Friday Recipes

Many people, upon learning that they have diabetes, have three immediate questions: How will this change my life? What medications will I need to take? What can I safely eat?

The first two questions are best answered by your doctor, nurse-practitioner, or health care provider, while the third question can be answered by the Registered Dietician that your health care provider has hopefully put you in touch with.

One website that I discovered with my better-half was first diagnosed is Diabetic Gourmet. It has yummy recipes to help you through the year, including holiday meals. (The 4th of July is next week! Where'd the first half of the year go?)

Here are six yummy diabetic recipes to help you through the day, including Strawberry Rhubarb Pie and Broccoli Chowder, all of which can easily fit into your 4th of July meal. Enjoy!

ORANGE CRANBERRY BREAD

Yield: 1 loaf (18 slices)

Source: The New Family Cookbook for People with Diabetes

Book Info: http://diabeticgourmet.com/book_archive/details/26.shtml

Print Version: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/412.shtml

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 medium orange

2 teaspoons margarine, melted

1 large egg, beaten, or 1/4 cup egg substitute

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut aluminum foil to fit the bottom of a 9x5-inch loaf pan and spray the sides of the pan with nonstick pan spray.

Sift the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.

Grate the zest from the orange and set aside. Cut the orange in half and squeeze the juice into a measuring cup. Add the grated zest and melted margarine to the juice and add enough hot water to make 1 cup.

Stir the liquids into the dry ingredients. Add the egg, vanilla, cranberries, and walnuts; stir to mix.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the top of the loaf comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack.

If time permits, let stand overnight for easy slicing. Cut the loaf into 18 slices.

Nutritional Information Per Serving:

Calories: 108; Protein: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 19 g; Cholesterol: 12 g; Sodium: 109 mg; Fat: 3 g

Exchanges: 1 Starch, 1/2 Fat

ROASTED POTATOES WITH GARLIC AND ROSEMARY

Yield: 8 to 12 wedges (4 servings)

View Online: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/804.shtml

Source: The New Family Cookbook for People with Diabetes

Book Info: http://diabeticgourmet.com/book_archive/details/26.shtml

Ingredients

2 large baking potatoes or 3 medium potatoes (1-1/4 pounds total), each cut in 4 wedges

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon crushed rosemary

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a shallow dish or pan with nonstick pan spray.

Arrange potato wedges in the prepared pan. Combine the oil, garlic, rosemary, and salt in a small bowl. Brush the potatoes lightly with the oil mixture.

Bake until tender and golden brown, about 1 hour, basting with oil from the pan every 15 minutes.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving)

Calories: 136; Protein: 3 g; Sodium: 155 mg; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Fat: 3 g; Dietary Fiber: 4 g; Sugars: 3 g; Carbohydrates: 24 g Exchanges: 1-1/2 Starch, 1/2 Fat

STRAWBERRY RHUBARB PIE

Yield: 8 servings

Source: Splenda

View Online: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/1000.shtml

Ingredients

Pastry for single-crust 9-inch pie

3 cups 1-inch rhubarb pieces or 1 package (16-ounces) frozen unsweetened rhubarb, thawed, undrained

3/4 cup water

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons lemon juice

3 cups sliced strawberries

1-2/3 cups Equal Spoonful or Granulated*

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

* May substitute 40 packets Equal sweetener

Directions

Roll pastry on floured surface into circle 1 inch larger than inverted 9-inch pie plate. Ease pastry into plate; trim and flute edge. Pierce bottom and side of pastry with fork. Bake in preheated 375F oven 10 to 12 minutes or until pastry is golden. Cool on wire rack.

Cook rhubarb in large covered saucepan over medium heat 5 minutes or until rhubarb releases liquid. Combine water, flour, cornstarch and lemon juice. Stir into rhubarb. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 3 to 5 minutes or until mixture is thickened and rhubarb is almost tender, stirring frequently. Stir in strawberries. Cook 2 to 3 minutes longer.

Stir Equal and nutmeg into fruit mixture. Spoon into baked crust. Bake in 350F oven 40 to 45 minutes or until bubbly. Cover edge of crust with aluminum foil if browning too quickly. Cool on wire rack. Serve warm.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving)

Calories: 175; Protein: 2 g; Sodium: 64 mg; Cholesterol: 5 mg; Fat: 5 g; Carbohydrates: 26 g Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 fruit, 1 fat

RAISIN-PUMPKIN MUFFINS

Yield: 12 servings

Source: Equal

View Online: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/997.shtml

Ingredients

3/4 cup canned pumpkin

6 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 egg

2 egg whites

1 tablespoon light molasses

2 teaspoons vanilla

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup Equal Spoonful or Granulated*

1/2 cup raisins

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

* May substitute 24 packets Equal sweetener

Directions

Combine pumpkin, oil, egg, egg whites, molasses and vanilla. Stir in a combined flour, Equal, raisins, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt just until all ingredients are moistened. Spoon batter into muffin cups.

Bake in preheated 375F oven 18 to 20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove muffins from pan and cool on wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving)

Calories: 149; Protein: 3 g; Sodium: 224 mg; Cholesterol: 18 mg; Fat: 8 g; Carbohydrates: 18 g

Exchanges: 1 starch, 1-1/2 fat

BROCCOLI CHOWDER

Yield: 6 servings, 1 cup each

Source: "The Eating Well Diabetes Cookbook"

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, chopped (1-1/2 cups)

1 large carrot, diced (1/2 cup)

2 stalks celery, diced (1/2 cup)

1 large potato, peeled and diced (1-1/2 cups)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3-1/2 cups vegetable broth or reduced-sodium chicken broth (two 14-ounce cans)

8 ounces broccoli crowns, cut into 1-inch pieces, stems and florets separated (3 cups)

1 cup grated reduced-fat Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream

1/8 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Directions

Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot and celery; cook, stirring often, until the onion and celery soften, 5 to 6 minutes. Add potato and garlic; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in flour, dry mustard and cayenne; cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Add broth and broccoli stems; bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Stir in florets; simmer, covered, until the broccoli is tender, about 10 minutes more.

Transfer 2 cups of the chowder to a bowl and mash; return to the pan. Stir in Cheddar and sour cream; cook over medium heat, stirring, until the cheese is melted and the chowder is heated through. Season with salt.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1 cup each): Calories: 180, Fat: 8 g, Cholesterol: 15 mg, Carbohydrate: 23 g, Protein: 6 g, Fiber: 4 g, Sodium: 354 mg Diabetic Exchanges: 1 Starch, 1 Vegetable, 1 High-Fat Meat

SUGAR-FREE OATMEAL COOKIES

This recipe yields 15 servings, and can be found online at http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/1118.shtml

Ingredients

3 banana (ripe)

1/3 cup margarine

2 cups quick-cooking oats (uncooked)

1/4 cup skim milk

1/2 cup raisins

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Put the margarine in a small saucepan. Melt it on low heat.

Put all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix really well. Let the mix stand for about 5 minutes, until the oats are wet.

Lightly grease the cookie sheet. For each cookie, spoon out about 1 tablespoon of dough and drop it onto the greased cookie sheet. Bake the cookies for 15 to 20 minutes.

Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for about 1 minute. Move the cookies to wire racks or a towel. Let them cool completely.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving): Calories: 110; Protein: 2 g; Sodium: 35 mg; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Fat: 5 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Dietary Fiber: 2 g; Sugars: 7 g; Carbohydrates: 17 g