Treat mom to a healthy meal this Mother’s Day

WHIPPING up a delicious meal for your mom this Mother’s Day doesn’t need to include the weight-gaining ingredients we often associate with a treat, says Dr Peter Hill, of Met-S Care, a specialist in metabolic syndrome.

“Unfortunately society has lead us to believe that in order for a meal to be tasty it needs to be loaded with unhealthy carbs and sugar. This is definitely not the case. Your mom would probably prefer a healthy, delicious meal that isn’t going to pack on the pounds,” he says.

Hill offers this three course meal as a great option for a Mother’s Day get-together:

Starter

Warm Tomato & Apple Salad

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS  

 1 punnet cherry tomatoes, halved

1 medium red chilli, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 medium red onions, sliced

12 asparagus spears, trimmed and halved

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

½ cup mint leaves

200g rocket

1 green apple, cut into thin wedges

METHOD    

 1. Heat wok on high heat and lightly spray with olive oil. Add tomatoes, chilli, garlic, onion and cook for 5 minutes until softened, stirring continuously.

2. Add asparagus, white wine vinegar, lemon and 1 teaspoon of mint, cook for 5 minutes.
3. Place rocket in a large bowl. Add tomato, asparagus mixture and toss. Serve sprinkled with fresh mint and apple wedges.

Main

Lemon and Garlic Lamb Rack

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS    

 1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon freshly chopped garlic

1 French lamb rack – 8 cutlets

(females 2-3 cutlets)

1½ French lamb rack – 12

(males 3-4 cutlets)

2 lemons, cut into wedges

1 red onion, cut into wedges

500g green beans, trimmed

2 teaspoons seeded mustard

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

METHOD       

       1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Combine lemon juice, oil, garlic and chopped rosemary to form a paste. Pour the paste over the lamb rack and leave to marinate for at least 1 hour.

2. Place lemon wedges, onion and some extra rosemary sprigs in the bottom of a baking dish and place lamb rack on top making sure to add any extra marinade from the dish. Bake in a hot oven for 35-40 minutes.
3. Steam beans until tender and combine in a stainless steel bowl with mustard and white wine vinegar and toss until beans are well coated.

Serve cutlets with the bean salad.

“If you’d like to finish off the meal with something sweet, why not try double cream or double cream yoghurt blended with fresh or frozen berries dusted with a little sweetener,” he concludes.

For other delicious low carb suggestions why not pick up a copy of The Controlled Carb Cook Book which is now available at Dis-Chem countrywide.