SHORT RIBS IN BURGUNDY SAUCE

3 lbs bone-in beef short ribs

3 tbsp unsalted butter

1 large sweet onion, halved and sliced

2 celery ribs, thinly sliced

1 medium carrot, thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

Dash of dried thyme

2 tbsp white whole wheat flour

1 cup water 1 cup dry red wine OR beef broth

1 beef bouillon cube or 1 tsp beef bouillon granules

2 tbsp minced fresh parsley

1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp browning sauce, optional

1/8 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 450-degrees.

Place ribs on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Roast 30-40 minutes or until browned, turning once.

Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, heat butter over medium heat. Add onion, celery and carrot, cooking and stirring for 10-12 minutes or until tender. Add garlic and thyme, cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the flour until blended; gradually stir in water and wine or broth. Add bouillon and parsley, stirring to dissolve bouillon.

Transfer ribs to Dutch oven and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until meat is tender.

Remove ribs and keep warm. Skim fat from the sauce and stir in the remaining ingredients.

Yield: 6 servings Per serving: 264 calories, 17g fat (8g sat), 70mg chol, 355 mg sodium, 8g carbs, 1g fiber,19g pro.

TOH 2015

 

BROWN RICE PUDDING

Note: I recommend that diabetics always use brown rice.  Do not even keep white rice in your house.

nonstick canola cooking spray
4 cups fat-free milk
3/4 cup regular brown rice
1/4 cup Splenda granulated
dash of salt
Ground cinnamon for garnish
1/2 cup chopped almonds, toasted, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly spray a 2-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

In the baking dish, combine the milk, uncooked rice, sugar, and salt.  Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 2 hours or until the rice is very tender, stirring occasionally.  The liquid will not be totally absorbed.  Remove from the oven and let stand, covered, for half an hour; mixture will thicken during this time.
Serve warm by placing in small dessert bowls; sprinkle each serving with a generous sprinkle of cinnamon and top with some almonds. Be very generous with the cinnamon as it is a blood sugar stabilizer. In fact, I add 1/4 teaspoon to 1/2 teaspoon to the mixture before baking. 

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FRESH FRUIT AND VEGETABLES

Whenever possible, diabetics should buy fresh fruits and vegetables. This will keep the extra sugars, salt, and other preservatives out of your diet. This can be challenging. especially in the winter, If you can't get fresh, then frozen is a better choice than canned. The less processed foods you eat, the better it is for your health.

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EASY, CHEESY, CHICKEN-BROCCOLI-RICE SKILLET

4 (1-lb total) boneless skinless chicken breast halves
2 tsp canola oil
2 cups small fresh or frozen (thawed) broccoli florets
1 can reduced-fat cream of chicken soup
1/8 lb pasteurized cheese product (Velveeta-type), cut into small cubes
2 cups hot cooked brown rice
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

In a large nonstick skillet, heat the canola oil over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken and cook, turning once, about 8 to 10 minutes or until cooked through.  Remove chicken from skillet and place on a warmed plate.  Cover loosely to keep in heat.

In the same skillet, add the broccoli, chicken soup, and cheese; stir to mix well.  Cook over medium heat, stirring often, 7 to 8 minutes or until heated through and cheese has melted.

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To serve, divide the rice onto 4 individual plates: top with a chicken breast and 1/4 of the broccoli-cheese mixture.

Variation: You might like cream of broccoli soup or cream of mushroom soup as a substitute for the cream of chicken soup. Be sure to use a low-fat soup.

CABBAGE CASSEROLE LASAGNA-STYLE

1 lb ground beef

1 lb keilbasa, sliced into thin 1/4-inch rounds
1 large sweet onion, chopped
2 to 3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 cans (15-oz each) tomato sauce
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp caraway seed
1/4 tsp each of salt and black pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
2 cups cooked brown rice
4-5 strips bacon, fried and crumbled
2 lbs (approximately) shredded cabbage
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Brown the ground beef with the onion and garlic in a large nonstick skillet that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray until the beef is no longer pink; drain well and return to skillet.  Add the kielbasa and stir in half the tomato sauce along with the thyme, caraway seed, salt, pepper, and paprika.  Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes.  Stir in rice and bacon; heat through.  Remove skillet from the heat.

In a 13 x 9-inch baking dish or pan, layer lasagna-style 1/3 of the cabbage; top with half the meat mixture.  Repeat with another layer of cabbage, remaining meat mixture and top with the last third of the cabbage.  Pour the last half of the tomato sauce overall.

Cover pan with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.  Remove foil and sprinkle the cheese over the top of the casserole.  Return to oven and cook for another 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Let casserole stand for 5 minutes or so before attempting to serve.

Yield: 12 servings

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BACON HASH BROWN CASSEROLE

We diabetics have to watch it when it comes to potatoes.  Since potatoes are one of my favorite foods I am always looking for ways I can enjoy them without spiking my blood sugar levels.  This recipe has 8 grams protein to 24 grams of carbs per serving.  That barely meets the recommended carb to protein ratio but that is good enough for me!

1 carton (16-oz) fat-free sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
1 can reduced-fat condensed cream of chicken soup
1/4 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp hot sauce
3/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 1/2 cups shredded reduced-fat cheese of your choice (I prefer Mexican Blend)
4 slices bacon, cooked crisp, drained, crumbled
1 bag (32-oz) frozen Southern-style hash brown potatoes, thawed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish or pan and set aside.

Combine the sour cream, soup, garlic powder, and hot sauce in a very large mixing bowl.  When combined, add the onions, cheese, bacon, and potatoes.  Transfer mixture to the prepared baking dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 1 hour until casserole is bubbly and heated through.

Yield: 12 servings

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Holiday Wishes

 Whether you celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah, I hope your holidays are filled with love and happiness.

CARB CHOICES VS CARBS

Do you get confused when you see Carb Choices in the nutritional information of a recipe or on a product label? 1 carb choice is equal to 15 carbs. So if something has 29 or 31 carbs it would be equal to 2 carb choices. Don't get the two confused.

DIABETIC CONNECT'S PEANUT BUTTER COOKIE RECIPE

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup Splenda
1/4 cup egg substitute*
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly spray cookie sheets with nonstick cooking oil spray. (Personally, I prefer to line baking sheets with parchment paper.)

In mixing bowl combine all 4 ingredients until well blended.

Drop by teaspoon onto the prepared cookie sheets.

Dip a fork into some Splenda and make criss-cross marks on cookies.

Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.  Allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

*May use 1 egg.  (That is my note, not from diabetic connect.)

This is a repost from 2013.

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*May use 1 egg.  (That is my note, not from diabetic connect.)

HOMEMADE SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK FOR DIABETICS

Make your own Sweetened Condensed Milk for baking recipes.

1 cup Splenda Granulated
1 cup dry powdered milk
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp butter

Place Splenda and powdered milk in a blender.

Place water and butter in a large microwave-safe bowl and bring to a boil in the microwave.  This will take a minute or less with most microwaves so keep your eyes on it so it doesn't boil away.

Add water mixture to the blender and blend until combined.  Scrape sides if necessary and blend again.  Blend until the sugar/powdered milk is dissolved in the hot water.

Will thicken as it cools.

May keep in the refrigerator a week to ten days.

Yield: about 1 1/2 cups.  (A 14-oz can of sweetened condensed milk holds 1 1/4 cups.)

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