SAUSAGE & EGG BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

1 lb bulk sausage, browned, crumbled, drained well
6 slices whole-grain or your favorite low-carb bread
6 large eggs, beaten
2 cups low-fat milk
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dry mustard
1 cup grated low-fat cheese

Lay out bread slices to cover the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking pan or dish.

Sprinke the prepared sausage over the bread.

Add the milk, salt, mustard, and cheese to the beaten eggs and mix together well; pour over the sausage and bread.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Bake casserole in a 350 degree oven for 35 to 45 minutes or until set.

Allow to cool for a couple of minutes, cut into squares and serve.

Yield: 9 to 12 servings

Note: File Photo

LINDA'S DIABETIC-FRIENDLY PUMPKIN STICKY-BUNS

Tonight I noticed I had a can of pumpkin in the pantry and decided to try a diabetic-version of some Sticky-Bun Pumpkin Muffins from pre-diabetes days.  They actually turned out to be very good and I think you will enjoy them.  My 19-year-old grandson who is not diabetic ate three of them and I told him, "no more."  My husband, who is not diabetic and swears he can't stand "diabetic food" ate one and said it was very good!  My diabetes is controlled so I used a little sugar figuring the nuts compensate for it.  If you need to totally avoid sugar, use Splenda instead of sugar.  I used 2 cups of Splenda and 1 cup of sugar (less sugar than Splenda Baking Blend) but you can use 3 cups of Splenda.  I only had chopped pecans but next time I would like to place a pecan half in each muffin cup along with the chopped ones.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray 24 to 30 muffin cups lightly with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

1 cup chopped pecans + 24-30 pecan halves
1 stick butter, melted
1/3 cup firmly packed Splenda Brown Sugar Blend
2 tbsp sugar-free maple-flavored syrup

Spread the pecans out on a cookie sheet with sides and toast in the oven for about 5 to 10 minutes or until lightly toasted, stirring once; set aside.

In a small bowl combine the melted butter, brown sugar blend, and maple-flavored syrup until well blended. Place one teaspoon of the butter mixture into each of the muffin cups.  Sprinkle with a teaspoon plus of the chopped nuts and place 1 pecan half in each cup.  Use all the chopped nuts. Set aside.


3 1/2 cups white whole-wheat flour
2 cups Splenda Granulated
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp apple pie spice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 can (15-oz) pumpkin
1 cup canola oil
4 large eggs
2/3 cup water

In a large mixing bowl, combine the two flours.  When flours are well blended add the Splenda, sugar, pie spice, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt stirring to mix together well.  Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.

Using a wire whisk, whisk together the pumpkin, canola oil, eggs, and water.  Add the pumpkin mixture to the well of the dry ingredients and blend together with a silicone spatula just until moistened.

Spoon the batter into the muffin cups atop the butter mixture and nuts.  Fill each cup approximately 3/4 full.  Place in 350 degree oven and bake approximately 25 minutes until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove muffins from the oven and immediately invert onto the cookie sheet you used to toast the nuts.  Gently replace any nuts left in the muffin cups to the top of the muffins, pressing down gently to stick in place.  Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.  Allow to cool for about 5 minutes before eating.

Tip: These are really good warm.

Note: As you can probably tell from the picture, I added some chopped peanuts because I only had a handful of pecans since this was a last minute decision.  The peanuts were great but next time I will use all pecans, just because pecans are my favorite nuts.

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.

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.

GROUND BEEF AND VEGETABLE CASSEROLE

1 lb lean ground beef
1 1/2 tbsp chopped green chiles
1 cup chopped onion
1 can (14.5-oz) chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed
1/2 cup garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
3 red potatoes, diced
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 1/4 cups thin sliced carrots
1 cup thin sliced celery
1 can low sodium tomato soup
1 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 sheet refrigerated pie crust

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cook the beef, chiles, and onion in a large skillet over medium heat.  Cook, stirring, until the meat is no longer pink and is crumbly.  This will take about 10 minutes.  Drain well in a colander.

Wipe any fat from skillet with paper towels; return drained beef mixture to the skillet.  Add the undrained tomatoes, corn, garbanzo beans, potatoes, mushrooms, carrots and celery.  Stir in the soup, water, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Add lid to skillet and cook mixture, stirring occasionally until tender, about 20 minutes.

Spoon skillet mixture into a large oblong baking dish or pan.

