Low GiP Recipes

Here are just a few tasters of low-GiP recipes to add tempting varieties to your daily menus. Check out the Cook-a-snack section for some quick and easy ideas.

There are, of course, many more recipes in the book - select from Herby pork chops, Baked tiger prawns, Sizzling turkey burgers and much more.

		GiPs per Serving
Starters & Side Dishes
Baked Tiger Prawns		1
Chilli and honey chicken wings		2
Chilli peanut popcorn		2.5
Middle Eastern Tabouleh Salad		3

Main Meals
Turkey Stroganoff		1.5
Haddock with Thai Green Pepper and Basil Sauce		2.5
Couscous with Peppers and Red Onion		4.5
Mediterranean Pasta		5

Speedy GiP-Free Snacks - These are all zero GiPs!!!
Garlic mushrooms		0
Cabbage with fennel seeds		0
Chilli and lime rocket leaves		0
Warming marrow and leek soup		0
Stir-fried babycorn		0
Hot roasted vegetables		0
Speedy salsa sauce		0
Cucumber and mint cooler		0
Jelly with whole strawberries		0

Starters & Side Dishes

Baked Tiger Prawns (1 GiP per serving)

You can use any prawns or seafood for this dish, but tiger prawns have that special touch.

Serves 4

15ml / 1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced thinly
225g / 8 oz large raw prawns (such as tiger prawns), peeled and heads removed

Garnish

Freshly chopped parsley
½ lemon, cut into wedges

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 6/200 C/400 F.
Put the olive oil and garlic in a large, shallow ovenproof dish and heat in the oven for 2-3 minutes until very hot. You need to watch this carefully so that the garlic does not start to brown.
Add the prawns carefully, rolling them in the hot oil and return to the oven for a further 3 minutes until they are pink and cooked.
Serve, sprinkled with freshly chopped parsley and lemon wedges for squeezing.

Chilli and honey chicken wings (2 GiPs per serving)

Although this is basted with olive oil, the chicken wings are skinless, so this helps to cut down on saturated fat. Finger-lickin' good, just remember to serve this with plenty of napkins!

Serves 4

12 skinless chicken wings
2.5cm/1 inch stick root ginger, crushed
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp runny honey
2 tsp coarse grain mustard
1 tsp cider vinegar
Salt and pepper

Preheat the grill to medium. Line a large flameproof dish with foil.
Put the wings into a bowl. Add all the other ingredients and mix well.
Arrange the chicken wings in the dish making sure they don't overlap.
Cook under the grill for about 20 minutes, turning once or twice during cooking. Serve hot or cold.

Chilli peanut popcorn (2.5 GiPs)

A crunchy snack for those curled up on the sofa video nights. Remember that this counts as your once-a-day nut allowance, so be sure not to have peanut butter or any other nuts on the same day.

Serves 3

50g salted peanuts
¼ - ½ tsp red chilli powder
½ tsp corn oil
2 tbsp (25g) popping corn
Lemon juice, to taste

Heat a heavy-based pan with a lid, add the peanuts and toss them over a medium heat until lightly toasted.
Remove from heat and place the peanuts in a bowl. Whilst still warm, sprinkle over the red chilli powder and stir well.
Pour the oil into the pan and when heated, add the popping corn and cover. Maintain on a medium heat. The corn should start to pop and hit the lid.
Remove from heat once the popping stops and pour the popped corn into the bowl with the peanuts. Stir well, add more chilli powder if desired and lemon juice to taste just before serving.

[Recipe courtesy of the National Peanut Board]Back to top

Middle Eastern Tabouleh Salad (3 GiPs per serving)

A Lebanese herby salad that goes well with kebabs and Tzatziki, or indeed with simple grilled fish.

