Banana and raspberry smoothie

A great start to a low GI day.

1 small banana
1/2 cup raspberries
either 1/2 cup yoghurt and 1/2 cup iced water
or 1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch nutmeg
Sprig of mint

Blitz all the ingredients in a food processor. Drink.

Eating low GI in Vientiane

I'm so lucky to live in Laos. I love it, and I love the amazing choice of food we have available to us here. From a variety of asian food, to French restaurants to suit every budget, to coffee shops and a myriad of other places opening up daily. I've always loved the amazing foodie choices here.

Loved it till I got diabetes. Since then, I'm enjoying eating out a whole lot less. For various reasons.
Firstly, at home, my choices are extensive. I don't really notice the change in food as I try to make sure my fridge and freezer always have a great choice of low GI foods. This means that any time I want a snack, or a meal, I can easily get this without falling back on higher GI choices. Once you eat out, firstly there is a real restriction on which items you can eat (and cafes and coffee shops are more or less a no no for anything other than coffee or tea).
Secondly, even when there are lower GI options I have to check up on it. Is this actually low GI?  I have to ask about lots of the ingredients, and hope that I can trust the answers. Then there is the high maintenance part of this - I don't want to be really fussy about my food, but I really don't have much choice any more. Something that makes a great low GI option when made at home - houmous, can turn into something that no longer ticks the boxes. For a great low fact houmous, use dried, not tinned beans, soak them and cook them. and then mix them with tahini, lemon juice, garlic and lots and lots of olive oil. But tahini is expensive here, so is olive oil, and the good dried beans can be hard to find - the ones in the supermarkets have often gone stale and it's frustrating to spend the many hours necessary to prep them, only to find that they stay as hard little nuggets at the end. (Incidentally, the deli at Cafe Vanille sells them, freshly imported from France). The GI of tinned chick peas is much higher and if the restaurant or cafe uses the liquid from the can instead of olive oil for loosening the texture, then it'll go up even higher. And this is just one example of how something, made at home as low GI can make your blood sugar spike when you eat it out. Other examples are dressings for salads, sauces on meats, desserts that you can make with much less sugar at home, and so on.
Thirdly I no longer have that big an appetite - high fat. low carbs means I feel full most of the time and it seems such a waste to go out and only be able to vaguely push some food around a plate and then ask for a doggie bag to take home.
All that said, I've found I've had remarkable help with finding foods that will help, when I've eaten in restaurants around town.
 My immediate reaction to the diabetes diagnosis was not to tell anyone. This lasted about 30 seconds into the first time I went out. I realised I needed to check what was in some items on the menu and without explaining why, it would be weird. So I 'went public' on it. And people were amazing. With only one exception, people have trusted me to know what I can and can't eat, and have gone out of their way to help. I've had menu substitutions and suggestions, friends who have cooked for me have gone through the options in advance. And people have been wonderfully supportive and kind.
Food in coffee shops is almost all out, but I haven't minded. Because this diet leaves me feeling full all the time, I don't mind someone having a cake that I can't have. Sure I'd love one of those cakes, but at the moment I'm full so I'd want one later - I just make sure that later never comes.
Meat and leaves is a great way to think of the ok foods. So grill houses, like Pimenton are great, some of their meat with asparagus and poached quails eggs, or the non bready tapas - artichoke hearts and anchovies, or pickled beetroot eggs for example are fabulous. The tapas at iBeam is mainly bread, but the vegetable plate, the chicken, the pork belly, and a few other dishes, work well. Tango, like Le Vendome, do a lovely steak, just have it with ratatouille instead of potatoes. And Philippe from Bistro 22 came over to talk to me about exactly what substitutions I would need, before I'd even looked at the menu. You really can't get more help than that!
Of course changing over from no rice or potatoes on the plate is strange at first. It feels like something is missing, but it doesn't take long to stop noticing the starchy side dish. Except in a curry house. Indian food can feel a bit strange without breads or rice, but again, it doesn't take long before it all seems perfectly normal. Again and again people have been happy to help out, the chiilli con carne from Coco was served without rice, the breakfast at O'Grady's came without hash browns and toast, and the platter at Sticky's without the bread. Everyone has been happy to provide a low GI substitute which has been wonderful. Houmous and Tsatsiki instead of mashed potatoes, or some courgettes and other veggies instead of the potato at Blu. Buffets at Acqua are great as they have so much choice that it isn't a problem, even though I pity the person immediately behind me hoping for some of the beef carpaccio!
Parties can be a problem. Often there is nothing or simply meat available. I've learnt now to eat before I go and make sure to have a bag with some almonds in for snacking on whilst drinking.
Talking of drinking, options are definitely less than before and I really miss a gin and tonic. However, red wine, in moderation doesn't seem too bad, and any dry spirits are fine - just a case of how to have them - soda is an okay mixer, but there are only so many glasses of vodka soda I can manage.  As an alternative I'll occasionally have a Bloody Mary. Seamus mixes a great one that doesn't spike my blood sugar too badly.
Asian food can be more difficult because most of it is designed to be eaten with rice and sticky rice is one of the very worst. Barbecued fish and meat are great, but it can be hard to find much to eat with it. I haven't eaten any Chinese food since the diabetes diagnosis as all my favourites are now no goes and I struggle to think of anything that would be alright. I was delighted when I realised that the glass noodles are generally made from mung beans so relatively low GI and therefore a great option for a noodle dish.
It's easier to eat at home, but it's nice to have some choices out. And, as I've said, people have been so lovely and understanding, going out of their way to help. It's another reason why it is so wonderful to live in this amazing city.

