Double-Post Thursday

Besides being Diabetic Thursday, it's also Double-Post Thursday. Here are six yummy recipes to help you through the day, including Lemon-Spice Visiting Cake and Slow Cooker Jambalaya. Enjoy!

IRAQI LENTIL SOUP WITH MEATBALLS

This is from Joan Nathan in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Joan wrote, “This recipe came to The Times in a 2004 article about iftar, the breaking of the fast during Ramadan, the monthlong Muslim holiday during which observers abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sunset. Soup, like this hearty, spiced lentil soup with meatballs and angel hair pasta, is a common iftar meal as it provides substantial nutrition as well as plenty of hydration. It is adapted from a recipe belonging to Suad Shallal, who moved with her family from Iraq to the United States, in 1966. It was served at her son Andy's restaurant, Mimi's American Bistro in downtown Washington, each day during Ramadan. (The restaurant is now closed.) Mrs. Shallal's recipe calls for ground allspice, but feel free to experiment with other spices found in Middle Eastern cooking like cumin, coriander, cardamom and turmeric. And don't forget to taste and season with salt as you go.”

Yield: 6 to 8 servings; Time: 45 minutes

This was featured in “Breaking Ramadan's Fast With a Family Meal” and can be found online here.

Ingredients

2 medium onions, minced

1 pound ground beef or lamb or both

1/2 cup finely chopped parsley

1 cup soft bread crumbs

1 teaspoon salt plus salt to taste

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon allspice, freshly ground from about 5 whole allspice

2 tablespoons pure olive oil

10 cups chicken broth

1 pound brown or yellow lentils

3 rounds angel hair pasta (about 2 ounces)

2 carrots, diced fine

Juice of one half lemon

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and line a baking pan with parchment paper. Place half the onions and the ground meat, parsley, bread crumbs, salt, pepper and allspice in a medium mixing bowl. Blend ingredients, and form into balls the size of walnuts. Turn onto the baking pan.

Bake for 10 minutes, remove from pan, and drain on a paper towel. In a soup pot, sauté remaining onions in olive oil over medium heat until golden. Add chicken broth and bring to boil.

Pick any stones from over lentils, place in bowl, cover with cold water, and drain. Add them to soup, turn heat to low, and simmer slowly for about 20 minutes or until lentils are almost tender.

Crumble angel hair pasta into soup, along with carrots and meatballs. Simmer slowly for another 5-10 minutes or until lentils and noodles are cooked, adding more chicken broth or water as needed. Just before serving, squeeze lemon into soup.

NOT SO GUILTY BROWNIES

Recipe Yield: Servings: 24

Source: Cinnamon Hearts

View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipe/not-so-guilty-brownies

Ingredients

Brownies:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup oil

2 tsp chocolate extract or flavor

2 eggs

Frosting:

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 T unsweetened cocoa

1 T skim or 2% milk

1/2 tsp chocolate extract or flavor

1/8 tsp butter flavor

Directions

Heat oven to 350F.

Grease bottom only of 8-inch square pan.

Combine all brownie ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well. Spread in greased pan.

Bake at 350 F. for 13-18 minutes, or until top is dry and springs back when touched lightly in center.

Cool for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine all frosting ingredients in a small bowl & mix well.

Spread over top of slightly cooled brownies or cut brownies into squares and drizzle with frosting (as shown, adjust milk to get the right consistency).

Cool completely.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 80; Fat: 3 g; Sodium: 50 mg; Cholesterol: 18 mg; Carbohydrates: 13 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 1/2 Bread/Starch, 1/2 Fat

LEMON-SPICE VISITING CAKE

This comes from Dorie Greenspan on The New York Times cooking emailing list. Dorie wrote, “Whether you pack this cake as a gift or have it ready when visitors come to you, the imperative to share is implicit in its name. The cake is built for comfort and durability – make it on Thursday or Friday and have it all weekend. And if it stales, toast it; the heat will intensify the lemon and spice deliciously. The cake is easy to make (no machines needed) and, like all spice cakes, better after a day’s rest. Giving it a swish of warmed marmalade when it comes out of the oven is optional. What shouldn't be passed up is what I call the ‘lemon trick’: Use your fingertips to rub the recipe’s lemon and sugar together until the sugar is moist and aromatic. This easy step transfers everything essential from the lemon to the cake. Think of it as aromatherapy for the cake and you.”

Yield: 10 servings; Time: 85 minutes.

