Meatless Monday

It's Monday, which means it's Meatless Monday. So, here are six vegetarian and diabetic recipes, including Dutch Apple Pie and Slow-Cooker Vegetarian Minestrone. Enjoy!

DUTCH APPLE PIE

Servings: 12

Find this recipe at: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/50.shtml

Ingredients

1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup quick cooking oats

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

5 cup sliced baking apples

Sweetener equal to 1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened frozen apple juice concentrate

Pie crust for 1 crust pie

Topping:

1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup quick cooking oats

Sweetener to equal 1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 package sugarfree instant vanilla pudding mix

1/2 cup butter or margarine

Directions

Mix flour, oats, cinnamon, and sweetener with a fork.

Pour over sliced apples and mix well.

Pour apple juice over top of apples and mix well again.

Put apple mixture in pie crust; set aside.

For topping:

Mix dry ingredients with fork.

Add butter and cut into dry ingredients with a pastry blender or 2 knives until it resembles coarse crumbs, Pour mixture over pie filling and press down evenly over apples.

Bake at 400 degrees for 45-55 minutes.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 251; Fat: 12 g; Sodium: 238 mg; Cholesterol: 5 mg; Carbohydrates: 25 g; Exchanges: 2 Bread, 3 Fat, and 1 Fruit

STRAWBERRY SPINACH SALAD WITH BUTTERMILK DRESSING

This recipe begins, “Creamy buttermilk dressing pairs well with juicy, fresh strawberries and crisp spinach. A great choice for lunch or brunch.”

Makes 8 servings

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Ingredients

2 cups sliced strawberries, divided

4 ounces cream cheese, cut into small cubes and divided

1/3 cup buttermilk

6 cups fresh spinach

1 small red onion, cut into thin rings Directions

Directions

In blender container, combine 3/4 cup strawberries, cream cheese and buttermilk; process until smooth.

In large salad bowl, toss together spinach, onion and remaining 1-1/4 cups strawberries. Serve with dressing.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 70; Protein: 2 g; Fat: 5 g; Sodium: 70 mg; Cholesterol: 15 mg; Saturated Fat: 3 g; Dietary Fiber: 1 g; Sugars: 3 g; Carbohydrates: 6 g

SAUTEED SPINACH

Servings: 4

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Ingredients

1 pound raw spinach

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 fresh tomato

2 cloves garlic

Directions

Wash spinach thoroughly and drain.

Saute tomato and garlic in olive oil in a large saute pan.

Add spinach, cover and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring a few times.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cook, uncovered, 5 minutes longer, stirring occasionally.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 108; Protein: 3.9 g; Fat: 7 g; Sodium: 94 mg; Carbohydrates: 4 g; Exchanges: 1 Vegetable; 1-1/2 Fat

LEMON ASPARAGUS AND CARROTS

Servings: 6

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Ingredients

1/2 pound carrots, small

1 dash lemon pepper

8 ounces asparagus spears, frozen or fresh

1/8 cup lemon juice

Directions

Wash, trim, and peel small carrots.

Place carrots in a steamer basket above boiling water.

Cover and steam about 15 minutes or till crisp- tender.

Rinse carrots in cold water; drain.

In the meantime, cook frozen asparagus spears according to package.

Rinse asparagus in cold water, drain.

Cover and chill drained carrots and asparagus.

To serve, arrange carrots and asparagus on a platter.

Sprinkle with a little lemon juice and lemon pepper.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 26; Protein: 1 g; Sodium: 19 mg; Carbohydrates: 6 g; Exchanges: 1 Vegetable

SLOW-COOKER VEGETARIAN MINESTRONE

This recipe begins, “With a few simple steps and time in the slow cooker, you'll have this delicious and nutritious minestrone soup ready to serve.”

This is from Diabetic Connect

To view this online, go to http://www.diabeticconnect.com/diabetic-recipes/general/6654-vegetarian-minestrone-slow-cooker

Ingredients

6 cups vegetable broth

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

1 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained

1 large onion, chopped

2 ribs celery, diced

2 large carrots, diced

1 cup green beans

1 small zucchini

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup elbow macaroni

4 cups chopped fresh spinach

1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, or more to taste

Directions

Combine vegetable broth, tomatoes, kidney beans, onion, celery, carrots, green beans, zucchini, garlic, parsley, oregano, salt, thyme, and black pepper in a 6-quart slow cooker.

Cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, 8 minutes; drain.

Stir spinach and macaroni into minestrone; cook another 15 minutes. Top with Parmesan cheese.

Nutritional Facts: Servings: 8; Calories: 138; Carbohydrates: 25.2 g; Saturated Fat: 0.5 g; Protein: 6.9 g; Sodium: 941 mg; Dietary Fiber: 6.5 g

EGGPLANT AND CHICKPEA STEW

This recipe begins, “This tasty vegetarian stew, studded with plenty of eggplant and protein-rich chickpeas, is reminiscent of ratatouille. The eggplant breaks down and makes a saucier stew if you peel it before cooking, but you can certainly leave the peel on if you prefer. Serve over quinoa or soft polenta with sautéed spinach on the side.”

This is from Diabetic Connect.

To view this online, go to http://www.diabeticconnect.com/diabetic-recipes/general/6077-eggplant-and-chickpea-stew.

Time: 285 minutes (45 minutes prep)

Ingredients

1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms

3 cups hot water

2 large eggplants (about 1 1/2 pounds each)

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil , divided

2 large onions, thinly sliced

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons dried oregano , crumbled

1 small (1-inch) cinnamon stick

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 bay leaf

1 cup dried chickpeas , rinsed and soaked overnight (for a quick-soak method, see Tip) and drained

1 28-ounce can tomatoes (see Note), drained and coarsely chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Combine dried mushrooms and hot water in a bowl. Stir well and let stand for 30 minutes. Strain through a sieve lined with a paper towel and set the liquid aside. Finely chop the mushrooms.

Meanwhile, peel eggplants, if desired, and cut in half lengthwise. Brush the cut sides liberally with 2 tablespoons oil. Place on a rimmed baking sheet, cut-side down, and roast until tender, about 25 minutes. Let stand until cool enough to handle. Cut into 1-inch cubes and transfer to a 4-quart (or larger) slow cooker.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 3 to 6 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, cinnamon stick, salt, pepper, bay leaf and the chopped mushrooms; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the reserved mushroom-soaking liquid and chickpeas. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Transfer to the slow cooker and stir to combine with the eggplant.

Cover and cook until the chickpeas are very tender, about 4 hours on High or 7 to 8 hours on Low. Remove cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Stir in tomatoes and parsley.

Variation: Turn 3 cups of leftover stew into Eggplant and Chickpea Baked Pasta. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat an 8-inch-square (or similar 2-quart) baking dish with cooking spray. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook 8 ounces whole-wheat fusilli according to package directions. Drain and rinse. Combine 1/2 cup coarse dry whole-wheat breadcrumbs (see Note) and 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil in a small bowl. Toss the pasta with 3 cups stew, 1 cup crumbled feta cheese, 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint (or basil) and 2 tablespoons lemon juice in a large bowl. Spread the mixture in the prepared baking dish. Top with the breadcrumb mixture. Bake until the topping is golden and crispy, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint (or basil).

Note: To make your own breadcrumbs, trim crusts from whole-wheat bread. Tear bread into pieces and process in a food processor until coarse crumbs form. Spread on a baking sheet and bake at 250°F until dry, about 10 to 15 minutes. One slice of bread makes about 1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs. For store-bought coarse dry breadcrumbs we like Ian’s brand, labeled “Panko breadcrumbs.” Find them at well-stocked supermarkets.

Tip: To quick-soak chickpeas (or other dried beans), place in a large saucepan with enough cold water to cover them by 2 inches. Bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover and let stand for 1 hour.

Note: Look for Italian San Marzano tomatoes—they are particularly rich in flavor and taste best in this dish.

Nutritional Facts: Servings: 8; Serving Size: 1 1/4 cups; Calories: 219; Carbohydrates: 33 g; Fat: 7 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Protein: 9 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Dietary Fiber: 12 g; Potassium: 766 mg; Sodium: 413 mg; Exchanges: 1 starch; 1 vegetable; 1 lean meat; 1 fat