Meatless Monday

It's time for another Meatless Monday. Today's offerings include Grilled Vegetables with Basil Dressing and Apple and Squash Bake. Enjoy!

AMAZING NEW ORLEANS BRAISED ONIONS

Yield: 10 servings

Source: America's Everyday Diabetes Cookbook

View online: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/590.shtml

Note: This recipe originally called for condensed beef broth, but since this is posted on Meatless Monday, I changed it to veggie broth.

Ingredients

2 to 3 large Spanish onions

6 to 9 whole cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cracked black peppercorns

Pinch ground thyme

Grated zest and juice of 1 orange

1/2 cup condensed vegetable broth, undiluted

Finely chopped fresh parsley, optional

Hot pepper sauce, optional

Directions

Stud onions with cloves. Place in slow cooker stoneware and sprinkle with salt, peppercorns, thyme and orange zest.

Pour orange juice and beef broth over onions, cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or on High for 4 hours, until onions are tender.

Keep onions warm. In a saucepan over medium heat, reduce cooking liquid by half.

When ready to serve, cut onions into quarters. Place on a deep platter and cover with sauce. Sprinkle with parsley, if desired, and pass the hot pepper sauce, if desired.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 20; Protein: 1 g; Sodium: 188 mg; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Dietary Fiber: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 4 g; Exchanges: 1 Vegetable

APPLE AND SQUASH BAKE

This one begins, “This recipe combines all the best fall flavors and makes a great alternative to the candied yams often served for Thanksgiving dinner.” Or for any holiday dinner.

Yield: 8 servings

Serving Size: 3/4 cup squash and apple bake

View recipe with photo here: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/1121.shtml

Ingredients

1/3 cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated

1 teaspoon molasses

1/4 cup light butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground mace

2 pounds butternut squash - peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2 inch slices

2 large apples - cored, and cut into 1/2 inch slices

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a medium bowl, stir together Splenda Granulated Sweetener, molasses, butter, flour, salt, and mace. Arrange squash in an ungreased 9x13 inch baking dish. Top with slices of apple, then sprinkle with the sugar mixture. Cover with a lid or aluminum foil.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes in the preheated oven, or until squash is tender.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 120; Calories from Fat: 30; Protein: 2 g; Fat: 3.5 g ; Sodium: 340 mg; Cholesterol: 10 mg; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Dietary Fiber: 4 g; Sugars: 9 g; Carbohydrates: 24 g

GRILLED VEGETABLES WITH BASIL DRESSING

Recipe Yield: Makes 8 servings.

To view this online, go to https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/grilled-vegetables-with-basil-dressing.

Ingredients

1 small eggplant, sliced into thick rounds

1 zucchini, cut into thick, diagonal slices

1 yellow summer squash, cut into thick slices

1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into eighths

1 small red onion, sliced and cut into 8 segments

2 Tbsp. balsamic or red wine vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, or 1 Tbsp. dried

1/4 cup non-fat yogurt

2 Tbsp. reduced-fat mayonnaise

1 Tbsp. minced fresh basil, or 1 tsp. dried

1 tsp. lemon juice

Directions

Thread skewers with alternating pieces of eggplant, zucchini, squash, bell pepper and onion. Place skewered vegetables in shallow pan.

Make marinade for vegetables by blending vinegar, oil and 1/4 cup fresh basil (or 1 Tbsp. dried). Pour over vegetables. Let stand 10 minutes, occasionally turning skewers so marinade coats all sides.

Meanwhile, make dressing. Place yogurt, mayonnaise, 1 Tbsp. fresh basil (or 1 tsp. dried) and lemon juice in a blender and mix until smooth. Transfer to small pitcher.

Grill vegetables, adjusting height of rack to avoid charring if using an outdoor grill.

Note: Serve vegetables as a side dish, as a sandwich filling in pita halves, or on sliced French bread or bruschetta. Pass basil-yogurt dressing to use as a topping.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 88; Fat: 6 g; Sodium: 44 mg; Protein: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 10 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 2 Vegetable; 1 Fat

RATATOUILLE

Recipe Yield: Serves 4

Source: AICR

Recipe and image appear courtesy of American Institute for Cancer Research.

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

Ingredients

1 small eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 large red bell peppers, seeded and cut into 3/4-inch pieces

4 small zucchini, sliced

1 onion, coarsely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb. tomatoes, chopped, OR 1 can (28 oz.) whole tomatoes, drained and chopped

1/3 cup chopped fresh basil

Directions

Sprinkle eggplant lightly with salt and let drain in colander for 30 minutes. Pat dry.

In non-stick skillet heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add eggplant. Stir and cook until soft and browned, about 6 to 7 minutes. Transfer eggplant to bowl.

Add remaining oil to pan and heat until hot. Add red peppers, zucchini, onion and garlic. Cook vegetables, stirring, until tender, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Mix in tomatoes, basil and eggplant. Stirring occasionally, cook on low heat 15 to 20 minutes or until all vegetables are very tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Note: Ratatouille, a specialty of the Provence region of France, is a popular and versatile dish that uses large amounts of produce. The tomatoes and eggplant create a juicy, stew-like sauce that accentuates the flavors of basil and garlic. Serve it hot as a side dish or over a grain for an entree. This version also tastes great when served cold.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 123; Fat: 5 g; Sodium: 200 mg; Protein: 4 g; Carbohydrates: 19 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 3-1/2 Vegetable; 1 Fat

PASTA SALAD

This comes from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list, though I suspect it's a diabetic recipe, as it has the nutritional info. Yield: 6 servings (6 cups total)

Ingredients

3 cups cooked tricolor spiral pasta (1-1/2 cups dry), or 3 cups other cooked pasta

1 large ripe tomato, cored, seeded, and chopped

1 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup black olives, drained and sliced

1/2 cup prepared fat-free Italian or Parmesan-pepper dressing

Directions

Combine all the ingredients; toss to mix. Chill to blend the flavors. (This salad is even better the second day.)

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1 cup): Calories: 165, Fat: 4 g, Cholesterol: 10 mg, Sodium: 355 mg, Carbohydrate: 22 g, Dietary Fiber: 2 g, Sugars: 5 g, Protein: 9 g

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

PUMPKIN SOUP

Recipe Yield: Makes 8 servings.

Source: AICR

Recipe and image appear courtesy of American Institute for Cancer Research.

View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/pumpkin-soup-2.

Ingredients

4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, divided

4 cups pumpkin puree (canned or fresh) (butternut squash may be substituted)

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 clove garlic

1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 Tbsp. light whipping cream (optional)

1 tsp. fresh parsley, chopped

Nutmeg (optional)

Directions

In large pot over medium-high heat add 3 cups broth, pumpkin, onion, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring to boil. Reduce to low and simmer uncovered, about 30 minutes.

Puree mixture until smooth, in small batches, using blender or food processor. Return to pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for another 30 minutes. Add remaining broth as desired. (Optional, stir in cream.)

Pour into bowls. Garnish with parsley (or sprinkle of nutmeg) and serve.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 71; Fat: 1 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Sodium: 284 mg; Protein: 3 g; Carbohydrates: 16 g