Tuesday Recipes

It's Tuesday...Beginning next Tuesday, I'm going to start posting taco recipes for Taco Tuesday. I've been doing that for a while on two of my other recipe blogs (Vegetarian Delights and Confessions of a Foodie), so will try doing that here. Not sure if it'll be a permanent thing, but we'll see.

In the meantime, here are six recipes to help you through the day, including Turkey London Broil and Chocolate Almond Meringues. Enjoy!

CHICKEN PAD THAI

This recipe begins, “Peanuts are a low glycemic index food. Their slow digestion causes sugar to gradually be released into the blood, which can have positive effects on blood sugar control.

“Substituting plant-based proteins like peanuts for animal proteins and low-quality carbohydrates can reduce diabetes risk by up to 21-percent.

“This recipe is also a good source of Vitamin A (109%), Vitamin C (47%), iron (10%) and calcium (7%).

Source: GApeanuts

To view this online, go to https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipe/chicken-pad-thai.

Ingredients

1 pound chicken breast

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon honey

2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce

3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon peanut butter

1/4 cup water

1 medium zucchini, spiralized (about 1 cup)

2 medium carrots, spiralized (about 1 cup)

1 cup cooked pad thai stir-fry noodles

1 cup bean sprouts

1 cup thinly sliced cabbage

1 lime, quartered

1/4 cup unsalted peanuts, crushed

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Directions

Season chicken with pepper, to taste. In large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, heat olive oil and cook chicken until fully cooked and juices are clear.

Remove chicken from pan and allow to rest 5 minutes before slicing.

To make sauce: In small bowl, whisk together honey, chili garlic sauce, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, peanut butter and water.

Add zucchini, carrots, rice noodles and chicken to pan; pour sauce over and toss to coat.

Toss in bean sprouts and cabbage.

Serve with lime wedge, crushed peanuts and cilantro.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 295; Fat: 12 g; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Fiber: 4 g; Sodium: 792 mg; Cholesterol: 60 mg; Protein: 27 g; Carbohydrates: 22 g; Sugars: 9 g

BANANA-COCONUT BREAD

Recipe Yield: Servings: 14

View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/banana-coconut-bread.

Ingredients

1-1/2 cup whole wheat flour, divided

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup coconut, unsweetened, shredded

1 cup mashed banana

2 tsp baking powder

3 tbsp vegetable oil

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tbsp honey

Directions

Mix together 1-1/4 cups of flour, coconut, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl.

Combine banana, oil and honey. Stir into flour mixture quickly (gently) until combined. Add part of the remaining 1/4 cup flour if needed. Batter will be lumpy.

Spread batter evenly in a lightly greased (and/or waxed paper lined) 8x4-inch loaf pan.

Bake at 350F about 45 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool 10 min in pan. Turn out of pan, cool completely on rack. Wrap in waxed paper and store overnight before slicing.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 108; Fat: 4 g; Protein: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 16 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 1 Starch/bread, 1 Fat

TURKEY LONDON BROIL

Recipe Yield: Serves: 6

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

Ingredients

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/3 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon grated lemon rind

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 boneless, skinless turkey breast (2 pounds)

Directions

Combine garlic, oil, lemon rind and juice, oregano, parsley, salt, pepper and wine in a 13x9x2-inch baking dish.

Place turkey breast, smooth side down, on a cutting board. Starting in center of thickest part on one half of the breast, cut meat horizontally in half but not all the way through. Spread meat out like an open book. Press lightly on thickest parts to make a rectangle of even thickness.

Place turkey in marinade in dish; turn several times to coat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour to marinate.

Heat broiler, or prepare a charcoal grill with hot coals, or heat a gas grill to medium-high. Place broiler pan or grill rack 4 inches from source of heat.

Remove turkey from marinade. Bring marinade to boiling in a small saucepan; boil 5 minutes. Broil or grill turkey 8 to 10 minutes per side or until internal temperature registers 170 degrees on an instant-read thermometer; baste with marinade every minute until last 3 or 4 minutes. Let turkey rest about 5 minutes. Cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 297; Fat: 14 g; Sodium: 158 mg; Cholesterol: 102 mg; Protein: 37 g; Carbohydrates: 2 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 4-1/2 Low-Fat Meat

CHOCOLATE ALMOND MERINGUES

Recipe Yield: Yield: About 2 1/2 dozen; Serving size: 1 meringue cookie

Source: MealLeaniYUMM!

Book Title: MealLeaniYUMM!

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

Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar, divided

1/4 cup ground almonds

1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa

1 tsp. cornstarch

2 egg whites

1/8 tsp. cream of tartar

1/2 tsp. vanilla (or 1/4 tsp. almond extract)

Directions

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Spray a foil-lined baking sheet with non-stick spray. In a small bowl, mix 2 tbsp. of the sugar with almonds, cocoa and cornstarch. In a stainless or glass bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer until frothy. Add cream of tartar and beat on high speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add flavoring and remaining sugar. Beat until stiff and shiny. Gently fold cocoa mixture into meringue.

Drop cookie mixture from a teaspoon onto the baking sheet to form small mounds. Leave about 2 inches between each mound. (Mixture could also be piped through a large pastry bag fitted with a large star tube.) Bake at 250 degrees F for 40 minutes. Cookies should be dry and slightly browned. Cool completely. Store in a tightly covered container.

