Veg and Feta Rice Tart - Diabetic foods

Last pregnany, I got told I had Gestational Diabetes. I was pretty sceptical as I was 2 months into strict bed rest when they did the test. BUT it was a pretty good reason to what my carb and fat, therefore energy intake. A good thing for anyone really. Substitute the white rice with any alternative grain - diversify the diet!

1/2 cup cooked long grain rice (or millet, brown rice, pearl barley)

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 tsp olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

75g button mushrooms, sliced

50g baby spinach leaves, shredded

100g reduced-fat feta, crumbled

250g pumpkin, cut into 2 cm cubes and steamed

4 eggs, extra, lightly beaten

6 cherry tomatoes, halved

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius and lightly grease a 23cm pie dish.

Combine rice and egg and using the back of a spoon, smooth into the pie dish.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Heat the oil in a large deep frying pan and cook the onion for 3 min, add mushrooms and cook for 3 min until soft.

Add spinach and stir through until wilted slightly.

Arrange half the feta into pie shell, and top with the pumpkin.

Spread the onion mixture over the top, then the remaining feta.

Pour eggs over, and nestle the tomatoes, cut side up, into the filling.

Bake for 45 minutes, until set and golden.

Wheat Alternatives - Theres HEAPS out there!

When it came to feeding my baby her first foods, I really had a look at what I ate.... and found I didn't like it! This may sounds COMPLETELY unjustified, but I do think that many common allergies are a result of over exposure. Wheat for example - we have toast ot cereal for breakfast, sandwhich for lunch, crackers or museli bar for a snack, pasta/bread for dinner. All wheat...


So I try to diverisfy our diets more, give the body a bit more variety in life. But being a chef, I loath bland boring food. So it has to be yummy, nutritionous and varied.... Heres a start in finding the right grains....


Use these flours instead of white flour when making a white sauce, binding ingredients or mix half / half when baking! 

List of wheat flour substitutes/alternative grains

• Barley, oats, rye. Although these grains can be used in place of wheat, they all contain GLUTEN.  Remember that "wheat-free" doesn't always mean "gluten-free".

Oats are a very good source of silica, which is important for supporting the body's connective tissues. Rye flakes can be used to make a nourishing, warm, cooked cereal.

• Millet. This is the most easily digested grain available - and is also the least allergenic. It is a good source of silica and protein. Millet flour can be used for baking and the grains can be used to make porridge, or can be cooked and served like rice.
• Rice and wild rice. Rice flours are often used as wheat flour substitutes. Creamed rice can be given to baby as a cereal and, for older babies, cooked rice can be used in place of breadcrumbs to make stuffing.
• Sorghum is a cereal grain, similar to millet, which is ground to produce sorghum flour.
• Buckwheat (despite its name) is not a type of wheat and is not even a cereal grain! It is gluten free and therefore safe for a gluten intolerant baby. It is very rare for anyone to develop any type of sensitivity to buckwheat.

Buckwheat flour is also known as beechwheat, kasha or saracen corn. Buckwheat groats can be used to make a hot breakfast for baby, or simply served as part of a main meal!

• Amaranth is another non-cereal, gluten-free grain which is ground for baking. It is a very rich source of calcium and is also high in magnesium and silica. Amaranth has been widely used in Mexico to prevent malnutrition. It can be prepared and served like rice.
• Quinoa is related to the amaranth grain - like amaranth, it is a particularly rich source of calcium. It has the highest protein content of all grains and also provides baby with phosphorus (important for a healthy heart, kidneys and brain), iron and vitamins B and E. Quinoa, too, can be cooked and served like rice, although many people prefer to serve it with other grains.
• Chick pea flours can also be used as wheat flour substitutes and are also known as gram or garbanzo flours.
• Ground flaxseeds. These are high in Omega 3 fatty acids, fibre and manganese. Flaxseeds are digested more easily when ground.
• Potato starch, arrowroot powder, tapioca and cornstarch are good wheat flour substitutes to use for thickening gravys or sauces for baby, or for binding ingredients in baking.

 Apple and sultana baby oatmeal (6 months+)

1/2 cup cooked millet
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup apple juice
1 apple peeled, cored and diced
pinch nutmeg
1 tbsp sultanas 

Pour the water and juice into a saucepan and bring to the boil.
Add the diced apple and sultanas, then sprinkle in the cooked millet, stirring well.
Return the mixture to the boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.
Add the nutmeg and cook until thick and broken down (10-15 mins).

If this recipe is too lumpy for your baby, you can puree it directly in the pot using a hand blender.

Another alternative is to soak the sultanas to soften them, then puree them before adding them to the dish.

Millet - Much more than just birdseed

Many people consider millet as nothing more than birdseed, but it is the principle grain for many societies, after rice and wheat. It is speculated that millet was the first grain to be harvested during the Neolithic period and most likely originated in Africa or Asia. One reason why it is grown in poorer areas of the world is because it grows in poor soil and adverse weather conditions.

Millet is exceptionally nutritious and is rich in protein, phosphorus, the B vitamins and iron. It is available as a whole grain and follows similar cooking methods as to brown rice or bulgur wheat. Millet meal is coarsely ground flour that is used in baking or porridge, and puffed millet is similar to puffed rice and is used in cereals or bread.

It can be soaked the night before to cut down of cooking time. Unsoaked, add 1 cup millet to 3 cups water (or milk), bring to the boil, then simmer for around 40 minutes. Roasting it for 4 minutes or so before boiling can increase the nutty flavour.

Quick Ideas

Stir fry with veggies and yummy asian sauce
Use as a herbed stuffing for tomatoes, eggplant or capsicum.
Add to the raw egg mix if an omelette

Millet Vege Cakes

I Cup Water
1/3 Cup Millet
1/4 Cup Onion, chopped
1/4 Cup Capsicum chopped
1/4 Cup Carrots, chopped
1 Garlic Clove
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
Chopped fresh herbs
1 Egg, beaten

Bring the water to a boil, add the millet, cover and reduce to a simmer for 45 minutes or until fluffy and a little sticky.
Chop/grate or foor process veg and herbs .
Saute until for 3-4 minutes or until vegetables are soft.
Combine egg, millet, and vegetables and egg in a bowl.
Place 1 tbsp of the mixture between your moistened hands to make patties.
Fry the patties for 2 minutes on each side or until golden.

Breaky Millet Cakes
2 cups left over cooked millet, sweet potato and/or potato
3 - 4 Tablespoons buttermilk or yoghurt
salt
flour for crumbing )whole wheat, spelt, rice...)


Mix all ingredints, but only adding enough buttermilk/yoghurt to form patties.
Pat in flour to coat.
Shallow fry till golden and serve with butter, maple syrup or golden syrup. Yuuuuum!