Asparagus

I am excited that it is asparagus season again.  Most all of the local markets have it on sale now.

Growing up I hated the stuff, I think it was because my mother didn't know that you could buy it  fresh.   The slimy texture of asparagus out of a can just isn't the same.  It makes a wonderful side dish, a nice addition to a salad, or in stir fry as well.  

To make these colorful packages, I snapped the woody ends off the asparagus stalks.  Blanched them in boiling water for 2 minutes.  Wrapped them in prosciutto (3 stalks per bundle),

and baked them at 400 degrees for 5 minutes.  The color was wonderful, they were crisp, tender and sooo good.    There was no need to season as the thin slices of prosciutto added just enough salt and flavor.

Asparagus is a natural diuretic and packed full of good nutrition!  

Mediterranean Salad

By using bright colors and different textures in food we can create dishes that are not only appealing to the eye, but to our taste buds too!  This is a delicious change from the tossed salad, yet every bit as easy to prepare.  The ingredients are available at most markets.  

Eating Pretty, as I call it, helps me enjoy foods that are in my healthy lifestyle.

This salad included:

Small Heirloom Tomatoes....these have beautiful colors!

Sliced Persian Cucumbers.....small delicate cucumbers

Small fresh Mozzarella balls, drain well and quarter

Blended with a handful of micro-greens, crunchy, tender and wonderful flavor.

Dressing:  

1/4 Cup Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar

1/2 fresh squeezed Lemon

Salt and Pepper to taste

Use only 1/2 of the dressing on the salad.  (keeps well in the fridge) Toss gently and serve.

100% Whole Grain Pita Bread

I am sure on some blog somewhere this or a similar recipe has been posted. The reason I am sharing this recipe with you is that I actually did it!! Guess what? You can too!! Who said that type 2 diabetics can't have fun with food? Key to success in controlling diabetes I believe is to experiment with good carb foods, fun foods and try new things.

Who would have believed that "I" could make Pita bread at home? Well, you can do it too!
It really isn't that difficult, nor are there many special supplies needed to complete this task.

A pizza stone is required. You can use any size, it may limit the amount of pita bread you can bake at one time, but as they only bake for 3 minutes (4 maximum) it really goes quite quickly.

You do need a stand mixer, heavy duty type (Bosch or Kitchen Aid etc.) as the dough is much like bread dough.

A kitchen scale to weigh the dough.

Parchment paper, which will make placing and removing the pita from the oven much easier.

The following recipe will make 9-10 pitas. One serving is a half of a pita which is a little less than 15 g carbohydrates (or one piece of whole wheat bread)

As I have mentioned in other posts, I grind my own wheat, it is high in fiber & nutrition.

Whole grain products are not only good for diabetics but the whole family. Many don't have a grain mill, so I would search for a food co-op that has fresh ground wheat in your area.











First and most important is to preheat your oven to 500 degrees F. or higher if your oven has a higher setting. Preheating is not just until your oven beeps, but at least 1/2 hour after that to insure your pizza stone is hot all the way through.

In your mixer: 2 Cups warm water 115 degrees F.
1 Tablespoon Honey or Agave Syrup
1 teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon dough enhancer
1 Tablespoon dough relaxer
1/2 cup vital wheat gluten (this is used in place of high gluten flour to keep the low carbs)
1 cup whole wheat flour

Mix all above on slow speed as you add more whole wheat flour, enough so the dough forms a SOFT ball. Once the dough forms a ball you continue to mix for 8 minutes. This allows the gluten to develop.

Place the dough on a oiled surface (to prevent sticking) Cut dough into 4 ounce pieces and roll into a ball. With a rolling pin, roll the balls into a 6-8 inch circle. You will need to lightly (Very lightly) dust the dough to keep from sticking to the pin. The technique to rolling the pita is important, and may take a little practice, but again, if I can do this Anyone can do this!

Be careful and only roll from the middle of the dough and not completly to the edge. You must never roll completely off the edge of the pita as this will prevent the bread from creating a pocket.

Place the pitas on a parchment paper that you place on the under side of a cookie sheet.

