BREAKFAST STUFFED PEPPERS

Yes, adding veggies to your breakfast is a good thing for diabetics. With this easy recipe you will get grains, veggies, dairy, eggs, and spices all in one easy dish. What a great way to start your day. Personal note: I would never eat an egg this way, just my preference. I scramble my egg and add when the pepper is done. Also, I like to keep my own home-cooked beans and brown rice cooked and in the fridge for things like this.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2/3 cup cooked brown rice
1/2 cup canned reduced-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chopped tomato
1/4 cup shredded Mexican-blend cheese
1/2 tsp salt-free Southwest chipotle seasoning
1/4 tsp salt
1 extra-large bell pepper, halved lengthwise and seeded
2 eggs
Snipped fresh cilantro

To make filling: In a medium bowl combine the rice, beans, tomato, 2 tablespoons of the cheese, the chipotle seasoning and salt. Divide the mixture evenly between the two pepper halves.

Bake at 350 degrees, covered, 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, using a spoon make an indention in the filling and break an egg into the indention. Repeat with second pepper half. Replace cover and make an additional 15 minutes or until egg whites are set. Top with the remaining cheese and sprinkle with cilantro.

 This recipe and photo are from a Diabetes magazine.

STRAWBERRY FOOL

Did you know the English serve a dessert made by swirling pureed fruit into whipped cream and calling it a "Fool"? Did you also know that "Fool" comes from the French word fouler, meaning to crush? This recipe for Strawberry Fool will fool your family and friends into believing they are not eating a diabetic dessert!

1 1/2 cups low-fat plain yogurt
8 tbsp Splenda Granular, divided
1/2 tsp almond extract, optional (but it adds great flavor)
12 oz fresh strawberries, washed and stemmed
4 tbsp heaving whipping cream

In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, 4 tablespoons of the Splenda, and the almond extract.

In a separate bowl, mash the strawberries with 2 tablespoons of the Splenda.

Chill both mixtures for at least an hour.

Whip the cream with the last 2 tablespoons of the Splenda until moderately stiff. Fold the cream into the chilled yogurt mixture. Swirl the strawberry mixture into the creamy mixture.

Yield: 4 servings
Per serving (3/4 cup): 140 calories, 16 g carbs, 6 grams protein, 6 g fat (3 g saturated), 2 g fiber
Diabetic Exchanges: 1/2 Lo2-fat milk, 1/2 Fruit, 1 Fat

This is a Splenda recipe and a file photo.

RASPBERRY BBQ WINGS

2/3 cup sugar-free barbecue sauce

2/3 cup seedless sugar-free or low-sugar raspberry jam
3 tbsp finely chopped onion
1 or 2 (depending on your taste) jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped (use gloves when seeding and chopping)
2 tsp minced garlic, divided
2 tsp liquid smoke, optional, divided
1/4 tsp salt
15 whole (approx. 3 lb) chicken wings*
1 small onion, sliced
1 cup water

In a small bowl combine the first 4 ingredients, half the garlic, half the liquid smoke, and the salt; mix together well. Cover bowl and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray or grease a 15 x 10-inch baking pan that has sides.

Cut wings into 3 pieces, discarding the wing tip piece. Place wings in the prepared baking pan and cover with the onion and the rest of the garlic.

Combine the water and remaining liquid smoke; pour over the wings. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until the juices run clear.

Grease a broiler pan and transfer the wings to it. Brush the wings with the sauce. Broil 4 to 6-inches from the heat for 20 to 25 minutes, basting and turning every 5 minutes or until the wings are well coated.

*You may substitute 3 lbs uncooked chicken wingettes to eliminate cutting up wings.

Note: I got this idea from an old TOH contest winning recipe. I redid the recipe to make it more diabetic-friendly. 

TOH doesn't want their photo shared and I am a poor photographer so this is a file photo for reference only, not this exact recipe.

VEGETABLE AND PASTA SOUP

I am a diabetic who loves soups. This recipe is one I got from a Diabetic Living magazine. At the end you will notice some changes I made to make it more suitable to me and to raise the protein ratio to the carb ratio. Try it either way and enjoy it on a cold winter day! This is a slow cooker recipe for those who like the convenience of one.

1 can (15-oz) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 pkg (8-oz) fresh button mushrooms, quartered
1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup finely chopped carrots
1 cup chopped zucchini
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups unsalted vegetable stock
1 can (6-oz) no-salt-added tomato paste
2 tsp dried Italian seasoning, crushed
1/2 tsp salt
1 pkg (9-oz) frozen Italian green beans
1/2 cup dried multigrain rotini
2 tbsp snipped fresh parsley
2 tbsp finely shredded Parmesan cheese

In a 3 1/2 to 5-quart slow cooker combine the cannellini beans, mushrooms, corn, onion, carrots, zucchini, and garlic; stir in the vegetable stock, tomato paste, Italian seasoning and salt.

Place lid on cooker and cook on low 7 to 8 hours on low or 3 1/2 to 4 hours on high. If cooking on low, turn cooker to high and add the green beans and pasta. Cover and cook another 45 minutes.

When serving garnish each bowl with some fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Yield: 6 servings of 1 3/4 cups each
Per Serving: 213 calories, 1 g fat, 1 g cholesterol, 598 mg sodium, 42 g carbs (8 g fiber and 13 sugars), 10 g protein

Personal note: You will notice the carb count is broken down showing fiber, and sugars. There is no added sugar, this is all natural sugar from the vegetables. I personally like to add a little finely chopped ham to give a little more protein. For those of you who like chicken, a little chopped or shredded chicken will do the same thing. You can also cut the corn back to 1/2 cup to lower the carbs. Of course any or all of these changes will change the nutritional count, raising the protein grams and lowering carb grams.

