CHILI MEATLOAF

1 cup tomato sauce, divided

3 tbsp Splenda granulated or equivalent amount of your favorite sweetener
2 tsp prepared yellow mustard
1 1/2 tsp chili powder, divided
1 tbsp dried onion flakes
1 tbsp dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp salt

1 lb extra-lean ground beef (or turkey)
1/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a 9-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

Mix 1/3 cup of the tomato sauce, 2 tablespoons Splenda, mustard, 1 teaspoon of the chili powder, onion flakes, parsley flakes and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Add the meat and bread crumbs; stir together well.

Shape mixture into a loaf and fit into the prepared pan.

In a small bowl, mix the remaining tomato sauce, chili powder, and Splenda together. Spoon mixture over the top of the meatloaf.

Bake at 350 degrees 55 to 60 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for at least 5 minutes before slicing.

file photo

CITRUS-GLAZED CHICKEN ALMONDINE

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 1/2 tbsp orange juice concentrate, thawed
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/2 cup chicken broth
3 tbsp Splenda Granulated (or equal amount your favorite sweetener)
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
1 tbsp fresh parsley, stemmed, chopped
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place chicken on a foil-lined baking sheet and brush with 1 tablespoon of the orange concentrate.

Bake chicken 15 to 20 minutes or until cooked through.

In a small saucepan, combine the remaining orange concentrate, lemon juice, and chicken broth.

Blend the Splenda and cornstarch together in a cup or small bowl; stir into the broth mixture.  Cook over medium-high heat until bubbly then simmer 8 to 10 minutes or until slightly thickened.  Remove from heat.

Whisk the butter into the sauce; add chives and parsley.

To serve, pour sauce over the chicken and sprinkle the almonds overall.

Yield: 4 servings
Per serving: Approximately 230 calories, 9 g carbs, 28 g protein, 5 g sugar (from the juices)

file photo

BAKED VEGETABLES

2 medium potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 medium carrots, cut into 1//4-inch slices

1 cup cut fresh green beans

2 medium onions, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp olive oil

2 cups cauliflowerets 

4 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 celery rib, thinly sliced

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp dried marjoram

1/8 tsp pepper 

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch slices

Grease, or spray with nonstick baking spray, a 2 1/2-inch baking dish.

Heat oven to 350 - degrees.

In a saucepan, bring 1-quart of water to a boil. Add the potatoes, carrots and beans. Return to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and set aside.

In a skillet, sauté onions and garlic in oil until tender. Add cauliflower, tomatoes, celery and all the spices. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes. Spoon half this mixture over the potatoes mixture in the baking dish. Top with the bell pepper and zucchini and the remaining tomato mixture. Cover and bake at 350-degrees for 40-45 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Use a slotted spoon to serve.

Yield: 12 servings of 3/4-cup

Per serving: 74 calories, 2g fat (trace sat), 0 cholesterol, 213 mg sodium, 13g carbs, 3g fiber, 2g protein

Diabetic Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 1/2 starch

file photo, not this exact recipe

BAKED SALMON WITH ORANGE-GINGER SAUCE

1 section (2 1/2-in) fresh gingerroot

1 cup unsweetened orange juice
1/4 cup Splenda granulated
2 tbsp nonfat half-and-half cream
1/4 tsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
2 cups frozen stir-fry vegetables
2 salmon fillets (10-oz)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

To make the sauce:
Peel gingerroot and slice into 10 slices.

Pour orange juice into a small saucepan and add Splenda and gingerroot slices. Bring mixture to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Boil 10 to 12 minutes or until reduced to 2 to 3 tablespoons. Remove from the heat and remove the ginger slices. Set pan aside.

Mix the cream, cornstarch, and salt together.

Whisk the softened butter 1 tablespoon at a time into the orange sauce, whisking until butter is melted. Add the cream mixture, stirring well.

Return sauce to heat and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.

Remove sauce from the heat and pour into a blender container. Mix 15 to 20 seconds until smooth and light in color. Set aside.

To prepare the salmon:
Place the vegetables into an oiled 8-inch square baking pan. Place the salmon fillets over the vegetables. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes or until cooked through.

To serve:
Place the vegetables and salmon on serving plates and spoon the orange-ginger sauce over the salmon.

Yield: 2 servings
Per serving: 490 calories, 27 g fat (salmon is healthy fat), 24 g carbs, 31 g protein

file photo

NO-SUGAR-ADDED SOFT PEACH ICE CREAM

This is a recipe I got several years ago from a friend's diabetic website. I have never made it as I am not an ice cream eater.