Garlic butter

 This keeps well in the freezer - you can even fill an ice cube tray though I prefer to make a sausage shape and slice it. It's worth making extra and then you have it whenever you want.

 

The ingredients for this are butter, garlic - ideally roasted in advance to bring out the sweetness, parsley, salt and pepper. You can vary these for interest - maybe add cumin or mustard seeds, some nutmeg or ground cardomom, swap the parsley for coriander or rosemary or thyme, add extra pepper and some chilli, some sundried tomatoes, capers or olives, maybe.

The proportions are very much an individual taste.

 

The butter shouldn't be too cold.

 

Mix all the ingredients together in a bag.

  

Squash together till it's well mixed.

 

Put on some cling film.

Roll tightly.

 Put in the fridge for 2 hours. Slice into rounds to use now or freeze for later. Alternatively, freeze the whole 'sausage'.

Berry smoothie

A great low GI way to start a day. We made a few variations on the theme

1 The sweetener
Half small banana (not too ripe - the riper it is, the higher the GI)
or
1 teaspoon honey
or
1 teaspoon soft brown sugar
or 
Vanilla essence - it doesn't actually sweeten it, but because vanilla is such a savory taste, it seems to do so.

2 The fruit
Berries
Berries are reasonably low GI so we experimented with variety of berries

The liquid
We tried milk, almond milk, yoghurt and cream, plus variations on them. Hazlenut milk works well too. The milk and the almond milk were better with the banana, the others with the honey, etc.

We blended the ingredients, sometimes adding mint leaves, or chopped almonds.


The fruit:
A handful of raspberries


2

Stir fried cauliflower

This is filling and a great, tasty alternative to potatoes.

1 cauliflower broken into florets
4 spring onions, chopped,
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
1 onion, chopped finely
2 tablespoons sliced almonds, dry fried
A handful of chopped parsley
2 tablespoons oil

Heat the oil in a large frying pan or a wok. Cook the regular onions over a medium heat until transparent.. Add the spices and cook for a further minute. Add the cauliflower and toss with the spiced onions. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring all the time.
Add the rest of the ingredients and toss everything together for one more minute.
It's ready to go.

Lamb shanks with butter bean mash

Ingredients
Lamb shanks
2 tins butter beans
Four tablespoons olive oil
3 roasted cloves of garlic (chop and saute some garlic if you don't have time to roast any, but while the lamb is cooking, throw a few bulbs on another shelf for about an hour, and then remove the skin and store the cloves in olive oil for delicious ready to use cloves that will last for ever, and stunning garlicky olive oil that adds another dimension to salad dressings)
2 spring onions, chopped.
Salt and pepper

Drain and wash the butterbeans and remove the skins (this is hassly, but does make for a much smoother mash). Add the garlic and make into a paste using a blender or a hand blender or a potato masher or a pestle and mortar.
Mix in three tablespoons olive oil.
Add the salt, pepper and most of the onions.
To serve, drizzle the rest of the olive oil and sprinkle over the onions.
Delicious hot or cold.

Lamb shanks

Lamb shanks are so easy to prepare. As long as you give them a long time in the oven, then it's hard to go wrong. I cook them for around 2 - 3 hours for fall apart, tender and delicious lamb.

For 4 people:
4 lamb shanks
2 onions roughly chopped
A handful of frozen cranberries
A cup of red wine
Salt and pepper
Vegetable stock (make plenty and keep it warm to allow you to keep topping up the liquid and keep the meat moist as it cooks
Other options (some of these are not low GI):
orange juice
black tea
cranberry juice
Pepsi (I know but really good!)
apricots, chopped
rosemary
Vinegar (a little rubbed on if you don't want to use red wine or orange juice - helps to tenderise the meat)

Put the shanks in an oven proof dish where they fit fairly snuggly but aren't crammed together.
Pour over the wine 
Cover your hands in salt and pepper and rub this all over the meat.
Add the cranberries and onions and enough stock that they are mostly covered and cook at around 200 degrees C for around 2 - 3 hours, turning regularly and topping up the liquid as required. They are ready when the meat is falling off the bone and they are starting to caramalise.