Diabetic Thursday

If you've followed this blog for a while, you know that Thursdays are time for posting six diabetic recipes. Here are six that'll show how versatile and good diabetic food can be. Enjoy!

LOWER-CARB BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

This recipe begins, “Blueberry-filled muffins that have a cake-like texture.”

Yield: 12 muffins

Serving size: 1 muffin

See the recipe with photo here: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/998.shtml

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup light margarine, softened

1 cup Splenda Essentials No Calorie Sweetener with Fiber, Granulated

1/4 cup honey

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup 1% low-fat milk

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed

Directions

Place oven rack in top 1/3 of oven.

Preheat oven to 400F.

Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. Lightly spray liners with nonstick cooking spray.

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt, set aside.

Beat margarine at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add Splenda Essentials Granulated Sweetener and honey, beating until light and fluffy.

Add eggs one at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Alternately add flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition. Fold in blueberries.

Spoon batter evenly into paper lined muffin cups. Bake 20 to 22 minutes or until golden. Remove from pan immediately and cool on wire rack.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 160; Calories from Fat: 45; Protein: 4 g; Fat: 5 g; Sodium: 280 mg; Cholesterol: 35 mg; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Dietary Fiber: 1 g; Sugars: 8 g; Carbohydrates: 26 g

STRAWBERRY SPINACH SALAD

Yield: 10 servings

Source: "Mr. Food Every Day's a Holiday Diabetic Cookbook"

Ingredients

1 package (10 ounces) fresh baby spinach, washed, dried and trimmed

1 pint fresh strawberries, cleaned and sliced lengthwise to 1/4-inch thickness

1/2 of a small onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons white vinegar

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil

Directions

Place the spinach in a large salad bowl; add the strawberries.

In a small bowl, combine the onion, sugar, water, vinegar, mustard, and oil. Whisk until well combined. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1 cup): Calories: 79, Fat: 6 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Sodium: 23 mg, Carbohydrate: 6 g, Dietary Fiber: 2 g, Sugars: 4 g, Protein: 1 g Diabetic Exchanges: 1/2 Carbohydrate, 1 Fat

CHICKEN CASSOULET

Yield: 6 servings

Source: The Other Diabetes: Living and Eating Well with Type 2 Diabetes

Info: http://diabeticgourmet.com/book_archive/details/32.shtml

Notes: Chicken and beans are flavored with a small amount of sausage in this easy version of a classic dish. But this lighter cassoulet contains just a fraction of the calories and saturated fat that you'd would find in a French country kitchen.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts

2 large yellow onions, chopped

2 ounces hot Italian turkey sausage

3 medium carrots, cut into chunks

2 celery ribs, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

8 sun-dried tomatoes, cut into strips

1 (15 1/2 ounce) can great Northern beans, rinsed and drained

1-1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, defatted

1 cup dry white wine

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 bay leaf

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat; add the chicken, onions, and sausage, and cook until the chicken and sausage are brown on both sides. Break up the sausage into small pieces. Add the remaining ingredients; bring to a boil.

Bake, covered, for 1 hour. Remove bay leaf before serving.

Nutritional Information Per Serving:Calories: 290, Protein: 26 g, Fat: 7 g, Carbohydrate: 25 g, Sodium: 205, Potassium: 746, Fiber: 6 g Exchanges: 4 Vegetable, 2-1/2 Lean Meat, 1 Fat

WARM CHICKEN SALAD

Yield: 4-1/2 cups (6 servings)

Find this recipe at: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/379.shtml

Ingredients

2 cups diced cooked chicken (8 ounces)

2 cups chopped celery

1/3 cup light mayonnaise

1/4 cup slivered almonds

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

2 tablespoons chopped pimiento

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup (about 1 ounce) grated or shredded Swiss cheese

2 cups (2-oz) fat-free or reduced-fat potato chips, coarsely crushed

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 2-quart casserole with non-stick pan spray.

Mix all the ingredients except the cheese and potato chips in a large bowl. Turn into the casserole. Top with the cheese and crushed potato chips.

Bake about 25 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the salad is hot.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 212; Protein: 15 g ; Fat: 11 g ; Sodium: 439 mg; Cholesterol: 43 mg; Carbohydrates: 13 g; Exchanges: 1/2 Starch, 1 Vegetable, 2 Medium-Fat Meat

MERINGUE COOKIES

Yield: 3-1/2 dozen cookies (14 Servings)

Source: The New Family Cookbook for People with Diabetes

Book Info: http://diabeticgourmet.com/book_archive/details/26.shtml

View online: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/511.shtml

Ingredients

2 large egg whites

1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Pinch of salt

1/3 cup finely chopped pecans or almonds

Directions

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or non-stick oven liner film.

Put the egg whites and lemon juice in a chilled bowl. Beat with an electric mixer to a soft foam. Slowly beat in the sugar, mixing well after each addition. Continue beating at medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Add the vanilla and salt. Gently fold in the nuts.

Drop the batter by heaping teaspoons onto the cookie sheets. Shape with the back of a spoon onto 1-inch circles. Bake until set and firm, about 1 hour. Turn off the oven but leave the cookies there until the oven is completely cool. Remove the cookies from the oven and store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 46; Protein: 1 g; Fat: 2 g; Sodium: 18 mg; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Dietary Fiber: 0 g; Sugars: 6 g; Carbohydrates: 7 g; Exchanges: Diabetic Exchanges: 1/2 Other Carbohydrate

CUBAN BLACK BEANS

Source: How to Cook for People with Diabetes

Find this recipe at: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/262.shtml

Contains 9 grams of dietary fiber

8 servings Serving size: 1 cup

Ingredients

2-1/2 cups dried black beans

Enough water to cover the beans

2 qt water

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 green pepper, sliced

1 tsp oregano

1 bay leaf

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp ginger

1 tsp salt

1 tsp chili powder

2 tsp lime juice

2 tsp cumin

Directions

Cover the beans with cold water and soak them for 8-12 hours. Discard the water. Then combine all ingredients in a large stock- pot. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.

Once the mixture boils, reduce the heat and allow beans to simmer for 1 1/2 – 2 hours with cover slightly ajar. (The age of dried beans affects their cooking time. Older beans take longer; fresh beans cook faster.)

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 233; Protein: 13 g; Fat: 4 g; Sodium: 29 mg; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Carbohydrates: 37 g; Exchanges: 2-1/2 Starch; 1 Lean Meat