Just five ingredients and the push of a button yield a delicious dessert.

• 1/3 C non fat dry powdered milk
• 1C frozen peaches, no sugar-added
• 1C skim milk
• 1C ice cubes
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

1. Blend in blender, until smooth.
2. Place leftovers in a freezer-proof container and freeze.

Nutritional Facts

Servings

2

Cholesterol

5mg

Calories

138

Sodium

156mg

Carbohydrate

27g

Protein

10g

Fat

trace

AVOCADO FETA SALSA

2 plum tomatoes, chopped

1 ripe avocado - peeled, pitted and chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon snipped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon red or white wine vinegar

4 ounces crumbled feta cheese

Combine the tomatoes, avocado, onion and garlic in a bowl, stirring gently. Mix in parsley and oregano. Gently stir in olive oil and vinegar. Then stir in feta. Cover, and chill for 2 to 6 hours.

Yield: 12 serving

Per serving: Per Serving: 66 calories; 5.6 g fat; 2.8 g carbohydrates; 1.8 g protein; 8 mg cholesterol; 108 mg sodium. 

Recipe and photo from all recipes a few years ago

BACON-WRAPPED CHICKEN BREASTS

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

4 tbsp pesto 

4 bacon slices

Preheat oven to 400-degrees.

Pound chicken breasts until thin. Spread each chicken breast with 1 tablespoon of pesto. Roll each into a roll and wrap each with one piece of bacon. Secure with toothpicks. Place on a baking sheet and bake 30 minutes at 400-degrees.

NOTE: Please remove toothpicks before serving! 

file photo for reference

BLACK BEAN BROWNIES

1 can (15-oz) low-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained

2 large eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup Splenda granular
1/2 tsp canola oil
1/2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
1 tbsp fat-free milk
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup sugar-free chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a 9-inch square baking pan or dish with nonstick cooking spray and line with parchment paper.

Place all ingredients except chocolate chips and walnuts in a blender and blend until combined and smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts and pour batter into prepared baking pan or dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from oven and cool in pan on a wire rack. Cool completely before cutting into 20 brownies.

Note: File photo without nuts

Reminder: This is a dessert and should  be treated as such. Do not over-indulge and share with others or freeze extras, a couple per bag, in small ziptop bags to pull out when desired.

SAUSAGE-CHEDDAR MUFFINS

2 tbsp olive oil

1 lb bulk sausage

1 tsp salt, divided

1/2 cup unsalted butter

2 garlic cloves, grated

2 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1 tbsp pure maple syrup OR sugar-free maple flavored syrup

2 cups white whole wheat flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

8-oz sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded, divided

Chopped fresh chives for garnish, optional

Preheat oven to 400-degrees. Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and 1/4 tsp of the salt; cook, stirring frequently to break up the meat. You want the meat to be in small crumbles. Cook until well browned, about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; set aside.

Microwave butter and garlic in a medium microwave-proof bowl on high until butter is melted, about 30-45 seconds. Stir together to incorporate. Allow to cool to room temperature. Whisk in the eggs, buttermilk and syrup until smooth. Set aside.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and remaining salt. Add the buttermilk mixture, cooked sausage, and 1 3/4 cups of the cheese; stir just until combined. It is important not to overmix.

Lightly coat a 1/3-cup measuring cup with cooking spray and use to spoon batter into the 12 prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake at 400-degrees until puffed and golden brown, 22 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and place pan ov a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Gently loosen muffins and remove from the pan. Garnish with chives, if using.

Muffins are best served warm. Cooled muffins may be stored in refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat before serving.

Yield: 12 muffins

Note: This is a bread item and should be treated as such. Only 1 muffin per serving. If you have a hard time controlling portion size, make in mini muffin pans and eat two per serving. You could also make smaller muffins by making 18 instead of 12. Use good judgement on bread items.

 

The idea for this recipe and the photo are from Southern Living

TRIPLE PEPPER GELATIN SALAD

 

2 pkgs (4-serving size each) lemon-flavored sugar free gelatin

2 cups boiling water
1 1/2 cups cold water
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 cups assorted chopped red, yellow, and green bell peppers
2 tbsp sliced green onion

Completely dissolve the gelatin in the boiling water, stirring to be sure all is dissolved. Stir in the cold water and lemon juice.  Chill until slightly thickened.

Stir in the peppers and green onion.

Lightly spray a 5-cup mold with nonstick cooking spray; pour gelatin mixture into the mold.

Chill gelatin until firm, at least 4 hours. Unmold to serve.

This is an old Jell-O recipe I have had for around 40 years.