TOMATO SALAD

My diabetic version of an old recipe from Mr. Food.

1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Splenda granulated or equivalent of your favorite sugar substitute
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (I suggest omitting)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 large beefsteak tomatoes, chunked
1 large green bell pepper, chunked
2 to 3 scallions (green onions), sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

In a large bowl, combine olive oil, vinegar, sugar substitute, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper; mix well with a whisk. Stir in remaining ingredients and gently toss until evenly coated. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

LEMON-RASPBERRY MUFFINS

1 lemon

1/2 cup Splenda Granulated
1 cup nonfat buttermilk
1/3 cup canola or coconut oil
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup white whole-wheat flour, or whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup garbanzo bean flour (or your favorite low-carb flour product)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen (unsweetened, not thawed) raspberries

Preheat oven to 400°F. 

Coat 12 large (1/2-cup) muffin cups with cooking spray or line with paper liners. Personally I make mine in regular size muffin tins. I believe large muffins are too much for a diabetic serving.

Use a vegetable peeler to remove the zest from the lemon in long strips. Combine the zest and Splenda in a food processor; pulse until the zest is very finely chopped into the Splenda. Add buttermilk, oil, egg and vanilla and pulse until blended.

Combine flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add the buttermilk mixture and fold until almost blended. Gently fold in raspberries. Divide the batter among the muffin cups.

Bake the muffins until the edges and tops are golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. Best served warm.

NOTE: This is a bread and should be treated as such. Limit your quantity to 1 per day. Personally, I like to make mini-muffins and have 1 a couple of times during the day. This is a recipe to share with family and/or friends. Also perfect for family gatherings or to take to church functions, work or other "pitch in" meals. When you take these you know there is a tasty item you can enjoy along with everyone else.

.file photo

Note: Raspberries are a good choice for diabetics

HAMBURGER CASSEROLE

I took a recipe from Reynolds Kitchen and redid it to make it diabetic-friendly. I love a good comfort food casserole, and this is one I can enjoy.

1 pound of whole-wheat elbow macaroni or your favorite low-carb pasta

6 strips of chopped bacon
1 small diced yellow onion
1 pound of very lean ground beef or ground turkey
28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes in juice
3 tablespoons of chili powder
1 can (6-oz) of tomato paste
2 cups of shredded low-fat Mexican blend cheese
½ cup of sliced green onions
salt, to taste

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

PREHEAT the oven to 350°

Lightly grease a 9 X 13-inch casserole dish with olive or coconut oil; set aside.

COOK the chopped bacon in a large pot on medium-high heat until crispy.

While bacon cooks, cook the macaroni according to the package instructions; drain well.

REMOVE the bacon and add in the onions and cook until brown.  Once they are browned add in the ground meat and cook until there is no pink left; drain in a colander and return to pan. Add in the crushed tomatoes and chili powder and simmer on low heat. Whisk in the tomato paste to thicken the sauce. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.

Combine the macaroni and sauce; pour into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle the cheese overall and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until bubbly and cheese is melted.

Garnish with the green onions.

Yield: 9 servings

file photo

MARINATED VEGETABLES

 3 medium-size yellow squash, sliced 1/4-inch thick

1 medium-size green bell pepper, sliced thin

1 medium-size red bell pepper, sliced thin

1 medium-size yellow bell pepper, sliced thin

1 medium-size orange bell pepper, sliced thin

1 small red onion, sliced thin and separated into rings

1 can whole baby corn, drained

1 medium-size carrot sliced into thin coins

1/4 cup white vinegar

2 tbsp Splenda Granulated

2 tbsp water

2 tbsp olive oil

3/4 tsp salt

Combine the squash, peppers, onion, corn and carrots in a large bowl.

Place the vinegar, Splenda, water, oil and salt into a jar with a tight-fitting lid; shake well until mixed. Pour over the vegetables and toss to coat.

Cover vegetables and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

Serve with a large, slotted spoon.

Note: This recipe and photo are from an old Light and Tasty Magazine.

file photo

SOUR CREAM BANANA BREAD

1 cup Splenda Granulated or equivalent of your favorite sweetener

3 medium to large ripe bananas, mashed

1 heaping tbsp sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup coconut or olive oil
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 large eggs, well beaten
1/4 cup garbanzo bean flour (or additional white whole wheat)
1 cup white whole-wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional but recommended because walnuts are healthy and good for diabetics

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a 2-quart mixing bowl, beat the Splenda, bananas, sour cream, coconut oil and applesauce together until well blended.

