WELCOME TO DIABETIC ENJOYING FOOD

I have chosen this name for this blog because it truly states my story. I am a type II diabetic who most certainly enjoys food. When I was diagnosed with diabetes several years ago, my blood sugar level was over 400. With some oral medications, a lot of research and some trial and error, I have found that unlike my ancestors I truly can continue to enjoy food. I hope this blog will help you to also enjoy food and be healthy. Some recipes are my originals and some I have collected. Everyone reacts different to various foods. Check your blood sugar readings so you will know whether or not a recipe works for you! And feel free to take a recipe and adjust it to suit your needs.

Wednesday, November 6, 2024

GRILLED CHIPOTLE CHICKEN BREASTS

 2 tsp finely chopped canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

1 tsp adobo sauce from the canned chipotle peppers

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/8 tsp salt

1 - 1 1/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

Nonstick cooking spray

In a shallow dish stir together peppers, sauce, cumin and salt. Add the chicken, turning to coat all sides. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator 30 minutes to 1 hour.

To grill chicken on a charcoal grill, place chicken on a greased grill rack directly over medium coals. Grill, uncovered, 12-15 minutes or until no longer pink, turning once halfway through the grilling time.

To grill chicken on a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium and place chick on greased grill rack over the heat. Cover and grill until chicken is cooked through.

file photo for reference only


CABBAGE PATCH STEW

1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef or ground turkey

4 celery ribs, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
7 cups chopped cabbage
2 cans (16-oz each) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (28-oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
3 cups beef broth
1 can (15-oz) tomato sauce
2 medium carrots, chopped
1/2 tsp Splenda Granulated (Or an equivalent amount of your favorite sugar substitute)
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Cook the ground beef, celery and onion in a Dutch oven over medium heat until meat is browned and the veggies are tender: drain. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for approximately 1 hour until cabbage is tender.

Yield: 14 1-cup servings
Per serving: Approximately 170 calories, 16 g carbs, 15 g protein
Diabetic exchange: 1 1/2 meats, 1 starch
Note: File Photo
This is one of my old 1990s recipes from TOH.

Tuesday, November 5, 2024

ONION PARTY DIP

1 packet dry onion soup mix

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tbsp low-fat milk

freshly ground pepper to taste

1 tsp lemon juice

2 tbsp chopped chives + extra for garnish, if desired

Combine all ingredients in a bowl; stir with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula until well blended. Allow to stand about 3 hours before serving so the dip will thicken.

file photo

Monday, November 4, 2024

EGGPLANT PARMESAN

1 small eggplant, unpeeled, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices

3/4 cup tomato sauce
1 small onion, peeled and sliced
1 small bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 can (4-oz) sliced mushrooms, drained
Garlic salt to taste (Better to use garlic powder and omit the salt)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/8 tsp oregano
1/8 tsp basil
3-oz part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Bake eggplant slices, uncovered, in a single layer on a nonstick baking sheet 15-20 minutes or until soft.

Meanwhile in a small saucepan, combine tomato sauce, onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, garlic salt, pepper, oregano, and basil; simmer 15 minutes.


Spray a casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray and place half the eggplant slices over the bottom. Pour half the tomato sauce mixture over the eggplant and sprinkle with half the cheeses. Repeat the layers with the remaining ingredients.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Before serving, garnish if desired.

Yield: 4 servings

file photo.

Saturday, November 2, 2024

CHERRY PIE BARS

3 cups white whole wheat flour (or your favorite low-carb substitute)

3/4 cup Splenda Granulated
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups cold butter, cut into slices or cubed (do not substitute margarine)
3 cups Splenda-sweetened cherry pie filling
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup "fake" powdered sugar* or Swerve Powdered Sugar product
4 to 5 tsp low-fat milk
1/4 tsp almond extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line bottom and sides of a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil allowing it to extend over the sides by a couple of inches. Lightly grease the foil or spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

In a food processor, pulse the flour, Splenda and salt until combined. Add butter; pulse until crumbly. Reserve 1 cup of this mixture and press the remaining onto the bottom of the prepared pan. 

Bake at 350 degrees until lightly browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven.

Spread the cherry pie filling over the crust.

Add the pecans to the reserved flour mixture and toss to combine. Sprinkle evenly over the pie filling.

Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown, approximately 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven and cool in the pan for 1 hour. Using the foil sides, gently lift bars from the pan to a flat surface.

Stir together the fake powdered sugar, 4 teaspoons of the milk and the almond extract. Add additional milk if needed to reach a drizzle consistency. Drizzle over the top of the pecan mixture.

Cut into 48 bars for serving.
*To make sugar-free powdered sugar:
Put 3/4 cup of Splenda Granular and 2 tablespoons cornstarch in a blender and blend until it is a very fine powder. 0 grams of sugar and only 4 carbs per tablespoon.

file photo
Note: This is a dessert and should be treated as such. Only 1 bar per day. This is a good recipe to make when having company, to take to pitch-ins, etc. That way you can have some dessert with everyone else and not be tempted to over-indulge!
Note: An equal amount of sugar can be substituted for the Splenda for people who can use sugar.



