Diabetic Thursday

Time for another Diabetic Thursday. Here are six yummy diabetic recipes to help you through the day, including Vietnamese Beef & Vegetable Spring Rolls and Chocolate Coffee Tiramisu. Enjoy!

CHICKEN AND BROCCOLI STIR-FRY

Yield: 4 servings

Source: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Terrific Diabetic Meals

See the recipe with photo here: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/961.shtml

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive or canola oil

4 (3 ounces) boneless, skinless chicken breast, halves, cut into thin strips

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups chopped broccoli florets

1 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 2-1/2 inch pieces

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 cup low-salt chicken broth

3 tablespoons Lea & Perrins White Wine Worcestershire Sauce

Directions

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 3 to 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Reduce heat. Remove chicken to a plate and cover to keep warm.

Add broccoli and bell pepper to the same skillet; cover and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine cornstarch, ginger, chicken broth, and Worcestershire sauce, and blend well.

Return chicken to skillet. Add cornstarch mixture. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes, until bubbly and thickened.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 189; Protein: 29 g; Fat: 4 g; Sodium: 210 mg; Cholesterol: 68 mg; Dietary Fiber: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 5 g; Exchanges: 4 Lean Meat, 1 Fat

CHOCOLATE COFFEE TIRAMISU

Makes: 16 Servings

Source: The Best Diabetes Cookbook

Book Info: http://diabeticgourmet.com/book_archive/details/25.shtml

Print Version & Photo: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/520.shtml

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups 5% ricotta cheese

1/2 cup light cream cheese

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons cocoa

1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 egg whites

1/3 cup granulated sugar

3/4 strong, prepared coffee

3 tablespoon chocolate or coffee-flavored liqueur

16 lady finger cookies

Directions

Spray a 9-inch square baking dish with vegetable spray.

In a food processor, combine ricotta cheese, cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, cocoa, egg yolk and vanilla until smooth; transfer to a bowl.

In bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1/3 cup sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whites into the ricotta mixture.

Combine coffee and liqueur in a small bowl.

Put half of lady fingers in bottom of dish. Sprinkle with half of coffee-liqueur mixture. Spread half of ricotta mixture on top. Repeat layers. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours, or overnight.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 150; Protein: 6 g; Fat: 5 g ; Sodium: 102 mg; Cholesterol: 66 mg; Carbohydrates: 21 g; Exchanges: 1/2 Starch, 1 Other Carbohydrate, 1/2 Lean Meat, 1/2 Fat

ORANGE AND ALMOND CAKE

Yield: 10 slices

Serving Size: 1 slice

Source: Great Healthy Food - Diabetes

Find this recipe at: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/613.shtml

Ingredients3/4 cup all-purpose flour

Pinch of salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 large eggs

1/2 cup reduced-fat margarine, at room temperature

1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/3 cup ground almonds

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Lightly grease the base of an 8-inch non-stick baking pan and line with parchment paper.

Sift the flour, salt and baking powder together. Beat the eggs until they are light and frothy.

Beat the margarine and sugar together until smooth and creamy. Add the beaten eggs gradually, beating well between each addition. If the mixture shows any signs of curdling, beat in a little of the flour mixture.

Stir in the flour mixture together with the ground almonds, almond extract and orange zest and mix lightly to a thick, fluid (but not runny) consistency, adding a little orange juice or water if necessary.

Pour into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake in the center of the oven for about 45-50 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the center.

Strip off the parchment paper and leave the cake to cool on a wire rack.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 122; Protein: 2 g; Fat: 6 g; Sodium: 99 mg; Cholesterol: 32 mg; Dietary Fiber: 0 g; Carbohydrates: 16 g; Exchanges: 1/2 Starch, 2/3 Other Carbohydrate, 1 Fat

PARMESAN GREEN BEANS

Yield: 4 servings

Serving Size: 1 cup green bean mix

Source: Deliciously Healthy Family Meals

See the recipe here: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/970.shtml

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp garlic, minced (about 1 clove) (or 1/4 tsp garlic powder)

1 small onion, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)

1 bag (16 oz) frozen green beans

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Directions

Combine olive oil and garlic in a large saucepan. Cook until garlic is soft, but not browned (about 30 seconds).

Add onion, and continue to cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat until soft.

Add green beans and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes, until the beans are heated through.

Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and pepper, and serve.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 95; Protein: 5 g; Fat: 5 g; Sodium: 117 mg; Cholesterol: 4 mg; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Dietary Fiber: 3 g; Carbohydrates: 9 g

QUINOA PILAF WITH RED AND YELLOW PEPPERS

Yield: 2-1/4 pounds; Serves: 12

Serving Size: 3 ounces

Source: The Professional Chef's Techniques of Healthy Cooking

Find this recipe at: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/611.shtml

Ingredients

2-1/2 tablespoons minced shallots 2 tablespoons minced garlic

20 fluid ounces Chicken or Vegetable stock

12 ounces quinoa, well-rinsed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

1 bay leaf

1 sprig thyme

7 ounces roasted red and yellow peppers, diced

Directions

In a medium saucepan, sweat the shallots and garlic in 2 fluid ounces of the stock until the shallots are translucent.

Add the quinoa, remaining stock, salt, pepper, bay leaf, and thyme. Bring the liquid to a boil.

Cover the pot tightly and place in a 350 degree F. oven until the quinoa is tender and has absorbed all the liquid, about 15 minutes.

Remove and discard the bay leaf and thyme. Fluff the quinoa with a fork to separate the grains and release steam. Fold in the peppers and serve.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 130; Protein: 5 g; Fat: 2 g; Sodium: 150 mg; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Dietary Fiber: 2 g; Sugars: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 22 g; Exchanges: 1 Bread/Starch, 1 Vegetable

VIETNAMESE BEEF & VEGETABLE SPRING ROLLS

Makes 16 appetizers

See the recipe with photo here: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/979.shtml

Ingredients

16 thin slices deli roast beef (about 12 ounces)

1 cup shredded carrots

1/2 cup chopped jicama

3/4 cup torn fresh cilantro

1/2 cup torn fresh basil

1/4 cup torn fresh mint

8 rice paper wrappers (8-1/2-inch diameter)

8 green leaf lettuce leaves, ribs removed

Dipping Sauce:

1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar

2 tablespoons red jalapeno pepper jelly

1 teaspoon soy sauce

Directions

Whisk dipping sauce ingredients in small microwave-safe bowl until blended. Microwave on HIGH 20 to 40 seconds or until warm; do not boil. Set aside to cool.

Toss carrots and jicama with 2 tablespoons of the dipping sauce in small bowl. Set aside. Toss cilantro, basil and mint in small bowl to combine. Set aside.

Fill large bowl with warm water. Dip 1 rice paper wrapper into water for a few seconds or just until moistened. Rice paper will still be firm but will continue to soften during assembly. Place on work surface.

Place 1 lettuce leaf at bottom of wrapper, leaving 1-inch border on right and left sides. Top with 2 slices roast beef, 2 tablespoons carrot mixture and 1/8 of herb mixture (about 1/4 cup). Fold right and left sides of wrapper over filling. Fold bottom edge up over filling and roll up tightly.

Place seam-side down on serving platter. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling ingredients. Cover rolls with damp paper towel during assembly to prevent from drying out.

Cut each spring roll diagonally in half. Serve with dipping sauce.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 77; Protein: 7 g; Fat: 1 g ; Sodium: 120 mg; Cholesterol: 19 mg; Saturated Fat: 0 g; Dietary Fiber: 0.6 g; Carbohydrates: 9 g

Wednesday Recipes

Half-way through the shortened work week. Here are today's recipes. Enjoy!

LEMON BLUEBERRY COOKIES

From a long-since-forgotten emailing list.

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1/3 cup sugar

2 egg yolks, at room temperature

1 tsp. finely grated lemon peel

1-1/4 cups flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/3 cup dried blueberries or cranberries

Preheat oven to 375. Line cookies sheets with parchment paper.

Combine butter and sugar in a large bowl. Beat at medium speed with mixer until fluffy. Beat in egg yolks and lemon peel.

Combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Gradually add flour mixture to the butter mixture; beat at low speed just until crumbly. Stir in blueberries (or cranberries).

Place dough on a sheet of parchment paper on countertop. Divide dough in half. Knead each half until dough holds together. Divide each half into 16 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball.

Place cookie balls onto parchment paper lined cookie sheets. Flatten cookies to 1/4-inch thickness using the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar.

Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned around the edges.

Makes 32 cookies.