In a separate bowl, combine the flours, baking soda and salt. Mix into the banana mixture until moistened.

Spray an 8-inch loaf pan with nonstick canola or olive oil cooking spray; pour batter evenly into pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

I doubled the recipe and made this much today. I have my grandsons here and they eat like I do. They never complain about sugar-free and/or fat-free. I don't think they even notice. This will be gone before tomorrow morning. (Note this is a repeat post from 4 years ago. My grandsons are not here today.)

Remember this is a bread and should be treated as such. One slice once or twice a day, depending on how well controlled your blood sugar is. Share with family and friends or slice and put one or two slices in separate freezer ziptop baggies and freeze for later use.

RED PEPPER - PARMESAN TILAPIA FILLETS

 1/4 cup egg substitute (may substitute 1 egg)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1/2 to 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (amount depends on the amount of heat you want)

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

4 (6-oz each) tilapia fillets

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Spray a large baking pan with sides with cooking spray; set aside.

Place egg substitute in a shallow bowl.

In another bowl combine the Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, red pepper and black pepper.

Dip the fillets first into the egg substitute then into the cheese/spice mixture. Place on the prepared baking pan.

Bake at 425 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Per fillet: 179 calories, 1 g carbs, 35 g protein

Diabetic exchange = 5 lean meat

file photo

APPLE PIE SMOOTHIE

1 cup sugar-free vanilla frozen yogurt

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Dash ground nutmeg

2 ice cubes

Extra ground cinnamon for garnish, optional

Cinnamon stick for stirring, optional

Place all ingredients in a blender container and process until creamy and smooth.

Yield: 2 servings

file photo

SUGAR-FREE RUSSIAN TEA MIX

 

MOLLY'S GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

Yes, I do know that diabetics should eat fresh vegetables more than vegetable casseroles. Having said that, here is a recipe I found on the internet years ago after I was diagnosed with diabetes. It is much healthier than the traditional green bean casserole and is okay for us from time to time.

6 cups blanched frenched green beans ( I don't French cut mine, I just break them then cook a little bit more than just blanched)

1pint sour cream (we diabetics need to use low-fat)

2 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

4 strips bacon, fried crisp and broken into pieces

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

pepper, to taste

2 cups Parmesan, grated

4 ounces sliced mushrooms, browned in a bit of butter

3 green onions, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix sour cream, Worcestershire sauce, 1½ cups of the Parmesan cheese, pepper flakes, and pepper.

 Stir in bacon, mushrooms, and green onions.

Add green beans and mix thoroughly.

Pour green beans in a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish which has been buttered.

Top with the rest of the Parmesan.

Bake until top begins to brown, 20 to 30 minutes.

If the green beans are bubbling, but the cheese isn't browning, turn it on broil for just a second. Let set for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Note: I believe I got this from RecipeLion but it has been so long I could be wrong.

file photo

COPYCAT RECIPE FOR WHOLE FOODS CALIFORNIA QUINOA SAL

 1 cup quinoa

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Zest of 2 limes

1 mango, peeled and diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1/2 cup shelled edamame

1/3 cup chopped red onion

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

1/4 cup sliced almonds

1/4 cup raisins (optional)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

In a large saucepan of 2 cups water, cook quinoa according to package instructions; set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together balsamic vinegar and lime zest; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine quinoa, mango, bell pepper, edamame, red onion, coconut flakes, almonds, raisins and cilantro. Pour the balsamic vinegar mixture on top of the salad and gently toss to combine.

Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Note: Quinoa is a low glycemic food

file photo

SOUTHWEST-STYLE COWBOY BEANS

 2 1/2 cups dry pinto beans, rinsed and soaked overnight

4 quarts water

1 medium onion, quartered

1 tbsp salt

1 lb ground beef or turkey*

1/2 lb bulk turkey* breakfast sausage, crumbled

1 small onion, chopped

1 large green bell pepper, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 can 14 1/2-oz recipe ready diced tomatoes - do not drain

1 can (6-oz) tomato paste

1 pkg (1.25-oz) taco seasoning mix

green onion, chopped, for garnish if desired

Place the water, soaked beans, and the onion into a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, partially covered, for 1 1/2 hours or until the beans are tender. Add the salt and cook another half hour.

In a large skillet, combine the ground meat, sausage, bell pepper and garlic; cook, stirring often, until the meat is browned; drain in a colander.

Add the meat mixture, diced tomatoes, tomato paste and taco seasoning to the beans. Cook over medium heat for another half hour, stirring occasionally.

Note: If serving with cornbread, make homemade cornbread with white whole-wheat flour. If you prefer sweet cornbread, substitute Splenda granulated for the sugar in your recipe. Unless your blood sugar is well controlled, it is probably best to leave off the cornbread.

Garnish with the green onion, if desired.

*Always check the label on your ground turkey and/or turkey sausage for fat content and ingredients. If it contains the skin, do not buy it.

file photo

STRAWBERRY PECAN MUFFINS

This is my original recipe. Feel free to adjust to suit tastes and/or needs.

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup olive or canola oil

1/2 cup sugar-free applesauce

1 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour

1/2 cup Stevia or Splenda granular

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup strawberries, finely chopped or smashed

1/3 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350-degrees.

In a medium mixing bowl, break-up egg using a whisk. Add the milk, oil, applesauce, stirring with the whisk. Stir the sweetener into the mixture.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir half the mixture into the liquid mixture until combined, repeat with the remaining flour mixture. When combined, stir in the strawberries, nuts and vanilla.

Spoon batter into greased muffin tins and bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Yield: 12 muffins

 

TURKEY LETTUCE WRAPS

2 large leaves of leaf lettuce

2 slices turkey bacon, cooked
6 thin slices smoked turkey breast
2 thin peeled avocado slices
2 thin tomato wedges
1 tbsp Blue Cheese salad dressing or your favorite sugar-free dressing


Top the lettuce leaves evenly with the bacon, turkey slices, avocado slices and tomato wedges. Drizzle the dressing over the meat and vegetables. Roll each lettuce leaf up tightly, securing it with a toothpick, if desired.

Yield: 2 wraps

Note: Be careful with the toothpicks to prevent choking. Toothpicks should be removed before you start eating.

file photo

CARAMELIZED BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH LEMON

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

4 cups Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise

2 tbsp water

1 tbsp lemon juice (about juice of half a lemon)

salt

pepper

In a 12-inch nonstick skillet heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat.

Arrange the sprouts in the pan in a single layer with cut sides down. Drizzle with the remaining oil and sprinkle lightly with salt and black pepper. Cover skillet and cook for 3 minutes. Remove lid and sprinkle the sprouts with the water; cover and cook another 2 minutes. Sprouts should be just tender when pierced with a fork. They should be starting to caramelize.

Remove lid and increase heat slightly. When the cut sides are well caramelized, toss sprouts in the pan and drizzle with the lemon juice; sprinkle with more salt and pepper to suit taste. (I suggest not adding more salt here as diabetics should watch their salt intake.)

Yield: 6 servings

Per serving: 106 calories, 9 g fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 209 mg sodium, 6 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 2 g protein

(Remember fat from olive oil is a healthy fat so don't worry about the fat grams.

)

GRILLED ZUCCHINI WITH CHEESE

 

1 lb zucchini, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 lb shredded mozzarella

Preheat broiler or prepare indoor or outdoor grill.
Brush the olive oil on the zucchini slices. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and oregano over the oil. Top with the shredded mozzarella cheese. Grill or broil for about 5 minutes until zucchini softens and cheese melts.

file photo

YUMMY CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE

This cake may not be for every diabetic. If your diabetes is out of control, I would not recommend this. Otherwise it is okay for special occasions such as birthdays, etc. Remember quantity is key, share with family and/or friend.

1 1/2 cup white whole-wheat flour*

1 cup Splenda or Stevia granulated

1/4 cup Splenda Baking Blend

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt1 cup buttermilk**

1 tbsp sugar-free applesauce

2/3 cup coconut oil

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and lightly flour the bottoms only of two 8-inch round cake pans; set aside.

In a large mixer bowl, blend all ingredients at low speed until moistened then beat at medium speed for 3 minutes. Pour batter evenly into the two prepared pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool in pans on wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from pans and allow to cool completely on the wire rack.

Frost with your favorite sugar-free frosting or dust with "sugar-free" powdered sugar (directions below.).

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.

*Use 1 cup white whole wheat flour and 1/2 cup almond flour, if desired. If doing so, I recommend baking in a 9 x 13 pan as it may be too crumbly to do layers.

**If you don't have buttermilk on hand, place 1 tablespoon of vinegar in a measuring cup and add enough milk to make 1 cup; stir and use as you would the buttermilk.

Note: File Photo

I made this as a sheet cake in a 9 X 13-inch pan and frosted it with sugar-free chocolate frosting. It was very good and would make a good celebration, ie birthday, cake with a scoop of vanilla sugar-free ice cream.

