COCKTAIL MEATBALLS WITH QUICK SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE

1 lb prepared meatballs (your choice beef, turkey, mixed, etc)

Sauce:
1/3 cup ketchup
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup Splenda Granular
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2/3 cup cold water
1 tbsp + 1 tsp cornstarch

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bake meatballs 15 minutes or until no longer pink, if homemade. Bake until heated through if using frozen.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan combine all sauce ingredients. Place pan over medium heat and simmer until thickened and clear. Pour sauce over meatballs.

Serve meatballs hot. Keep warm in a slow cooker, if necessary.

Yield: Approximately 10 ( 3 to 4 meatballs)
Approximately per serving: 130 calories, 9g carbs, 12g protein, 5g fat (2 saturated), 0g fiber
Diabetic Exchanges: 2 lean meat, 1/2 carb
WW points: 3

 File Photo of a similar recipe.

APPLE OATMEAL CAKE

This is one of the recipes from my vintage recipe collection. This one is from my childhood. I have changed it some to make it more diabetic friendly. If you cannot have desserts I'm sorry, just skip this recipe. It works well for me.

1 cup regular oats, uncooked
1 cup white whole-wheat flour 

3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt (cut in half if you have a problem with sodium)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (measure heavily as cinnamon is a blood sugar stabilizer)
1 cup Splenda grandulated (or equivalent of your favorite sugar substitute)
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 egg or 1/4 cup egg substitute
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup diced apple
1/3 cup English walnuts, chopped

Combine the oats, flour, soda, salt and cinnamon.  Set aside.
Combine Splenda, applesauce, egg, and vanilla.  Add to dry ingredients.
Stir in apples and nuts.
Pour into an 8-inch square pan that has been sprayed with olive or canola oil cooking spray.
Bake at 350 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick insert in the center comes out clean.

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CHICKEN-MACARONI SKILLET MEAL

When I was a kid we didn't get our chickens at the grocery store.  We got them from the chicken coop, grandpa chopped their heads off and mom or grandma plucked the feathers and singed them.  I hated that.  To this day I won't eat chicken.  I know it comes from growing up around them.  My family all love chicken and one granddaughter won't eat beef but she could live on chicken.  Yuck!  But for all you out there who, like Lindsay, love chicken here is one of our old recipes for you. This recipe is from my vintage recipe collection with a few changes to make it diabetic-friendly.

4 cups chicken broth
8-oz uncooked elbow macaroni (use whole-grain,veggie.or low/no carb macaroni)
2 slices bacon, cut up
1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
2 cups cut up cooked chicken (or turkey)
2 cups shredded American cheese (I suggest low-fat American)
1/4 cup chopped pimento
1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds
1 pkg (10-oz) frozen peas, thawed

In a 2-quart saucepan bring the chicken broth to a boil.  Add the macaroni to the boiling broth.  Cook 10 minutes or until tender; do not drain.
In a large skillet, fry bacon until crisp; add the bell pepper and onion.  Cook, stirring, until the onion is tender.  Drain off fat.  Stir in the macaroni/broth, chicken, cheese, pimento, almonds and peas.  Cook on low until heated through.

You have meat, grains, vegetables and dairy all in this one dish.

Serves 8

ROGERS ROPIN' MEAT SAUCE

Most of us know of Will Rogers the late cowboy, one of the world's greatest trick ropers, actor, writer, and humorist.   His son Jim Rogers was also an accomplished cowboy and actor who appeared along side Hopalong Cassidy in many movies.  This is one of their favorite recipes for barbecue sauce.  This is a recipe of theirs from the 1930s. With just a couple of changes, noted in ( ), most of us diabetics can enjoy this recipe.

1/2 cup ketchup (I use sugar-free)
1 tbsp A-1 steak sauce
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar (substitute 1 1/2 tbsp Splenda brown sugar blend)
pinch of chili powder

Combine all ingredients well.  "It goes well with most cuts of beef, from hamburgers to T-bones."
Makes 1/2 cup

CHIA-ALMOND PANCAKES

1 3/4 cups white whole wheat flour

1/2 cup all-purpose (Personal note: I only use white whole wheat never all-purpose.)
1 tbsp chia seeds, ground
1 tbsp Splenda Granulated
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/4 cups unsweetened soy milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted

In a bowl, stir together the flour/s, chia seeds, Splenda, baking powder, and salt.

In a separate bowl combine the milk, eggs, oil, and extract; add to the flour mixture. Stir only until moistened, batter should remain slightly lumpy.