Pull the parchment off the cookie sheet onto the pizza stone.

Bake for 3-4 minutes. It is amazing to watch them pocket!
No fear if they do not pocket they are still delicious and can be opened with scissors. You can also cut them into pie shapes and bake until crispy for pita chips!




When you remove the pita from the oven, place them immediately in a plastic bag to steam and cook for 5 minutes. Then remove from the bag and allow to cool on a rack before storing in another plastic bag. These can be frozen easily too!

If you have questions or need help just let me know! I made these Sunday for the Super Bowl and filled with Chicken Salad.

Sauteed Brussel Sprouts

An excellent choice for a side dish, and so easy to prepare.  I first saw this recipe on Food Network, but decided to change a few ingredients to see if it would be as tasty as the full fat version.  It is!!

1-2 pounds fresh brussel sprouts cleaned and cut in half.

1 TBSP Olive oil

1 TBSP Butter (OK  you have to have a little fun)

3 strips Turkey Bacon cut into small pieces

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 tsp salt

Brown the turkey bacon bits, drain and set aside in a non-stick skillet Put olive oil and butter in skillet and saute the onion until light brown and almost clear.  Put sprouts in the skillet, add salt and pepper to taste.   Saute with the onion until golden brown.  The sprouts will be firm and semi-crisp.  Remove from skillet and garnish with bacon bits.

Oven Made Stew

My friend Mary gave me this recipe.  It is easy, delicious and perfect for

a cold winters night!

1- 1 1/2 pounds stew meat (not too large of pieces-I usually cut them in half)

4-5 red potatoes cut in quarters

3-4 carrots chunked

2 small onions quartered

1 can peas along with juice

1 can cream of celery soup (low sodium)

1 can tomato soup (Healthy Option)

1/2 can milk

Mix the soups and milk in a bowl.

In the bottom of a covered roasting pan, place other remaining ingredients.

Pour the soup over the top, gently stir together.

Bake at 275 for 4-5 hours...covered!

I have tried this in the crock pot and it just doesn't turn out the same.

Meatball Appetizer

These are delicious little meatballs, be careful as you won't be able to  stop eating them!

2 Lbs Hamburger/ground turkey

3/4 Cup Whole wheat Bread Crumbs

1 Small finely minced Onion

1/2 cup 1% milk

2 eggs

2 tbsp. parsley flakes

2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp Worchestershire sauce

 

Mix ingredients together and make small meatballs.  About 1" in diameter.

put on foil lined baking sheet and bake at 350 for 25-35 minutes, until done.

Sauce:

1 Jar sugar free grape jelly ( made with Splenda)

1 Jar Heinz Chili sauce

1 tbsp Agave (optional)

Mix the sauce in crock pot or other vessel of choice.  Put cooked meatballs in the pot and simmer for 1-3 hours.  (If you make the meatballs the day before and refrigerate crock pot time should be 2-4 hours.

AGAVE

I have recently learned about and experimented with Agave at my favorite cooking shop, Shar's Kitchen.  It is a natural sweetener that is retrieved from the Agave Plant in central Mexico.  Yes, it is the same plant from which Tequila is made.  The type of Agave I use is Xagave, which is a blend of blue and white agave.

The glycemic index is 30, and I have used it in baking, cooking and beverages.  There is no after taste.  It is 100% natural and for me, has caused no rise in blood glucose levels.  Agave is being used more and more by diabetics and is recommended by the ADA.

It is a bit costly, but you only use 1/3 - 1/2 cup for exchange of 1 cup of sugar as it is at least 1.5 times more sweeter than sugar.  As in the previous recipe, it reduces down to make a thick syrup.   2 cups of Agave Nectar and 1 1/2 tsp of maple flavoring makes a delicious syrup for whole grain pancakes or waffles.  It is not quite as thick as syrup, however every bit as yummy.

Everything in moderation, but for that special recipe, treat this is a good option, keep in mind it is not calorie free so again, as with many foods,  I caution to use in moderation.

I will be posting more recipes that use agave.  In most of the recipes you can use Splenda in place of agave if you choose.  I do believe Agave is worth a try.

