Meatless Monday

It's time for another Meatless Monday, where we check out vegetarian recipes that are also diabetic friendly. This week's offerings include Jalapeno Broccoli and Butternut Squash Enchiladas with Salsa Verde. Enjoy!

CRANBERRY ORANGE CHEESECAKE

Recipe Yield: Serves: 16

Source: Equal®

View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipe/cranberry-orange-cheesecake.

Ingredients

Crust Ingredients:

1-1/3 cups gingersnap crumbs

3 tablespoons Equal Spoonful or Granulated*

3 tablespoons stick butter or margarine, melted

Cheesecake Ingredients:

3 packages (8 ounces each) reduced fat cream cheese, softened

1 cup Equal Spoonful or Granulated**

2 eggs

2 egg whites

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup reduced-fat sour cream

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup chopped fresh or frozen cranberries

1-1/2 teaspoons grated orange peel

Additional grated orange peel (optional)

*May substitute 4-1/2 packets Equal sweetener

** May Substitute 24 packets Equal sweetener

Directions

For Crust, combine gingersnap crumbs, 3 tablespoons Equal® and melted butter. Reserve 2 tablespoons crumb mixture. Press remaining crumb mixture onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Bake in preheated 325° F oven 8 minutes. Cool on wire rack while preparing cheesecake.

For Cheesecake, beat cream cheese and 1 cup Equal® in mixing bowl on medium speed of mixer until smooth and well combined. Mix in eggs, egg whites, cornstarch and salt. Fold in sour cream and vanilla until combined. Gently stir in cranberries and orange peel.

Pour batter over baked crust. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture. Bake in preheated oven 45 to 50 minutes or until center of cake is almost set. Cool on wire rack. Gently run metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cake. Let cheesecake cool completely. Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight before serving. To serve, remove side of pan. Garnish top of cheesecake with grated orange peel, if desired. Cut cake into wedges.

Notes:

Chopped fresh cranberries, grated orange peel and the tang of gingersnaps make this a festive looking and delicious cheesecake variation.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 196; Fat: 13 g; Sodium: 268 mg; Cholesterol: 62 mg; Protein: 7 g;Carbohydrates: 13 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 1 milk, 2-1/2 fat

BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE TORTE

Recipe Yield: Serves: 12

Source: Equal

View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/bittersweet-chocolate-torte

Ingredients

Torte Ingredients:

6 tablespoons stick butter or margarine

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate

1/3 cup fat-free milk

1/3 cup sugar-free apricot preserves or apricot spreadable fruit

2 teaspoons instant coffee crystals

1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1-1/2 cups Equal Spoonful or Granulated*

3 egg whites

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

Rich Chocolate Glaze Ingredients:

1 ounce semi-sweet chocolate

1 tablespoon stick butter or margarine

Whipped topping, fresh raspberries, and/or fresh mint (optional)

* May substitute 36 packets Equal sweetener

Directions

For Torte, heat 6 tablespoons butter, 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, milk, preserves and coffee crystals in small saucepan, whisking frequently until chocolate is almost melted.

Remove pan from heat; continue whisking until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Whisk in egg yolk and vanilla. Add Equal, whisking until smooth.

Lightly grease bottom of an 8-inch round cake pan and line with parchment or waxed paper. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar to stiff peaks in large bowl. Fold chocolate mixture into egg whites; fold in combined flour and salt. Pour cake batter into pan.

Bake in preheated 350 F oven 20 to 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Do not over bake. Carefully loosen side of cake from pan with small sharp knife, which will keep cake from cracking as it cools. Cool cake completely in pan on wire rack. Cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours or until chilled.

For Rich Chocolate Glaze, melt 1 ounce semi-sweet chocolate and 1 tablespoon butter in small saucepan, stirring frequently.

Remove cake from pan and place on serving plate. Pour Rich Chocolate Glaze over top of cake, letting it run down sides. Let cake stand about 1 hour or until glaze is set. Garnish top of cake with prepared whipped topping, fresh raspberries and fresh mint, if desired. Cut cake into wedges.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 145; Fat: 12 g; Sodium: 116 mg; Cholesterol: 36 mg; Protein: 3 g; Carbohydrates: 9 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 2 fat

GREEN BEANS WITH POPPY SEED DRESSING

Recipe Yield: Yield: 4 servings (3/4 cup each)

Source: The Eating Well Diabetes Cookbook

Book Title: The Eating Well Diabetes Cookbook

View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/green-beans-with-poppy-seed-dressing

Ingredients

1 teaspoon poppy seeds

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon white-wine or rice-wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon honey

1 tablespoon minced shallot

1/8 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Freshly ground pepper to taste

1 pound green beans, stem ends trimmed

Directions

To prepare dressing: Heat a small dry skillet over medium-low heat.

Add poppy seeds and toast, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer to a small bowl (or jar) and let cool. Add oil, vinegar, mustard, honey, shallot, salt and pepper; whisk (or shake) until blended.

To prepare beans: Cook beans in a large pot of boiling water until just tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Drain. Warm the dressing in a large skillet over medium heat. Add beans and toss to coat.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 113; Fat: 8 g; Fiber: 4 g; Sodium: 104 mg; Protein: 3 g; Carbohydrates: 11 g

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

JALAPENO BROCCOLI

Recipe Yield: Yield: 4 to 5 servings

Source: America's Everyday Diabetes Cookbook

Book Title: America's Everyday Diabetes Cookbook

View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/jalapeno-broccoli

Ingredients

1 teaspoon salt, optional

1 head broccoli, trimmed and separated into spears

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

2 fresh jalapeno peppers, thinly sliced (with or without seeds, depending on desired hotness)

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

Few sprigs fresh coriander or parsley, chopped

Directions

Bring a pot of water to the boil and add optional salt. Add the broccoli spears and boil over high heat for 3 to 5 minutes (depending on desired tenderness).

Drain and transfer broccoli to bowl of ice cold water for 30 seconds. Drain and lay out the cooked spears decoratively on a presentation plate. Drizzle evenly with balsamic vinegar.

In a small frying pan, heat olive oil over medium heat for 30 seconds. Add sliced jalapeno peppers (with seeds, if using) and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes until softened.

Take peppers with all the oil from the pan, and distribute evenly over the broccoli. Garnish with pine nuts and herbs.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 142; Fat: 9 g; Fiber: 6 g; Sodium: 206 mg; Protein: 8 g; Carbohydrates: 14 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 2 Vegetable, 1/2 Lean Meat, 1-1/2 Fat

BUTTERNUT SQUASH ENCHILADAS WITH SALSA VERDE

Recipe Yield: Yield: Makes 8 servings.

View this online at 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, accompanied by cooked brown rice, if desired.

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

GINGERBREAD MUFFINS

Recipe Yield: 12 servings

Source: Equal®

View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipe/gingerbread-muffins.

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; Fat: 4 g; Sodium: 273 mg; Cholesterol: 1 mg; Protein: 4 g; Carbohydrates: 26 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 2 starch, 1/2 fat