Friday Recipes

It's finally Friday, time to Celebrate the upcoming weekend (thanks to Kool and the Gang). (Try getting that tune out of your mind today!)

Of course, we do need to eat during the weekend, so here are six yummy recipes to help you through the weekend, including Deep Dark and Stout Chili and Chicken and Vegetable Curry. Enjoy!

CHICKEN GREEN CHILE FOOTBALL EMPANADAS

This is from Old El Paso, and begins, "Are you ready for some football empanadas? These chile- and cheese-filled pies are a cinch to make and look great on your gameday appetizer table."

Prep Time: 35 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes; Makes 12 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.oldelpaso.com/recipes/chicken-green-chile-football-empanadas.

Ingredients

3/4 cup chopped cooked chicken

1/2 cup sliced green onions

1/2 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend (2 oz)

1 can (4.5 oz) Old El Paso™ chopped green chiles

2 oz cream cheese (from 8-oz package), softened

4 teaspoons Old El Paso™ chicken taco seasoning mix (from 0.85-oz package)

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon water

1 box Pillsbury™ refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box

Guacamole, if desired

Salsa, if desired

Preparation

Heat oven to 375°F. Line large rimmed pan with cooking parchment paper. In medium bowl, mix chicken, green onions, cheese, chiles, cream cheese and taco seasoning mix. In small bowl, mix egg and water.

Unroll one of the pie crusts. Using 4 1/2-inch football cookie cutter, cut out 12 footballs from crust, rerolling dough scraps together as necessary. Repeat with second pie crust, to total 24 footballs.

Place about 2 tablespoons filling in center of football; spread slightly to create even layer on dough with 1/4-inch border around all sides. Brush egg wash around outer edge of football, then gently stretch second dough football and place over top; using fork, crimp edges to seal together. Repeat with remaining pieces of dough. Place on pan.

Using paring knife, score laces into top of each empanada.

Brush tops with egg wash. Bake 27 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with guacamole and salsa.

Expert Tips

We used rotisserie chicken for this recipe, but feel free to use leftover chicken breasts or thighs.

Don’t have a football-shaped cutter? Use a pliable 3 1/2-inch round cutter, and bend into the shape of a football.

Exchanges: 1 Starch; 0 Fruit; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 2 1/2 Fat; Carbohydrate Choices: 1

CHICKEN AND VEGETABLE CURRY

Recipe Yield: Yield: 4 Servings

Source: 1,001 Recipes For People with Diabetes

Book Title: 1,001 Recipes For People with Diabetes

View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/chicken-and-vegetable-curry.

Ingredients

Vegetable Cooking Spray

12-16 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic

1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets

2 medium potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 large carrots, cut into 1/2-inch slices

1-1/2 cups reduced sodium fat-free chicken broth

3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon flour

2 tablespoon cold water

1 large tomato, chopped

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

1-2 tablespoons lemon juice

Salt, cayenne, and black pepper, to taste

Ingredients

Spray large saucepan with cooking spray; heat over medium heat until hot. Saute chicken, onion, and garlic until chicken is browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Add cauliflower, potatoes, carrots, broth, and herbs to saucepan; heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until chicken and vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

Heat mixture to boiling. Mix flour and water; stir into boiling mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Stir in tomato, parsley, and lemon juice; simmer 2 to 3 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt, cayenne, and black pepper.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 250; Fat: 3.1 g; Sodium: 203 mg; Cholesterol: 51.7 mg; Protein: 28.4 g; Carbohydrates: 29 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 2 Vegetable, 1 Bread, 2 Meat

SPINACH SAUTE WITH MUSHROOMS

Recipe Yield: Yield: 4 servings (1/2 cup)

Source: The Diabetes Food and Nutrition Bible

Book Title: The Diabetes Food and Nutrition Bible

View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/spinach-saute-with-mushrooms.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

3 bunches spinach (about 2 pounds), stemmed and washed

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

In a skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the mushrooms and garlic and saute for 3 minutes.