PASTA, PANCETTA AND PEAS

This comes from Sunny Anderson of The Food Network's Cooking For Real. Total Time: 23 minutes; Prep: 8 minutes; Cook: 15 minutes; Yield: 4 servings; Level: easy

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sunny-anderson/pasta-pancetta-and-peas-recipe.print.html?oc=linkback

Ingredients

16 ounces fettuccine

8 ounces pancetta, diced

1/2 onion, chopped

1 (10-ounce) bag frozen peas

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 lemon, juiced

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium heat. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.

Meanwhile, saute pancetta in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until golden and crisp, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. In the same pan, saute onions until softened, about 5 minutes. Add peas and garlic and saute for 3 minutes. Stir in Parmesan, pasta and pancetta. Moisten pasta with some of the reserved pasta water. Toss to incorporate, season with salt and pepper, if necessary, and serve, sprinkled with lemon juice.

CROWD-PLEASING MEATBALL & SPAGHETTI BAKE

This comes from FamilyTime.com. It begins, “Tender spaghetti, precooked meatballs, and savory mushroom-tomato pasta sauce, are baked until hot and bubbling and garnished with cheese.” Serves: 12; Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 2 hours

Ingredients

1 package (1 pound) spaghetti, cooked and drained (about 8 cups)

24 (1 ounce each) frozen fully-cooked meatballs

7 1/2 cups Prego® Fresh Mushroom Italian Sauce

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Stir the spaghetti, meatballs, sauce and garlic powder in a 13 1/2 x 9 1/2 3-inch disposable foil pan. Cover the pan. Bake at 375 degrees F for 1 hour 30 minutes or until the mixture is hot and bubbling. Serve with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Serving Suggestion: Serve with toasted garlic bread. For dessert serve spumoni ice cream.

Tip: Prego® Traditional Italian Sauce will also work in the recipe.

CHICKEN AND BROCCOLI STIR-FRY

This comes from The Food Network, and starts off, “Game Plan: Marinate the chicken while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.” Total Time: 27 min; Prep: 5 min; Inactive: 15 min; Cook: 7 min; Yield: 4 servings; Level: Easy

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/chicken-and-broccoli-stir-fry-recipe.print.html?oc=linkback

Ingredients

1 pound chicken breast (about 2 breasts), cubed

3 scallions, whites only, thinly sliced on an angle

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 -inch piece peeled fresh ginger, minced

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon dry sherry

1 tablespoon dark sesame oil

About 1/3 cup water

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

5 to 6 cups broccoli, trimmed sliced stalks and medium florets (keep the 2 cuts separate)

3/4 to 1 teaspoon red chili flakes, optional

1 tablespoon hoisin sauce

Garnish: toasted sesame seeds, optional

Serving suggestion: Jasmine rice

Directions

In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with the scallion whites, about half the garlic and ginger, the soy sauce, sugar, 1 teaspoon of the cornstarch, 1 teaspoon of the salt, the sherry, and the sesame oil. Marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes. Mix the remaining cornstarch with 1/3 cup water.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and heat. Add the broccoli stems, and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the florets and the remaining garlic, ginger, 2 tablespoons of water, and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Stir-fry until the broccoli is bright green but still crisp, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Get the skillet good and hot again, and then heat 2 more tablespoons oil. Add the chicken and chili flakes if using. Stir-fry until the chicken loses its raw color and gets a little brown, about 3 minutes. Add the hoisin sauce, return the broccoli to the pan and toss to heat through. Stir in the reserved cornstarch mixture and bring to a boil to thicken. Add more water if need to thin the sauce, if necessary. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if you like. Mound the stir-fry on a serving platter or divide among 4 plates and garnish with sesame seeds; serve with rice.

Notes: The garlic and ginger can be chopped together in a minichopper to save time.

Scallion greens can also be used to garnish, if you like that extra onion-y flavor and you want to use up the scallions.

The broccoli stems are used (love all that fiber) to add textural contrast and also to help bulk up the dish, and why waste them?

LOADED CAULIFLOWER UN-MAC & CHEESE

This comes from Peggy Trowbridge Filippone, About.com's Home Cooking expert. She writes, “Cauliflower takes the place of that carb-laden pasta in this faux version of macaroni and cheese. Cauliflower is a very bland vegetable, almost tasteless, and will take on the flavor of the rich, cheese-y sauce. Bacon and green onions give an extra punch of gusto to make you forget all about pasta. Even cauliflower-haters will enjoy this filling side dish. It''s great for those following a low-carb diet. Have all of your ingredients prepped, and this goes together fairly quickly. Be sure to check out my notes before you begin.”

