PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS

4 large eggs
2 cups Splenda Granulated
1 can (15-oz) pumpkin
1 cup olive or coconut oil
1/2 cup unsweetened cinnamon applesauce
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups white Whole-Wheat flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
12-oz (2 cups) sugar-free chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Grease or add paper baking cups to 24 muffin  cups; set aside.

Beat the eggs, Splenda, pumpkin and oil in a large bowl until smooth.

Combine flours, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a separate bowl; gradually add to the pumpkin mixture, mixing well.

Fold the chips into the batter.

Fill each muffin cup 3/4 full of batter and bake at 400 degrees 15-18 minutes until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool in pan a few minutes then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

BLACKENED CATFISH WITH SALSA VERDE

4 (6 -8 oz) catfish fillets, patted dry
2 tbsp Cajun seasoning
2 tbsp olive or canola oil
3/4 cup mild salsa verde
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Sprinkle the Cajun seasoning on both sides of the fish fillets.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add fish (2 at a time if necessary); cook until lightly browned (approximately 3 minutes), turn and repeat on other side. Fish is done when just opaque.

Combine the salsa and cilantro; and place atop the fish for serving.

Yield: 4 servings

Per serving: 345 calories, 2.5 g carbs, 31.5 g protein,

file photo for reference only

ALMOND CHICKEN SALAD

4 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup seedless green grapes, halved
1/2 cup fat-free mayonnaise
1/2 cup plain non-fat yogurt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped toasted almonds

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except almonds and mix together well. Cover salad and refrigerate for several hours.

Just before serving, stir in the almonds.

Yield: 8 (3/4 cup) servings
Per serving: 126 calories, 8 g carbs, 13 g protein
Diabetic exchanges: 2 lean meat, 1/2 fruit

Note: File Photo

CONFETTI SPAGHETTI

For this recipe to be diabetic friendly you must use the whole-grain spaghetti. Do not substitute regular spaghetti!

1 pkg (12-oz) whole-wheat spaghetti (I always use thin spaghetti.)
1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef (or bulk Italian sausage)
1 medium-size green bell pepper, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes, do not drain
1 can (8-oz) tomato sauce
1 1/2 tsp Splenda Brown Sugar Blend
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Dash of cayenne pepper
3/4 cup low-fat shredded cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, etc of your choice)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook spaghetti according to package directions; drain.

While spaghetti cooks, in a large skillet, cook the beef, bell pepper and onion over medium heat until beef is browned; drain well.

Return beef mixture to skillet and stir in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, Splenda, and all the spices. Add the drained spaghetti to the skillet.

Spray a 9 X 13-inch baking dish or pan with nonstick cooking spray and transfer spaghetti mixture to the dish. Cover and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Remove the cover from dish, sprinkle cheese over the top and continue to bake for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Yield: 12 servings

File Photo

Note: This is my diabetic version of a TOH recipe from 15-20 years ago. After being diagnosed as a diabetic I reworked this recipe to be diabetic-friendly.

SWEET AND SOUR VEGETABLES

3 cups cauliflowerets
3 cups broccoli florets
2 medium carrots, sliced thin
1 medium zucchini, quartered and thinly sliced
1 small red onion, cut in half lengthwise then sliced thin
3/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup Splenda granulated
2 tbsp olive or canola oil
Sunflower kernels

In a large heat-proof bowl, combine the cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, zucchini and onion; set aside.

In a saucepan over medium heat, bring the vinegar and Splenda to a boil; remove from the heat and stir in the oil. Pour mixture over the vegetables and toss to coat completely. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Sprinkle with sunflower kernels just before serving.

Yield: 12 servings
Per serving: Diabetic Exchanges = 1 1/2 vegetable and 1/2 fat

File Photo

Source: Country Magazine 1999

BAYOU CHICKEN AND SAUSAGE STEW

8 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
1/4 salt
1 tbsp canola and olive oil
6-oz andouille sausage links, sliced
2 red bell peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped
3 tbsp white whole-wheat flour
1 (14-oz) can lower-sodium chicken broth
1 can (14.5-oz) diced tomatoes, do not drain
1 tsp dried thyme
1 small zucchini or yellow summer squash. cut into 1-inch pieces

Pat chicken dry; sprinkle with salt.

Heat large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the oil and when oil is hot add the chicken, skin side down, and cook 10-12 minutes or until golden brown, turning once. Remove from skillet to a Dutch oven.

