Chicken with lentils and carrots
Built around lower-GI carbohydrate choices; this finished recipe has not been GI-tested. Portion size and cooking method still matter.
Ingredients:
- Chicken breast (600 g)
- Green lentils (500 g)
- Carrots (300 g)
- Spinach (150 g)
- Onion (100 g)
- Garlic (10 g)
- Tinned tomatoes (400 g)
- Water (200 ml)
- Olive oil (20 ml)
- Rosemary (2 g)
- Lemon juice (30 ml)
- Salt and pepper
Method:
A complete supper, with pulses on the plate
Serves 4. Allow 40 minutes. The pulses are weighed fully cooked and drained. They supply the carbohydrate part of the meal; the fish or chicken is not assigned a GI score.
Start the vegetable base
Peel and chop the onion and garlic. Wash and cut the firm vegetables into 1 cm pieces, keeping leaves separate. Heat the oil in a wide, deep pan. Cook the onion and firm vegetables for 8 minutes, stirring, then add garlic and the listed seasoning for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, water and pulses and simmer for 10 minutes.
Cook the main ingredient
Cut the chicken into 2 cm pieces on a separate board and add it to the simmering sauce. Wash your hands and utensils after handling it. Cover and simmer for 12–15 minutes, stirring gently, until the thickest pieces reach 75°C in the centre; extend the time if needed.
Finish and serve
Fold the leafy vegetables into the sauce during its final 5 minutes of cooking, adding a splash of water if it thickens too much. Finish with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Divide both the pulses and the main ingredient evenly between four plates. There is already a carbohydrate portion here, so consider any rice or bread separately. The finished meal has not been GI-tested.