Diabetic recipes

 Entrees:

Yellow Curry

Safeway carries a brand of coconut milk that has less fat and calories than other brands.  It's 4.5g per serving as compared to 8-14g.  If you can get that I highly reccommend it.  If not, I use to use half a can of coconut milk and 1/2 a cup of soy milk.

Ingredients:

1/8 cup curry powder..and only curry powder (Be careful, many curry powders contain salt and other spices.)

1 tbsp tumeric

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 packet of truvia

1 tbsp agave nectar or honey

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp all spice

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tbsp ground ginger

1 red bell pepper, chopped

2 cups broccoli, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 apple, skinned and chopped

1 14oz can Coconut milk

1/4 cup Fat Free Greek Yogurt (at room temp)

1 lbs your choice of meat

Directions:

On medium heat saute the onions with a tablespoon of oil until the onion are soft and translucent. Add in the bell peppers and broccoli. Continue to cook until the peppers and broccoli are soft. Move the vegetables off to the side on a plate.

Cook your choice of meat with 2 tsp of curry powder and pepper until done. Once the meat has finished cooking stir in the coconut milk, honey and spices.  Allow to heat up for 5 minutes.  Now slowly mix in the greek yogurt and apples.

Simmer for 15 minutes then serve with brown rice or noodle alternative.

Turkey Meatloaf

This is a really simple version. If you plan on making a bigger meatloaf you can either double the ingredients, or add different items in. I've added broccoli, corn, green beans and carrots. The trick is to add the ketchup into the meat, instead of just putting it on top to help keep the loaf from drying out like turkey usually does.

Ingredients

1.25 lbs ground turkey meat

1/4 cup no salt ketchup

1/2 onion, diced

1/2 apple, diced

1 cup mixed vegetables

1 garlic clove, minced

1 jalapeno, diced

*Optional

1 tbsp sriaracha

1 tbsp spicy garlic chili sauce

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.In a bowl, mix all the ingredients together very well. It will be very sticky. Transfer contents into a bread pan. Bake until the center of the meatloaf is 160 degrees (about 45 minutes) .

Tuna Casserole

Preheat oven to 350.

Ingredients:

2 6oz cans of Albacore Tuna

2 cups of frozen mixed vegetables

1 package of low GI noodles (wheat or quinoa)

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 cup shredded cheese (any kind)

pepper, to taste

Directions:

Cook noodles based on the directions of the package.  When done, drain well and tranfer to a casserole dish. Mix the soup, garlic, tuna, pepper and vegetables with the noodes.  Add shredded cheese to the top and then place the casserole dish into the oven on the middle rack.  Bake until the cheese has fully melted.  Do not bake too long or else the tuna will be too dry.

Sweet and Sour Shrimp

Ingredients:

1 ounce brandy

1 inch of ginger root, minced

1 sm. onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 lbs of shrimp

2 cups NoSalt Ketchup

Splash of low sodium soy sauce

Splash of vinegar

2 packets of Truvia

Directions:

Lightly oil your pan and put it on medium heat. Sauté the ginger and brandy for 1 min then add your onion, garlic and red pepper. Sauté, until your vegetables are slightly soft (around 5 minutes). Toss in the shrimp and stir until cooked. From here you add the ketchup, vinegar, soy and Truvia. If you are someone who needs precise measurements, a splash is about 1 tsp. Cook until the sauce is heated and then serve over rice or noodles

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Ingredients:

4 medium sized Bell Peppers

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa

1 1/2 cup water

1 cup your vegetables of choice

1.25 lbs ground turkey meat

1/2 yellow onion, diced

1 tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tbsp allspice

1 tsp ground clove

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp cinnimon

1 tbsp pepper paste or ketchup

1 tsp red pepper flakes

black pepper to taste

1/2 cup shredded cheese

1 cup of your favorite spaghetti sauce

Directions:

Place the quinoa, water, and cumin in a small pot. Bring to a boil then simmer for 10 minutes or until water has dissolved.

While waiting for the quinoa, sauté onions with olive oil until soft and translucent. Add the turkey meat and cook until browned. Add pepper paste or ketchup and herbs/spices. Once everything is nicely coated, add the vegetables to the pan and sauté until they are nice and soft. Pour in a 1/4 of spaghetti sauce to keep it moist.

Once the meat, vegetables and quinoa are cooked, mix everything together.

