Salads

Chances are, you may have heard of celiac disease. If so, you may also be aware that nyone with celiac disease has to watch out for carbs. (Sound familiar? You may also be watching carbs if you or a loved one has diabetes.)

But did you know that undiagnosed celiac disease in people with Type 1 diabetes "can lead to frequent, unexplained low or high blood glucose readings"? According to an article from Diabetes Self-Management, it can.

I can almost hear someone saying, "But I thought if you're not diagnosed with celiac disease as a child, you're in the clear." That's what I thought, too. However, that's not always the case.

For a great article on dealing with celiac disease, especially if you have diabetes, check out “What You Should Know About Celiac Disease”. It'll give you plenty to think about.

And now, on to the good stuff - the food. Today's recipes deal with salads.

If someone mentions salads, and your first thought is a lettuce-tomato-onion-and-dressing dish, it's time to add a few extra salad recipes, including Confetti Bean Salad and Winter Fruit Salad. Enjoy!

ROMAINE, RED ONION, AND FENNEL SALAD WITH TART LIME DRESSING

Recipe Yield: Servings: 4

View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/romaine-red-onion-and-fennel-salad-with-tart-lime-dressing.

Ingredients

1 cup Romaine lettuce

1-1/2 cups fennel bulb, shredded

1 cup cauliflowerets

1/2 cup red onion, sliced thinly

Tart Lime Dressing

1/2 cup lime juice, fresh

1 tbsp olive oil

1 cup garlic, minced

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground pepper

1/4 tsp paprika

Directions

Salad: Wash, dry, and tear lettuce into bite-sized pieces. Arrange lettuce pieces in a salad bowl; toss with shredded fennel, cauliflowerets, and red onion. Prepare Tart Lime Dressing. Sprinkle dressing over salad and toss just before serving.

Tart Lime Dressing: Combine all ingredients and mix well.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 60; Fat: 3 g; Protein: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 6 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 1 vegetable and 1 fat

CHICKEN AND SPINACH SALAD

Recipe Yield: Yield: 14 cups (7 - 2 cups servings)

Source: Cooking Healthy and Fast

Book Title: Cooking Healthy and Fast

View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/chicken-and-spinach-salad.

Ingredients

6 oz. fresh spinach

2 oranges, peeled and cut into chunks

2 cups cooked and cubed chicken

2 cups fresh strawberries

Dressing:

2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

3 Tbsp. orange juice

1-1/2 Tbsp. canola oil

1/4 tsp. dry mustard

1/3 tsp. poppy seeds

Directions

Mix dressing ingredients and regrigerate. Wash spinach and tear into bite size pieces. Add oranges, chicken and strawberries. Serve with dressing.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 135; Fat: 4 g; Sodium: 46 mg; Cholesterol: 31 mg;Carbohydrates: 10 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 1 fruit, 1 1/2 lean meat

BELL PEPPER SALAD

Servings: 4

View recipe: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/40.shtml

Source: The Diabetic Newsletter

Ingredients

1 medium-sized red bell pepper

1/2 cup creamy garlic dressing

1 medium-sized green bell pepper

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 medium-sized yellow bell pepper

2 teaspoons capers, rinsed and drained

Directions

Preheat broiler.

Place bell peppers under broiler and lightly charred, turning to grill all sides.

Remove from broiler to a paper bag. Close bag and set aside.

When peppers cool, peel, core, seed and cut into strips.

Arrange peppers on a platter, alternating colors so that they form a petal, and spoon dressing over them.

Sprinkle with black pepper.

Garnish with capers and serve warm or chilled.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 30; Protein: 2 g; Sodium: 67 mg; Carbohydrates: 6 g; Exchanges: Sodium: 67 mg

CONFETTI BEAN SALAD

Servings: 6

Source: The Diabetic Newsletter

Find this recipe at: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/43.shtml

Ingredients

16 ounces can mixed cut green & wax beans

1/4 cup onion, chopped

2 tablespoons pimiento, chopped

1/2 cup cider vinegar

Sugar substitute equivalent to 5 teaspoons sugar

1 tablespoon mixed pickling spices

1/4 cup celery, finely chopped

Crisp lettuce leaves

1/4 cup green pepper, chopped

Directions

Drain beans, saving liquid.

Combine this liquid with vinegar in a saucepan.

Add mixed pickling spice, either loose or in a small cheesecloth bag.

Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer gently for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix all the vegetables in a bowl.

Remove liquid from heat; add sweetener and stir until dissolved.

Pour over vegetables and remove spice bag or loose spices.

Chill several hours, stirring occasionally.

Drain before serving on crisp lettuce.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 28; Protein: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 7 g; Exchanges: 1 Vegetable

ASIAN CHICKEN AND SLAW

Recipe Yield: Servings: 4

Source: Family Circle's "All-time Favorite Recipes"

Book Title: Family Circle's "All-time Favorite Recipes

View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/asian-chicken-and-slaw.

Ingredients

1-1/4 pounds ground chicken

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 green onions (including some green), finely chopped

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1 can (8 ounces) water chestnuts, drained and chopped

2 tablespoons dark Asian sesame oil

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon hoisin sauce

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 package (16 ounces) shredded coleslaw mix

1/4 cup beef broth

Directions

Combine chicken, 2 cloves garlic, green onions, 2 teaspoons ginger, half of water chestnuts, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, hoisin sauce, 3/4 teaspoon salt and pepper in a medium- size bowl. Shape into patties.

Heat remaining 2 teaspoons sesame oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties and cook 4 minutes per side or until internal temperature registers 165 degrees F on an instant thermometer. Remove to a serving platter and keep warm.

Add remaining garlic, water chestnuts, soy sauce and salt to skillet, along with coleslaw mix. Cook over medium-high heat 7 minutes. Add broth, cover and cook 3 minutes or until tender. Serve slaw alongside patties.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 344; Fat: 16 g; Sodium: 579 mg; Protein: 32 g; Carbohydrates: 5 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 3 Low-Fat Meat; 2 Fat

WINTER FRUIT SALAD

This is from OnTrackDiabetes, a site with some good information for diabetics and their families.

You can view this at https://www.ontrackdiabetes.com/recipes/salads/winter-fruit-salad.

Ingredients

8 red apples, such as Jonathan or Gala, cored and diced

8 green Bartlett or Anjou pears, cored and diced

4 cups fresh strawberries, stems removed, sliced

2 cups fresh orange juice

1 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup orange-flavored liqueur (optional)

sugar substitute, to taste (optional)

4 bananas, sliced

Directions

Place all of the fruit (except bananas), juices and liqueur (if using) in a large attractive bowl. Add sugar substitute, if using. Gently mix.

Cover bowl and refrigerate 4 to 8 hours, but no longer.

Just before serving, stir in banana slices.

Nutritional Information Per serving: 131 calories (5% calories from fat), 1 g protein, 1 g total fat (0.1 g saturated fat), 33 g carbohydrates, 5 g dietary fiber, 0 cholesterol, 1 mg sodium

Diabetic exchanges: 2 carbohydrate (fruit)