WELCOME TO DIABETIC ENJOYING FOOD

I have chosen this name for this blog because it truly states my story. I am a type II diabetic who most certainly enjoys food. When I was diagnosed with diabetes several years ago, my blood sugar level was over 400. With some oral medications, a lot of research and some trial and error, I have found that unlike my ancestors I truly can continue to enjoy food. I hope this blog will help you to also enjoy food and be healthy. Some recipes are my originals and some I have collected. Everyone reacts different to various foods. Check your blood sugar readings so you will know whether or not a recipe works for you! And feel free to take a recipe and adjust it to suit your needs.

Monday, November 13, 2023

ONION BREAD KUCHEN

This recipe is from a 1987 Country Woman magazine. 

1 loaf frozen bread dough, thawed

1 lb onions, diced

4 tbsp butter

2-oz thin-sliced ham, diced

2 eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

Salt to taste 

Caraway seeds

Roll bread dough out on a greased cookie sheet, forming slight rim around edges; set aside.

In a skillet, sauté onion in butter until clear; mix in ham, eggs, sour cream, salt and caraway seeds. Spread mixture over the dough.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until dough is golden brown on top. Remove from oven and cut into small squares.

Yield: 30 appetizers

Per serving: 72 calories, 117mg sodium, 25mg cholesterol, 8g carbs, 3g protein, 3g fat

Diabetic Exchanges: 1/2 bread, 1/2 vegetable, 1/2 fat

file photo for reference only



Sunday, November 12, 2023

ITALIAN SAUSAGE STUFFED MUSHROOMS

 

1/4 lb Italian sausage

1 cup chopped onions
12 large white mushrooms
3/4 cup +1 tbsp water
1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
3/4 cup quick-cook brown rice
2/3 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Brown sausage with the onions in a medium skillet, breaking up the meat with a fork.

Remove stems from mushrooms, chop stems very fine.  Add chopped stems to the meat/onion mixture. Cook the mixture until lightly browned. Add the water, parsley, salt, and pepper to the mixture and bring to a full boil.  Stir in the rice.

Place a lid on the skillet and remove from the heat.  Let stand 8 minutes or the amount of time suggested on the package for the rice.

In a small bowl combine the mayonnaise and Parmesan cheese; spoon 1/2 cup into the rice mixture.  Spoon mixture into the mushroom caps.

Place the mushrooms into a shallow baking dish. Top with the remaining mayonnaise mixture.

Bake mushrooms at 400 degrees approximately 15 minutes or until browned and puffy.

file photo

Saturday, November 11, 2023

SIRLOIN CITRUS SALAD

1 lb beef top sirloin steak, 1-inch thick

1 tbsp olive oil

4 cups torn romaine lettuce

2 oranges, peeled and separated into segments

1/4 cup toasted walnuts

Citrus Vinaigrette (recipe below)

Fresh sliced strawberries for garnish, optional

Prepare the CITRUS VINAIGRETTE as follows:

Thoroughly combine 2 tablespoons each of orange juice and red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoons olive oil, 2 teaspoons fresh local honey OR a sugar-free honey product (according to your blood sugar needs), 1 1/4 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard. This makes 1/3 cup. Set dressing aside while you prepare the salad.

Cut steak into thin strips then cut each strip in half crosswise.

Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Stir-fry the steak, doing half at a time, for 1 to 2 minutes or until cooked to your liking. Remove with a slotted spoon and season with a little salt, if desired.

Toss lettuce, beef and oranges together in a large bowl. Sprinkle with the walnuts. Drizzle with the citrus vinaigrette and garnish with strawberries, if using. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings



Friday, November 10, 2023

FRESH BASIL SALAD DRESSING

1/3 cup minced fresh basil

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp water

2 garlic cloves, pressed

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir well with a whisk.

Cover and chill at least 1 hour.

Yield: 1/2 cup

file photo - not this exact recipe

 

Thursday, November 9, 2023

GREEN ONION OMELET

6 bacon slices, crisp fried and crumbled

2 bunches green onions, tops included, chopped into 1/4-inch slices

8 large eggs

1/2 cup low-fat milk

1/2 to 1 tsp salt (or less)

1/2 tsp black pepper

Cook onion, on low heat, in a small amount of the bacon drippings with the crumbled bacon. Cook only until the onion is wilted and stir constantly. 

Using a fork, mix eggs, milk, salt and pepper until blended. Pour gently over the onion/bacon mixture and stir with the fork to spread over the skillet. Cook on low, lifting edges of omelet with a spatula allowing the uncooked eggs to cook around the edges. Cook until the eggs are puffy and set. Serve immediately.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

file photo


Wednesday, November 8, 2023

SAVORY STUFFED PORK CHOPS

 

4 (1 1/2-inch thick) pork chops

salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp olive or coconut oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
1/4 tsp dried sage
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 cup whole-grain dry breadcrumbs
2 tbsp water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Trim fat from the pork chops and cut a 2-inch pocket in each chop.  Sprinkle the inside of each pocket with salt and pepper to suit your taste.

