Meatless Monday

I realize I've already posted recipes for today (Passover Recipes), but as it's also Monday, which means Meatless Monday, I'm doing a Double Post Monday. I hope no one minds!

According to an article posted on March 29 on The Diabetic News website, a recent study by Tel Aviv University and published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease has found that “insulin resistance, caused in part by obesity and physical inactivity, is also linked to a more rapide decline in cognitive performance.”

Scientists conducting the study “followed a group of nearly 500 patients with existing cardiovascular disease for more than two decades.” The scientists assested patients' baseline insuline resistance, as well as assessing the patents' cognitive functions.

To read the article, titled “Insulin Resistance Speeds Up Cognitive Decline, Dimentia,” click here.

And now for today's six diabetic vegetarian recipes to help you through the day, including Vegetarian Curry and Half-Hour Chili. Enjoy!

MINTED KIWI SALAD

Yield: 4 servings (1 cup each)

Source: "The Diabetes Food and Nutrition Bible"

Info: http://diabeticgourmet.com/book_archive/details/11.shtml

Ingredients

2 kiwi fruits, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds

1 banana, sliced into 1/2-inch thick rounds

1 cup sliced strawberries

1 orange, sectioned

Dressing:

1 cup nonfat, sugar-free vanilla yogurt

2 tablespoons fresh minced mint

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

On a platter, arrange the kiwi, banana, strawberries, and orange in rows.

Combine the dressing ingredients. Serve the dressing with the fruit.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1 cup): Calories: 113, Fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 1 mg, Sodium: 38 mg, Carbohydrate: 26 g, Dietary Fiber: 4 g, Sugars: 18 g, Protein: 3 g, Diabetic Exchanges: 1-1/2 Fruit

STRAWBERRY RHUBARB SMOOTHIE

This recipe begins, “Strawberry and rhubarb make for a tangy and sweet combination.”

From Diabetic Connect. To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1/2 cup strawberries

1/2 cup rhubarb, chopped

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1/2 cup low-fat Greek yogurt

Directions

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. For a colder and creamier smoothie freeze the strawberries before hand or add a handful of ice to the blender.

Nutritional Facts: Servings: 1; Calories: 135.6; Total Fat: 2.9 g; Sodium: 235.7 mg; Potassium: 471.8 mg; Total Carbohydrate: 13.6 g; Dietary Fiber: 3.8 g; Sugars: 8.5 g; Protein: 13.5 g



VEGETARIAN CURRY

From Diabetic Connect

This can be viewed online at http://www.diabeticconnect.com/diabetic-recipes/general/292-vegetarian-curry

Ingredients

3 potatoes chopped

1 cauliflower chopped

1 1/2 cup green peas

3 tomatoes chopped

3/4 tsp tumeric

1/2 tsp chili powder

1 1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp curry

1 cup of water

Directions

Place all ingredients in a crock pot or slow cooker. Cook on low for five to six hours.

Nutritional Facts: Servings: 3; calories: 125; cholesterol: 0 mg; sodium: 23 mg; total carbs: 26 g; dietary fiber: 6 g; protein 5 g

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

SPAGHETTI SQUASH ALFREDO

This recipe begins, “It's called spaghetti squash for a reason — it's the perfect alternative to the empty carbs of white wheat pasta. Mix this spaghetti squash with some Italian herbs and cheese, and you have a masterpiece of flavor and health.”

This is from Diabetic Connect.

To view this online, go to http://www.diabeticconnect.com/diabetic-recipes/general/6254-spaghetti-squash-alfredo.

Ingredients

1 medium spaghetti squash

1 TBSP butter

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup half and half (half milk/half cream)

1 TBSP tapioca flour

1/2 cup dry grated Parmesan cheese

1/8 tsp ground pepper

2 TBSP fresh chopped parsley

2 TBSP freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut squash in half, length-wise, scoop out the seeds and place face down in a baking dish. Fill with 1 inch of water and bake 20-30 minutes, or until tender.

With a fork, scrape the squash out and place in a oven safe dish.

Whisk half and half and flour together and set aside.

In a medium sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté 30 seconds. Add half and half and stir until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in dry grated Parmesan and pepper. Toss sauce with the squash and top with parsley and fresh grated Parmesan.

Broil 2-3 minutes or until it is beginning to brown.

Remove and serve.

Nutritional Facts: Servings: 4; 1/4 the recipe: Calories: 201; Total Fat 13 g; Sodium 571 mg; Carbohydrates 11 g; Dietary Fiber 1 g; Sugars 3 g; Protein 9 g

HALF-HOUR CHILI

This recipe begins, “This truly tasty half-hour vegetarian chili is made possible by using convenient canned beans and tomatoes (no pantry should be without them). Whole-grain bulgur adds another layer of toothsome texture and nutritional heft. This chili is relatively mild, so it’s a good crowd-pleaser. If you like it spicy, add extra chili powder or serve with hot sauce.”

This is from Diabetic Connect.

View this online at http://www.diabeticconnect.com/diabetic-recipes/general/5826-half-hour-chili.

Time: 30 minutes (15 minutes prep)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon canola oil

3 medium onions, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 tablespoon finely chopped jalapeño pepper

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 – 2 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 28-ounce can plus one 14-ounce can whole tomatoes, chopped, with juices

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 15-ounce cans red kidney beans , rinsed

1/3 cup bulgur (see Note)

1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt for garnish

1/3 cup chopped scallions for garnish

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

Directions

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions, carrot, jalapeño, garlic, chili powder to taste and cumin. Cook, stirring often, until the onions and carrot are soft, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add tomatoes with their juices, sugar and salt; cook for 5 minutes over high heat. Reduce heat to low; stir in beans and bulgur. Simmer until the chili is thickened, about 15 minutes.

Garnish with yogurt, scallions and cilantro, if desired.

Note: Bulgur is made by parboiling, drying and coarsely grinding or cracking wheat berries. Don’t confuse bulgur with cracked wheat, which is simply that—cracked wheat. Since the parboiling step is skipped, cracked wheat must be cooked for up to an hour whereas bulgur simply needs a quick soak in hot water for most uses. Look for it in the natural-foods section of large supermarkets, near other grains, or online at kalustyans.com, buylebanese.com.

Nutritional Facts: Servings: 6; Serving Size: about 1 1/3 cups; Calories: 217; Carbohydrates: 40 g; Fat: 3 g; Saturated Fat: 0 g; Protein: 10 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Dietary Fiber: 13 g; Potassium: 854 mg; Sodium: 697 mg; Exchanges: 2 starch; 1 vegetable; 1 lean meat