All in all, we’re being blessed with a great summer and plenty of opportunities to get outside and fire up the barbecue. Typical barbie fare of processed, trans fat laden, sausages and burgers, wedged between a low fibre, high GI white roll and drenched in sugary sauces are not to be recommended for a diabetic. However, there are so many fantastic foods that benefit from a chargrilling, taste delicious and keep your blood glucose levels under control, that ditching the sausages need not be a hardship.
We invited some friends over for a barbeque this weekend and served a variety of marinated fish, tofu, Quorn and a little chicken to satisfy the more carnivorous guests. We also served some Chorizo skewers, but as they had to be last to hit the grill (lest our pescatarian offspring take offence and the chicken be overpowered) most were too full to partake! Accompanied by a selection of salads, including my healthy take on potato salad and what we call (for some long forgotten reason) special rice, there was not a nasty white bap in sight.
I appreciate that the list of ingredients might lend you to believe that this is an onerously labour intensive affair, but really it’s just a little chopping, grating, crushing and skewering. The marinades can be prepared the night before and it is all the kind of fun, messy and freestyle stuff that the kid’s love to help with. The one vital implement that you will need is a large quantity of wooden skewers that have to be soaked in water for a couple of hours before the threading process commences.
Don’t be alarmed by the amount of oil involved as it is all nut or seed based and most is discarded once the lovely, healthy protein sources have absorbed all the fantastic flavours suspended in the oily base. Indian, Oriental and Mediterranean elements blend well in this smorgasabord of tasty skewers. It is all supported by a goodly dollop of a super easy satay sauce which provides a tasty, healthy accompaniment that, whilst it is probably the most calorific element of the feast, is loaded with peanuts which are an amazing diabetic food. I will expand on the whys and wherefores of peanuts another time (look out for my Gado Gado recipe), for I fear I have rambled enough.
One final point to note, is that the barbeque cook needs a light touch and so I pass you over to my lovely hedonistic, diabetic husband to give you a guiding hand. He has learnt that trying to coax a barbeque into life on a blowy, drizzly day after imbibing far too much cider and using way too many firelighters, results in delicate flavours being obliterated by firelighter seasoning and a very grumpy wife.
The main point to note is that the barbeque should be lit well in advance (at least an hour) of cooking time so that all whiff of firelighters has burnt off and the coals are gently glowing by the time grilling commences. Most of the skewers take only a few minutes each, but the chicken will take up to 10 minutes and should be checked before serving.