Meatless Monday

Happy New Year! I hope your New Year's Eve and Day (and weekend) were good. If you're like many people, you've come up with a few New Year's Resolutions (even if you didn't write them down). If you're like me (yes, I came up with a few), they involve improving your health (as much as you can possibly do), watch your diet, and exercise more. Am I close?

I ran across a short article (titled “Five Important Facts About Diabetes,” by Griffin P. Rodgers, M.D., M.A.C.P.) in one of the Diabetic Gourmet emails. If you're diabetic – or living with someone who is – you probably know all five facts listed in the article, but it doesn't hurt to review them. Click here to read about the five facts.

And now, for today's six diabetic recipes. Since it's Monday, this also means Meatless Monday, so they're all vegetarian, too. They include Sweet Potato Pie and Gingerbread Raisin Muffins. Enjoy!

PENNE ALLA PESTO

Servings: 4

Print Friendly: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/bin/print.cgi?ID=194

View recipe: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/194.shtml

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups fresh basil, stems removed

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted

2 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese

3/4 lb. cooked penne, hot

Directions

Wash and dry basil. Place basil in a blender or food processor with garlic, olive oil, pine nuts, cheese and pepper to taste; purée.

Transfer cooked penne to a serving bowl. Add pesto and toss thoroughly to serve.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 209; Protein: 5 g; Fat: 13 g; Sodium: 66 mg; Cholesterol: 2 mg; Carbohydrates: 19 g; Exchanges: 2-1/2 Fat; 2-1/2 Starch

SWEET POTATO PIE

Yield: 8 servings

Source: Equal

Find this recipe at: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/1030.shtml

Ingredients

1 Pastry for single-crust 9-inch pie

2 cups cooked, mashed sweet potatoes (about 2 Pastry for single-crust 9-inch pie pounds)

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup Equal Spoonful or Granulated*

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 can (12 ounces) evaporated fat-free milk

Light whipped topping (optional)

Grated nutmeg (optional)

* May substitute 24 packets Equal sweetener

Directions

Roll pastry on floured surface into a circle 1 inch larger than inverted 9-inch pie plate. Ease pastry into plate; trim and flute edge. Set aside.

Blend sweet potatoes in mixing bowl on medium speed of mixer until smooth. Stir in eggs, Equal, flour, lemon juice, vanilla, spices, salt and evaporated milk. Pour mixture over pastry shell.

Bake in preheated 400F oven 40 to 45 minutes or until filling is set and sharp knife inserted into center comes out clean.

Cool pie completely on wire rack. Cover and refrigerate. Garnish top of pie with whipped topping and grated nutmeg, if desired. Cut pie into wedges.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 197; Protein: 7 g; Fat: 6 g; Sodium: 316 mg; Cholesterol: 58 mg; Carbohydrates: 28 g; Exchanges: 2 starch, 1 fat

CORN BREAD APPLESAUCE MUFFINS

Yield: 8 servings

Source: The New American Heart Association Cookbook

View Recipe: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/545.shtml

Ingredients

Vegetable oil spray

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup coarse yellow cornmeal

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup fat-free milk

Egg substitute equivalent to 1 egg or 1 egg

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly spray eight muffin cups with vegetable oil spray.

Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl, stirring well.

Beat remaining ingredients in a small bowl.

Make a well in cornmeal mixture. Pour milk mixture into well, stirring just until moistened. Fill muffin cups two-thirds full with batter.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in center of muffins comes out clean.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 86; Protein: 3 g; Fat: 1 g; Sodium: 189 mg; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Dietary Fiber: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 18 g; Exchanges: 1 Bread/Starch

GINGERBREAD RAISIN MUFFINS

This recipe begins, “All the flavor of the dessert made into a muffin.”

Yield: 12 servings

Source: Equal

Find this recipe at: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/1180.shtml

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups Kellogg's Special K cereal, crushed to 1 cup

3/4 cup Equal Spoonful or Granulated*

1/2 cup raisins

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup low-fat buttermilk

2 egg whites

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 tablespoons light molasses

* May substitute 18 packets Equal sweetener

Directions

Lightly coat 12 muffin cups with nonstick spray or line with paper-liners; set aside.

Combine flour, crushed cereal, Equal, raisins, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, baking soda and salt in large mixing bowl.

Stir in buttermilk, egg whites, vegetable oil and molasses until all ingredients are just moistened. Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling 2/3 full.

Bake in preheated 400F 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: 152; Protein: 4 g; Fat: 4 g; Sodium: 273 mg; Cholesterol: 1 mg; Carbohydrates: 26 g; Exchanges: 2 starch, 1/2 fat

APPLESAUCE CAKE

Yield: 8 servings

Serving size: 1 slice.

Source: Splenda

Find this recipe at: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/1277.shtml

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/2 cup reduced-calorie margarine

1/4 cup molasses

1/2 cup egg substitute

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8x8 inch metal cake pan with vegetable cooking spray. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and ginger. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat margarine and molasses with an electric mixer on high speed for approximately 1 minute.

Add egg substitute and vanilla and blend on high speed for 30 seconds. Mixture will be liquid.

Add Splenda Granulated Sweetener and beat on medium speed until very smooth, approximately 1 1/2 minutes.

Add flour mixture and applesauce and beat on low speed until mixed, approximately 45 seconds.

Spread batter evenly into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 170; Calories from Fat: 60; Protein: 4 g; Fat: 7 g; Sodium: 260 mg; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Dietary Fiber: 1 g; Sugars: 10 g; Carbohydrates: 24 g

RED POTATO SALAD

Yield: 6 servings

Source: "Cooking with The Diabetic Chef" by Chris Smith

Info: http://diabeticgourmet.com/book_archive/details/23.shtml

Ingredients

2 quarts water

1 pound potatoes

6 tablespoons red onions, diced

1/2 cup celery, diced

3 tablespoons light mayonnaise

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 green onions, chopped

Directions

In a large pot, bring the water to boil. Add potatoes. Return water to simmer, cover, & cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are done. Remove potatoes from water & let them cool.

Cut potatoes into quarters & place them in large bowl. Add next six ingredients & mix together gently. Refrigerate overnight. Garnish with chopped green onions.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/2 cup): Calories: 110, Fat: 3 g, Cholesterol: 3 mg, Sodium: 587 mg, Carbohydrate: 20 g, Dietary Fiber: 2 g, Sugars: 3 g, Protein: 2 g, Diabetic Exchanges: 1 Starch, 1/2 Vegetable, 1/2 Fat