Friday, November 1, 2024

CREAMY BROCCOLI-BACON BAKE

6 cups small broccoli florets

2 carrots, sliced
8-oz cream low-fat cream cheese spread*
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp garlic powder
2 green onions, sliced
3/4 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Drop broccoli and carrots into a pan of boiling water; cook until crisp tender, about 3 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water.

Meanwhile, combine the cream cheese spread, milk, and garlic powder together until blended.

Return drained broccoli/carrots to saucepan and stir in the cream cheese mixture and onions. Add some of the reserved water if needed to coat all the vegetables.

Spray a 2-quart casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray and transfer broccoli mixture to the dish. Sprinkle the shredded cheese and bacon over the top. Cover the casserole and bake approximately 25 minutes or until heated through. Remove cover for the last 5 minutes of cooking.

Yield: 8 servings
*I recommend using 1/2 to 3/4 this amount for diabetics.
Note: This is a Kraft recipe I have changed to make it diabetic-friendly.

Kraft photo

Thursday, October 31, 2024

EASY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

1 cup all-purpose flour**
1 1/4 cups white whole-wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup Splenda Granulated
1/4 cup Splenda Brown Sugar Blend
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 pkg sugar-free chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans*, optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Line cookie sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the flours, baking soda and salt; set aside.

Using an electric mixture at medium speed, blend the applesauce, flaxseed, coconut oil, both Splenda products and the vanilla extract just until blended. Add the eggs, one at a time, mix well. Gradually add the flour mixture, beating until blended. Stir in the chocolate chips and the pecans, if using.

Spoon rounded tablespoonfuls of the dough onto the prepared cookie sheets. Bake at 375 for 9 to 11 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks.

Yield: Approximately 3 dozen.

*I always use nuts in my cookies, if possible, as they are a great addition to a diabetic diet.
**I usually use 2 1/4 cups white whole-wheat flour and omit the all-purpose. Sometimes I substitute 1 cup garbanzo bean flour for the all-purpose. I eliminated refined grains from my kitchen about sixteen years ago, so I never use all-purpose flour for anything.

file photo


Friday, October 25, 2024

CRUNCHY BAKED CHICKEN BREASTS

 

4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves

1 cup corn flakes
3/4 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup fat-free milk
2 tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick olive or canola oil spray; set aside.

Place cornflakes in a gallon-size zip-top baggie and crush with a rolling pin. Add the poultry seasoning, paprika, salt and pepper to the cornflakes and shake well to distribute the spices throughout; set aside.

Pour milk into a shallow dish; dip chicken in the milk then place in the baggie. Shake until coated; remove from baggie and place in the prepared pan. Drizzle the olive oil over the chicken and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until juices run clear.

Yield: 4 servings
File Photo

Thursday, October 24, 2024

CRANBERRY AND APPLE RELISH

When you start thinking of something different to go with your lean meats such as turkey, chicken, pork, etc, give this relish a try.


1 bag (12-oz) fresh cranberries
1 cup Splenda Granulated
1 cup water
3 tbsp orange juice concentrate
1 medium apple, peeled, cored and diced
1/3 cup golden raisins

Place cranberries, Splenda, water, and orange juice.in a medium saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil and boil for 3 to 4 minutes or until the berries start to thicken and the water has been reduced by half.

Remove from pan and place in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours overnight.

Add diced apple and half the raisins to cranberries; stir well. Refrigerate until ready to serve then just before serving sprinkle the remaining raisins (I omit as I don't like raisins) over the relish as a garnish.

Served chilled with meats such as poultry, pork, etc.

Yield: 20 servings
Per serving: 25 calories, 6g carbs, 0 protein
File Photo

Wednesday, October 23, 2024

SUGARLESS AND FLOURLESS CITRUS CAKE

NOTE: THIS RECIPE POPPED UP ON MY FACEBOOK PAGE TODAY. I AM SAVING IT HERE TO TRY LATER. THE ( ) PERSONAL REMARKS ARE MINE. THIS POSTING IS NOT A RECOMMENDATION ONE WAY OR THE OTHER AS I HAVE NOT YET TRIED THIS RECIPE.

Ingredients
  • 2 cups almond meal or almond flour
  • 1/4 cup stevia, or a sugar substitute of your choice (personal note: I never use Stevia for baking as I find it bitter at high temperatures. My favorite is Splenda Granulated)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • pinch sea salt (or table salt)
  • 6 eggs at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup honey (personal note: honey is a sugar, a natural one but still sugar)
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 Tbsp lemon zest
  • 1 Tbsp orange zest
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, mix the almond meal/flour, stevia, baking powder and salt.
  2. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and then add to the almond mixture.
  3. Melt the honey. Add the honey to the mixture along with the olive oil, lemon juice and zests.
  4. Mix well and pour into a well-greased pan.
  5. Bake for 45-55 minutes.
  6. Let the cake cool slightly in pan (type and/or size?) and then invert it onto a plate. Allow it to cool completely. Cut the cake into 18 slices an inch and a half thick.
Note: I believe this recipe is from Diabetic Club Diet.