Sticky Chicken

An adapted recipe from My Kitchen Cafe and Janae, once again, thanks Janae for this suggestion!

Ingredients:

6-8 boneless skinless chicken breast tenders

1 cup canned Lite coconut milk


1 Tbsp. Crystallized ginger or ground ginger 

1 tsp. fresh ground pepper


1 tsp. red pepper flakes

Marinade chicken in coconut milk, ginger, pepper and red pepper flakes for 1-5 hours.

Cook Brown rice:  I used the remaining coconut milk as part of the cooking liquid for the rice. Portions of rice to equal 4 servings=2 cups liquid, one cup rice.   Remember it takes about 50 minutes for brown rice to cook so allow enough time when preparing unless you have a pressure cooker in which it takes just 20 minutes.  (I love my pressure cooker! )

Glaze:  3/4 cup rice vinegar (Mirin)    1/3 Cup Agave  Nectar    3 Tbsp. Braggs Liquid or soy sauce
   1 tsp. red pepper flakes

While the chicken is cooking, bring above ingredients to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until mixture is reduced and thickened, about 15 minutes. Be patient because it takes a little while for the Agave nectar to reduce. Once it starts getting really thick, immediately take it off the heat! Glaze both sides of chicken the last few minutes of cooking. 

Serve chicken over brown rice, drizzle remaining sauce on rice.  Serve with steamed oriental style vegetables.

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Turkey Breast a la Crockpot

I found this recipe that sounded so good, with a little change here and there I have made it a healthier rendition.  It is delicious!

Ingredients:

1 Turkey Breast  It would be as good with chicken breasts)

1 Tablespoons I can't believe it is not butter + 1 tablespoon olive oil

1 package dry Italian seasoning mix

1 large onion in quarters

4 stalks celery

1 can low sodium chicken broth

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 can Healthy Request Cream of Chicken soup

8 oz Low Fat Cream Cheese

(can salt to taste)

Directions:

Brush margarine/olive oil on all sides of the turkey breast.  Rub the Italian seasoning

into the skin of the breast.  Place the onion and celery into the cavity.  Place the turkey

into a crock pot.  Add the chicken broth and pepper (salt to your taste).  Cook on low

for 6 - 8 hours.  See *** below.

Combine cream of chicken soup and cream cheese.  Warm in the microwave until smooth.

Stir into the broth in the crock pot.  *** ADD this during the last 45 minutes of cooking.

The result is tender, flavorful turkey and gravy.

Sweet Potato Pear Bisque

This is a lovely soup to serve prior to the Thanksgiving meal.  It is also a wonderful comfort soup for a cold winter night.  It is easy to prepare, high in fiber and vitamins it is a perfect diabetic friendly/family friendly soup with a slight sweet yet savory taste.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 ½ cups water
• ¼ cup powdered chicken broth/or canned low sodium.  
• 1 small onion, chopped
• ½ tsp dried thyme, crushed
• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 2 pears, peeled, cored and chopped
• 1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper
• zest of one lemon

• 2 cups - half and half
• Fresh ground nutmeg to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Combine the first 8 ingredients in 3qt pot and bring to a boil.  Cook for approx 20 minutes until

potatoes are tender.  Pour vegetables and broth into a blender. Blend until smooth. (You can

use a hand blender if you have one and it works perfectly). I use my pressure cooker to make this soup in 8 minutes.

Pour mixture back into the pot and add the half-and-half, and fresh ground nutmeg. Heat through and serve.

Serves 4-6

Pumpkin Bread

This recipe is from a co-worker that I tweaked a bit to fit into the diabetic friendly blog.

Thanks Janae!  This is a wonderful moist pumpkin bread.  

Serving size = 1 slice large loaf about 1/2 inch thick or 2 slices mini loaf 1/2" thick.