Serves 4

100g / 3½oz bulgur wheat, pre-soaked in hot water for 1 hr, drained
100g / 3½oz flat leaf parsley, chopped roughly
5 tomatoes, diced
25g / 1oz mint leaves (chopped)
25g/1oz coriander leaves (chopped)
1 onion, finely chopped

For the dressing

Pinch salt
Pinch of ground allspice
Pinch of ground cinnamon
Juice of 2 lemons
2 tbsp. olive oil

First make the dressing. Put all the dressing ingredients into a screw top jar, cover and shake vigorously.
Mix the soaked wheat with the parsley, tomatoes, mint, coriander and onions.
Toss in the dressing and serve.

Main Meals

Turkey Stroganoff (1.5 Points per serving)

A lower fat version of the traditional stroganoff. Serve with Basmati rice (remember to add the points) and a fresh herb salad.

Serves 4

Spray oil
500g /1lb 2oz turkey breast, diced into chunks
2 small onions, thinly sliced
30ml / 2 tablespoons mint sauce
100ml / 4 tablespoons low fat natural yogurt
salt and pepper
Fresh coriander leaves, to garnish

Heat 5 sprays of oil in a non-stick pan and fry the turkey pieces until lightly coloured.
Add the onions and stir the mixture until lightly browned.
Stir in the remaining ingredients and bring to the boil.
Cover and simmer on low heat until the meat is cooked. Season and garnish with coriander.

Haddock with Thai Green Pepper and Basil Sauce (2.5 GiPs per serving)

You can use any white fish for this dish, though haddock or cod fillets work especially well. The green pepper and basil are combined together with a Thai green curry paste do make an unusual and exciting blend of flavours.

Serves 4

4 haddock fillets, about 175g / 6oz each
1 tbsp / 15ml olive oil
1 tsp. crushed garlic
1 tsp. crushed ginger
Salt and coarse black pepper

For the sauce

3 green peppers, halved and deseeded
2 tsp / 10ml olive oil
1 onion, chopped
10ml / 2tsp Thai green curry paste
Few fresh basil leaves, torn
1 sprig of fresh thyme or a pinch of dried thyme
30ml / 2tbsp lime juice

To garnish

Few sprigs of fresh coriander

Pre?heat the grill. Place the peppers, skin side up on a baking sheet. Cook under a hot grill until the skins are blackened. Leave aside to cool.
Brush the fish lightly on both sides with the olive oil, and spread with garlic and ginger. Season and place on a foiled grill pan. Grill, turning once, until the fish flakes easily (about 10-12 minutes).
Heat the oil and sauté the onions till they are translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add the curry paste and cook for a further minute.
Peel the peppers and place them in a food processor with the onion mixture, herbs, and lime juice. Blend until smooth. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Serve the fish with the green pepper sauce, garnished with fresh coriander.

Couscous with Peppers and Red Onion (4.5 GiPs per serving)

Couscous makes a refreshing change from potatoes, rice and pasta. In this recipe, it is mixed with crunchy chopped peppers, flat leaf parsley and red onion to give a flavoursome carb accompaniment to any meal.

It can be served hot or cold (as in this recipe) and can be bought in flavoured varieties, such as lemon and garlic. This recipe can be made up to 24 hours in advance and kept covered in the fridge until needed.

Serves 4 as main course, 6-8 as an accompaniment

225g / 8oz couscous
20ml / 2 dessertspoons olive oil
Juice from 1 lime
3 small green peppers, de-seeded and finely chopped
1 small red onion, finely chopped
Bunch of flat leaf parsely (about 80g), washed and roughly chopped (remove any tough stalks as necessary)

Put the dry couscous in a large mixing bowl.
Add the same amount of boiling water (225ml / 8 fl oz) and stir briefly with a fork.
Stir in the olive oil and lime juice.
Add the chopped peppers, onion and flat leaf parsely leaves and mix well.
Leave, out of the fridge, for 30 minutes for the flavours to develop and mingle.

Mediterranean Pasta (5 GiPs per serving)

The smell of fresh garlic... the crunch of lightly cooked vegetables... the colours of the Mediterranean. This delicious Italian meal is a filling family favourite, which goes well with a simple green salad.

