Meatless Monday

If you've ever thought of trying vegetarian fare, Meatless Monday is the way to go. Here are six vegetarian (and diabetic) recipes to start your New Year off right, including Vegetarian Chili w/Brown Rice and Cranberry-Apple Spinach Salad. Enjoy!

BUTTERNUT SQUASH WITH APPLES, CRANBERRIES, AND WALNUTS

Yield: 4 servings. Serving size: 3/4 cup.

This is from Diabetes Self-Management.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons butter

3 cups cubed (about 1/2 inch) peeled butternut squash

1 tablespoon packed brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup water

1 cup cubed (about 1/2 inch) peeled Granny Smith apple

2 tablespoons dried cranberries

2 tablespoons chopped walnuts

Directions

Melt butter in large skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray over medium heat. Add squash; mix to lightly coat with butter. Add brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and pepper; mix with large spoon. Add water; cover, bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Add apple and cranberries; mix to combine. Cover and simmer 10 minutes or until squash is tender. Add walnuts; mix gently.

Nutrition Facts Per Serving: Calories: 129 calories, Carbohydrates: 23 g, Protein: 2 g, Fat: 4 g, Saturated Fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 5 mg, Sodium: 170 mg, Fiber: 3 g

Exchanges per serving: 1 1/2 Bread/Starch, 1/2 Fat.

VEGETARIAN CHILI WITH BROWN RICE

This is from Diabetes Self-Management.

Yield: 6 servings. Serving size: 1 1/4 cups.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon canola oil

1 onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 stalk celery, diced

1 jalapeño pepper,* minced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 cups fat-free vegetable broth

1 can (about 14 ounces) no-salt-added diced tomatoes

1 cup cooked brown rice

1 cup no-salt-added canned pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

6 tablespoons shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese

Directions

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell peppers, celery, jalapeño, and garlic; cook and stir 7 minutes.

Add broth, tomatoes, rice, beans, oregano, chili powder, salt, black pepper, and cumin. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Uncover; cook 10 minutes or until thickened.

Ladle chili into bowls; top each serving with 1 tablespoon cheese.

*Jalapeño peppers can sting and irritate the skin, so wear rubber gloves when handling peppers and do not touch your eyes.

Nutrition Facts Per Serving: Calories: 137 calories, Carbohydrates: 23 g, Protein: 6 g, Fat: 3 g, Saturated Fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 5 mg, Sodium: 378 mg, Fiber: 5 g

Exchanges per serving: 1 1/2 Bread/Starch, 1/2 Fat.

CRANBERRY-APPLE SPINACH SALAD

View this at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/cranberry-apple-spinach-salad

Source: The Complete Diabetes Prevention Plan

Recipe Yield: Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

6 cups moderately packed fresh spinach leaves

1/4 cup light balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing or Citrus Vinaigrette

1 cup matchstick-sized pieces apple

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup chopped walnuts or toasted pecans

1/4 cup crumbled reduced-fat feta or blue cheese

Directions

Place the spinach leaves and salad dressing in a large bowl and toss to mix well. Divide the mixture between 4 salad plates.

Top the spinach on each plate with a quarter of the apples, cranberries, nuts, and cheese. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 141; Fat: 8.3 g; Sodium: 272 mg; Cholesterol: 2 mg; Protein: 4.7 g; Carbohydrates: 13 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 1 Vegetable, 1/2 Fruit, 1-1/2 Fat

BUTTERNUT SQUASH ENCHILADAS WITH SALSA VERDE

This recipe begins, “It's a taste explosion! Treat yourself and your family to something different for dinner with this seasonal twist on an Mexican classic.”

Recipe Yield: 8 servings

To view this online, go to https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/butternut-squash-enchiladas-with-salsa-verde.

Ingredients

1 package (16 oz.) diced peeled butternut squash, or 1 1/4 lb. squash, seeded, peeled and diced

Canola oil spray

1 can (15.5 oz.) pinto beans, rinsed and drained

3/4 cup (3 oz.) crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese, divided

8 large (about 7-inch) corn tortillas

1 jar (16 oz.) salsa verde

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish (optional)

Directions

Place squash in medium saucepan. Add 1 cup water. Cover pot tightly, and place over medium-high heat. Cook until squash is tender but not mushy, 12-15 minutes, depending on size of cubes. Drain squash, and set aside.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Select a baking dish just large enough to hold the eight tortillas, folded over and slightly overlapping, so that they fit snuggly in the dish. (You may want to "test" and see if the baking dish is the proper size by arranging unfilled, folded tortillas in it, as they would be once filled and ready to bake.) using the canola oil spray, lightly coat the interior of the baking dish and set aside.

Place beans in mixing bowl. Using fork, partially mash beans. Add squash and blend, leaving mixture coarsely mashed, with some beans still whole. Mix in 1/2 cup of the cheese. Season filling to taste with salt and pepper.

Coat a tortilla on both sides with cooking spray. Lay it on a plate.

Spoon 3/4 cup of filling on one half of the tortilla. Fold tortilla in half over filling. Set it at one end of the baking dish. Repeat, placing filled tortillas so they overlap, filling baking dish tightly.

Pour pureed sauce over assembled enchiladas. Sprinkle remaining cheese over sauce. Cover pan with foil.

Bake enchiladas about 30 minutes, until they are heated through and tortillas are soft.

Uncover and serve garnished with cilantro.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 180; Fat: 2 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Sodium: 479 mg; Protein: 8 g; Carbohydrates: 33 g

DATE NUT BREAD

Source: Forbidden Foods Diabetic Cooking

Book Title: Forbidden Foods Diabetic Cooking

Recipe Yield: Yield: 16 servings

To view this online, go to https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/date-nut-bread

Ingredients

1/2 cup diced dried dates

1/2 cup water

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole-wheat flour

2 tablespoons chopped walnuts

1 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup low-fat (1%) milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon granulated sugar, for topping

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray.

Place the dried dates and water in a small saucepan; heat over medium heat until the water simmers; reduce the heat to low and simmer, 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, walnuts, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Make a well in the center.

In another medium bowl, stir together the brown sugar, milk, oil, egg, and vanilla until well blended. Pour into the well of the flour mixture; stir just until combined (do not over-mix), about 1 minute. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack, 5-10 minutes, then remove from the pan and place on the rack to finish cooling.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 142; Fat: 5 g; Sodium: 71 mg; Cholesterol: 14 mg; Protein: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 24 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 1-1/2 Carbohydrate, 1 Fat

ORANGE CRANBERRY BREAD

Recipe Yield: Yield: 1 loaf (18 slices)

Source: The New Family Cookbook for People with Diabetes

Book Title: The New Family Cookbook for People with Diabetes

View at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/orange-cranberry-bread

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking flour

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

Diabetic Exchanges: 1 Starch, 1/2 Fat