the dressing: put rice oil, soy milk, orange juice, salt and pepper in a tall container and blend with a hand blender to a texture similar to a runny mayonnaise.
  4. Assemple the salad: put the fennel in the centre of a deep dish, top with the orange segments, slivers of cheese, then dress with the orance sauce and garnish with pomegranate seeds.

Salad of Barilla plants with egg and hard Gorgonzola cheese 

carbohydrates for the whole serving negligible

insalata-di-agretti-uova-e-gorgonzola

Ingredients for 1 serving

  • 1 bunch of Barilla plants
  • 1 egg
  • 20g hard Gorgonzola cheese
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and papper

Preparation

  1. Put a pot of water on the heat, salt it and when it reaches the boil, cook the Barilla plants for a couple of minuters. Drain and throw in cold water, then drain again. Set aside.
  2. Hard boil 1 egg for 9 minutes from when the water starts boiling. Once cooked, shall the egg and separate egg white and yolk.
  3. Assemble the salad: put the Barilla plants in a deep dish, top with the diced egg white, crumble the egg yolk, arrange the hard Gorgonzola cheese cut into small cubes and dress with salt, pepper and a dribble of extra virgin olive oil.

 

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Gluten-free Focaccia with lentil flour

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Who can resist gluten free Focaccia with lentil flour? At home, it finishes right away because it is good, soft, fragrant and more blood sugar-friendly than classic Focaccia. Watch how to prepare it!

I love focaccia because it is easy to cut into portions, freeze and stuff quickly in the morning before school even just out of the freezer: that way, by break time, it will be perfect to be enjoyed.

The addition of lentil flour helps reduce the glycaemic index of the focaccia and gives it a golden, slightly orange colour that is very pleasing to the eye. Serve it stuffed with whatever you like or enjoy it plain: whatever solution you choose, it will not disappoint you!

If you love focaccia, also try Gluten-free Buckwheat and corn focaccia.

Focaccia with Lentil Flour     

43g carbohydrates per 100g

 Ingredients

  • 400g water
  • 250g gluten free bread flour mix, brand Schär Mix B**
  • 250g gluten free bread flour mix, brand Fibreban Farmo**
  • 200g milk
  • 100g lentil flour*
  • 30g extra virgin olive oil
  • 17g brewer’s yeast
  • 10g salt
  • extra virgin olive oil for spreading the focaccia and for the emulsion
  • coarse salt
  • oregano
  • water for the emulsion

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

*Ingredients whose labels must read “gluten-free” (or, in Italy, present on  Prontuario AIC)

Preparation

  1. Pour water and milk into a food processor or thermomix and dissolve the brewer’s yeast in it.
  2. Pour the flours into the processor with the liquids and mix, adding oil and salt until a smooth, creamy dough is obtained.
  3. Pour the mixture onto a baking tin covered with parchment paper, pour a good amount of oil on the surface to help you flatten out the dough using your hands, lightly sinking your fingers in to give it the typical focaccia appearance.
  4. Let rise for about 2 hours or until the dough has doubled in volume. Sprinkle with a grinding of coarse salt and dried oregano.
  5. Bake for about 25 minutes in a convection oven preheated to 200°C.
  6. Let the focaccia cool and brush the surface with an emulsion of water and a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.

focaccia con farina di lenticchie

Version with gluten of Focaccia with lentil flour

Replace the gluten free flour with 500g wheat flour and reduce the total amount of liquid (water and milk) to 420g instead of 600g.

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