Prep Time: 30 minutes; Cook Time: 75 minutes; Total Time: 105 minutes; Yield: 8 to 10 servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

8 slices bacon, divided use

1 head cauliflower

1/2 cup sliced green onions (scallions), green tops included (about 4 green onions)

For the Sauce:

1/2 cup diced sweet onions

2 cloves garlic, pressed

1 Tablespoon butter

1 Tablespoon reserved bacon grease

3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup full-flavored, strong chicken broth

1 cup heavy cream or whole milk

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

Dash of nutmeg

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 cups fine-shredded Cheddar cheese, divided use

Sweet Hungarian paprika

Preparation

Fry the bacon strips until crispy. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease. Crumble the bacon into pieces (not as small as bits). Remove 2 tablespoons of the bacon pieces and keep separate for the topping. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Coat a 8- by 8- by 3-inch glass or ceramic casserole dish with vegetable spray.

Remove the core and stems from the cauliflower. Cut and separate the florets into pieces roughly the size of elbow macaroni. You should have about 4 cups.

Make the Sauce:

In a large saucepan, gently saute the diced sweet onions in the bacon grease and butter until the onions soften but do not brown. Add pressed garlic and saute, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Stir in the flour and cook, continuing to stir, for 1 minute. Whisk in the chicken broth and stir until the sauce begins to thicken. Add heavy cream or milk, onion powder, and nutmeg. Continue to simmer while stirring until thickened. Remove from heat. Add 1 cup of the shredded Cheddar cheese to the sauce, stirring until melted. Add salt and pepper to taste, keeping in mind that the cauliflower will absorb some of the salt.

Add the cauliflower, green onions, and bacon to the cheese sauce. Gently stir to coat the cauliflower. Pour into the prepared casserole dish. Top with the remaining 1 cup of shredded Cheddar cheese and the reserved 2 tablespoons of bacon pieces. Sprinkle lightly with the sweet paprika.

Bake for 1 hour, or until cauliflower has softened but is not mushy. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Notes:

• Don't overcook this casserole. It is important that the cauliflower retain its texture in order to mock the missing pasta.

• You may substitute turkey bacon for pork bacon.

• Packaged bacon pieces may be used to save time, but be sure to get the pieces and not the bits. The pieces should be about 1/4 inch in size. I'm not crazy about imitation soy bacon bits, but if you like them, feel free to substitute.

• Fresh chives may be substituted for the green onions.

• Ham chunks may be added for extra protein.

• You can lighten this up by using low-fat milk or half-and-half, along with low-fat cheese. However, keep in mind that you will lose the richness and mouth-feel of traditional macaroni and cheese.

SWISS SWIRL ICE CREAM CAKE

From the infamous long-since-forgotten-emailing-list. However, the email gives credit for this from Taste of Home's Holiday & Celebrations Cookbook. It starts off, “With cake rolls, ice cream and hot fudge, this dessert suits anyone with a sweet tooth. Family and friends get a kick out of this treat's fun appearance.” Servings: 12 to 14; Prep: 30 min; Total: 30 min

Ingredients

10 to 12 Swiss cake rolls

2 pints vanilla ice cream, softened

3/4 cup hot fudge ice cream topping

2 pints chocolate ice cream, softened

Directions

Line a 2-qt. bowl with plastic wrap.

Cut each cake roll into eight slices; place in prepared bowl, completely covering the bottom and sides. Cover and freeze for at least 20 minutes or until cake is firm. Spread vanilla ice cream over cake. Cover and freeze for at least 1 hour. Spread with fudge topping. Freeze for at least 1 hour. Spread with chocolate ice cream. Cover and freeze (for up to 2 months). Just before serving, remove from the freezer and invert onto a serving plate. Remove bowl and plastic wrap. Cut into wedges.

Note: This recipe was tested with Little Debbie Swiss Cake Rolls.

Nutrition Facts One serving: (1 piece) Calories: 309 Fat: 14 g Saturated Fat: 6 g Cholesterol: 35 mg Sodium: 130 mg Carbohydrate: 43 g Fiber: 1 g Protein: 4 g