 20 carbs and 7 g fiber.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup canola oil

2 cups pumpkin (canned is good)

1/2 cup brown sugar spenda

1 cup splenda granular

2 packages of sugar free coconut cream or vanilla pudding mix

1 tsp baking soda

5 eggs

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 cup chopped nuts of choice (optional)

Directions: 

In a large bowl, mix together oil, pumpkin, both types of splenda, pudding mix, cinnamon and salt and set aside.   Slightly beat the eggs, and mix into the batter.  Mix in the flour and baking soda until just combined.  Stir in nuts (optional).

Spread batter into two greased and floured 9x5 inch loaf pans,  three 8 1/2 X 4 1/2 loaf pans

or 7 mini loaf pans.

Bake at 325 F or 165 C.  for 1 hour, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.  For the mini loaf test at 40-45 minutes with a toothpick, if it comes out clean it is done.

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Turkey Chili

1 pound ground turkey

1 medium onion/diced

1 clove chopped garlic

2 15 oz cans diced tomatoes/I use tomatoes with green chilies.

2 8 oz cans tomato sauce

1 Tbs taco seasoning

2 cans black beans (can use any bean of choice, but keep in mind the darker the bean the lower the glycemic index)  Beans are a wonderful source of protein and fiber.  You can also use a variety of beans in the same soup.

16 oz water

Brown the ground turkey and onion in a skillet. (did you know ground turkey is 50% less fat than ground beef?)

In a crock pot or large soup pot add all the remaining ingredients juice included. (do not drain)

If you use a crock pot no need to tend to the soup at all and can stay on all day.  For a soup pot stir occasionally set on a medium low setting for 3 hours.

Top with a dallop of fat free sour cream, some low fat shredded cheddar cheese and a few

crispy tortilla strips or chopped green onion.

Soup!

I woke up this morning to 46 degrees outside and cloudy, my favorite weather!

Finally it is soup weather here in Arizona. It takes little to create wonderful meals that can serve for dinner, lunch or even an after school snack. I have found that it is easy to "tweak" soup recipes to suit each family by changing the vegetables, beans or base a little. Let's face it, even the most novice cook can create a soothing and filling meal. I will be sharing some of my favorite recipes that with a salad or some warm whole grain bread will be healthy comfort food for the whole family. I pulled out the crock pot this morning, opened the cupboard doors, searched for soup like ingredients and can I just say, the aroma in the house at 9:30 AM is wonderful!

Steel Cut Oatmeal in Crockpot

The time it takes to make steel-cut oatmeal is prohibitive in my morning schedule.

A friend shared this recipe with me to make life easier, healthy and delicious.  This is the only kind of oatmeal that I can eat without BG levels going high.

I make a big batch using 8 cups of water and 2 cups of oatmeal. You may cut that in half though. I add raisins to taste also (just a few) . I put it in the crock pot on "high" for 3 to 3 1/2 hours. (see below)  Actually, I put the crock pot on a timer so it is ready when I get up in the morning. I then refrigerate the leftovers in single servings and use that the rest of the week by microwaving it.

Adding fruit, nuts or spices to your liking gives great taste and variety.

You may cook it on "low" for 6 to 7 hours of you prefer.

Minestrone Soup

This is an easy and delicious version of Minestrone Soup.  Great for fall and winter meals.

Frozen zucchini, carrots, broccoli, and beans are sometimes called an "Italian Blend," and can be found in your supermarket's frozen section. Small pasta shapes (dreamfield's whole wheat or your favorite brand).

Serves 4 to 6

         6 cups low-sodium chicken broth

         1 (15.5-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

         1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes

         2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving

         2 onions, chopped fine

         4 garlic cloves, minced

         1/2 cup pasta, dry (see above)

         1 (16-ounce) bag frozen vegetables (see above)

         1/4 cup minced fresh basil leaves (while fresh is best, I have used dry)

         Table salt and ground black pepper to taste

Bring broth, beans, and tomatoes to boil in large saucepan.  Heat oil in soup pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onions  cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook  about 30 seconds. Stir in broth / tomato mixture and pasta and simmer until pasta is tender, about  10 minutes.

Stir in vegetables and basil and cook until heated through, about 4 minutes. (vegetables will be al dente) Season with salt and pepper. 

Serve with additional olive oil for drizzling. Top with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese.