Meatless Monday

It's time for another Meatless Monday. Here are six diabetic-friendly vegetarian recipes to help you through the day, including Green Minestrone and Red Potato Salad. Enjoy!

EASY VEGAN TEMPEH CHILI

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

Servings: 6; Prep time: 10 minutes; Cook time: 30 minutes; Total: 40 minutes

You can view this at https://www.ontrackdiabetes.com/recipes/easy-vegan-tempeh-chili.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

8 ounces tempeh

1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)

1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)

1/2 orange bell pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)

1 stalk of celery, chopped

1 15-ounce can of organic pinto beans (undrained)

1 15-ounce can of organic kidney beans (drained)

2 15-ounce cans of fire-roasted diced tomatoes (undrained)

3/4 cup of water

3 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne (or to taste)

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large (6-quart) saucepan on medium heat.

Remove tempeh from the package and crumble it into saucepan. Brown for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add chopped onion, bell peppers and celery to saucepan. Stir frequently for about 5 minutes.

Add beans (1 drained and 1 undrained), tomatoes, water and remaining seasonings. Stir well to combine.

Simmer on low heat for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until peppers are cooked yet still firm.

Nutrition Information Per Serving: 330 calories (33% calories from fat), 18 g protein, 12 g total fat (2 g saturated fat), 38 g carbohydrates, 12 g fiber, 0 mg cholesterol, 767 mg sodium

RED POTATO SALAD

This originally came from Diabetic Gourmet, though the recipe is probably more than ten years old. (It was in an email that long ago.) Unfortunately, I no longer have the link to this recipe. However, it is from "Cooking with The Diabetic Chef" by Chris Smith, which can be found at http://diabeticgourmet.com/book_archive/details/23.shtml.

Ingredients

2 quarts water

1 pound potatoes

6 tablespoons red onions, diced

1/2 cup celery, diced

3 tablespoons light mayonnaise

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 green onions, chopped

Directions

In a large pot, bring the water to boil. Add potatoes. Return water to simmer, cover, and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are done. Remove potatoes from water and let them cool.

Cut potatoes into quarters and place them in large bowl. Add next six ingredients and mix together gently. Refrigerate overnight. Garnish with chopped green onions.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/2 cup): Calories: 110, Fat: 3 g, Cholesterol: 3 mg, Sodium: 587 mg, Carbohydrate: 20 g, Dietary Fiber: 2 g, Sugars: 3 g, Protein: 2 g

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

GREEN MINESTRONE

Recipe Yield: Makes 6 servings

Source: AICR

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

View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/green-minestrone.

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

4 scallions, chopped, white and green parts

1 medium leek, white part only, halved and sliced

1 small red onion, diced

1 celery rib, thinly sliced

4 cups reduced-sodium, fat-free vegetable broth

12 green beans, or 1 cup frozen, cut in 1-inch pieces

1 medium potato, peeled and cut in 1/2-inch cubes

1 small zucchini, cut in 1/2-inch slices

3 cups stemmed fresh spinach leaves, or coarsely chopped Swiss chard

1 cup canned kidney beans, rinsed and drained

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Saute scallions, leek, onion and celery until onion is translucent. Cover, reduce heat and cook gently 5 minutes, or until vegetables have released their juices and softened.

Add broth, green beans, potato and zucchini. Simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes. Stir in spinach. Add canned beans. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook until beans are heated through, about 5 minutes.

Ladle soup into bowls and serve, topped with some of the cheese. (Soup keeps up to three days if covered and refrigerated.)

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 111; Fat: 3 g; Sodium: 532 mg; Protein: 6 g; Carbohydrates: 17 g

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

FRUITFUL FROZEN YOGURT

Yield: 6 servings

Online version: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/841.shtml

Source: Diabetic Dream Desserts

Book Info: http://diabeticgourmet.com/book_archive/details/61.shtml

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups frozen fruit, coarsely chopped and thawed (such as raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, cherries, or peaches)

4 cups light vanilla yogurt (or use the same flavor yogurt as the fruit you choose)

Sugar substitute equal for 1/4 cup sugar

Directions

Place the fruit and the accumulated juices in a large bowl and mash slightly with a fork.

Stir in the yogurt and sugar substitute.

Pour the mixture into a 1-1/2 quart ice cream maker and proceed as directed by the manufacturer.

Spoon into dessert dishes and serve immediately.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 114; Protein: 8 g; Fat: 0.4 g; Sodium: 122 mg; Cholesterol: 4 mg; Carbohydrates: 19 g; Exchanges: 1 Carbohydrate

BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

Blueberry-filled muffins that have a cake-like texture.

Yield: 12 muffins

Serving size: 1 muffin

View Online: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/998.shtml

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup light margarine, softened

1 cup Splenda Essentials No Calorie Sweetener with Fiber, Granulated

1/4 cup honey

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup 1% low-fat milk

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed

Directions

Place oven rack in top 1/3 of oven.

Preheat oven to 400F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. Lightly spray liners with nonstick cooking spray.

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt, set aside.

Beat margarine at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add Splenda Essentials Granulated Sweetener and honey, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla.

Alternately add flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition. Fold in blueberries.

Spoon batter evenly into paper lined muffin cups. Bake 20 to 22 minutes or until golden. Remove from pan immediately and cool on wire rack.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 160; Calories from Fat: 45; Protein: 4 g; Fat: 5 g; Sodium: 280 mg; Cholesterol: 35 mg; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Dietary Fiber: 1 g ; Sugars: 8 g ; Carbohydrates: 26 g

MARINATED ARTICHOKE APPETIZERS

Yield: 24 appetizers; Serving Size: 1 appetizer

Source: The Complete Diabetes Prevention Plan

Book Title: The Complete Diabetes Prevention Plan

View online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/marinated-artichoke-appetizers.

Ingredients

24 marinated artichoke quarters, drained

24 cherry or grape tomatoes

8-ounce block reduced-fat white cheddar or Swiss cheese, cut into 24 cubes

Directions

Skewer one artichoke piece, tomato, and cheese cube onto a toothpick. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 37; Fat: 2.1 g; Saturated Fat: 0.6 g; Sodium: 92 mg; Cholesterol: 5 mg; Protein: 3 g; Carbohydrates: 2 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 1/3 Medium-Fat Meat, 1/3 Vegetable