Add the spinach, cover, and steam for 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 99; Fat: 7 g; Sodium: 132 mg; Protein: 5 g; Carbohydrates: 7 g

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

SWEET POTATO - RAISIN COOKIES

Recipe Yield: Yield: 24 cookies; Serving Size: 2 cookies

Source: Magic Menus for People with Diabetes

Book Title: Magic Menus for People with Diabetes

View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/sweet-potato-raisin-cookies..

Ingredients

1 cup raisins

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1 cup sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups whole-wheat flour

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup walnuts, chopped

1/2 cup unprocessed bran flakes.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Soak raisins in hot water to cover for 5 minutes, then drain.

Cream margarine, then add sweet potatoes, egg, and vanilla; beat until creamy.

Mix flour, allspice, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. Add to creamed mixture and mix well.

Add raisins, nuts, and bran. Drop onto cookie sheet that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 12 minutes or until done.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 186; Fat: 6 g; Sodium: 256 mg; Cholesterol: 28 mg; Protein: 5 g; Carbohydrates: 31 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 2 Carbohydrate, 1 Fat

CORN BREAD

I found this buried in a group of recipes from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list. While it looks like it's from Diabetic Gourmet, I couldn't locate a link for it on the site.

Yield: 12 servings

Source: "The New Family Cookbook for People with Diabetes"

Info: http://diabeticgourmet.com/book_archive/details/26.shtml

Ingredients

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup fat-free milk

2 large eggs, slightly beaten, or 1/2 cup egg substitute

3 tablespoons canola or corn oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch square pan with nonstick pan spray.

Combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Combine the milk, eggs, and oil in a small bowl, add to the dry ingredients, and blend well.

Pour into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven and turn out of the pan onto a rack. Cool slightly before cutting. Cut into 12 equal portions. Serve warm.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (2-1/4 inch square): Calories: 130, Fat: 5 g, Cholesterol: 36 mg, Sodium: 207 mg, Carbohydrate: 18 g, Dietary Fiber: 1 g, Sugars: 1 g, Protein: 4 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 1 Starch, 1 Fat

DEEP, DARK AND STOUT CHILI

This recipe begins, “Like most chili recipes, the flavors are more blended if the chili is served the next day. This dish freezes well, too.”

Recipe Yield: Yield: 8 servings. Serving size: 1-1/3 cups chili.

Source: CanolaInfo

Recipe and image appear courtesy of CanolaInfo.org.

View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/deep-dark-and-stout-chili

Ingredients

2 Tbsp canola oil

1-1/2 lb extra lean ground beef (or 1 lb extra lean ground beef and 15-oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained)

2 cups diced green bell peppers

1 cup diced red onion

3 cans (14.5 oz each) no-salt-added stewed tomatoes

1 bottle (12 oz) dark stout beer

3 Tbsp chili powder

1-1/2 Tbsp ground cumin

1-1/2 Tbsp smoked paprika (optional)

1 Tbsp sodium-free beef bouillon granules

1 tsp salt

Toppings:

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1/2 cup finely chopped red onion

1 medium lime, cut into 6 wedges

Directions

Heat 1 Tbsp canola oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in two batches, brown beef, about 3-4 minutes per batch, stirring frequently.

Meanwhile, in a saute pan heat remaining 1 Tbsp canola oil and cook bell peppers and onions 4 minutes or until onions are soft, stirring frequently. Stir into cooked beef. Add stewed tomatoes, beer, chili powder, cumin, paprika, and bouillon. Bring just to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce heat, cover and simmer 45 minutes. Stir in salt.

Serve chili with choice of toppings placed in three small bowls.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 240; Fat: 8 g; Saturated Fat: 1.5 g; Fiber: 5 g; Sodium: 480 mg; Cholesterol: 45 mg; Protein: 20 g; Carbohydrates: 18 g