Note: This is a file photo.

RASPBERRY OAT BARS

1 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup white whole-wheat flour (or equivalent of your favorite low/no carb substitution)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt, opyional
1 1/2 tbsp Splenda Brown Sugar Blend
1/4 cup Splenda Granular
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar-free (or low-sugar) raspberry jam
1/4 cup sliced or slivered almonds, optional*
Non-stick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Lightly spray an 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl combine the oats, flour, cinnamon, salt, both Splendas, and the butter, using an electric mixer on low, until the mixture starts to combine. Increase speed to medium and continue mixing  until the butter is fully blended in and a coarse crumb is formed.

Press 2/3s of the oat mixture onto the bottom of the pan; spread the jam over the mixture. Sprinkle the last 1/3 of the mixture over the jam.

Bake at 325 degrees 25-30 minutes or until golden around the edges. Remove from oven to a wire rack to cool.

To make 15 bars cut 3 times in one direction and 5 times in the other direction.

*Nuts are good for diabetics and I enjoy having almonds on these bars. This is my version of a Marlene Koch recipe. Her version does not have almonds.

the file photo

SILLY CARROTS

The original Silly Carrots recipe was a "My Best Recipe" winner in the LA Times newspaper in 1981. This is a newer diabetic-friendly version. This recipe is from Marlene Koch who writes recipes using Splenda. Bonus: 1 serving (a generous 1/2 cup) of this recipe gives you a 420% of the RDA for vitamin A!

6 cups (2 lb) carrots, peeled and sliced
1 can (10-oz) Campbell's Healthy Selections Tomato Soup
2/3 cup Splenda Granular
2/3 cup vinegar
2 tbsp canola oil
1 1/2 tsp prepared mustard
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/8 tsp salt

In a medium saucepan, cook the carrots in boiling water just until tender (about 10 minutes); drain and set aside.

In the same saucepan, combine the remaining ingredients; cook over medium heat until boiling. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Pour mixture over the drained carrots.

Delicious served hot or refrigerated until cold.

clipart

 

Note: This is a file photo. I did not take a picture of this recipe.

BROCCOLI BROWN RICE CASSEROLE

The nutritional info follows this recipe. I suggest omitting the salt or cutting it down to 1/4 tsp if you have a problem with sodium. I also suggest you use this recipe when sharing with family and/or friends. Personally, I think a 1/2 cup serving is better for diabetics. 

1 cup uncooked brown rice

2 1/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
2 tbsp minced fresh rosemary or 2 tsp dried rosemary
2 garlic cloves
2 cups fresh chopped broccoli
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup unsalted sunflower kernels
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

In a large nonstick skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray, sauté the rice until lightly browned.  Add broth, rosemary and garlic; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 40 minutes or until rice is almost tender.

Stir in the broccoli, almonds, sunflower kernels, salt and pepper. Cover and cook another 3 to 5 minutes until rice is tender and broccoli is crisp tender. Fluff with a fork before serving.

Yield: 6 2/3-cup servings.
Per serving: 202 calories, 6 g fat (1 g saturated), 414 mg sodium, 31 g carbs (2 g fiber), 7 g protein.
Diabetic Exchanges: 2 starch, 1 fat

Note: This recipe won a blue ribbon in a 2008 TOH contest. The photo is from TOH.

GREAT NORTHERN BEANS SOUP

1 lb Great Northern beans, soak overnight in 8 qts water; rinse and drain

1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1 cup finely chopped carrots
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 lb diced ham
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon basil
freshly ground black pepper

Add 6 cups water to the beans and add the remaining ingredients.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to simmer and cook 1 to 2 hours until the beans are tender.  Add more water during cooking, if needed.

Beans are an important part of a diabetic diet. Yes, they are carbs but they are also fiber and protein, Beans are one of the ways I control my blood sugar. Quantity counts for diabetics. I suggest only 1 cup of soup per meal.

LITE CHICKEN VEGETABLE SOUP

1 can (28-oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

2 cups reduced-fat & reduced sodium chicken broth
2 cups cubed or shredded cooked chicken
1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 can (6-oz) tomato paste
1/4 cup dry lentils, rinsed
1 tbsp Splenda
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp dried parsley flakes
1 tsp dried marjoram

In a slow cooker, combine all ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or until vegetables are tender.
1 cup serving = approximately 140 calories, 17 g carbs, 15 g protein Note: You can reduce the carbs by cutting the corn down to 1/2 cup or eliminating it and throwing in a handful of fresh spinach a few minutes before the end of cooking time.

CARIBBEAN CHICKEN BREASTS

Sauce:

1/4 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
2 tbsp lime juice
3 tbsp Splenda Granular
2 tbsp low-sugar peach jam
1 tbsp lite soy sauce
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp ginger
3 to 4 drops Tabasco sauce

Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl; set aside.

4 (approximately 1 1/2 lb total) boneless skinless chicken breasts

Pound chicken between two sheets of plastic wrap or waxed paper to a thickness of 1/4-inch; place in a shallow bowl. Pour the sauce over the chicken; cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Heat broiler or grill.

Remove chicken from the sauce and pour the sauce into a small saucepan. Place sauce over medium heat and bring to a boil; turn down the heat and simmer.

Broil or grill the chicken approximately 5 minutes per side or until cooked through and juices run clear.

Spoon sauce over chicken to serve.

Yield: 4 servings
Per serving: 240 calories, 8 g carbs, 31 g protein sorry, no sodium numbers
Diabetic Exchanges: 4 lean meat, 1/2 carbohydrate

file photo from TOH.