Drain all but 2 tablespoons of drippings from the skillet. Add the sausage to skillet and cook over medium-high heat 3 to 4 minutes to brown on all sides. Add to the chicken in the Dutch oven.

Add the bell peppers and onion to the same skillet and cook a few minutes until they start to soften. Sprinkle the flour over the veggies and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the chicken broth until blended; stir in the tomatoes and thyme. Pour mixture over the chicken and sausage.

Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes.

Add the squash and continue to cook on low heat until the chicken is cooked through and the veggies are tender, about 15-20 minutes.

Yield: 4 servings
Per serving: 560 calories, 18.5 g carbs, 3.5 g fiber, 41 g protein

Note: File Photo of this recipe.

Source: Old Cooking Club magazine

EASY PEACH COBBLER

8 cups sliced fresh or frozen peaches
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup Splenda granulated (or equivalent of your favorite sugar substitute)
1 cup white-whole-wheat flour (or equivalent of your favorite low/carb flour)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp Splenda granulated

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Place the peaches over the bottom of a 9 X 13-inch baking pan or dish; set aside.

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and 1 cup Splenda. Add the flour and mix together well. Sprinkle the mixture over the peaches.

Stir the cinnamon and 1 1/2 teaspoon of Splenda together in a bowl until well combined; sprinkle overall.

Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour or until the topping is a golden brown.

Serve with sugar-free frozen yogurt, if desired.

Note: File Photo

BLUE RIBBON CHICKEN ROLL-UPS

6 ( 1 1/2 lbs) boneless skinless chicken breast halves
6 slices Swiss cheese
3 tbsp white whole-wheat flour
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp butter
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 tsp dried oregano

Flatten chicken to 1/4-inch thickness. Place a cheese slice on each chicken piece and roll up jellyroll style.

In a shallow bowl or pie plate, combine the flour and pepper; roll chicken pieces in mixture to coat.

Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat, add chicken and cook until browned, about 10 minutes, turning to brown all sides.

Add the broth and oregano to the chicken in the skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer 12-14 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Yield: 6 servings
Per serving: 4 g carbs to 36 g protein
Diabetic exchanges: 4 lean meat, 1/2 starch, 1/2 fat

Note: TOH photo

This recipe is from a 2001 Country Cooking Cookbook

CRANBERRY MUFFINS

1 1/2 cups white whole-wheat flour, sift before measuring
1/2 cup garbanzo bean flour
1/2 cup Splenda granulated
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup coarsely chopped cranberries
1 cup low-fat milk
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 large eggs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Grease 12 muffin cups with solid shortening or line with paper cups; set aside.

Sift the flours with half the Splenda, the baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl.

Place cranberries in a small mixing bowl and toss with the remaining Splenda to coat well. Add to the flour mixture and toss again.

Measure the milk into a 2-cup glass measuring cup. Add the 1/4 cup melted butter and eggs; beat with a fork or small whisk until eggs are incorporated and all is well combined.

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour milk/egg mixture into the well. Quickly stir with a fork just until moistened. Do not beat - batter will be lumpy.

Divide the batter evenly into the muffin cups, filling each about 2/3's full. Place on center rack in oven and bake at 400 degrees 25-30 minutes until golden brown.

Remove muffins from pan to a wire rack.

Note: File Photo

ZIPPY SWISS STEAK

1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 can (28-oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (4-oz) chopped green chilies
1 1/2 tsp salt, divided
3 tbsp white whole-wheat or almond flour
Dash of freshly ground black pepper
2 lbs (approx1/2" thick) boneless round steak

In a 2-quart saucepan, saute the onion and garlic in half of the olive oil; add the tomatoes, chilies, and 1/2 tsp salt. Simmer the mixture, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes until slightly thickened.

While the above mixture simmers, combine the flour, pepper, and remaining teaspoon salt in a shallow dish or pie plate. Cut the steak into six serving-size pieces and dredge in the flour mixture.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Heat the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet and brown the steak on both sides. Transfer the steak to an ungreased 9 x 13-inch baking dish or pan. Pour half the tomato mixture over the steak; set remaining mixture aside.

Bake at 325 degrees for 2 hours or until steak is tender.

Reheat the remaining tomato mixture to serve as a sauce with the steak.

Yield: 6 servings

Note: File Photo of this recipe.

Source: 2001 Best of Country Cooking