Notes

These can be frozen.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 18; Fat: 0.3 g; Sodium: 7 mg; Protein: trace g; Carbohydrates: 4 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 1/4 Bread/Starch

SHEET PAN CARNE ASADA

This comes from Old El Paso, and begins, "Get delicious, flame-kissed carne asada on the table in less than an hour with this sheet pan carne asada oven recipe made entirely in the broiler. There is no need to marinate the steak the night before, just brush on our classic Old El Paso™ original taco seasoning mix and ground spicy red pepper. Toss your fresh vegetables with cumin and coriander and then arrange it all on your sheet pan to let the broiler do the rest of the work. You may not go back to grilling carne asada after tasting the delicious and tender steak and vegetables from this easy-to-make broiler recipe!"

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 35 minutes; Makes 6 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.oldelpaso.com/recipes/sheet-pan-carne-asada.

Ingredients

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 ears fresh sweet corn, cut in thirds, or 6 pieces frozen corn on the cob, thawed (from 12-ct package)

1 medium red bell pepper, cut in thin strips

1 medium yellow bell pepper, cut in thin strips

1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 package (1 oz) Old El Paso™ original taco seasoning mix

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)

1 1/3 lb beef flank steak

Tortillas and Toppings, as desired: Old El Paso™ flour tortillas, crumbled queso fresco, sliced radishes, diced avocado, chopped fresh cilantro, sour cream

Directions

Position oven rack 4 inches from broiler element. Spray 18x13-inch rimmed sheet pan with cooking spray.

In large bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil, the cumin, coriander and salt. Add corn, bell peppers and onion to bowl, and toss to coat; transfer to pan. In same large bowl, mix remaining 2 tablespoons oil, the taco seasoning mix and ground red pepper. Add steak; rub mixture in to steak. Transfer to pan with vegetables.

Broil 8 to 10 minutes, turning steak and stirring vegetables once, until instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of steak reads 135°F (for medium). Transfer steak to cutting board; cover with foil, and let steak rest 5 minutes.

Stir vegetables in pan; return to oven, and broil 4 to 6 minutes longer or until vegetables are blackened in spots. Thinly slice steak on the bias, against the grain. Serve with vegetables in tortillas with toppings.

Expert Tips

While traditional carne asada is all about the marinade, when you don’t have time to marinate your meat for several hours this recipe is the perfect solution. To make sure your steak is properly spiced before broiling, season one piece of sliced steak at a time. Sprinkle the seasoning over the steak first on both sides and then use your hands to rub it further into the steak. Make sure the steak is completely covered with the spice mix, rubbing in the spices to the front, back and the sides.

We love eating this flavor-packed corn straight from the cob. But feel free to cut the corn off the cob after taking it out of the broiler to make serving easier.

If your oven’s broiler only covers the center of your oven, arrange your pan with the steak in the center of the pan when you are first broiling. When you remove the steak rest, thoroughly stir the vegetables and position them in the center to ensure all elements get plenty of time directly under the flames.

Give your carne asada-packed tortillas a flavor boost with homemade guacamole! We can’t get enough of our recipe for Guacamole with Queso Fresco. This guacamole is perfect for adding to tacos and burritos or great when you are just snacking with a bag of corn chips!

Nutrition: 1 Serving: Calories 290 (Calories from Fat 120); Total Fat 14g (Saturated Fat 3g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 65mg; Sodium 650mg; Total Carbohydrate 15g (Dietary Fiber 2g, Sugars 4g); Protein 26g

% Daily Value: Vitamin A 20%; Vitamin C 50%; Calcium 2%; Iron 15%

Exchanges: 1/2 Starch, 1 Vegetable, 3 Lean Meat, 1 Fat

COPYCAT TACO BELL QUESARITO

This is from Old El Paso, and begins, "Forget about needing to leave the house to go to the drive-through, you can make this amazingly-good copycat recipe for Taco Bell™ Quesaritos easily at home! Roll up spicy beef, Old El Paso™ fiesta rice, cheese and guacamole inside two quesadillas packed with freshly-melted cheese. Add in your own ingredients to make these your own custom masterpiece or keep it classic by making them mimic the Taco Bell™ recipe. Either way, you get the satisfaction of making these amazing Quesaritos at home and the freedom to make (and of course eat) as many as you want!"

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes; Makes 8 servings

Want to view this online? Go to https://www.oldelpaso.com/recipes/copycat-taco-bell-quesarito.

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef

1 packet Old El Paso™ taco seasoning mix

1 packet Old El Paso™ heat & serve fiesta rice

16 Old El Paso™ Old El Paso™ flour tortillas for burritos

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

8 tablespoons sour cream

8 tablespoons prepared guacamole

Preparation

Add the ground beef to a large skillet over medium heat. Stir often to break up the meat until cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Drain the grease from the meat and stir in the packet of taco seasoning and water, as called for on the seasoning packet. Cook for 2 minutes and remove from the heat.

While the meat is cooking, cook the rice according to package instructions.

Lay one tortilla on a microwave-safe plate and top with a sprinkling of cheddar cheese. Top with a second tortilla. Microwave for 15 seconds or until the cheese has melted.

Spoon a bit of rice onto the tortilla, topped with the ground beef, more cheese, sour cream, and guacamole as desired. Don’t overfill your tortillas or they’ll be difficult to close.

Fold the ends of the tortillas up and bring the center over the filling. Roll the burritos closed.

Expert Tips:

Try a blend of Mexican cheese instead of cheddar for a little extra cheesy flavor in your Quesarito!

Before you roll up your Quesaritos, add a little fresh cilantro and squeeze a sprinkle of fresh lime juice over your ingredients for an added flavor boost.

Make your own homemade guacamole for this recipe! Try our famous recipe for Guacamole with Queso Fresco for a rich and creamy guacamole - perfect for your quesaritos or just great alone with a bag of corn chips.

We are firm believers that chips and dip should be eaten as often as possible. Try our easy and amazing microwave recipe for Taco Salad Dip that the whole family is sure to love.