MOIST CHOCOLATE CAKE

 This is a dessert and should not be a daily part of your diet. Use for special occasions or pitch-in meals, etc. Some diabetics cannot have dessert. If you are one of those, I apologize but you must skip this one.

2 cups flour* (I use white whole-wheat)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa

2 cups Splenda or Stevia Granulated (This is what I use. Use an equivalent amount of your favorite sweetener.)

1 cup canola oil (I use 1/2 cup + 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce)

1 cup hot black coffee

1 cup low-fat milk

2 large eggs

1 tbsp mayonnaise (not mayo-type salad dressing)

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Grease or spray a 9x13-inch baking pan; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa and Splenda. Add the oil, coffee and milk. Using low or medium speed of electric mixer, beat 2 minutes or until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, mayonnaise and vanilla extract. Beat another 2 minutes.

Cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into 20-24 pieces for serving. Top each serving with a tablespoon of sugar-free whipped cream or sugar-free ice cream, if desired.

*You may use your favorite no/low carb flour substitute.

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LILY'S CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Lily has some of the best chocolate for diabetics. I love their chocolate chips in recipes or just a handful as a quick snack. Here is their chocolate chip cookie recipe.

2 cups almond flour

1/4 cup coconut flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp salt (cut back to just 1 cup if you have a problem with sodium)

1/2 tsp cornstarch

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 cup  erythitol/stevia blend brown sugar alternative

4-oz softened cream cheese

4 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs 

1 cup Lily's milk chocolate style baking chips

Heat oven to 350-degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Stir together the dry ingredients.

In a large bowl, combine butter and sugar alternative. Add the cream cheese and vanilla, blend well. Add eggs. Gradually beat in dry ingredients. Stir in chips. Let dough set for 5 minutes.

Drop by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheets, flatten slightly.

Bake 10-13 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool completely.

Yield: 3 dozen cookies

Lily's file photo

HOISIN-TOFU LETTUCE WRAPS

1/2 cup pine nuts

12-oz firm tofu (fresh bean curd - not silken-style)

3 tbsp rice vinegar

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp Splenda or Stevia (sugar, if you choose)

1/4 tsp Asian chili sauce

Dash of toasted sesame oil

1/2 cup shredded carrot

2 tbsp bottled hoisin sauce

1 cup chopped fresh cilantro or flat-leaf parsley

16 lettuce leaves

Bottled hoisin sauce (optional)

Fresh cilantro or flat-leaf parsley (optional)

Place pine nuts in a large dry nonstick skillet. Cook and stir about 4 minutes or until nuts are golden brown. Remove from skillet and set aside.

Cut tofu into 1/4-inch cubes. In a small bowl, combine rice vinegar, soy sauce, sweetener, Asian chili sauce and sesame oil; stir to dissolve the sweetener. Heat same skillet over medium-high heat and add tofu, carrot, and vinegar mixture to skillet. Cook and stir for 3 to 4 minutes or until vinegar mixture is absorbed. Stir in the 2 tbsp hoisin sauce and mix well. Add the 1 cup cilantro or parsley. Heat, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Stir in the pine nuts.

Serve the mixture in lettuce leaves. Pass additional hoisin sauce and garnish with the fresh cilantro or parsley.

Yield: 16 filled lettuce leaves. Per 1 filled lettuce leaf: 16 calories, 3g fat (0 sat, 3g protein, 4g carbs, 179 mg sodium

recipe and photo from fresh foods fast

SPINACH SALAD WITH RASPBERRY VINAIGRETTE

1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries

1/2 cup sugar-free balsamic vinaigrette

3/4 tsp Stevia

8 cups packaged baby spinach

1 cup sliced cucumber

1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/4 cup chopped pecans

Ground black pepper

To make dressing: combine 1/2 cup of the raspberries, vinaigrette and Stevia in a blender or mini chopper. Cover and blend until smooth. Set aside.

In a large bowl, toss together the remaining 1 cup raspberries, spinach, cucumber, onion and half the dressing. Spoon the mixture onto a platter or divide among 8 plates. Top with the cheese and pecans. Season with the pepper. Serve the remaining vinaigrette on the side.

Yield: 8 servings

Recipe and photo Sandra Lee

 

GOOD OLD-FASHIONED CHERRY PIE

For those special occasions that call for pie or those times when you just crave a slice of pie! Remember this is a dessert, one slice a day! Share with family and friends or take when you are asked to bring a dish or dessert to other occasions. This way you will know there is a dessert you can have, too.  Most diabetics can fit this into their diets occasionally. If you can't, sorry about that

pastry for a 2-crust pie (made without sugar)

2 cans (15-oz each) pitted tart cherries

1 cup Splenda Granulated

3 tbsp cornstarch

2 tsp white whole wheat flour or almond meal/flour

2 tsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp almond extract or flavoring

3 to 4 drops liquid red food coloring, optional

pinch of salt

EGG WASH: 1 egg, beaten with 1 tbsp water

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Make the egg wash.

