Gestational Diabetes Recipes

This gestational diabetes friendly take on Moroccan tagine is really tasty and a good dish for dinner parties. It takes a small amount of effort for a big flavour. It’s sweet-spicy not hot-spicy so kids will enjoy it too. (Main carbohydrate containing ingredients are listed in bold.)

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons light olive oil
  750g/ ~1½ pounds diced lamb
  1 1/2 tablespoons of Moroccan spice mix (equal parts turmeric, cinnamon, white pepper)
  1 large brown onion, roughly chopped
  3 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed or sliced
  2 celery stalks, chopped into small pieces
  1/2 teaspoon saffron in 3 tablespoons of hot water
  1 large carrot, peeled, diced
  1 large red capsicum, hulled, diced
  1 large fennel bulb, trimmed, chopped into small pieces
  2 cinnamon sticks
  1 x 400g/ 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
  2 cups salt reduced beef or vegetable stock
  1 x 400g/ 14 ounce can chickpeas, drained, rinsed
  400g/ 14 ounces cooked couscous
  Green beans to serve

Note: Beef chuck, skirt, topside or blade all stew well if you prefer beef instead of lamb.

Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C/ 350ºF fan-forced.

Thoroughly combine lamb and spices in a bowl and set aside.

Heat half the oil in a large heavy-based, casserole dish over medium heat. Gently cook onion, celery, garlic and saffron water until onion is soft.

Add meat and approximately ½ cup of water. Cover and bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add carrot, capsicum, fennel, cinnamon sticks, tomato and stock and stir. Replace lid and transfer to oven. Cook for 1 hour 30 minutes. Remove from oven and stir in chickpeas. Cook for another 30 minutes until meat is tender. Remove and throw away cinnamon sticks.

Prepare couscous according to packet directions.

Serve tagine with 50g/1.75 ounces of couscous per person and green beans or your choice of ‘free’ vegetables.

Post-GDM suggestion: Along with your chickpeas, add in 100g/ 3.5 ounces of quartered dried apricots, 100g of halved dried figs and 100g of pitted prunes. You may need to add an extra ½ cup of water or stock as the fruit will absorb a lot of liquid.