Roll pie crust sheet into a rectangle on a lightly floured surface.  Cut into 1-inch wide strips.  Arrange strips in a lattice pattern over the casserole.  Bake at 375 until the filling is bubbly and the pastry is lightly browned, about 20 minutes.

You can lower the carbs by eliminating the corn, if necessary.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

file photo

CHICKEN LETTUCE ROLL-UPS

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into small cubes
2 tbsp hoisin sauce
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
4 scallions, chopped
1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
1 cup sliced water chestnuts
12 Bibb lettuce leaves

In a large bowl combine the hoisin sauce, vinegar, soy sauce, and the sesame oil; stir in the chicken.
Toss to coat chicken well.  Set aside and let marinade for 10 minutes.

Spray a 10 or 12-inch nonstick skillet and heat over medium heat.  Add the chicken, saving the marinade.  Cook chicken for 5 minutes, stirring until browned.  Add the scallions, carrots, garlic, and ginger; cook 3 minutes or until veggies are tender.  Stir in the reserved marinade and the water; bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly.  Stir in the walnuts and water chestnuts.

Divide the lettuce leaves putting 3 leaves on each of 4 serving plates.  Fill each leaf with 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture.  Roll mixture in lettuce to eat.

Yield: 4 servings of 3 roll-ups.
Per serving: Approximately 293 cal, 13 g carbs, 16 g pro, 13 g fat (2 g sat fat), 3 g fiber

FRENCH ONION SOUP

2 tbsp canola oil
1 1/4 lbs (5 cups) sliced onions
1 tsp dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1/8 tsp salt
4 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2 cups water
2 slices whole-wheat bread, toasted & cut in half diagonally
4 tsp ground flaxseed
6 slices reduced-fat Swiss cheese, halved

Preheat broiler.

Heat the canola oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat for about a minute.  Add the sliced onions, thyme, bay leaves, and salt; stir to combine.  Cover and cook, stirring frequently, for around 15 minutes until the onions are evenly browned and softened.  Reduce the heat to keep onions from browning too fast.

Add 1/2 cup of the vegetable broth to the onions and turn heat to high.  Cook briskly simmering about 3 minutes.  Add the remaining broth and the water.  Bring to an almost boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.  Remove and discard bay leaves.

Place a half slice of toast in the bottom of four shallow heatproof bowls and sprinkle each with a teaspoon of the flaxseed.  Divide the soup evenly between the four bowls.  Top each bowl of soup with 3 of the cheese half slices.

Broil 6-inches from the heat for 1 minute or until the cheese is bubbly and light golden brown being careful not to let the cheese burn.  Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings
Per serving: 315 calories, 28 g carb, 13 g protein, 15 g (5 g sat) fat, 20 mg chol, 350 mg sodium (without adding salt to the bowl), 5 g fiber, 330 mg calc, 650 mg omega-3s.

CHERRY LIMEADE CAKE

The other night I had a sweet tooth I couldn't seem to satisfy.  I went to the pantry and found a few ingredients and made a very simple cake.  It was quite good and my grandson, who is not diabetic, ate over half of it.  So I can safely say, it is tasty for the nondiabetics in your family or group, too.

These are the three ingredients I took from the pantry.
1 box sugar-free yellow cake mix
1 can Splenda-sweetened fruit cocktail, do not drain
1 3/4 cup sugar-free cherry limeade

In a medium mixing bowl combine all three ingredients and mix just until well blended.

Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.  Pour the batter into the pan and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  This cake will not have a typical cake texture and is not thick like a regular cake.

The cake is good as is or with sugar-free whipped topping.  I even cut a piece for my husband and topped it with some cream cheese frosting. (The first picture below is with whipped topping.  The second is with cream cheese frosting.

MANGO-COCONUT COFFEE CAKE

1 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp white whole-wheat flour, divided
1/2 cup Splenda Baking Blend (Use Splenda Granulated if your sugar is hard to control!)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 beaten egg
2/3 cup plain fat-free yogurt
2 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 medium mango, peeled, seeded, finely chopped (should be around 1 cup)
2 tbsp unsweetened flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan; set aside.

Stir the 1 cup of flour, Splenda, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg together in a large bowl.  Make a well in the center of the mixture and set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, stir the egg, yogurt, oil, and vanilla together until blended.  Add the egg mixture to the well in the flour mixture.  Stir together just until moistened - the batter will be lumpy.  Toss the mango with the remaining tablespoon of the white whole-wheat flour and stir into the batter.  Spread cake batter into the prepared cake pan.  Sprinkle the coconut over the top of the batter.