For each pancake, pour about 1/4 cup batter onto a hot, lightly greased griddle or heavy skillet. If batter is too thick, add a small amount more of the milk. Cook over medium heat 3 to 4 minutes per side or until the pancakes are light golden, turning when bubbly and edges are slightly dry.

Sprinkle the pancakes with almonds and drizzle with a sugar-free or low sugar syrup, if desired.

Yield: 8 servings of 2 pancakes
Note: I got this recipe from a Diabetic Living magazine and made some changes to better suit my diabetes.

DL Photo

MANGO-MELON SALSA

10 drops SweetLeaf Liquid Stevia Lemon Drop Sweet Drops

1 cup cantaloupe melon, diced
1 cup fresh mango, peeled and diced
1/2 serrano chili, seeded and minced
1 tbsp fresh mint, shredded
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup fresh pineapple, diced
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chili powder

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly.Refrigerate before serving.

Yield: 2 cups
Per serving of 2 tablespoons: 5 calories, 0g fat, 0g protein, 2g carbs, 1g sugar
Note: This is a SweetLeaf recipe.

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CHEESE STUFFED ONION-MUSHROOM BURGERS

1 1/2 lbs ground beef

1 envelope dry onion-mushroom soup mix
3 oz mozzarella cheese, cut into 6 cubes

In a bowl, combine the ground beef with the soup mix until well combined. Shape mixture into 6 equal patties.

Place 1 cheese cube in the center of each patty; bring meat over cheese to enclose in the center of the patty. Shape into burger.

Broil or grill burgers until desired doneness.

I serve on whole-grain sandwich thins instead of hamburger buns.

Garnish with lettuce, tomato, onion, etc. Using veggies as garnish puts more vegetables into your diet rather than sauces which usually add fat and sugar.

Yield: 6 burgers

Note: File Photo

GELATIN ANTIPASTO SALAD

1 pkg (4 serving size) sugar-free Lemon-flavored gelatin

1/2 tsp salt, optional - I suggest you omit
1 cup boiling water
1 tbsp white vinegar
2 cups ice cubes (Old recipe - do not use too much crushed ice as it will all dissove quickly)
1/2 cup finely cut salami
1/3 cup finely cut Swiss cheese
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 tbsp sliced ripe olives

Dissolve gelatin and salt, if using, in the boiling water; stir until completely dissolved. Add ice cubes and vinegar; stir constantly until thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove any unmelted ice and discard.
Stir the remaining ingredients into the gelatin mixture. Pour into a 3-cup serving bowl and chill until firm, about 3 hours.
Garnish as desired.
Yield: 4 servings

the file photo

APPLE CINNAMON PUFFED PANCAKE

2 tsp butter

1 tsp Splenda Brown Sugar Blend
1 small apple, peeled, cored, diced fine
2/3 cup 1% milk
2 large eggs + 1 large egg white
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
1/4 cup Splenda Granulated
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Melt butter in a 10-inch ovenproof skillet; add brown sugar blend and apple, cooking 3 to 4 minutes to soften the apple.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, egg white, flour, Splenda Granulated, cinnamon, and vanilla just until smooth. Pour over the apples in the hot skillet and immediately place in the oven. Bake at 435 degrees 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees and bake an additional 10-15 minutes. Pancake is done when it is puffed up and the edges are curled up and browned.

Remove from oven and lightly dust with the powdered sugar or your own homemade fake powdered sugar.
Serve with some fresh berries or fruit, if desired. Butter and syrup are not necessary with this pancake. I would eat a protein item with this.

Yield: 3 servings
Per serving: 210 calories, 26 g carbs 2g fiber, 9 g protein
Diabetic Exchanges: 1 1/3 carbs, 1 fat

This pancake is not this recipe. It is used for reference only

CRUSTLESS PUMPKIN PIE

1 can (15-oz) pumpkin

1/3 cup Splenda Granulated
1 tbsp honey, optional
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup fat-free evaporated milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly grease an 8-inch springform pan; set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl combine the pumpkin, Splenda, honey, and pumpkin pie spice. Add the eggs and vanilla extract; beat lightly just until combined. Gradually stir in the milk.

Pour the mixture into the prepared springform pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes or until the center appears set when gently shaken.  Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours but up to 24 hours before cutting to serve.

To serve, loosen from sides of pan by running a thin metal spatula or knife around the edge; remove sides of pan.

Cut pie into 8 wedges to serve. Top each wedge with a dollop of sugar-free frozen whipped topping, thawed and sprinkled with cinnamon, if desired.

file photo