Gestational Diabetes Recipes

This is a refreshing summer salad that is literally sensational – in that it ticks off crunchy, creamy, sweet and salty. And I think that combination of sweet and savoury will really appeal to the gestational diabetes palette. Although you may have never considered combining peach and chicken, once you try it you’ll never look back. (Main carbohydrate containing ingredients are listed in bold.)

Ingredients

• 4 single chicken breast fillets, approximately 800g/ 1¾ pounds in total)
• Light olive oil spray
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 400g/ 13 ounces small new potatoes, quartered
• 150g/ 5 ounces low fat plain or greek yoghurt
• 1/2 cup of finely chopped shallots
• 1 small orange zested and juiced
• 3 medium tomatoes, trimmed, quartered
• 600g/ 1.3 pounds ripe peaches or nectarines, hulled, quartered
• 1 large telegraph cucumber or 3 small cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthways, chopped
• 1/3 cup of finely chopped fresh mint leaves
• 200g/ 7 ounces baby spinach or salad leaves

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Cook potatoes for 10 minutes or until just cooked. Drain and set aside.

Lightly grease a large non-stick frying pan with olive oil spray. Heat over medium-high heat. Season both sides of chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Add to the pan and cook for 5 -10 minutes each side or until cooked through. Turn up heat to high and pour in balsamic vinegar. Allow to slightly caramalise but not burn. Remove chicken and let sit for 5 minutes before slicing thickly across the grain. Keep juice in pan.

In a cup combine yoghurt, juice from pan, shallots, orange juice and zest and mix well. Season to taste.

In a large mixing bowl add tomatoes, peaches, cucumber, mint and potato. Add yoghurt dressing and toss. Now add salad leaves and gently fold in to avoid crushing them.

Divide salad amongst bowls and top with slices of chicken. (Remember, only the equivalent of 1 small potato and 150g/ 4 ounces peaches per person to stay within the carbohydrate allowance.)