Heat the oil in a large skillet; add the onion and mushrooms, sauté until tender. Remove from the heat and stir in the sage, salt, pepper, and breadcrumbs. Add enough of the water to moisten the stuffing enough to hold together.

Spoon the stuffing into the 4 pockets of the chops.  Secure the pockets with kitchen twine or with toothpicks and place in a baking dish or pan.  Add the remaining water and cover the dish.

Bake chops at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Remove the cover and continue to bake for 20 minutes or until tender and cooked through.

file photo

Tuesday, November 7, 2023

MICROWAVE EGG STUFFED TOMATOES

 

4 large firm tomatoes

1 carton (8-oz) egg substitute
1/2 tsp dried dill
4 tsp whole-grain bread crumbs

Cut the tops off the tomatoes and scoop out and save the pulp.  Chop approximately 1/3 of the pulp and discard remainder or save for another use.

Lightly spray a 1 1/2-quart microwavable bowl and add the egg substitute and dill; cover.  Microwave on high 2 to 3 minutes or until set but still slightly moist; stir halfway through cooking.

Stir the chopped pulp into the eggs.

Arrange the tomatoes on a large microwave-safe plate and spoon 1 teaspoon of the bread crumbs into each of the tomatoes.

Divide the egg mixture evenly among the tomatoes and cover.

Microwave on a turntable for 2 to 3 minutes or until heated through on high.

Top each tomato with a sprig of fresh dill, if desired.

Serve immediately.
file photo

Monday, November 6, 2023

CAPPUCCINO COOKIES

I took a recipe (and photo) from a Diabetes Self Management magazine and changed it from a regular devil's food cake to a sugar-free mix which suits me better. However, the nutritional info at the end is based on a regular devil's food cake mix.

1 pkg (approx 18-oz) sugar-free devil's food cake mix
8 egg whites
3/4 cup fat-free milk
1 tbsp instant coffee granules
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Powdered sugar, optional

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Line cookie sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

In a medium bowl, using a spatula, mix the cake mix, egg whites, coffee and cinnamon until well blended.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto the parchment lined baking sheets.

Bake at 400 degrees 5 minutes or until the centers are set. Cool on the cookie sheets 1 minute then remove to wire racks to cool completely. Sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar, if desired.

Yield: 4 dozen
24 servings
Per serving of 2 cookies: 103 calories, 3g fat (1g saturated), 2g protein, 17g carbs, 1mg cholesterol,1g fiber, 203mg sodium
Diabetic exchange: 1 bread/starch, 1 fat

Saturday, November 4, 2023

VEGGIE MINI PIZZAS

Do you long for a pizza for lunch, etc from time to time but have a blood sugar problem when you eat one? You might want to give this idea a try.

4 Whole-wheat sandwich thins, separated
5 sundried tomatoes packed in oil
   1 tbsp + 2 tsp of the oil
1 cup fresh ricotta cheese
8-oz fresh mushrooms, chopped
1 cup fresh baby spinach leaves, washed and dried
salt to taste, optional - I suggest omitting
Freshly ground black pepper to taste (If you like spice, you could substitute ground red pepper)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Toast the sandwich thins lightly.

In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until soft and moisture is released, about 5 minutes. Season with the salt and pepper as desired.

Meanwhile, in a blender or food processor, pulse the sundried tomatoes with the 2 teaspoons of their oil until smooth; add the ricotta cheese. Pulse to incorporate, season with more salt and pepper, if desired.

Spread approximately 2 tablespoons of the tomato/ricotta mixture on top of each sandwich thin half. Top each with a few baby spinach leaves and divide the mushrooms evenly among the pizzas.

Place pizzas on a baking sheet and bake approximately 3 to 5 minutes to heat and infuse the flavors.

Yield: 8 servings
Per serving: 85 calories, 4g fiber, 7g protein, 14g carbs, 1 g fat

I got this recipe from OROWHEAT

Friday, November 3, 2023

SESAME GINGER CHICKEN

1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted

2 tsp grated ginger

2 tbsp honey (may use sugar-free honey, if desired)

2 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce

4 (4-oz each) skinned, boneless chicken breast halves

Nonstick cooking olive oil spray

Thin green onion strips, optional

Combine the seeds, ginger, honey and soy sauce in a small bowl; stir well and set aside.

Place chicken between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap, and flatten to 1/4-inch thickness, using a meat mallot or rolling pin.

Coat a grill rack with cooking spray, place on grill over medium-hot coals or heat. Place chicken on the rack and cook 4 minutes per side. Baste quickly with the soy sauce mixture. Transfer chicken to a serving platter and garnish with the green onions, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings

Per serving: 201 calories, 4.4g fat, 9.9g carbs, 26.7g protein, 361mg sodium Note: These numbers are with honey.

file photo for reference