Serves 4

240g dried pasta, e.g. penne
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 green peppers, diced
3 courgettes, sliced thinly diagonally
1½ tsp. dried oregano
2 bay leaves
3 tomatoes, cut into eighths
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 onion, finely chopped
450g mushroom, sliced
Salt and coarsely ground black pepper
1 tbsp. fresh parsley, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 240 degrees C. Drizzle a teaspoon of oil into a large roasting tin. Layer the peppers, and courgettes into the pan, adding the oregano, bay leaves and seasoning in between the layers. Drizzle the remaining oil over the vegetables, saving about two teaspoons of oil for the pasta.
Bake uncovered at the top of the oven for 20-25 minutes, until slightly charred, adding the tomatoes after about 15 minutes. Stir once during cooking.
Cook the pasta in lightly salted water according to the instructions on the packet (around 10 minutes).
Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a large non-stick pan. Add the garlic, onion and mushrooms and fry until the onions are light brown and the mushrooms are just cooked.
Take the vegetables out of the oven, stir gently and mix thoroughly with the pasta, adjust the seasoning if necessary, and sprinkle with parsley.

Speedy GiP-Free Snacks

Garlic mushrooms
Put some button mushrooms into a pan with low sodium soy sauce, garlic puree, cracked black pepper, and any dried herbs you have lying around. Throw in chopped spring onions or chives. Cook quickly and eat slowly.

Cabbage with fennel seeds
Steam some cabbage, or raid the fridge for leftover free vegetables. Warm a frying pan and pour in a little balsamic vinegar. Add the cabbage, a teaspoon of fennel seeds, a pinch of cayenne pepper, a touch of salt and some ground black pepper.

Chilli and lime rocket leaves
Mix together your favourite combination of free salad veggies and rocket leaves. Make a dressing using fresh lime-juice, paprika, dried herbs and chilli sauce. Drench and devour.

Warming marrow and leek soup
Throw together some chopped marrow, diced red peppers and leeks. Heat a pan with 300 ml (half a pint) of water, made up to stock using half a stock cube (or less). Add the vegetables with a large pinch of dried parsley, cook through and add pepper to taste.

Stir-fried babycorn
Heat a pan with five sprays of oil. Chuck in some baby sweetcorn, season with a little soy sauce and black pepper.

Hot roasted vegetables
Mix together your favourite combination of chopped peppers, mushrooms, onions, courgettes, asparagus, celery, baby corn and tomatoes. Add a teaspoon or so of crushed garlic, some fresh or dried herbs, a little salt and pepper. Place in a foil-lined tray and bake in a hot oven till cooked (about 15 minutes).

Speedy salsa sauce
Heat five sprays of spray oil in a non-stick frying pan and add a crushed clove of garlic. Stir-fry some finely chopped onion and green or red pepper. Add a couple of canned chopped tomatoes with some of the tomato juice and flavour with a good pinch of red chilli powder. Simmer for about 5 minutes.

Cucumber and mint cooler
Cut some chilled cucumber into wedges and top with fresh chopped mint, lemon juice and coarsely ground black pepper.

Jelly with whole strawberries
Make up a sugar-free jelly and add a cupful of fresh strawberries. Leave to set and chill in the fridge. Alternatively, buy an individual pot of sugar-free jelly, cut it into rough chunks and serve with fresh strawbs.

Cook-a-snack

(Use the GiP table in the book to work out your GiPs from the raw ingredients for these substantial snacks or light meals)

Cheat's pizza - take a slice of pitta bread and smother it in tomato puree, masses of veggies such as green peppers, mushrooms, kidney beans, courgettes, and tomatoes. Top with a bit of grated cheese, ideally Edam, and a few halved olives.
Boil up some pasta; throw in a can of with tuna, fresh basil, garlic and some cubed reduced fat feta cheese.
Southern sweet potato chips. Peel and cut a sweet potato into chips. Boil till just cooked. Drizzle with a little olive oil and flavour with Cajun seasoning, black pepper, and touch of lemon juice. Grill or bake.