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.

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.

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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.

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.

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