This yumminess was featured in “A Cake You Can Take With You Anywhere” and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

Butter and flour for the pan

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 large (or 2 small) lemons

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1/2 cup heavy cream, at room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

5 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1/3 cup marmalade (for optional glaze)

1/2 teaspoon water (for optional glaze)

Preparation

Center a rack in the oven, and preheat it to 350. Butter an 8 1/2-inch loaf pan (Pyrex works well), dust with flour and tap out the excess. (For this cake, bakers’ spray isn’t as good as butter and flour.) Place on a baking sheet.

Whisk the 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, cardamom, ginger and salt together.

Put the sugar in a large bowl, and grate the zest of the lemon(s) over the sugar. Squeeze the lemon(s) to produce 3 tablespoons juice, and set this aside. Using your fingers, rub the sugar and zest together until the mixture is moist and aromatic. One at a time, add the eggs, whisking well after each. Whisk in the juice, followed by the heavy cream. Still using the whisk, gently stir the dry ingredients into the batter in two additions. Stir the vanilla into the melted butter, and then gradually blend the butter into the batter. The batter will be thick and have a beautiful sheen. Scrape it into the loaf pan.

Bake for 70 to 75 minutes (if the cake looks as if it’s getting too dark too quickly, tent it loosely with foil) or until a tester inserted deep into the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer to a rack, let rest for 5 minutes and then carefully run a blunt knife between the sides of the cake and the pan. Invert onto the rack, and turn over. Glaze now, or cool to room temperature.

For the glaze: Bring the marmalade and water to a boil. Brush the glaze over the top of the warm cake, and allow to it to set for 2 hours. The glaze will remain slightly tacky.

When the cake is completely cool, wrap in plastic to store. If it’s glazed, wrap loosely on top.

OLD-FASHIONED MEAT LOAF

A.K.A. ‘BASIC’ MEAT LOAF

This is from Paula Deen on The Food Network website.

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes; Active Time: 10 minutes; Yield: 4 servings; Level: Easy

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped bell pepper

1 egg, lightly beaten

8 ounces canned diced tomatoes with juice

1/2 cup quick-cooking oats

Topping:

1/3 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon prepared mustard
Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Mix all meatloaf ingredients well and place in a baking dish. Shape into a loaf.

Topping:

Mix ingredients for topping and spread on loaf. Bake for 1 hour.

SLOW COOKER JAMBALAYA

This is from FamilyTime, and begins, “This delectable, slow-cooked version of a traditional New Orleans-style dish features chicken, kielbasa and shrimp in a bed of rice that's been seasoned with Creole seasoning, green pepper, celery and diced tomato.”

To view this online, click here.

Serves: 8 servings (about 1 1/2 cups each); Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 430 minutes

Ingredients

Swanson® Chicken Stock or 3 cups Swanson® Chicken Broth

1 tablespoon Creole seasoning

1 large green pepper, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 large onion, diced (about 1 cup)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 large stalks celery, diced (about 1 cup)

1 can (about 14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes

1 pound kielbasa, diced (about 3 cups)

3/4 pound skinless, boneless chicken thigh, cut into cubes

1 cup uncooked regular long-grain white rice

1/2 pound fresh medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

Directions

Stir the broth, Creole seasoning, green pepper, onion, garlic, black pepper, celery, tomatoes, kielbasa, chicken and rice in a 6-quart slow cooker.

Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours or until the chicken is cooked through.

Add the shrimp to the cooker. Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until the shrimp are cooked through.

Time-Saving: This recipe may also be cooked on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours.

RED VELVET CHEESECAKE

Recipe courtesy of Food Network Kitchen

Total: 2 hr; Prep: 20 min; Cook: 1 hr 40 min; Yield: 10 servings; Level: Easy

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

For the crust:

1 1/2 cups finely crushed chocolate wafer cookies (about 28 cookies)

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/3 cup sugar

Pinch of salt

For the filling:

4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 large eggs

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon red food coloring

Directions

Watch how to make this recipe.

Make the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Mix the cookie crumbs, melted butter, sugar and salt in a bowl. Press into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Put the pan on a baking sheet and bake until set, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely.

Make the filling: Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Beat the cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until smooth, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the flour, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Transfer 2 cups batter to a bowl; stir in the cocoa powder and food coloring. Pour the red batter into the crust, then pour the white batter on top. Using a spoon, pull some of the red batter up from the bottom of the cake and swirl. Bake until the edges are set but the center is still wobbly, about 1 hour, 20 minutes.

Turn off the oven but keep the cake inside to cool, 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan (don't remove the springform side), then transfer to a rack to cool. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before slicing.