Bake cake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cake is best served slightly warm.

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 keilbasa and stir in half the tomato sauce slong 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 lasagne-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 over all.

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

CHERRY ANGEL DESSERT

Last night my grandson and I put a few things together to make a tasty and easy diabetic dessert.  I will share with you just what we did.

I took this picture of the ingredients then later decided to add chopped almonds for a total of 4 ingredients.

1 purchased sugar-free angel food cake (we used the whole cake minus 1 piece my grandson ate!)
1 can no-sugar-added (Splenda sweetened) Cherry Pie Filling
1 carton sugar-free whipped topping (we didn't quite use the whole carton)
1/3 cup chopped almonds, divided

Break the cake up into bite-size pieces in a large mixing bowl.  Add the pie filling and 2 tablespoons of the almonds; using a spatula, mix together well.  Place mixture in a container with a lid.  Spread the whipped topping over the cherry mixture and sprinkle with the remaining almonds.  Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

 
Note: This is also good with Blueberry Pie Filling when you can find it with no-sugar-added!

PANKO OVEN FRIED CHICKEN BREASTS

4 (about 2 lb total) bone-in chicken breasts, skinned
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/3 cup flour (1/4 cup whole-wheat finished out to 1/3 cup with all-purpose)
1 tsp poultry seasoning
3/4 tsp freshly freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp paprika
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup Panko (Japanese) bread crumbs
1/4 cup cornmeal
nonstick cooking spray

Place the chicken breasts in a gallon-size ziptop plastic bag; add the buttermilk.  Seal bag and rotate to coat chicken.  Refrigerate at least 2 hours but up to 12 hours.  Turn several times during this time.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet that has sides with foil, very lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

Remove the chicken pieces from the plastic bag, drain and discard buttermilk. 

Place the flour, poultry seasoning, pepper, salt, and paprika in another large plastic ziptop bag.

Place the eggs in a pie plate or shallow bowl.

Combine the bread crumbs with the cornmeal in anothe pie plate or shallow bowl.

Place chicken, 2 breasts at a time, into the bag of the flour mixture and shake to coat chicken.  Remove from bag and coat with the egg.  Roll chicken in the crumb/cornmeal mixture until coated.  Place chicken on the prepared baking sheet and give a very light spray with the cooking spray.

Bake chicken at 400 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes until the chicken is cooked through to 170 degrees or the juices run clear.

Yield: 4 servings
Per serving: 340 cal, 5 g (2 sat) fat, 34 g protein, 26 g carbs

TUSCAN TURKEY AND WHITE BEAN SKILLET

1 tsp dried rosemary, divided
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp black pepper, divided
1 lb turkey breast cutlets
2 tsp canola oil, divided
1 can (14 1/2-oz) fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (16-oz) navy beans, drained
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Pound the turkey cutlets to 1/4-inch thickness.

Combine half the rosemary, garlic salt, and half the pepper in a small bowl mixing well.  Sprinkle the spice mixture over the cutlets.

Heat half the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot.  Add half the cutlets and cook 2 to 3 minutes per side or until no longer pink in the center.  Transfer to serving platter, tent with aluminum foil and keep warm.  Repeat with remaining oil and cutlets.

To the same skillet, add the tomatoes with juice, beans, and the other halves of the rosemary and pepper; bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce the heat to simmer and cook for 5 minutes.  Spoon tomato mixture over and around the turkey cutlets on the serving platter.  Sprinkle the cheese over all.
Garish with a sprig of fresh rosemary, if desired.

Yield: 6 servings

Note: Recipe from an old Diabetic Cooking Magazine

LINDA'S SPLENDA BANANA NUT BREAD

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup Splenda or Stevia Granulated
2 large eggs or 1/2 cup egg substitute
2 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 tsp (do not skimp) baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup tap water
3/4 tsp salt (1/2 will work)
1 very full cup mashed ripe bananas
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
3/4 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Spray a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl combine the butter, applesauce, Splenda, and eggs; blend until creamy.

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

In another bowl mix the bananas, water, vanilla, and nuts together.  Alternate beating the flour mixture and the banana mixture into the creamed mixture until well combined.

Place the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake at 375 for around 45 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool in pan on wire rack for 2 or 3 minutes then remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack.

This is a picture of the loaf I made last week.

