Alternative serving suggestions

Bring down the over all GI of your meal with these side- dish options.

> Brown or white rice: Brown basmati, regular brown, white long grain and wild rice are best as they have the lowest GI (50, 55, 54 and 54 respectively).

White basmati is intermediate at 62. Short grained rice like Arborio and other risotto rice have a GI of 69, while jasmine is the highest at 109.

> Potatoes: If you can’t do without potatoes, go for boiled baby potatoes (keep the skins on), serve as is or “crush” with a little olive oil and a few fresh herbs.

For a creamy, low-fat mash, cook potatoes in stock or water with some chopped onion, then mash with stock, fat-free milk or both and season to taste. Add mustard, soft, fresh herbs and spices to increase the flavour.

Tapas to-go

If preparation is too much of a hassle – simply pick up a few deli items, arrange them on a good-looking platter, then sit back and bask in the culinary glory…

Spanish deli shopping list:

Ø Ciabatta, sweet potato, or sourdough bread, cut into chunks
Ø Olives and pickled chillies
Ø Cubes of feta – toss them in olive oil and chopped herbs
Ø Canned artichoke hearts, marinated in chopped garlic, olive oil and lemon juice
Ø Pickled mushrooms
Ø Thinly sliced Spanish jamon (ham) –Italian Parma ham will also do – drizzle with olive oil and dot with capers
Ø Cured Spanish cheese, called Queso Manchego
Ø White, pickled anchovies
Ø Chourico sausage

Lessons in Lettuce

Ø Crisp head lettuce should be cored and washed under a strong stream of water before draining and drying.
Ø Choose bright, crisp leaves with no blemishes.
Ø Store lettuce in a plastic bag blown up with air, in the coldest part of the fridge.
Ø The nutritive value depends on the type of lettuce, so the best way to get a little of everything is to mix leaves. In essence, lettuce contains very little in the way of nutrients, but it’s believed that the darker the leaves, the more vitamins they contain.
Ø Although you’d have to eat a lot of it, watercress is rich in iron, calcium and vitamins A and D.
Ø Romaine (cos) lettuce has five times more vitamin C than iceberg lettuce.
Ø All lettuce have a high water content and add bulk and fibre to your diet without adding kilojoules.

Love it or Leaf it

>Chicory or witloof ( the French call it endive): Compact but long, spear-shaped leaves going from yellow (outer leaves) to pale, almost white (inner leaves) Crunchy with a bitter, nutty flavour.

> Watercress: Small, heart-shaped leaves on a stalk. Sharp, peppery and refreshing – from the cress/mustard family. Sophisticated and very English.