Line a 9-inch pie plate with pastry; brush entire bottom and sides of crust with egg wash.  Reserve remaining egg wash.  Refrigerate until ready to fill.

Drain the cherries; reserve the juice and set cherries aside.

In a 2-quart saucepan combine the Splenda, cornstarch, flour, and reserved cherry juice.  Cook mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a slow boil.  Cook for 1 minute; remove from heat

Add the lemon juice, vanilla extract, almond extract, food coloring - if using, and salt; stir to combine well.  Fold in the cherries and pour into the chilled crust.  Top pie with a top crust or lattice crust strips, turning edges under and crimping to seal.  Brush top crust with remaining egg wash and cut air slits in top if using a solid crust. 

Use a pie shield or cover edges with a loose foil rim to prevent edge of crust from getting too brown.  Bake at 425 degrees for approximately a half hour or until crust is golden and filling is bubbly.

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SWEET AND SOUR BEEF AND CABBAGE

1 1/2 lbs lean ground chuck

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup sliced celery

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

2 tbsp dried parsley flakes

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 medium head of cabbage, cored, cut into 6 wedges (I cut mine up rather than wedges)

1/2 cup tomato sauce

1/4 cup vinegar

1 tbsp Splenda brown sugar blend

In a large skillet, over medium heat, cook the ground chuck, onion, celery, and bell pepper until the meat is browned and the veggies are tender. Drain in a colander and rinse with hot water. Wipe the skillet with paper toweling to remove excess grease. Return the mixture to the skillet. Sprinkle the parsley flakes, salt, pepper and garlic powder over the mixture. Arrange the cabbage wedges over the mixture. Combine the tomato sauce, vinegar, and Splenda brown sugar blend; stir until well blended. Pour the sauce over the cabbage and meat mixture. Cover and bring the ingredients to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer 15 to 20 minutes. Serve immediately while hot.

KETO COLE SLAW

Let me state up front that I do not follow the KETO diet plan nor do I recommend it. I do, however, use a recipe from time to time that sounds good. This recipe fits into that category. I saw this recipe on the internet; my info is in ( ). This is a tasty low-carb recipe. I believe the carbs per serving are less than 3g per 1 cup.

1 16oz bag of cole slaw mix (I like to chop my slaw mix)

1/4 cup sour cream

3/4 cup mayonnaise (I use only olive oil mayonnaise)

1 tbsp Pyure (I use1/2 to 1 packet of Splenda or Stevia)

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir together until well combined.

file photo

 

GRILLED EGGPLANT WITH MINT VINAIGRETTE

2 eggplants (1lb each), cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 lemon

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

1/4 cup finely chopped shallots

1 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint, plus small leaves for garnish

Small square feta cheese, for shaving

Lay eggplant slices in a single layer on 2 baking sheets and sprinkle both sides with kosher salt. Set aside about 30 minutes, or until moisture beads on top of eggplant.

Prepare grill for medium-high heat. Rinse eggplant to remove excess salt and pat dry. Brush slices with 3 tablespoons of olive oil, coating both sides. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Working in batches, grill eggplant about 5 minutes per side, or until char marks form and eggplant is very tender. Transfer to platter as you finish each batch.

Meanwhile, grate zest of lemon into a small bowl. Halve lemon and squeeze 2 tablespoons of juice into the bowl. Whisk in vinegar, shallots, chopped mint and remaining 5 tablespoons oil. Season vinaigrette to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon vinaigrette over grilled eggplant and sprinkle with mint leaves. Using vegetable peeler, shave thin slices of feta over eggplant. Sprinkle with pepper and serve.

Yield: 4 servings Per serving: 372 calories, Fat 31g (6g sat), 286 sodium, 23g carbs, 10g fiber, 6g protein Diabetic Exchanges: 3 vegetable, 1/2 milk, 2 fat

recipe and photo Saturday Evening Post 2025

CHURRO ALMONDS

1/4 cup Stevia (not liquid)

3 tbsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cayenne

1/4 cup water

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray paper with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

In a medium-size mixing bowl, stir together the stevia, cinnamon, salt, and cayenne.

In a separate medium-size mixing bowl, whisk together water and vanilla; stir in almonds.

Transfer the wet almonds to the dry mixture and stir until well coated.

Spread out on the prepared baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container.

Yield: Serves 8

recipe and photo from Kroger a few years ago

GRILLED WEDGE SALAD

1 medium to large head iceberg lettuce

olive oil

Fresh ground pepper

Blue Cheese Dressing

Chopped cherry tomatoes

chopped cooked bacon

crumbled blue cheese

Cut lettuce into 4 wedges and brush the cut sides with olive oil. Sprinkle with pepper.

Grill wedges over medium-high heat until they are grill marked, 1 to 2 minutes per cut side.

Place on serving platter and top with the dressing, tomatoes, bacon and the crumbled blue cheese.

Yield 4 servings

Food Network recipe idea and picture