EGGS BENEDICT IN A HEALTHY DIABETIC-FRIENDLY STYLE

3 tbsp light sour cream
2 tsp fat-free milk
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 eggs
1 whole-wheat English muffin, split
2 ounces reduced sodium fully cooked ham, sliced thin
2 thick tomato slices
1 tsp snipped fresh chives, if desired for garnish

Preheat broiler.

To make the sauce, combine the sour cream, milk, and mustard in a small bowl and set aside.

Lightly grease a medium skillet; fill skillet halfway with water.  Bring water to boiling; reduce heat to simmering. Bring 1 egg into a small dish.  Carefully slide egg into simmering water, holding the lip of the dish as close to the water as possible.  Repeat with the remaining egg, positioning so the eggs don't touch.

Simmer, uncovered, 3 to 5 minutes or until the egg whites are completely set and the yolks begin to thicken.  Meanwhile, place the muffin halves, cut sides up, on a baking sheet and broil 1 to 2 minutes until toasted.  Top each of the muffin halves with half the ham slices and 1 of the tomato slices.  Broil about another minute unti the ham and tomato are heated through.

To serve, using a large slotted spoon, remove eggs from the skillet and place atop the tomato slices.  Spoon the sour cream sauce over the tops of the muffins.  Sprinkle snipped fresh chives over the top, if desired.

Yield: 2 servings of approximately 200 calories, 8 g fat (3 g sat), 230 mg chol, 500 mg sodium, 17 g carbs, 2 g fiber, and 15 g protein each.
Diabetic Exchanges per serving: 1 starch, 2 lean meat, 1 fat.
Carb Choices: 1

DIABETIC-FRIENDLY GRANOLA

3 cups rolled oats
1 tsp salt
1 cup raw almonds
1 cup unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts
1/2 cup unsalted mixed nuts
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tbsp almond extract
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Stir the oats, salt, almonds, peanuts, and mixed nuts together in a large bowl.

In a large measuring cup combine the honey and canola oil.  Stir in the almond extract, cinnamon, an nutmeg.  Gradually add the oat/nut mixture in batches to the honey/oil mixture in the measuring cup, stirring well after each batch until the cup is full.  Add this mixture to the remaining oat/nut mixture in the large bowl; mix well to coat.

Line a large baking sheet with waxed paper.  Spread the mixture evenly on the baking sheet.  Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes at 300 degrees; stir every 5 minutes during baking. 

Allow to cool before serving.

Yield: 20 servings of 1/4 cup each.
Per serving: 206 calories, 6 g protein, 19 g carbs

MINI CHOCOLATE CRUSTED CHEESECAKES

3/4 cup sugar-free chocolate wafer crumbs
1 pkg (8-oz) fat-free cream cheese, softened
1 pkg (8-oz) reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup Splenda Granulated
3 large eggs, separated
1 tsp vanilla
Fresh berries for garnish, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly spray 36 mini-muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray.  Sprinkle each with 1 teaspoon of the chocolate wafer crumbs.  Turn pans upside down to discard excess; set pans aside.

In mixing bowl beat the cream cheeses at high speed with an electric mixer until creamy.  Gradually add the Splenda and beat at medium speed for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy.  Add the egg yolks and the vanilla then beat at low speed just until blended.

Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.  Gently fold the egg whites into the cream cheese mixture.  Spoon evenly into the muffin cups.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Topping:
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
1 tbsp Splenda Granulated
1/2 tsp vanilla

Combine topping ingredients and spoon about a half teaspoon atop each of the little cheesecakes.  Bake another 5 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool on wire racks.  When cooled, chill thoroughly before removing from the pans.  Garnish with the fresh berries, if desired.

Yield: 36 bite-size cheesecakes
Per cheesecake: 45 calories, 3 g protein, 4 g carbs, 2 g fat (1 sat), 1 g sugar

ORANGE-LEMON BAKED SALMON

2 tbsp salt-free lemon pepper seasoning blend
4 (4-oz each) salmon fillets
4 thin lemon slices
4 thin orange slices
2 tbsp white cooking wine, optional
nonstick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Spray a 9-inch square baking pan with the nonstick spray.

Place the fish in the prepared pan and coat with the lemon pepper seasonings.  Place a lemon slice and an orange slice atop each fillet.  Sprinkle with the wine.

Place in the oven for 5 minutes.  Lower the heat to 325 degrees and continue to cook for 5 minutes.  Allow to rest for a few minutes (3 or 4) before serving.

Yield: 4 servings