Wash your bell peppers well and cut the very top off. I like to just cut around the stem. Make sure to pull out the center and then stuff the peppers with the quinoa/meat mixture almost to the top. Using a spoonfull at a time, coat the bottom of a small casserole dish your spaghetti sauce and place the peppers in standing up. As a finishing touch, before baking, pour a couple spoonfuls of the spaghetti sauce on top and then drop a handful of shredded cheese over them. Bake for 30 minutes or until the peppers can be pierced easily with a fork.

Kind of a side note.  I didn't have any spaghetti sauce but I always have several cans of stewed and diced tomatos on hand.  I threw the stewed tomatos into a bowl with some oregano and garlic powder then puréed it with my immersion blender. 

Simple Chicken

This recipe has multiple uses. You can mix it with rice, vegetables or add it to a salad.

Ingredients

1 lean chicken breast

Oil of your choice(I prefer to use chili oil)

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp crushed red pepper

2 tsp black pepper

1 tbsp fresh or powedered garlic

1 tbsp sweet basil

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Place the chicken in some foil. You're going to cook your chicken in this foil so make a sheet large enough to bring it up and around the chicken. With a basting brush lighting cover the top of the chicken with oil. Next pour the vinegar over the chicken. Combine spices in a small bowl and pour them over the chicken.   Wrap up your chicken in the foil and cook until it is no longer pink inside. I usually cook mine for around 45min but for you it will depend on the size.

Shake n Bake Chicken

Have you ever had shake & bake chicken? When I was a kid my mom use to make it with chicken or pork.  I figure, if I liked it then, maybe I'd like it now?

Ingredients

2 pieces chicken breast

1/2 cup quaker oats, oat bran

1/8 cup bread crumbs

1/8 cup wheat germ

1/8 cup flax seed

1/4 cup vital wheat gluten flour

1 egg white

2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tbsp red pepper flakes

2 tbsp garlic powder

1 tsp sweet basil

1 tsp parsley

pepper to taste

*optional*

"no salt" to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix the flour, 1 tbsp of garlic, 1 tbsp cayenne, basil and pepper in a large zip lock bag, or a container large enough to shake the chicken in.  In a wide bowl wisk your egg white with 1/2 tsp water, unless you're using egg whites from a carton.  Grab a dinner plate and mix together the oat bran, wheat germ, bread crumbs, flax seed and left over spices.  Mix it well.

Make sure your chicken is dry by patting it with a paper towel then place them in the bag, or container, with the flour and shake it until its well covered.  Take them out of the bag and dip them in the egg white.  Once they are well covered, place the chicken onto the plate with the oat bran mixture and roll it around, packing the crumbs onto the chicken.

Place the chicken on some foil or in casarole dish.  I sprayed mine lightly with coconut oil on both sides to help it get cripsy.  Cook for 25 min or until the chicken is no longer pink inside.  Eat as is or serve with your favorite home made BBQ Sauce and Ranch Dressing.

Pot Roast

Ingredients:

2 cup cream of mushroom soup (low sodium recipe provided to the left)

3 lbs rump roast

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

4 carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces

8 oz crimini mushrooms, cut in half

1/2 lbs zucchini, cut into 1/2in thick rounds

3 broccoli stalks

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300. Place your roast into a deep roasting pan. Using a knife stab into (around) the roast several times and stick your garlic slices in holes. Take your cream of mushroom soup and pack it around the meat, completely covering it. Cook for 3 hours.

Check on it every hour and use a ladle to spoon the juices from the pan onto your meat to keep it moist. At the 3rd hour, add beef broth and again spoon juices onto your meat. Cook for 1 hour.

Now add all your vegetables, pour some juice onto the meat and cook for another hour. By this time, your roast should fall apart at the touch of a fork. Verify your veggies are to your liking (I prefer my still a little crisp) and remove the pan from the oven. Let it sit for 20 minutes before serving.

Lemon Fish

Fish is a pretty good way to get Omega-3 fatty acids which are great for many reasons that I could list here but will you read about it on your own from the University of Maryland Medical Center. This recipe is just for 1 serving

Ingredient

1 piece of fish, your choice

1 lemon

Oil spray (I love coconut oil spray)

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp black pepper

2 tsp dill

2 tsp parsley

2 tsp sweet basil

Directions:

Place the fish on some aluminum foil (large enough to folder over). Squeeze half a lemon onto the fish and then give it a quick spray with oil. Sprinkle the peppers, dill, parsley and basil on top. Fold up the sides of the foil and squeeze them together, placing the fish in a foil pocket.

