Thursday Recipes

One more day until the end of the week. Here are six diabetic-friendly recipes to help you through the week, including Eggplant and Sausage Slow Cooker Baked Ziti and Caribbean Beef Burgers with Mango Salsa. Enjoy!

TURKEY MEATLOAF

Makes 5 servings

Find this recipe at: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/435.shtml

Ingredients

1/2 lb.ground turkey breast

1/2 lb. ground turkey

1/3 cup ketchup

1 cup unseasoned whole-wheat breadcrumbs

3/4 cup finely chopped onion

1 tsp. dried basil

2 tsp. dried oregano

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 large egg

1/2 cup shredded carrots

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup green bell pepper, minced

1/4 cup red bell pepper, minced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

3 Tbsp. ketchup (optional, to use as a topping)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all ingredients except 3 tablespoons of ketchup in a large bowl. Transfer mixture to a 9x5-inch non-stick loaf pan. Bake 1 hour, uncovered.

Remove from oven. Spread the 3 tablespoons ketchup on top, if desired. Cover lightly with foil and let meatloaf rest 10 minutes. Cut into slices and serve.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 278; Protein: 24 g; Fat: 10 g; Sodium: 420 mg; Carbohydrates: 23 g, Exchanges: 1 Bread/Starch, 3 Lean-Meat

VEGETABLE BEEF BARLEY SOUP

Recipe Yield: Yield: 4 Servings

Source: The Best Diabetes Cookbook

Book Title: The Best Diabetes Cookbook

To view this online, go to https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/vegetable-beef-barley-soup.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 teaspoons crushed garlic

1 medium onion, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

2 carrots, diced

2 cups sliced mushrooms

3-1/2 cups beef stock

1/3 cup barley

2 small potatoes, peeled and diced

4 oz. stewing beef, diced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions

In large non-stick saucepan, heat oil; saute garlic, onion, celery, carrots and mushrooms until tender, approximately 10 minutes.

Add stock, barley, potatoes and beef; cover, reduce heat and simmer approximately 50 minutes or until barley and potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 208; Fat: 5 g; Sodium: 1009 mg; Cholesterol: 13 mg; Protein: 11 g; Carbohydrates: 31 g

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

CARIBBEAN BEEF BURGERS WITH MANGO SALSA

Recipe Yield: Makes 4 servings

Source: TBC

Recipe and photo appears courtesy of Cattlemen's Beef Promotion Board.

View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/caribbean-beef-burgers-with-mango-salsa.

Ingredients

1-1/2 pounds 95% lean ground beef

2 tablespoons Caribbean jerk seasoning

Salt

Mango Salsa:

1 large mango, peeled, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon chopped green onion

1 tablespoon finely chopped seeded jalapeno pepper

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Directions

Combine Ground Beef and jerk seasoning in large bowl, mixing lightly but thoroughly. Shape into four 3/4-inch thick patties.

Place patties on grid over medium, ash-covered coals. Grill, covered, 11 to 15 minutes (over medium heat on preheated gas grill, covered, 13 to 14 minutes), until instant-read thermometer inserted horizontally into center registers 160F, turning occasionally. Season with salt, as desired.

Meanwhile, combine salsa ingredients in medium bowl, mixing lightly. Serve burgers with salsa.

Note: Cooking times are for fresh or thoroughly thawed Ground Beef. Color is not a reliable indicator of Ground Beef doneness.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 193; Fat: 6 g; Saturated Fat: 3 g; Fiber: 1.1 g; Sodium: 51 mg; Cholesterol: 65 mg; Protein: 24 g; Carbohydrates: 11 g

CHOCOLATE-CHERRY PARFAIT

Recipe Yield: Servings: 6

View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/chocolate-cherry-parfait.

Ingredients

3 oz Neufchatel cream cheese

2 cup cold skim milk

3 oz package Jell-o sugar-free instant chocolate pudding

1 pound fresh bing cherries, pitted, cut in half

Directions

Blend cream cheese with 1/4 cup skim milk, on low speed of electric mixer, until smooth. Add remaining milk and pudding mix. Mix 1 or 2 minutes until smooth and well blended.

Add to 75% of the fresh cherries to 1/2 cup water, and cook until it boils for 1 minute. Remove from heat, drain well.

Alternately spoon pudding and cherries into parfait dishes, ending with pudding.

Garnish the top of each parfait with the remaining cherries.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 116; Fat: 3.5 g; Sodium: 305 mg; Cholesterol: 14.5 mg; Carbohydrates: 16 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 1/2 Bread; 1/2 Fruit; 1 Fat

EGGPLANT AND SAUSAGE SLOW COOKER BAKED ZITI

This is from Eating Well, and begins, "Using a slow cooker makes this Italian style dish an easy meal for any night of the week."

Prep Time: 25 minutes; Additional Time: 3 hours 35 minutes; Total Time: 4 hours; Servings: 6

To view this online, go to https://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/263593/eggplant-and-sausage-slow-cooker-baked-ziti/.

Ingredients

4 ounces bulk sweet Italian sausage

4 cups peeled and chopped eggplant

2 medium fennel bulbs, trimmed, cored, and thinly sliced

1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, crushed

6 to 8 ounces dried cut ziti or penne pasta

1/2 cup snipped fresh basil

1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (4 ounces)

Snipped fresh basil

Directions

In a large skillet cook sausage over medium-high heat until brown, using a wooden spoon to break up meat as it cooks. Drain off fat.

In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker combine sausage, eggplant, fennel, tomatoes, water, wine, tomato paste, garlic and Italian seasoning. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 6 to 7 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 to 3 1/2 hours.

If using low-heat setting, turn to high-heat setting. Stir in pasta and basil. Cover and cook for 30 minutes (see Tip). Stir pasta mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover and cook for 10 minutes more. Let stand, uncovered, for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with additional basil.

Tips

Tips: Skip the last 30 minutes of cooking by tossing eggplant mixture and basil with 6 to 8 ounces of cooked pasta. Sprinkle with cheese; continue as directed.

HUNGARIAN BEEF GOULASH

This is from Eating Well, and begins, "This streamlined goulash skips the step of browning the beef, and instead coats it in a spice crust to give it a rich mahogany hue. This saucy dish is a natural served over whole-wheat egg noodles. Or, for something different, try prepared potato gnocchi or spaetzle."

Cook Time: 30 minutes; Additional Time: 4 hours; Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes; Servings: 8; Yield: 8 cups

To view this online, go to https://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/251960/hungarian-beef-goulash/.

Ingredients

2 pounds beef stew meat, (such as chuck), trimmed and cubed

2 teaspoons caraway seeds

1-1/2 to 2 tablespoons sweet or hot paprika, (or a mixture of the two), preferably Hungarian (see Ingredient Note)

1/4 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 large or 2 medium onions, chopped

1 small red bell pepper, chopped

1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes

1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium beef broth

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Place beef in a 4-quart or larger slow cooker. Crush caraway seeds with the bottom of a saucepan. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in paprika, salt and pepper. Sprinkle the beef with the spice mixture and toss to coat well. Top with onion and bell pepper.

Combine tomatoes, broth, Worcestershire sauce and garlic in a medium saucepan; bring to a simmer. Pour over the beef and vegetables. Place bay leaves on top. Cover and cook until the beef is very tender, 4 to 4-1/2 hours on high or 7 to 7-1/2 hours on low.

Discard the bay leaves; skim or blot any visible fat from the surface of the stew. Add the cornstarch mixture to the stew and cook on high, stirring 2 or 3 times, until slightly thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve sprinkled with parsley.

Tips

Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 4 months. | Prep ahead: Trim beef and coat with spice mixture. Prepare vegetables. Combine tomatoes, broth, Worcestershire sauce and garlic. Refrigerate in separate covered containers for up to 1 day.

Ingredient Note: Paprika specifically labeled as “Hungarian” is worth seeking out for this dish because it delivers a fuller, richer flavor than regular or Spanish paprika. Find it at specialty-foods store or online at HungarianDeli.com and penzeys.com.

For easy cleanup, try a slow-cooker liner. These heat-resistant, disposable liners fit neatly inside the insert and help prevent food from sticking to the bottom and sides of your slow cooker.