BLUEBERRY-WALNUT GREEN SALAD

Note: Watch the sugar content of the dressing. Use your own sugar-free if you need to. You know your blood sugar levels and how to adjust.

1 pkg (10-oz) mixed salad greens

1 pint fresh blueberries

1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

1/4 cup raspberry vinaigrette dressing

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

In a salad bowl toss the greens, blueberries, walnuts and dressing together. Sprinkle with the crumbled cheese.

Yield: 6 servings

file photo

CHEESY CAULIFLOWER BISCUITS

These tasty little biscuits from Cooking Light are less than 25 calories each and they are gluten-free for those who follow a gluten-free diet.

• 1 cauliflower head, leaves removed
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg whites
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (I suggest cutting that in half.)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Step 1: Make Mashed Cauliflower Preheat the oven to 400°F. Steam cauliflower for about 10-12 minutes or until very tender, then transfer to a food processor. Add minced garlic and pulse several times until smooth and creamy.

Step 2: Mix Transfer mashed cauliflower into a large mixing bowl. Add in two whole eggs, cheddar cheese, Nonfat Greek yogurt, salt and pepper and mix together.

In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. Then, slowly fold the egg whites into the cauliflower mixture.

Step 3: Bake Coat a mini muffin pan with cooking spray of your choice. Then fill the cups to the top with the cauliflower mixture. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.

file photo

QUICK AND EASY CHICKEN SKILLET

 

1 tbsp canola or olive oil
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 can (10 1/4) low-fat condensed cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups uncooked instant brown rice
2 cups fresh broccoli broken into small florets

In a heavy 10-inch skillet, over medium heat, heat the canola oil. Add the chicken until well browned on both sides; remove from skillet.

Stir the soup, water, paprika, and pepper together in the skillet. Heat to a boil. Stir rice and broccoli into the soup mixture in skillet and reduce heat to low. Return the chicken to the skillet. Sprinkle additional paprika and pepper over the chicken. Cover and cook 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender.

Yield: 4 servings

clipart

MOCHA SWIRL CHEESECAKE

44 Reduced-Fat* Chocolate Wafers, crushed

1/4 cup butter, melted

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup SPLENDA^® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated

 (8 ounce) packages reduced-fat cream cheese

3/4 cup SPLENDA^® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated 

2 eggs

2 egg whites

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/4 teaspoons instant espresso crystals

2 (.55 ounce) packages Sugar-Free Swiss Miss Instant Cocoa Mix

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Mix crust ingredients (1st 4 ingredients) together and press into a 9-inch springform pan. Place pan on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.

Reset oven temperature to 325 degrees F.

Beat cream cheese and SPLENDA^® Granulated Sweetener together until well mixed and smooth. Add eggs, egg whites, cornstarch and salt. Mix until smooth. Add sour cream and vanilla; mix until well blended.

Measure 1/2 cup of the cheesecake batter and pour into a small bowl. Add instant espresso crystals and cocoa mix. Stir until well combined.

Pour half of plain batter over crust. Top with half of the coffee batter by placing rounded spoonfuls over the cheesecake batter. Gently swirl the coffee batter into plain batter with the tip of knife or spatula. Repeat with remaining batters.

Bake 45-50 minutes or until center is almost set. Remove from oven and gently run metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cheesecake (this helps prevent cracking). Let cool 20-25 minutes before covering and placing in the refrigerator. Refrigerate 4- 6 hours or overnight before serving.

NOTE: This is a dessert and should not be an everyday item. Use for special occasions or take when asked to bring an item to a pitch-in or large family meals, etc. I always recommend taking a dessert. Then you know there is one you can have plus you don't have it setting at home tempting you to over-indulge.

*I use sugar-free.

This is a Splenda recipe. You may substitute any equivalent amount of your favorite sweetener.

Note:  This is a Splenda recipe.

 

BROWN 'SUGAR' AND WALNUT BROWNIES

1/2 cup packed Splenda Brown Sugar Blend

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

2 large eggs

1 tbsp unsweetened applesauce

2 squares (1-oz each) unsweetened chocolate, melted

1/2 cup white whole-wheat flour

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Grease an 8-inch square baking pan; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the Splenda and butter until light and fluffy; beat in the eggs, one at a time along with the applesauce. Beat in the chocolate and when well blended beat in the flour until combined. Stir in the walnuts.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes or until done.

Allow to cool in pan on a wire rack. When cool, cut into 24 bars.

The file photo