How long you cook it for depends on your fish but if its frozen, around 45min and if thawed, 30min. The key is the fish should be flaky when you poke it with a fork. I've undercooked fish before and it was disgusting so I tend to pull it apart when testing. Once you know it’s done, put a small pad of butter on the top and squeeze the other half of the lemon on it. Serve with vegetables, rice or place on top of a bed of greens.

Faux Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

1 head of cauliflower

1/4 cup milk of your choice (I use coconut milk)

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1/2 cup low fat cheese

pepper to taste

Directions:

Steam cauliflower until soft. The softer the better. In a pot, heat up the cauliflower, milk, and pepper. Once the milk is hot mush the cauliflower as best you can. Use an emmersion blender or regular blender to blend the mixture until creamy.  Serve immediatley.

*For additional flavors, try adding the following spices into the milk when you're first heating everything up.

Garlic & Cheese Mashed Potatoes - 1 garlic clove, minced.  After you have blended all the ingredients, continue heating the mixture and add cheese. Stir until the cheese has melted.

Wasabi Mashed Potatoes - 1/4 tsp of the powder wasabi or 1/2 tsp of the paste. Before serving, sprinkle some roasted sesame seeds on top.

Curry Mashed potatoes - 1/2 tsp curry powder, 1 packet of Stevia, 1/2 tsp tumeric.

Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs steak, sliced into thin strips 1-2 inches long

1 medium onion, diced

1 cup chopped crimini mushrooms

1 tbsp butter

1 tbs olive oil

1 cup non-fat Greek yogurt (at room temperature)

pepper,to taste

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

2 tbsp white wine.

4 tbsp whole wheat flour (or Oat flour)

Directions:

Coat pan with olive oil and place on medium heat. Cover your meat in black pepper and then place it into pan and brown thoroughly.  Move meat onto a plate and now cook your onion, mushrooms and garlic in the same pan as your meat juices.  When onions become translucent, add them to the plate with your meat.

Melt the butter in the pan then add the flour. Cook while stiring constantly for about 1 minute.  Add in the beef broth and wine then let it come to a boil.  Remove from heat and whisk in the yogurt.  At this point you can add the meat, onions and mushrooms into the sauce and it's ready to serve.

We serve this either over brown rice or one of the spaghetti substitutes I mention in this section.

*Note* If you have a secret desire to eat the hamburger helper version of this, you can sub turkey meat for the strips of steak.  If you do that I would suggest cooking the garlic with the meat, instead of the vegetables, to add more flavor to it.

Beef Stew

Ingredients:

2 lbs beef chuck, trimmed of most fat

1 tbsp olive oil

3 cups low sodium beef broth

1 cup beer

1 tbsp low sodium worchestshire sauce

4 garlic cloves smashed and minced

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp oregano

1 cup baby carrots

1 cup cauliflower, chopped

1 cup crimini mushrooms, whole

1 cup onion, diced

1 cup broccoli, chopped

1 cup jalepenos, sliced

3 tbsp whole wheat flour

Directions:

Heat up pan then add olive oil. Allow it to heat up before adding the meat. You want to cook the meat until its just browned, no need to cook it all the way through. Stir in the beef broth, beer, worchestshire sauce, garlic, pepper and oregano and allow it to simmer for 1.5 hours.

After simmering, turn up heat just a bit, add all vegetables then cook for an additinal 30-40 minutes or until the veggies are cooked to your liking. I prefer my carrots have some firmness but the cauliflower should be mushy. Use a measuring cup to take about 1/2 cup of the sauce out. Mix in the flour thoroughly then stir it back into the stew and allow it to simmer for an additional 5 minutes to thicken. Serve.

Bacon Cheeseburger

I know what you're thinking...how is a hamburger even a tiny bit healthy? It's really not, however, if you are craving a nice juicy burger, you could continue to ignore your craving and be dissatisfied, you can go crazy and eat a 1200 calorie burger from any given fast food joint, or you can find a healthier alternative. I use low fat turkey meat with added ingredients to make it less dry.

Ingredients:

1.25 lbs turkey meat

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp cayene pepper

1/8 cup of pepper paste (or nosalt ketchup)

1 piece of low fat turkey bacon.

pepper and "no salt" to taste

*optional*

1/4 cup of cheese cut into small cubes

Directions:

Mix all ingredients (except for the bacon) together in a bowl. Separate into 4 sections and press each section into patties. Cook the patties and bacon on medium heat in a frying pan. I have nonstick pans so I don't use oil.  When finished, place the bacon on top of the burger.  We either eat these by themselves with ketchup or how a burger should be eaten; between two pieces of toast with lettuce and tomatos.